If you ask any Magnitogorsk resident about what the city’s most important landmark is, everyone will mention something close to him: the “First Tent”, the Europe-Asia border. But few people know that such a circus remained for many years.
The beginning of the history of the old circus
Magnitogorsk circus has long been considered the hallmark of the village for the following reason: the city was one of four lucky people who, not being regional centers of the USSR, had their own circus.
The building of the first, then still wooden city circus was built together with the city, with a city-forming enterprise - a metallurgical plant. They erected it right at the construction site near Magnetic Mountain, which regularly supplied (today its resources have been exhausted) raw materials - iron ore - a young plant.
The first builder of Magnitogorsk S. Znitkin mentioned in his memoirs that the idea of ​​building a circus came to Konstantin Matveyevich Chervotkin. The comrade chose a suitable place for the future structure, his detailed project, but the problem was that there were no building materials. Resourceful workers reassured Chervotkin - for four days now the station has been using unnecessary cars with materials - boards. The project organizer did not hesitate for a long time - the work began to boil. The owners of the wood, however, later showed up. But when they found out what the materials were being spent on, they waved a hand at the loss.
What lived the first circus of Magnitogorsk
However, the story is considered only a legend. After all, the place for the circus was selected very carefully, and the support of Magnitostroy was very thorough - this can not testify to such an amateurish beginning of the implementation of the circus project.
In the thirties, the Magnitogorsk circus was located in the city center - a city park was opened next to it, the first sound cinema was opened. There was also a factory building, most of the huts of the first builders. The large area of ​​the circus (2 thousand seats) has become the right place where the population could gather together under one roof. There were opened: the first restaurant, billiard room, library, buffets with the most delicious ice cream in the city.
The first director of the circus rightfully became K. M. Chervotkin. Unfortunately, the story is silent about who this person is, where he came from on Magnitostroy. His brainchild was going through glorious times: the “iron” commissar Sergo Ordzhonikidze appeared in the circus, read his works Demyan Bedny, and famous wrestlers visited the band: Auzoni, Arnautov, Ivan Poddubny, Hadji Murat, Yan Gypsy.
The Magnitogorsk circus did not close its doors during the Great Patriotic War either: people exhausted at the factory were happy to attend shows after midnight, when the work shift was ending. Despite difficult times, it was then possible to keep the circus pedigree horses attached.
The morally and physically obsolete building was closed in 1966.
New Magnitogorsk Circus: History
Explosions in the wasteland near the Southern Passage in 1968 announced the beginning of the construction of a new circus building. Construction dragged on for as long as 8 years. Although the design of the building, in fact, was typical, the Magnitogorsk State Circus was nevertheless made unlike the others:
- the building was "dressed" in the Ural clothes: jasper, granite and marble;
- for the first time, coarse-grained plaster was used for decorative finishing;
- the interior also became a "pioneer" - for the first time in the history of world circuses, the floor was decorated with multi-colored jasper;
- to improve acoustics, the dome was made of perforated metal (12 million holes were drilled in the sheets).
It is true that the first spectators were the builders of the building. The premiere performance was given on January 1, 1976. It was opened by the famous Walter and Maritsa Zapashny. Also in the circus were held city KVN, discos.
But in the 90s, the circus adored by the townspeople, like many state institutions, was in decline.
The revival of the Magnitogorsk circus
A new page in the life of the circus was launched relatively recently - with the advent of the new director Oleg Khotim in 2015. The leader shared in many interviews that his main task from the very beginning was to maintain the city circus at all costs. And I must say, he did it:
- Ticket prices reduced to the lowest in Russia: 300-1000 rubles. Due to the 50% discount, the highest cost is halved. Such a loyal pricing policy to this day attracts a large number of viewers.
- “Framework agreement” with the city administration on mutual cooperation: the first persons of Magnitogorsk come to representations, creating an informational occasion, and artists in return take part in city public events free of charge.
- The provision of gratuitous assistance by the municipal services - the Vodokanal and Heating installations.
Modern Magnitogorsk Circus
The schedule of performances today is a change of amazing programs that will be interesting for both adult and young viewers:
- "Royal Tigers";
- "Sea giant lions";
- "The legendary circus of Tamerlane";
- "White tigers";
- "Dreams of Scheherazade";
- Circus Africa;
- tour of the Filatovs;
- "Our Good Circus" (tour of the Moscow Circus Nikulin).
This institution has repeatedly appeared in the city’s news in 2017: a charity performance for orphans, a children's drawing contest “The Circus of My Dreams”, free performances “The Circus Goes to You”, a concert in the correctional colony for World Circus Day.
As in the first years - near Magnetic Mountain, and today, after more than 80 years, having passed both fire and water, the Magnitogorsk city circus remains a favorite vacation spot for adults and young citizens.