Professions

Stories Behind Clown monuments

06.10.201701.03.2020 by Elena

Street Clown monument in Vitebsk. Behind Clown monuments. Sculptor Ivan Kazak — Street Clown monument in Vitebsk. Sculptor Ivan Kazak. Behind Clown monuments

Behind Clown monuments
A stray musician monument, also known as the Street Clown, became a gift to Vitebsk from the Honored Artist of Russia, head of the incredibly strange circus Nikolai Chelnokov. The work created by Vitebsk sculptor Ivan Kazak.
In particular, the monument is a figure of a good-natured clown who plays the accordion, and a poodle dancing next to him. Meanwhile, since the appearance of the monument, it immediately acquired legends and beliefs. And one of the most popular of them is the following: if you touch the accordion, then you will have a good mood for the whole day. Also, to be lucky all day – you need to say hello to the poodle, touching its paw. Besides, if you rub the money, peeping out of the back pocket of a wandering musician – you will have a financial luck.

Karandash (pencil, clown's nickname), a monument to Mikhail Rumyantsev in Gomel (Belarus), at the entrance to the circus — Karandash (pencil, clown’s nickname), a monument to Mikhail Rumyantsev in Gomel (Belarus), at the entrance to the circus

The famous and great clown of Moscow Mikhail Rumyantsev for many years made his people smile and raised their mood with his jokes and reprises. In 2008, the sculptor Vyacheslav Dolgov created the great sculpture of Mikhail Rumyantsev and the wonderful dog Klyaksa, who accompanied the clown and helped him in performances. The monument decorates the entrance to the House of the Union of Circus Figures of Russia (Moscow, 12 Efremova street).

It was in this building, Mikhail Rumyantsev used to live and amuse with his jokes. In fact, his stage name Karandash (“Pencil”) has become a part of the history of Russian humor. The duet of the clown Pencil and the black dog Blot was inseparable, and truly popular. In particular, the cinematographers created a cartoon about these characters. Meanwhile, artist Vyacheslav Dolgov made several sketches, on which he created another monument to Mikhail Rumyantsev. And now it is in Gomel (Belarus), at the entrance to the circus.