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Yuri Kuklachev Cat Theatre
Cats are known to be trained as circus animals,
although traditionally considered difficult mainly because they
appear to assume such behaviors only in exchange for a direct
benefit. A good example of this is The Yuri Kuklachev Cat Theatre
based in Moscow, the owner of which has been training cats for many
years to do a full range of circus style tricks. Also there is the
belief that cats are difficult to train owing to impatience and
boredom with the training exercise.
Yuri Dmitrievich Kuklachev was born in 1949 in
Moscow and since childhood dreams to be a clown. He spends seven
years trying to enter the Circus Academy, but fails with a sentence
“no talent”. And Yuri Dmitrievich decides to prove the
world he can be an artist. His will and desire to appear on the
circus arena are enormous.
Yuri Kuklachev starts his education, attending
public circus of “Krasniy Oktyabr” public circus in the
evenings, where M.M. Zinger and I.S. Friedman become his teachers.
Yuri Dmitrievich spends nearly all his time in rehearsal and
self-training and in two years becomes a laureate of the All-Union
amateur art contest. During the concert, taking place in the Moscow
circus in 1967, Kuklachev impresses circus academy teachers, and
they invite him to their educational institution.
Yuri Dmitrievich appears to have proven everyone
he can be a circus artist. All he needs to do is learning and
perfecting his skills, but bad luck is waiting round the corner.
Two months before official start of his training in the academy
Yuri Dmitrievich seriously injures his leg.
Yuri Kuklachev comes to the academy with the
help of crutches, causing bad attitude of the academy’s head,
who cannot imagine a “disabled clown” and tries to get
rid of an unwanted student for four long years. However, Yuri
Kuklachev again proves that he’s a great artist despite his
injured leg – he creates a comedy sketch, where uses balls,
hat and circles for juggling. His next short performance is an
equilibrist on coils, in which he replaces coils with household
appliances. His performances become popular in the academy. In 1971
Yuri Kuklachev graduates from the circus academy with “clown,
parodist and acrobat” written in his diploma.
The same year Yuri Kuklachev marries a wonderful
clown Elena, who becomes his partner. However, Yuri is discontent
with his clown image. Yuri Kuklachev wants to be different from any
other clown on our planet and starts desperately seeking for his
own way in life. Yuri needs a unique character for his further
work.
Well, life itself shows Yuri the way. One day on
his way back home from the circus Kuklachev hears strange sounds in
the bushes near the road. He heads for the bushes and finds a
little kitten there. Evil owners must have thrown a poor creature
out. Yuri Dmitrievich feels sorry for the cat and brings it home.
Yuri and his wife Elena do their best to make the animal healthy
and happy again. They call him “Kutka”. Since that
moment Yuri Kuklachev never parts with his cats.
The world still wonders how Yuri Dmitrievich
manages to train cats. Mass media’s favourite questions are
about his training methods. Yuri Dmitrievich reveals his
secrets:
«My cat training technique is very simple. It
lacks violence. Any one, who watches my performance, clearly
understands it, because a cat at stage approaches me voluntarily,
“kisses” me and shows that it feels very comfortable
with me. Everything starts as a game, in which I watch animals
attentively, notice their peculiar features and encourage them to
repeat their tricks with the help of tender and attentive attitude.
Animals themselves tell me what they like to do. All I have to do
is inventing a story, explaining their tricks”.
The sketch “Cat and Cook” makes a
great impression on the audience, and all countries of the world
stand in a queue to invite Yuri Dmitrievich to their theatres.
In 1976 in Canada Yuri Dmitrievich Kuklachev was
awarded “Clowns’ Golden Crown” and the diploma
for “treating animals with care and propaganda of
humanism”. Yuri Dmitrievich also becomes a goodwill
ambassador, which causes a strong response in the artist’s
soul. Since that time Kindness becomes the leading character in
Yuri Kuklachev’s performances. Kuklachev travels to the
United States, Puerto-Rico, Germany, Argentina, Peru France and
Japan. In Japan Yuri Kuklachev is awarded “Golden
Oskaz” prize, the audience choice award. In 1980 Yuri
Kuklachev becomes a prizewinner of the Lenin Young Communist League
and the Honoured Artist. After presentation of “Circus in my
luggage” performance Yuri Kuklachev receives the title of
People’s Artist.
In 1989 Yuri Dmitrievich decides to open his own
theatre, and the Moscow government presents him
“Prizyv” cinema building for this purpose. February 23
of 1990 is the birth day of a private theatre for children.
Yuri Kuklachev and his wife Elena have three
children. Their elder son Dmitry is a wonderful clown, he is a
premier in the theatre and directs his own performances.
The daughter, Ekaterina Kuklacheva, works as an art director of the
theatre. Their younger son, Vladimir, is a premier dancer in a
ballet theatre.
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