Andrei Nikolayevich Nikolayev (, 27 March 1938 – 14 August 2023) was a Soviet and Russian clown, artistic director and teacher.

Biography

Nikolayev graduated from the State School of Circus in 1958, and from the

Russian Institute of Theatre Arts The Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) () is the largest and oldest independent drama school, theatrical arts school in Russia. Located in Moscow, the school was founded on 22 September 1878 as the Shostakovsky Music School. It became the ...

in 1973 with an artistic director degree. During his early career he assisted

Karandash Mikhail Nikolayevich Rumyantsev (31 March 1983), better known under his stage name Karandash was a famous Soviet clown.Emil Kio Emil Teodorovich Kio (né Emil Teodorovich Girshfeld-Renard) (; 11 April 1894 – 19 December 1965) was a Soviet illusionist,spectacle In general, spectacle refers to an event that is memorable for the appearance it creates. Derived in Middle English from c. 1340 as "specially prepared or arranged display" it was borrowed from Old French ''spectacle'', itself a reflection of the ...

s ''I Work As a Clown'' (', 1978) and ''Topsy-turvy'' (', 1987), where he also played leading roles. In the 1990s he wrote several award-winning compositions for other clowns, including his son Andrei Nikolayev Jr. (1966–2007). Nikolayev was awarded Grock d'or in 1969 and became a

People's Artist of the RSFSR People's Artist of the RSFSR (, ''Narodnyj artist RSFSR'') was an honorary title granted to Soviet Union artists, including theatre and film directors, actors, choreographers, music performers, and orchestra conductors, who had outstanding achiev ...

in 1980. From 1976 he lectured at the

. Nikolayev died on 14 August 2023, at the age of 85.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nikolayev, Andrei 1938 births 2023 deaths Honored Artists of the RSFSR People's Artists of the RSFSR Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia) Russian clowns Soviet clowns