Anatoly Durov

Clown

By Dominique Jando

The Durovs form one of Russia’s most prestigious circus dynasties; from the brothers Vladimir and Anatoly Durov, the founders of the circus dynasty, to a host of Anatolys, Vladimirs, Yurys, Natalias and Terezas, all bearing the Durov name, they have given the Russian circus an impressive number of talented clowns, animal trainers, and entertainment entrepreneurs—and a few actors too.

Anatoly and Vladimir Durov have often been associated in Soviet circus lore with the Bolshevist revolution and the dawn of the Communist era: As clowns-satirists who played an anarchistic stance against an autocratic Tsar and his government, they naturally became popular heroes in the last decades of an unpopular regime. The Soviet regime, always eager to play the populist card, would not hesitate to later claim them as its own.

Indeed, Anatoly Durov, the most virulent of the two brothers, was averse to, and fought acidly in the ring, all forms of authority—but in all likelihood, he would have kept the same attitude under the Soviet regime, had he only lived to see it. As for Vladimir, who became a celebrated, iconic figure in the Soviet era, he eventually gave up true clowning, specialized in animal training, and just played the game. For the Durovs were above all true survivors, whatever the regime and the circumstances. As a matter of fact, the Durovs’s origins didn’t fit so well with Soviet ideals.

The Durov Family

Anatoly Leonidevich Durov was born on November 26, 1864 to a wealthy aristocratic family in Moscow. He was the fifth child and second son of Leonid Dmitrievich Durov (1832-1867), a hereditary Lord of the Province of Moscow, who was an officer in the Moscow Police—a job he did more by passion than by necessity. Anatoly’s brother, Vladimir Leonidevich (1863-1934), was a little more than one year his elder.

The Durov name was well known, since the family had already produced a celebrity: Nadezhda Durova, remembered in Russian history as the Cavalry Girl, was Anatoly’s grandaunt. Dressed as a man, she had enrolled in a cavalry regiment to fight Napoleon’s armies in 1812. She is said to have received a medal from the hands of Field-Marshall Kutuzov, the victor of Napoleon. Celebrated by Pushkin, Nadezhda eventually became a successful writer.

Anatoly Durov had three elder sisters, Margarita (1854-?); Konkordya (1860-?) – a descendent of who was the famous Russian actor Lev Durov; Liudmila (1862-?); and a younger sister, Valentina (1866-1940). Anatoly’s mother, Maria Dmitrievna Durova (1833-1866), probably suffered from complications caused by Valentina’s birth: she died soon after, in 1866. Anatoly was only two years old. Devastated, Anatoly’s father drank himself to death, and began suffering from hallucinations; he died a year later, in 1867.

Vladimir and Anatoly were put in the care of their godfather, Nikolai Zakharovich Zakharov, a rich and brilliant lawyer and occasional playwright, whose work had been produced successfully at the Maly Theater in Moscow. (He was also an incorrigible gambler: He would eventually commit suicide over a gambling debt.) Zakharov sent Vladimir and Anatoly to a Military Academy—where, in all probability, Anatoly developed his enduring loathing for all forms of authority.

Circus Beginnings

The brothers had developed a passion for circus acrobatics, which they much preferred to academic studies and military exercises. This eventually led to their being expelled from the Academy. Left to their own devices, Vladimir and Anatoly hired with the money their godfather gave them an Italian acrobat from the troupe of Carl Magnus Hinné, Angelo Briatore, to become their teacher. Briatore taught them the basics of acrobatics the old circus way: with much whipping. When Zakharov discovered it, he got rid of Briatore.

Then, around 1878, Vladimir and Anatoly learned a trapeze act with Otto Kleist, a balagan(Russian) A fairground booth or theater. acrobat, and they finally made their performing debut in 1879, in the balagan(Russian) A fairground booth or theater. of V.A. Weinstok in Tver’ (a city north of Moscow). Later, they worked in the balagan(Russian) A fairground booth or theater. of Rinaldo, a magician, and they finally joined the Robinson-Nicolet troupe—a significant status change since the troupe worked in circuses. They left Robinson-Nicolet after Anatoly had an argument with his employers in 1881—the first of many arguments that would plague Anatoly’s career. Probably because of that, the brothers separated.

After leaving Robinson-Nicolet, Anatoly auditioned for the Italian director Massimiliano Truzzi, who had created one of Russia’s most important circus companies and was looking for a solo clownGeneric term for all clowns and augustes. '''Specific:''' In Europe, the elegant, whiteface character who plays the role of the straight man to the Auguste in a clown team.. Devoid of any clowning experience, Anatoly nonetheless improvised on classic material, mostly spoken, and got the job. He made his debut in 1882 with Truzzi, in his circus in Voronezh—a city Anatoly would eventually make his home.

Truzzi’s troupe, which was mostly composed of German performers, used young Anatoly as the butt of their jokes, for which Anatoly showed little sense of humor: he would develop a life-long anti-German sentiment, even though the mother of his children would be a German equestrienneA female equestrian, or horse trainer, horse presenter, or acrobat on horseback.. As was becoming a habit, Anatoly left Truzzi over an argument in 1884. He then hassled the great German director Albert Schumann, who was renting Hinné’s old circus in Moscow, to get a job as a clownGeneric term for all clowns and augustes. '''Specific:''' In Europe, the elegant, whiteface character who plays the role of the straight man to the Auguste in a clown team.. His insistence eventually paid off. This was Moscow at last, and that meant big time. The talented and tenacious Anatoly was on his way to stardom.

Meanwhile, in 1881, Vladimir had found work as an assistant animal trainer in Hugo Winkler’s menagerie, which had settled on Tsvetnoi Boulevard in Moscow. He became an able trainer of small animals, and in 1884, following in his brother’s footsteps, he began to perform as a clownGeneric term for all clowns and augustes. '''Specific:''' In Europe, the elegant, whiteface character who plays the role of the straight man to the Auguste in a clown team., using trained animals as partners, which greatly irritated Anatoly. From the outset, Anatoly had used a pig and other animals as comedy partners in his act, and they would become a Durov trademark. For the rest of his life, Anatoly would see his brother as a usurper and a competition, and the relationship between them deteriorated.

Anatoly vs. Vladimir

Anatoly’s (and Vladimir’s, for that matter) subsequent success as a clownGeneric term for all clowns and augustes. '''Specific:''' In Europe, the elegant, whiteface character who plays the role of the straight man to the Auguste in a clown team.-satirist came from the fact that, unlike other clowns in Russia at the time, who were mostly Italian or French, or came from the unrefined balagans(Russian) Fairground booths or theaters., he could express himself in an excellent and very articulate Russian. He had also an intensely Russian sense of humor, and he could easily convey his wit in a manner other clowns couldn’t handle that well. Anatoly used a very direct, right-in-your-face, sometimes frankly insulting kind of humor, without fear of the consequences: As a result, he would often have serious problems with local authorities—and not only in Russia.

Anatoly Durov also developed, over the years, an extravagant off-stage persona: he traveled with an entourage that consisted of his wife (or legitimate mistress, for he was never married to his live-in companions, Tereza Stadtler and, later, Elena Gertel), his mistress of the moment, and a couple of twin menservants who were always tall and exotic—Asian, Idian, or African—and changed every year. When, at the peak of his fame, Anatoly paraded in a new town with his retinue, the circus where he worked couldn’t dream of better publicity gimmick.

In the ring, Anatoly’s clown character evolved over the years from a classic clownGeneric term for all clowns and augustes. '''Specific:''' In Europe, the elegant, whiteface character who plays the role of the straight man to the Auguste in a clown team., not very different, physically, from other clowns of his time, to what would eventually be the Durov image: A traditional whiteface clown costume, with sequin ornaments, a white collerette and a small shoulder cape, and practically no makeup. He always entered the ring very ceremonially, walking around and acknowledging his audience, and then he would start with a monologue, after which he played up the attitudes of his animals. Vladimir would adopt a style very similar to his brother’s.

When, around 1884, their godfather saw the brothers perform, he suggested they resume their education—which Vladimir did: he graduated from a Teachers’ College, and followed the classes of neurophysiologist I. M. Sechenov (‘the father of Russian physiology,’ who, with I. P. Pavlov, studied animal reflexes) as a free auditor. In 1887, Vladimir returned to the circus, however, and made his debut as a full-fledged clownGeneric term for all clowns and augustes. '''Specific:''' In Europe, the elegant, whiteface character who plays the role of the straight man to the Auguste in a clown team.-satirist and animal trainer at Circus Salamonsky in Moscow—Russia’s most prestigious circus after St. Petersburg’s Circus Ciniselli.

Vladimir, wittier and more creative, became in time the more successful of the two brothers; his talent as an animal trainer was also a significant factor in his success, and Anatoly increased the use of animals in his act mostly as an attempt to match his brother’s appeal. But Anatoly was often criticized for announcing more in that department than he was able to produce: when he was performing at Circus Baranski, someone complained that instead of the troupe of animals he had advertised, he had “only a couple of rats and a pelican.” Unlike Vladimir, Anatoly used only a handful of animals (pigs, geese and turkeys were his favorites), and his training remained basic: He would always be a clown first and foremost.

In 1913, Vladimir and Anatoly performed at the same time in St. Petersburg, Vladimir at A. Marshan’s Cirque Moderne, where he had staged Pushkin’s fables with his animals, and Anatoly at Circus Ciniselli. Vladimir got the best reviews; one of them stated: “The biggest success was Vladimir’s, whose animal training was much better, and jokes were funnier.” This didn’t please Anatoly too much, and his response showed more spite than wit: since Vladimir was announced as "the Elder Durov," Anatoly asked to be advertised as "the Older Elder Durov."

In And Out of Russia

In the ring, Anatoly Durov remained the most caustic of the two brothers. Vladimir’s true calling was animal training, and this would increasingly become, in time, his principal activity. But Anatoly’s acerbic jokes against the police, the bureaucrats, the aristocracy, and any kind of established authority eventually got him into serious trouble in Russia—to the point where he found it judicious to leave the country for a little while, in order to calm down the strong resentment the powerful victims of his sarcastic wit were developing against him.

In 1890, Anatoly and his usual menagerie embarked on a very successful Western European tour that took them to Austria-Hungary, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France. Durov’s old grudge came out in Germany, a country that revived memories of his debut at Circus Truzzi, and whose authoritarian regime played against his grain. At Zirkus Renz, in Berlin, Anatoly played with his usual porcine partner, whom he had named Will for the occasion. According to the clown Béby Frediani, the pig wore a Prussian helmet (Helm, in German) in the ring, and tried desperately to get rid of it. In his feinted attempts to keep him in check, Anatoly shouted at his pig: “Will, Helm!” Wilhelm, of course, was the name of the Kaiser: Durov was arrested, and not so politely asked to leave Berlin at once…

Back to Russia, Anatoly began to gradually lose his appeal. His critical attitude toward the powers that be was of a purely negative nature. He appears to have been, by disposition, a disgruntled man who took pleasure in insulting those who made his life difficult—whether the Mayor of a city, or a simple policeman. But when the political changes one may have thought he longed for eventually began to emerge, he didn’t know what to make of them: He was by no means a revolutionary‐just a grouch and a rebel by spite. Anatoly Durov was actually quite conservative in his tastes. When Max Reinhardt presented his spectacular, avant-garde production of Oedipus Rex in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 1911, Anatoly didn’t like it and deemed it decadent. He then went on to perform a heavy-handed parody of Reinhardt’s spectacle: it was a huge flop, and a sign that Durov had lost touch with his public.

The Final Years

Towards the end of his life, Anatoly had become a bitter, lonely man. Once, for the New Year, he sent a telegram to the management and artists of Circus Ciniselli: “Anatoly Durov congratulates the Director and Artists on this New Year,” an unusual gesture on his part, and a disguised way to remind them that he was free for the upcoming season, and looking for contracts.

The clown Alperov, who performed with Anatoly at Circus Salamonsky at that time remembers: “When I came to his dressing room, he was sitting on his chair, his head thrown back, not speaking to anyone. It was a shocking sight. Twenty days later, there was a benefitSpecial performance whose entire profit went to a performer; the number of benefits a performer was offered (usually one, but sometimes more for a star performer during a long engagement) was stipulated in his contract. Benefits disappeared in the early twentieth century. for Durov, and the Box Office was shedding tears. Then someone threw a broom wrapped in newspapers into the ring.” It was a sad reminder from the audience that it was time for Anatoly Durov to leave the ring. In Moscow at least, Anatoly Durov had become a has-been.

Anatoly Durov died of typhus in Mariupol (Ukraine), during an engagement with the circus of V. Z. Maksimiuk. True to himself until the end, Anatoly had just had an argument with his director: “Business is good, thank God!” wrote Maksimiuk to a friend, “Anatoly Durov worked in my circus, and I had one hundred and twenty problems with him. Right now Durov is very ill. A few days ago he made a scene and didn’t come to work, and he sent me a medical certificate through an attorney. Then I gave to the same attorney a letter in which I said I would call for a counter-examination. The forfeit sum was 1,000 rubles. Then Durov placed 30 cupping glasses on his back, which only increased his blood tension, and now he is really sick!” Indeed, Anatoly Durov was very sick, and he was eventually sent to the hospital, where he died on January 7, 1916.

Of his first union (out of wedlock) with Tereza Stadtler (1866-1934), a German equestrienneA female equestrian, or horse trainer, horse presenter, or acrobat on horseback. who was the daughter of Johannes Stadtler, owner of the Bavarian Circus, Anatoly had three children: Maria Anatolievna (1891-?), who married the hand-balancer Vasily Vasilievich Milva (1884-1962); Anatoly Anatolievich (1894-1928), who would be a virulent clown satirist like his father, before becoming an animal trainer; and Evlampiya Anatolievna, who married a pharmacist, Grigory Efimovich Schvenchenko. All three continued the Durov dynasty. Anatoly's second union with Elena Gertel (1873-1967), a German show swimmer, didn’t produce any children.

Anatoly Durov was a well-educated man, an artist and a sculptor in his spare time, an occasional writer, and an art collector. In 1931, his remains were exhumed, incinerated, and his ashes were transferred to his house in Voronezh, which had been transformed into the Durov Museum, and which still stands today.

Suggested Reading

Анатолий Дуров (текстологическая полготовка В. В. Бойкова), В жиӡни и на арене (Moscow, Искүсство, 1984)