So, our story is about the formation and development of Circus Art in 19th-century Lviv, about artists who entertained, surprised, charmed, and made Lviv residents fall in love with them.
In the modern Ukrainian aesthetic discourse, the Circus Art belongs to the category of spatio-temporal arts, and therefore the Circus in the “hierarchy of arts” occupies a niche equal to Drama, Opera, and Ballet.
At the same time, the public perception of the Circus is still under the influence of negative stereotypes that have formed the attitude towards circus performers since the oldest times. Both the skomorokhs in Rus and the European jongleurs and comedians, who were the forerunners of modern circus artists, have often been considered people of a disrespectful profession throughout history.
The 19th century gradually changed public opinion about circus performers, but, strange as it may sound, the “Circus Art” as we understand it today, didn’t exist in the 19th century. There were Circuses, from wooden tents temporarily constructed in the city squares to the huge permanent buildings with exquisite decoration, equipped with the latest technical achievements. The spectacular performances were presented to the public in the Circus arenas – from acrobats, jugglers, and clowns’ “entrées” to large-scale productions of historical pantomimes that today can be compared with Hollywood blockbusters, where a troupe of a hundred actors and dozens of horses could be involved in the battle scenes. It was impressive and thrilling.
The Circus was admired by all strata of the population, from ordinary citizens to representatives of Royal dynasties, but although the Circus was the leader of the spectacular and entertainment industry, it was not considered an Art.
Circus Gymnasticus in Prater, Wien
It turns out that scientists, authors of aesthetics of the 19th century studied and comprehended the Circus and, quite likely, even secretly admired the performances of skillful acrobats and gymnasts, but they emphasized that “there was a difference between art and physical skill” (Pölitz, 1807), did not believe, that “even after admiring the skill required to perform the dangerous rope dances and even more dangerous aerial jumps (German: Seiltänzerei und Luftspringerei), one could determine the true value of a beautiful work of art” (Eberhard, 1814), expressed the opinion that “compared to the gymnastics of the times of Ancient Greece, which was a mean of developing human beauty and through the performance of various exercises, directly presented artistic materials, modern (mid-19th century) acrobatic performances did not provide material for art, but demonstrated a spectacle and a rather original “art”: gymnastics , which did not aim at building the body as an organ of the soul and character; instead, the creation of a living sculpture was an end in itself” (Vischer, 1853).
The first documented mention of acrobatic performance in Lviv dates back to the 1770s – 1780s. A poster dated from this period invited the Lvivians to visit the “comedy from the lovely Angelchik”, which contained a performance with a variety of exercises on a wire and a rope that had never been seen before.
Only from the beginning of the 1820s, the circus, acrobatic, and magicians’ performances in Lviv began to be regularly covered in the press. Some guest tours have become landmark events in the history of the Circus.
In 1823, Jacques Tourniaire’s troupe of artistic riders visited the Galician capital. Archduke Franz Karl Habsburg of Austria, the brother of Emperor Ferdinand I, was among the visitors of the performances, which were shown both in the circus and open air in Pogulyanka Park on the occasion of the Harvest Festival organized by local landowners.
In 1836 the Viennese newspapers wrote with delight that in Lviv there was built a “circus-amphitheater, which provided maximum comfort for the public”. It was constructed specially for the tour of the troupe of Laura de Bach, the owner of the only permanent circus building in the territory of the Austrian Empire at that time – “Circus Gymnasticus” in Viennese Prater and her partner Louis Soullier. The Lviv press announced “unprecedented races on horses and Roman chariots performed by masters of the de Bach troupe”.
On September 25, 1836, the “Great Amphitheater Horse Race” took place in Lviv. This spectacular event was presented by Laura de Bach and Louis Soulier as “a demonstration of the continuation of the traditions of the first Olympic Games in 776 BC. e. and competitions that took place in ancient times in numerous arenas of Greece and Rome”.
In 1842, the “Cirque Olympique” of the outstanding artist and entrepreneur Alessandro Guerra, nicknamed “The Furious” (Italian: Il Furioso) presented a pantomime with singing, choir, and dancing “Robbers in the Abruzzi Mountains” and the historical pantomime “The Adventures of Henry IV” on the stage of the recently opened Count Skarbek’s Theater (nowadays the National Drama Theater named after Maria Zankovetska). Spectators saw real cavalry on the theater stage, and although the play did not pretend to be historically accurate, the battle scenes impressed the audience!
Alessandro Guerra
In 1847, the Austrian circus entrepreneur of Czech origin Emanuel Beranek presented the historical pantomime “Mazepa” for the first time in Lviv. At that time, Beranek’s “Cirque Olympique” was considered the best troupe on the territory of the Austrian Monarchy and was recognized as equal to the standard of that time – Circus Franconi in Paris, as evidenced by numerous publications in the German and Austrian press of the mid-19th century!
In 1857, the best German circus – Ernst Renz’s troupe – visited Lviv. Renz, the owner of his own permanent circus for 4,400 spectators in Vienna’s Leopoldstadt, built a luxurious circus in Lviv’s Jesuit Garden (nowadays Ivan Franko Park), in which the best artists of his time presented the latest achievements in the art of horse riding.
The exquisite wardrobe was specially noted: the costumes of the Middle Ages and the musketeers of the time of King Louis. It was written that “the artists reached the highest degree of perfection in horsemanship, and it was difficult to describe the impressive skill, which must be seen with one’s own eyes to have a true idea, and the director himself, Mr. Renz, an incomparable master in the ‘higher science of the arena’, always received the loudest applause”.
Twice (in 1859 and 1963) Wilhelm Carre’s circus toured Lviv. In 1859, clowns and aerial gymnasts from Circus Napoleon in Paris participated in the program. Also, 10-year-old Oscar Carré performed in the troupe. In the future, Oscar Carré, the founder of the Royal Theater Carré in Amsterdam (1887), has become a prominent figure in the Circus Art of the Netherlands. In 1863, Carré’s troupe consisted of 110 artists and 75 horses; the own orchestra played during the performances. Oscar Carré and his younger brother Adolf were honored with a benefit performance. Also, the pantomime “Mazepa” was presented.
The representation of Circus Art in Lviv in the second half of the 19th century is closely related to the creative activity of representatives of the dynasty of circus entrepreneurs and artists of Italian origin, the Sidoli, who settled in Romania. In addition to performances in two of their owned permanent circuses in Bucharest and Jassy, the geography of Sidoli’s tours covered the territory of Romania, Austro-Hungary, and Italy.
Circus Sidoli visited Lviv for the first time in 1865, presenting mainly equestrian and gymnastic acts in the program. During the 1870s and 1880s, the best achievements in horse riding, gymnastics, acrobatics, and clowning were introduced to the audience in the performances of Circus Sidoli.
Blurb of Circus Sidoli, 1872
In Lviv, circus performances have traditionally been a tangible competition to Polish theater. During the tour in 1887, the fairy-tale pantomime “Cinderella” was presented. On September 1, 1887, a large benefit performance was held in the Sidoli Circus in honor of a native of Lviv, a vaulter, Ms. Julia.
In 1891, the founder of the dynasty Theodor Sidoli died, and the company was headed by his eldest son Cesare Sidoli. Due to his competent leadership the “Royal Romanian Circus” was recognized as one of the best in Europe at the end of the 19th century. During the 1890s, Cesare Sidoli’s Circus regularly visited Lviv and presented the latest achievements of Circus arts and Circus architecture of that time.
In 1891, Sidoli presented the water pantomime “Circus under the Water, or In the Sea Baths in Ostende” to the Lviv public for the first time. The circus arena was filled with 250,000 liters of water, and within five minutes it turned into a lake. It was noted that this sensational pantomime was shown only in Paris and Vienna, and its cost exceeded 25,000 marks. Costumes and scenery were specially brought to Lviv from Vienna.
Blurb of pantomime “Cinderella”, Circus_Sidoli, 1887 / Blurb of pantomime “Circus under the Water, or In the Sea Baths in Ostende”
In May 1894, it was announced that “Sidoli has built a wonderful circus that Lviv has never seen before”. On August 10, 1894, a big performance was held in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Sidoli Circus company.
For half a century, the Sidoli Circus visited 316 cities and gave 17,695 performances. A large number of spectators applauded Cesare Sidoli – the jubilee. A significant event in September 1894 was the visit to Lviv of the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph, who was greeted with admiration by the entire city. During the imperial procession, the streets of Lviv were richly decorated, and the decoration of the Sidoli circus looked especially impressive: a huge bust of the Monarch was installed on the facade, and on both sides, the entire troupe, led by the director Mr. Sidoli, lined up in festive costumes.
An attraction with the participation of 50 stallions, presented by Cesare Sidoli, was particularly striking during Sidoli’s tour in 1896. It was noted that “Mr. Sidoli created a real masterpiece in the field of horse training, and he could be justly proud of it”.
German illustrated postcard with a greetings from Circus Sidoli – “50 Stallions”
In 1925, the local Lviv historian Dr. Mayer Balaban mentioned that at the end of the 19th century, the most interesting attraction on “Berger Square” (Polish: plac Bergerów), at the intersection of Shyroka and Hospitalna streets, was the Sidoli Circus, which came to Lviv several times, and here he pitched his wooden tent. Before the arrival of the circus, the sidewalk on the nearby streets was carefully paved with cobblestones, a policeman appeared to regulate the traffic of a number of taxis that approached the square, bringing visitors to the performance. There were many people in front of the circus, and in the circus, in addition to the usual acts, pantomimes were presented, for example, “Snow White” or “Cinderella”. Especially popular was the so-called water pantomime, during which the arena turned into a lake and canoes and ships descended on it. At the end of summer, the Sidoli Circus usually traveled from Lviv. The favorite of “Shyroka Street” Cesare Sidoli, dressed in a simple road jacket, inspected and sent the last wagons with wild animals to the station, while the boys from the neighboring houses ran like wild animals around the empty arena.
In 1896, a cinema session was first introduced in Lviv, which gradually replaced the circus as a leader in the spectacle and entertainment industry. Circus directors found a way out of the integration of cinematography into circus programs, noting, in the manner usual for circus advertising, that the audience would see something never seen before. However, the cinema did not belong to the circus genres, and such a symbiosis of the traditional circus and the cinema could only temporarily keep the public’s usual attention to the circus.
The names of the vast majority of artists who visited Lviv in different periods as part of different troupes are unknown even to circus experts, however, there are names of famous performers who performed in the leading arenas of Europe and, having achieved outstanding achievements, occupied honorable places in the history of the world circus.
Thus, some recognized artistic riders distinguished with their performances in the circus arenas of Lviv: Louis Fouraux and representatives of the Tourniaire dynasty: Jacques, Benoit, François and Sophie Eloise as part of the troupe of Jacques Tourniaire, 1823; Joseph Gauthier, as part of the troupe of Jacques Tourniaire, 1823 and at the head of his own troupe, 1825; Virginie Kenebel in the troupe of her father Ludwig Kenebel, 1825 – 1826; Peter and Sophia Stephany at the head of their own troupe, 1826; Jan Gaertner, in the troupe of Elise Tourniaire, 1841 and in the troupe of Vaclav Slezack, 1858; Olympia Percival and Josef Hanauszek in the troupe of Emanuel Beranek (1839, 1847, 1848, 1853); Baptiste Loisset in the troupe of Ernst Renz, 1857; Albert Suhr in the troupe of his father Wilhelm Suhr, 1875; Fanny Allinger and Susanna Derssin as part of Joseph Derssin’s troupe, 1875; Alfred Krembser as part of his father August Krembser’s troupe, 1881; Jean Bellini as part of August Krembser’s troupe, 1881 and as part of Cesare Sidoli’s troupe, 1896; Medea Sidoli in the troupe of Theodor Sidoli, 1885; members of the Sidoli dynasty: Gisela and Franzini in the troupe of Cesare Sidoli during the 1890s.
Apart from the circus troupes, the basis of which were artistic riders, it should be noted the tours of representatives of other spectacular genres – gymnastic, acrobatic troupes, athletes and magicians, animal trainers who performed both in arenas of riding schools and theater stages.
During the 19th century Lviv was visited by the acrobatic troupes of Jean Dupuis (1836 and 1844), Heinrich Dallot (1836), Carl Rappo (1838), Michael Averino (1841 and 1842), Leon Baier (1860), the magicians Bartolomeo Bosco (1826 and 1847) and Eugenio Bosco (1859). In 1838, “German first female athlete” Eliza Serafin-Luftmann performed in Carl Rappo’s troupe. In 1857, Eduard Klischnigg, a recognized master in the genre of acrobatics and frontbending contortion, which was later named in his honor, performed on the stage of the Skarbek Theater. The performances of acrobats from the African continent – the troupe of Bedouins “Beni-Zoug-Zoug” (1869) and acrobats from Japan – the troupe of Louis Soulier (1877) brought exotic and extravaganza. In 1888, the lion trainer Jules Seeth performed in Albert Schumann’s Circus programs.
“German first female athlete” Eliza Serafin-Luftmann
In 1899, a real sensation was the performance of the “Mermaids of the Rhine” – the three Wallenda sisters in the Circus Henry program: “These young girls behaved underwater in the same way as if they were in the open air: they sewed, wrote on tablets, sat at the table, ate, drank, and all their movements were free and extremely graceful. Especially impressive was Elise Wallenda, who remained underwater as if in a dream for three minutes, as stated by the audience with a watch in hand”.
Throughout almost 80 years, from the first documented mentions of circus performances in Lviv in the first quarter of the 19th century to reviews of the end of the 19th century, i.e. from the first tours of small groups of artistic riders to large-scale pantomime productions and performances of aerial gymnasts, the Circus art has actively developed through the gathering and unification of various spectacular genres around the art of “artistic horse riding” (German: die kunstreiterei) as the basis of circus performances, the formation of the classification of those genres, the invention of new props, the creation of new acts, and the production of large pantomimes with the involvement of the latest technical innovations.
Eduard Klischnigg
Looking ahead, we note that the 20th century enriched the “circus history” of Lviv with no less vivid events. Before the beginning of the First World War, circus artists performed on the stage of the “Colosseum” Theater and in the Casino de Paris; Truzzi’s and Buffalo Bill’s circuses visited the city on tour. Already during the historical period of the Polish State, between the two wars, a permanent circus of Adama Kornacki (cyrk Adama Kornackiego) operated in Lviv, and the Staniewski brothers’ Circus (cyrk Staniewskich) regularly toured the city, where the best acts of that time have been presented to the public. In the post-war, Soviet period, a permanent circus building appeared in Lviv, and this story is already better known to fans of Circus Art.
Of course, it is impossible to fit the entire chronicle of the rich circus life in Lviv during the 19th century into a small essay. However, I hope that the presented information can generate interest in important, fascinating pages of its history among a wide range of readers and fans of Circus Art.
*All media provided by Oleg Pospelov.
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