THE ENTRANCE OF CIRCUS TO YEREVAN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Abstract

The history of the circus and the development of circus art is a complex and multifaceted process, with roots reaching back to ancient times. Unfortunately, many details have not reached us, and we can only guess at what the circus was like at different periods in human history. However, one thing is clear: from ancient times to the present day, circus art has enjoyed immense love and renown among a wide range of cultural enthusiasts living in various cities. Yerevan is no exception. We see the presence of circus arts in various cities with Armenian population. The beginning of the modern history of  the Armenian circus can be considered the foundation of the first Armenian professional troupe, the "Aramyan Tatron" (Theater Aramyan), organized in Constantinople in 1846 and existing for about twenty years, until 1866. After the dissolution of the Aramyan Tatron and until the beginning of the 20th century, we no longer find evidence of circus performances in the Armenian press, which, however, does not mean that circus troupes did not visit Armenian cities, in particular Yerevan. The aim of the article is to show, through a study of the Armenian press, that circus art had its own unique place in the cultural life of Yerevan at the beginning of the 20th century and prepared the ground for the further development of circus art.