Kyiv Municipal Academy of Circus
and Variety Arts named after
Leonid Utiosov.
Academy was founded in 1961. It is a multistage educational establishment, where they prepare the experts in the spheres of variety and circus arts according to the qualification levels of “Associate specialist”, “Bachelor”, “Specialist”.
Kyiv Municipal Academy of Circus and Variety Arts is a unique high educational establishment, which doesn’t have analogues in Ukraine and in the whole world. Every year students and graduates win at the most prestigious international competitions in Paris, Monte Carlo, Peking (they are the circus artists competitions), in Yurmala "New Wave", in Vitebsk "Slaviansky Bazar", in Bonevento (Italy), in Kyiv "Pisenniy Vernisazh", at the Variety Artists competitions (they are the song and vocalist contests). The students-choreographers win also the prestigious victories at the television contests “Tanciujut Vsi”, “Ukraina Maje Talant”. It must be admitted that almost every year the students-illusionists gain the victories at the international competitions in Moscow and the pantomime department students win at the contests among the artists of pantomime genre in Moscow and Brussels.
The graduates of the Academy are the People’s Artists of Ukraine such as David Babajev, Anatoliy Lytvynov, Mykhola Mozgoviy, Natalia Mogilevska, Volodimir Danilets and Volodimir Moisejenko (“Krolyky”), the People’s Artists of Russia such as Natalija Koroliova, Natalija Rozhkova, the modern singers – Svitlana Loboda, the band “Alibi”, Denys Barkanov, Taisija Ovsiannikova, Anzhela Verbitska, the famous clown band “Art-Obstril”.
Graduates of circus art department - Laureates of the World Festival-Contest of Young Circus Artists “Circus of the Future” are the pride of Acadamy. Viktor Kiktev, Ruslan Fomenko, Diana Aleshchenko and Yuriy Shavro, Svitlana Perehodova, master of magic Victor Voitko and Evgen Voronin who prettify the best circus projects of the world with their art.
Special pride of Academy is grand prize laureate in Paris and “Golden Clown” holder in Monte-Carlo – Anatoliy Zalevsky - Honoured for Services to the Arts of Ukraine.
Graduates of Academy, brothers Iroshnikov, Oleksandr Koblikov are the winners of the International Contest of Young Circus Artists in Paris. Grygoriy Lovygin is the best world juggler in 2007 year by the result of International Contest of juggler in USA.
Academy is honorary member of the Presidium of International circus’s art association.
Several aspects of organizational and creative establishment of Kyiv Municipal Academy of Circus and Variety Arts
In 1960 Council of Ministers of the USSR pointed “Soyuzgoscirk” and Ministry of Culture to the necessity of foreseeing a circus studio and a hostel for artists in just built Kyiv state circus.
The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine accepted this task for execution (letter of Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine G. Shabliy of 1960 ¹ 18-677) and made a counteroffer to the Council of Ministers of Ukraine, concerning establishment within the areas, intended for circus studio in Kyiv state circus (3rd and 4th floors of right and left wings), a studio for training of artistic staff, but not only the circus genre, but also entertainers and transfer it to institution balance of “Ukrconcert” (letter of Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine L. Kropatenko of 23.02.1961 ¹ 18-130-271).
This offer was approved and during 1961-1975 in the building of Kyiv state circus Republic studio of circus and variety arts functioned. The training lasted 2 years.
Due to the growing requirements as to the training quality and increased need in artists of spectacular genres, as well as in accordance with the letter of Minister of higher and vocational secondary education of Ukraine of 01.08.1974 ¹ 92-02-376/09-6-11, and in accordance to the Decree of Council of Ministers of Ukrainian SSR of 12.10.1975 ¹ 488 and the order of Minister of Culture of Ukrainian SSR A.K. Romanovskiy of 17.02.1975 ¹113 Kyiv State school of circus and variety arts of republic subordination was established.
The new school occupied the same areas on the 3rd and 4th floors of Kyiv state circus with the studio (Peremogy square, 2) till the end of 1987-1988 academic year. Due to the capital repairs of the circus (Decree of the Council of Ministers of Ukrainian SSR of 24.06.1986 ¹ 354) its administration was instructed to free the premises of circus in July, 1988. At the same time, according to the order of Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukrainian SSR S. Koltunyuk of 14.07.1988 ¹ 237, starting from July, 15 1988 the school was leased the 3rd and the 4th floors of Kyiv State Institute of Culture hostel (Hertsena street, 2) for the term of 2 years. Later, this agreement was prolonged for two more years.
At the same time, based on the Decree of the Council of Ministers of Ukraine dated 06.08.1988 ¹ 425 “On cultural branches management structure” and according to deed ¹26 (undated), signed by the first Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukrainian SSR S. Koltunyuk and the Head of Municipal Department of Culture M. Bezverkhiy, the transfer of Kyiv State school of circus and variety arts of from republic subordination to municipal subordination in order to accelerate the solution of the issue concerning the provision of material facilities. Aforementioned order of Ministry of Culture ¹ 237 proposed a solution of this issue, but eventually everything remained on paper.
Also, the school didn’t have its own hostel for students from other towns and took on lease on floor in hostel of Kyiv R.M.Glier Kyiv State Higher Music College (Dashavska street, 22). The lack of suitable areas in the main leased premises forced administration to temporarily accommodate library and wardrobe in the hostel.
In due course the staff of educational institution endured six moves, which were done by their own forces, and with a help of students and their parents. The study didn’t suspend during the moves. To achieve this every time temporary schedules and special graphs were prepared, which coordinated the classes during the moves.
Thus, despite all difficulties the educational process did not stop and the execution of curriculum and programs was completed. However, due to objective reasons the branched infrastructures of training premises and the time, spent by teachers and students for moving, made some adjustments in preparation of schedules, prolonging the classes till 1800-1900 in the evening.
During the most difficult period (1988-1998), when it was necessary either to move to another building or fight to stay there, the quality of training of circus and entertainment artist did not decline, on the contrary – it grew better. This is evidenced by the fact that from among the graduates (500) of the last decade, 223 persons won various contests, as compared to 98 persons from among 400 graduates of previous years.
In 1999 Kyiv state school of circus and variety arts was renamed to Kyiv State College of Circus and Variety Arts, according to the order of Ministry of Education of Ukraine of 12.07.1999 ¹ 249 “On change of name and status of Kyiv state school of circus and variety arts” and the instruction of Kyiv Municipal State Administration of 21.07.1999 ¹1195 “On change of status and name of Kyiv state school of circus and variety arts”.
The same year the college received its own building – 4-floors building of the total area of about 4,000 m2 at the address: Zhylianska street, 88, where till September, 1 2002 the municipal state administration performed capital repairs and installed the necessary equipment to ensure normal educational process.
Kyiv Municipal Academy of Circus and Variety Arts is the legal successor of Kyiv state college of circus and variety arts, as per resolution of Kyiv City Council of 22.02.2007 ¹169/830 “On granting permission to Kyiv municipal administration to reorganize Kyiv state college of circus and variety arts” and as per decree of executive body of Kyiv City Council of 26.12.2001 ¹1729 “On organizational and legal measures, related to fulfillment of resolution of Kyiv City Council of 22.02.2007 ¹ 169/830.
