Anatoly Durov
Encyclopedia
Anatoly Anatolyevich Durov (sometimes spelled Durow) (1887–1928) was a renowned 20th century animal trainer
. He was a member of the Durov family of performers who raised the quality and prestige of the Russian circus.
, was the first female officer in the Russian Army, who became a decorated soldier in the Russian cavalry during the Napoleonic wars
. His mother, née Tereza Stadler, was a talented circus horse rider of German descent and owned the Bavaria
n Circus] Long and successful tours led her to make Russia her home. His father, Anatoly Durov, was born to an old noble family and broke with it to join a traveling troupe. Anatoly (Jr.) was a good acrobat, a magician, and a monologue reciter. Anatoly (Sr.) and Vladimir Durov were the first of the Durov clan to gain fame as circus entertainers.
. His real fame came in the years following the Russian Revolution of 1917
. The younger Anatoly Durov performed with a large and varied group of animals. His performance commentary was always biting and topical. He toured abroad in 1921.
In Serbia
he performed in the city of Subotica
in the variety show Alhambra; in the city of Zagreb
in the Music Hall; in the city of Sarajevo
in the Winter Garden. In November 1921, he signed a contract for performances in the cities of Graz
and Vienna
, Austria
with the international circus Orpheus for 500,000 kronor plus travel expenses.
In 1922-1923 he toured throughout the Italy
, performing in Rome
, Milan
, Padua
(Padova), Genoa
(Genova), Bari
, Venice
, Bologna
, Treviso
, Adria
(Atria), and other places.
At the request of Queen Elena of Italy, Anatoly (Jr.) gave a private performance at the royal villa. His performing dog Petit lived in the queen's apartment for three days. Queen Elena granted Anatoly Durov Jun. a golden cigarette-case and a letter of thanks.
After his tours across Europe
and the United States
, Anatoly Durov returned to Soviet Russia
and founded an entertainment program that gained international recognition. He later settled in the city of Taganrog
(1926) where he founded The Taganrog Animal Theater of Anatoly Durov.
Anatoly Anatolyevich Durov died in 1928 in a hunting accident. His nephews, Vladimir Grigorievich Durov (1909-1972) and Yury Vladimirovich Durov (1909-1971) continued in his footsteps. Both became People's Artists of the USSR
. Currently the Durov Theater in Moscow
is run by Tereza Durova (b. September 5, 1926), a niece.
Animal training
Animal training refers to teaching animals specific responses to specific conditions or stimuli. Training may be for the purpose of companionship, detection, protection, entertainment or all of the above....
. He was a member of the Durov family of performers who raised the quality and prestige of the Russian circus.
Background
Anatoly Anatolyevich's great-grandmother, Nadezhda DurovaNadezhda Durova
Nadezhda Andreyevna Durova , also known as Alexander Durov, Alexander Sokolov and Alexander Andreevich Alexandrov, was a woman who became a decorated soldier in the Russian cavalry during the Napoleonic wars. She was the first known female officer in the Russian military...
, was the first female officer in the Russian Army, who became a decorated soldier in the Russian cavalry during the Napoleonic wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. His mother, née Tereza Stadler, was a talented circus horse rider of German descent and owned the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n Circus] Long and successful tours led her to make Russia her home. His father, Anatoly Durov, was born to an old noble family and broke with it to join a traveling troupe. Anatoly (Jr.) was a good acrobat, a magician, and a monologue reciter. Anatoly (Sr.) and Vladimir Durov were the first of the Durov clan to gain fame as circus entertainers.
Career
Anatoly (Jr.) made his circus debut in 1914 in the Nikitin brothers' circus in the city of RyazanRyazan
Ryazan is a city and the administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Oka River southeast of Moscow. Population: The strategic bomber base Dyagilevo is just west of the city, and the air base of Alexandrovo is to the southeast as is the Ryazan Turlatovo Airport...
. His real fame came in the years following the Russian Revolution of 1917
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
. The younger Anatoly Durov performed with a large and varied group of animals. His performance commentary was always biting and topical. He toured abroad in 1921.
In Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
he performed in the city of Subotica
Subotica
Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
in the variety show Alhambra; in the city of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
in the Music Hall; in the city of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
in the Winter Garden. In November 1921, he signed a contract for performances in the cities of Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
with the international circus Orpheus for 500,000 kronor plus travel expenses.
In 1922-1923 he toured throughout the Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, performing in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
(Padova), Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
(Genova), Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
, Adria
Adria
Adria is a town and comune in the province of Rovigo in the Veneto region of Northern Italy, situated between the mouths of the rivers Adige and Po....
(Atria), and other places.
At the request of Queen Elena of Italy, Anatoly (Jr.) gave a private performance at the royal villa. His performing dog Petit lived in the queen's apartment for three days. Queen Elena granted Anatoly Durov Jun. a golden cigarette-case and a letter of thanks.
After his tours across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Anatoly Durov returned to Soviet Russia
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and founded an entertainment program that gained international recognition. He later settled in the city of Taganrog
Taganrog
Taganrog is a seaport city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the north shore of Taganrog Bay , several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: -History of Taganrog:...
(1926) where he founded The Taganrog Animal Theater of Anatoly Durov.
Anatoly Anatolyevich Durov died in 1928 in a hunting accident. His nephews, Vladimir Grigorievich Durov (1909-1972) and Yury Vladimirovich Durov (1909-1971) continued in his footsteps. Both became People's Artists of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union.- Nomenclature and significance :...
. Currently the Durov Theater in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
is run by Tereza Durova (b. September 5, 1926), a niece.