Nizhny Novgorod residents were shown the behind-the-scenes of the circus show "Sand Fairy Tale."

      On April 15, 2026, at 5:15 PM, Culture and Leisure. On April 15, an open rehearsal took place at the Nizhny Novgorod State Circus named after Margarita Nazarova, in anticipation of World Circus Day, which is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of April. The event was part of a joint project by the production center of Gia Eradze and the Russian State Circus Company. The show "Sand Fairy Tale" (0+) presented an open rehearsal with elements of a master class for students of children's circus schools and creative teams from Nizhny Novgorod. As the organizers note, such meetings are held regularly — they aim to popularize circus art among young people and allow the audience to see the process of creating complex and spectacular acts from the inside.

      The open rehearsal was part of the Rosgoscirk action "Parade of Records." On this day, the artists of the show set several personal achievements right in the ring. For instance, tightrope walker Yegor Novikov performed 30 turns while lying down. Trainer Irina Vorobyova rode a hippopotamus across the entire diameter of the circus barrier. Guests were shown fragments of acts that are part of the show program. Among them were the "Dog Show" featuring trained dogs under the guidance of Ekaterina Zapashnaya, "Oh, Throw It" — a performance by juggling tightrope walkers on unicycles from the Chugunov family, "Arabesques" — an act with hula hoops on balls, as well as aerial gymnastics numbers and the "Hippopotamus Show" featuring hippopotamuses.

      The host of the open rehearsal was clown-carpet and the lead performer in the show "Sand Fairy Tale," Konstantin Astashov. A special surprise for the audience was the first performance of young artists — Samoyeds Tony and Stark, who made their debut in the ring under the guidance of trainer Ekaterina Zapashnaya. Also, dynasty juggler Leonid Chugunov rode across the entire diameter of the barrier on a two-meter-high unicycle, and the participants of the "Arabesques" act presented a new trick called "Column," which will soon be included in the main program of the show. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.