20 Facts About Yuri Nikulin

Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin was a Soviet and Russian actor and clown who starred in many popular films.

Yuri Nikulin is best known for his roles in Leonid Gaidai's comedies, such as The Diamond Arm and Kidnapping, Caucasian Style, although he occasionally starred in dramatic roles and performed in Moscow Circus.

Yuri Nikulin was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1973 and Hero of Socialist Labour in 1990.

Yuri Nikulin received a number of state awards, including the prestigious Order of Lenin, which he received twice in his lifetime.

Yuri Nikulin's father Vladimir Andreyevich was a critic, an author of satirical plays and a director in Demidov's local Drama theatre.

In Moscow, Yuri Nikulin entered a prestigious school No 16 and soon received from the school pedologist an unfavorable characteristic of "a child with limited abilities".

Yuri Nikulin's father, insulted, came to the school and confronted the teacher, proving that Yuri was a bright kid.

Yuri Nikulin graduated in 1939 and in a few months was called up for military duty.

Yuri Nikulin was drafted to the Red Army on 18 November 1939, at the age of 17.

Yuri Nikulin suffered from severe frostbite and for the rest of his life his legs froze easily.

Yuri Nikulin first tried himself as a comedian in 1944 when a political officer in his battalion, impressed by his repertoire of jokes, ordered him to organize entertainment for the division, which he did with resounding success.

Encouraged, once the war ended, Yuri Nikulin unsuccessfully tried to enter VGIK, Russian Institute of Theatre Arts, Mikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School.

Yuri Nikulin started as an assistant of Karandash, then the most famous clown in USSR.

Rich in mimicry, doleful of expression, Yuri Nikulin was hailed as "a brainy clown" outside Russia.

Yuri Nikulin, affectionately called "Uncle Yura" by Russian children, relied mainly upon his wits to earn his place in history as one of the best clowns of the 20th century.

Yuri Nikulin stopped performing as a clown at 60, explaining that "a clown shouldn't be gray, it looks pathetic".

Yuri Nikulin appeared in almost a dozen major features, mainly in the 1960s and 1970s, and achieved great success with short films directed by Leonid Gaidai.

In 1949, Yuri Nikulin met his future spouse, Tatiana Pokroskaya, an equestrian and a student of Timiryazev Agricultural Academy.

Yuri Nikulin died on 21 August 1997 and was buried in Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Yuri Nikulin was succeeded in his office at the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard by his son Maxim.