The trainer Alexander Nikolaevich Kornilov - the founder of the legendary circus dynasty. The Kornilovs work with elephants and have gained fame not only in Russia but also abroad. Today it is difficult to name the country in which the troupe did not go on tour. The Kornilov family keeps many stories that could become the basis of several exciting novels.
From sailors to trainers
The biography of the founder of the famous Kornilov dynasty began in 1903. Alexander was born on the Volga, so he decided to become a sailor. Once, being fired and walking around Samara, he went to the fair, where a traveling menagerie of Ivan Filatov performed. At the box office, a young man saw a girl who struck him with her beauty. Soon, Alexander made an offer to Mary, who turned out to be the daughter of the owner of the menagerie. The bride’s father made an unusual present for the young wedding - an elephant and set the condition for his son-in-law to leave the sea element and stay in the circus.
At first, Alexander performed the simplest work: he cleaned the animals and fed them. Since Kornilov was from a simple family, and his chosen one belonged to a well-known family, the young man had to learn languages and good manners, and then he proceeded to the basics of training.
Work with elephants
After the revolution, all animals were nationalized, and private menageries were abolished. The family of trainers toured the country a lot with a mixed group of animals. Their production of "Elephant in a Restaurant" was a success with the public. Two circus dynasties got their start right from the little booth: the Filatovs became famous for working with predators, and the Kornilovs created a unique school of elephant training.
Then Alexander continued his career at the state circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard and presented the elephants and dancers attraction to the audience. In 1944, the number received the 1st prize of the All-Russian Festival, the original idea was that the tricks were performed simultaneously by elephants and acrobat girls.
During the war years, Kornilov trained for the front dogs, orderlies and sniper dogs. In peacetime, under the guidance of the eminent circus artist, new numbers appeared: Dzhigitovka on Camels and Fire Bears. In 1969, the circus master was awarded the title Honored Artist of the RSFSR. All these years, his faithful assistant and wife Maria Filatova-Kornilova were nearby.
