In 1940, Alexander Rodchenko and the journalist Georgi Petrusov collaborated on an unpublished photo essay on the Moscow Circus for the Soviet magazine SSSR na Stroike (USSR in Construction). Renowned for its theatrical and daring performances, the Moscow Circus captured Rodchenko’s attention and its star, the famed Soviet clown and animal tamer Vladimir Durov, is pictured in this print. A third-generation member of the Durov dynasty of animal trainers, by 1940, Vladimir Durov had gained international attention in his own by right. His endearing act, which combined animal taming with satirical comedy, was uniquely informed by emerging ideas on animal behavioral science. In Rodchenko’s photograph, Durov exemplifies his gift for communing with animals in the circus area, as he persuades a sea lion with a ball balanced atop his nose up a step ladder.
