November 20, 2023 17:00
The artists never reconciled.
There is fierce competition in show business. Stars fight for a place in the sun and the audience’s attention. Conflicts on this basis also occur in the circus environment. At one time, the two main Soviet clowns – Yuri Nikulin and Oleg Popov – quarreled so much that later they could not forgive each other for the rest of their lives.
The artists were brought together by Mikhail Rumyantsev (Karandash) back in the early 50s, but the paths of the future celebrities diverged. Nikulin chose the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, and Popov – on Vernadsky Avenue. One day both groups went on tour to Leningrad, where a curious incident occurred.
Newspapers attended the performances and found similarities in the programs of the young clowns. The star of “The Diamond Arm” was accused of plagiarism by a colleague. Yuri Nikulin was furious at such accusations. Since then, relations between former friends have faded: Nikulin did not even allow Oleg Popov to celebrate his 60th birthday on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. A touching reconciliation never happened.
