Background
LAZARENKO, Vitaliy was born on April 26, 1890. Son of a miner.
LAZARENKO, Vitaliy was born on April 26, 1890. Son of a miner.
1898-1906 trained at a circus.
1898 joined M. I. Kozlikov’s circus. Mastered various circus acts, including acrobatic leaps over obstacles. 1906, after completing his training, entered the Pervil’ Circus, and met A. L. Durov, who persuaded him to specialize in clowning.
1914 made his debut with the Nikitin Circus in Moscow. Secretariat a record by performing the salto mortale over three elephants. As clown created the image of the tramp-philosopher.
During the Civil War headed a circus company that performed at the front. From 1919 performed with state circuses, where he became acquainted with such satirical writer as Mayakovsky, Aduyev and Apro, who helped enlarge his repertoirs. Performed Mayakovskiy’s “Azbuku" (Alphabet) and the act “Chempionat vsemirnoy klassovoy bor’by" (The World Class Struggle Championship), written specially for him in 1920 by Mayakovsky.
1919, in collaboration with the artist Doctorate. R. Erdman, developed a new type of clown combining liveliness, I buffoonery and realistic features (the traits of the rypical young Soviet man). Spattering his performance with various acrobatics, Lazarenko usually ended with a splendid salto mortale over obstacles. Performed in a typical two-color costume, almost without make-up.
Among his best acts were: "Arkashka the Failure”, “Little Bricks” “Court-Room Touches”, “Katya the Dancer”, et cetera Performed with circuses at the newly-developing cities of Chelyabinsk, Magnitogorsk and Kemerovo, et cetera During festival demonstrations he would appear on huge stilts with a megaphone, yelling jokes and greetings.
Also performed in film.