Last Tuesday, as she accepted birthday wishes from politicians, actors and other high-placed friends, Natalya Durova had to deal with interruptions from singing bears, dancing monkeys and drum-playing hares.
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Durova was celebrating two milestones -- 140 years since the birth of her grandfather, Vladimir Durov, as well as her own 70th birthday at the Durov Animal Theater on Ulitsa Durova near Tsvetnoi Bulvar.
The theater has been amusing Moscow audiences with the likes of laundry-washing badgers and train-riding porcupines since 1911, the year Vladimir Durov opened the doors. Natalya Durova has been a city institution for more than 50 years.
Born into the animal tamers dynasty, she began her career as an actress and animal trainer at an early age. At 7, she and her pony were already on tour, performing for the Red Army during World War II. Durova remembers Marshal Georgy Zhukov, the Soviet general who led the attack on Nazi Germany, scolding her father, actor Yury Durov, for bringing her to the war front.
"He asked my father why he took me and other children to war," Durova said. "My father responded, 'These aren't children. They are actors.'"
Whether sipping tea with friends in her office, which houses 20 parrot cages, or wearing an elaborate feathered hat and a glittering cape on stage, Durova always looks the part.
"I am sorry Yasha can't be here today," Durova said at the beginning of her birthday celebration, referring to the absence of her show partner, a 120-kilogram chimp. "I didn't bring him because I was afraid he'd catch a cold."
She graciously accepted congratulations, including words of praise from India's ambassador to Russia, presidential telegrams from Vladimir Putin and Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko and musical numbers ranging from singer Nikolai Slichenko's romance renditions to an odd attempt at a song about animals by Ivanovo's zoo director.
"You are our national treasure," the birthday guests echoed, one after another, referring to Durova's family history, as much as to her long career in show business.
Beginning with Nadezhda Durova, who fought in the War of 1812 and became one of Russia's few decorated female war heroes of her time, Natalya Durova's ancestors have a strong connection to Russia's history and culture.
In the late 1800s, Natalya's grandfather and animal theater founder Vladimir Durov pioneered the abuse-free method of using positive stimuli to train animals. He was the first person to perform with a trained anteater, who surprised audiences by holding a toy rifle and walking on his hind legs.
Another one of Durov's performers, a trained dog named Kashtanka, was immortalized by Anton Chekhov in a short story bearing the dog's name. Scientists Alexander Chizhevsky and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, pioneers in the field of space biology, also frequented Durov's theater and his adjacent home.
Today, Durov's home is the family museum. Visitors ascend its staircase, lined with animal figures sculpted by Durov, to see his living quarters, paintings and performance garb. Motionless bears, tigers, dogs and other furry stars of past Durov shows, eerily preserved by taxidermy, stare out of every room of the exhibition.
However, living animals -- chirping birds and trumpeting elephants housed in cages behind the theater -- can also be heard in the museum. This din is a constant reminder of how active the animal theater is, even today, under the artistic direction of Natalya Durova, who performs whenever her schedule allows.
The Durov Theater recently visited Belarus and Ukraine, and there are plans to travel to Siberia and maybe China soon. The shows would travel more often, but according to Sergei Parshin, the theater's managing director, many countries, including France and the United States, have strict regulations concerning performing with wild animals.
The beautiful gray wolf Seryozha may not get a chance to travel outside the Durov zoo often, but Natalya Durova frequently visits different locations in search of inspiration.
"Natalya Durova always tries to keep up with the times," Parshin said. Her theater's new repertory reflects concerns of modern audiences. In one number, called "Emergency Ministry," or "MChS," for short, a cat named Vasily flies onto the stage in a toy helicopter. He then drops a string ladder and watches five "rescuer" mice climb on board. While this is happening, TV screens show raging fires and explosions.
"Terrorist attacks are the most frightening things we all have to face today," said Durova, explaining the inspiration for the "Emergency Ministry" act. During the theater's performances in Israel in 2003, Durova and other actors witnessed multiple terrorist attacks that left a lasting impression.
Besides staying current, Durova, who is also the author of children's books, is committed to youth education. "We try to expose kids to beauty and kindness through our shows," said Durova, who lashed out at a RenTV correspondent at a news conference last week for "all the sex and violence airing on television today."
The theater's new number, Chopiniana, certainly lacks explicit content. It is also more classically beautiful than the usual Durov material -- monkeys jumping rope and dogs solving math problems. Chopiniana has women in white evening gowns gliding across the stage with seven white horses, accompanied by slow romantic music.
In addition to entertaining and educating children in the audience, Durova plans to open a children's school to train future animal trainers. "I hope to build this school, Khram Detstva [Cathedral of Childhood], next to the theater to expose kids to our craft from an early age," Durova said.
Moscow already has one prestigious four-year college that prepares circus performers, the State School of Circus and Variety Arts. However, there is no school for animal trainers, which Durova is working to establish.
"Now our actors often come after high school and start out cleaning cages," Parshin said. "As they get used to the animals, they become stage assistants and then replace our stars, the trainers who retire."
Durova is working with the city government to begin construction of Khram Detstva, which will house a school, another stage and children's entertainment facilities next to the theater. Durova plans to pool all of her family resources for this school. She already invited her brother, film star Lev Durov, to teach drama at Khram Detstva.
"Yury Luzhkov and his government were very supportive when the theater needed repairs," Durova said. She was referring to the events of 2001, when the city helped the Durov theater recover quickly from burst pipes and cracked walls. "I hope they will be as supportive of our Khram Detstva project."
Click here to see photo essay
Durova was celebrating two milestones -- 140 years since the birth of her grandfather, Vladimir Durov, as well as her own 70th birthday at the Durov Animal Theater on Ulitsa Durova near Tsvetnoi Bulvar.
The theater has been amusing Moscow audiences with the likes of laundry-washing badgers and train-riding porcupines since 1911, the year Vladimir Durov opened the doors. Natalya Durova has been a city institution for more than 50 years.
Born into the animal tamers dynasty, she began her career as an actress and animal trainer at an early age. At 7, she and her pony were already on tour, performing for the Red Army during World War II. Durova remembers Marshal Georgy Zhukov, the Soviet general who led the attack on Nazi Germany, scolding her father, actor Yury Durov, for bringing her to the war front.
"He asked my father why he took me and other children to war," Durova said. "My father responded, 'These aren't children. They are actors.'"
Whether sipping tea with friends in her office, which houses 20 parrot cages, or wearing an elaborate feathered hat and a glittering cape on stage, Durova always looks the part.
"I am sorry Yasha can't be here today," Durova said at the beginning of her birthday celebration, referring to the absence of her show partner, a 120-kilogram chimp. "I didn't bring him because I was afraid he'd catch a cold."
She graciously accepted congratulations, including words of praise from India's ambassador to Russia, presidential telegrams from Vladimir Putin and Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko and musical numbers ranging from singer Nikolai Slichenko's romance renditions to an odd attempt at a song about animals by Ivanovo's zoo director.
"You are our national treasure," the birthday guests echoed, one after another, referring to Durova's family history, as much as to her long career in show business.
Beginning with Nadezhda Durova, who fought in the War of 1812 and became one of Russia's few decorated female war heroes of her time, Natalya Durova's ancestors have a strong connection to Russia's history and culture.
In the late 1800s, Natalya's grandfather and animal theater founder Vladimir Durov pioneered the abuse-free method of using positive stimuli to train animals. He was the first person to perform with a trained anteater, who surprised audiences by holding a toy rifle and walking on his hind legs.
Another one of Durov's performers, a trained dog named Kashtanka, was immortalized by Anton Chekhov in a short story bearing the dog's name. Scientists Alexander Chizhevsky and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, pioneers in the field of space biology, also frequented Durov's theater and his adjacent home.
Today, Durov's home is the family museum. Visitors ascend its staircase, lined with animal figures sculpted by Durov, to see his living quarters, paintings and performance garb. Motionless bears, tigers, dogs and other furry stars of past Durov shows, eerily preserved by taxidermy, stare out of every room of the exhibition.
However, living animals -- chirping birds and trumpeting elephants housed in cages behind the theater -- can also be heard in the museum. This din is a constant reminder of how active the animal theater is, even today, under the artistic direction of Natalya Durova, who performs whenever her schedule allows.
The Durov Theater recently visited Belarus and Ukraine, and there are plans to travel to Siberia and maybe China soon. The shows would travel more often, but according to Sergei Parshin, the theater's managing director, many countries, including France and the United States, have strict regulations concerning performing with wild animals.
The beautiful gray wolf Seryozha may not get a chance to travel outside the Durov zoo often, but Natalya Durova frequently visits different locations in search of inspiration.
"Natalya Durova always tries to keep up with the times," Parshin said. Her theater's new repertory reflects concerns of modern audiences. In one number, called "Emergency Ministry," or "MChS," for short, a cat named Vasily flies onto the stage in a toy helicopter. He then drops a string ladder and watches five "rescuer" mice climb on board. While this is happening, TV screens show raging fires and explosions.
"Terrorist attacks are the most frightening things we all have to face today," said Durova, explaining the inspiration for the "Emergency Ministry" act. During the theater's performances in Israel in 2003, Durova and other actors witnessed multiple terrorist attacks that left a lasting impression.
Besides staying current, Durova, who is also the author of children's books, is committed to youth education. "We try to expose kids to beauty and kindness through our shows," said Durova, who lashed out at a RenTV correspondent at a news conference last week for "all the sex and violence airing on television today."
The theater's new number, Chopiniana, certainly lacks explicit content. It is also more classically beautiful than the usual Durov material -- monkeys jumping rope and dogs solving math problems. Chopiniana has women in white evening gowns gliding across the stage with seven white horses, accompanied by slow romantic music.
In addition to entertaining and educating children in the audience, Durova plans to open a children's school to train future animal trainers. "I hope to build this school, Khram Detstva [Cathedral of Childhood], next to the theater to expose kids to our craft from an early age," Durova said.
Moscow already has one prestigious four-year college that prepares circus performers, the State School of Circus and Variety Arts. However, there is no school for animal trainers, which Durova is working to establish.
"Now our actors often come after high school and start out cleaning cages," Parshin said. "As they get used to the animals, they become stage assistants and then replace our stars, the trainers who retire."
Durova is working with the city government to begin construction of Khram Detstva, which will house a school, another stage and children's entertainment facilities next to the theater. Durova plans to pool all of her family resources for this school. She already invited her brother, film star Lev Durov, to teach drama at Khram Detstva.
"Yury Luzhkov and his government were very supportive when the theater needed repairs," Durova said. She was referring to the events of 2001, when the city helped the Durov theater recover quickly from burst pipes and cracked walls. "I hope they will be as supportive of our Khram Detstva project."