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The Baku circus

It can be said that the roots of contemporary circus performances in Azerbaijan date back to ancient times, as certain elements of them can be found in national games such as ‘chovgan’, a forerunner of polo, and ‘zorkhana’, historical sports arenas where various strength-testing competitions were held. The first professional circus in Azerbaijan was built in the 1890s by the famous Nikitin brothers, while the first Azerbaijani national circus troupe was established in 1945. 

The current building of the Baku State Circus was constructed in 1967 and stands out among Baku’s architectural monuments of the 20th century for its original appearance and magnificent dome. Today, the Baku Circus is a place where local residents go on weekends and holidays to watch outstanding performances by famous circus artists, including aerial gymnasts, acrobats, stuntmen and clowns. In addition to local performers, circus groups from Russia, Ukraine and other countries often perform at the Baku State Circus.