CIRCUS ART IN SPACE AND TIME: FROM THE COLOSSEUM TO THE ASTLEY'S AMPHIETEATER; FROM SCOMOROCHS TO MODERNITY

Abstract

In the context of the study of the features of the development of Circus Art and the functioning of Circus business at the Western Ukrainian lands at the end of the 18th – during the 19th century, the author set the task to track down the processes of the inception of Circus Art at the ethnic territory of Ukraine.
In this article, the problems of determining the continuity of contemporary circus art of Ukraine with the art of Scomorochs are considered; an attempt is made to determine the degree of «kinship» of the connection of the circus of New time with the ancient Roman circus. It turned out that today, due to the lack of historical documental evidences, there is no reasonable ground for the scientists to relate the art of Scomorochs with the genesis of the professional Circus Art in Ukraine. It seems more correct to determine the origins of the modern Circus Art in the first guest performances of the acrobatic and circus troupes from Western Europe at the ethnic territory of Ukraine, which belong to the second half of the 18th century, based on the significance of their influence on the further development of Circus genres and the Circus Art.
The similarities, differences, and features of the Circus of the New Time and the ancient Roman circus have been considered and determined.