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Oleg Konstantinowitsch Popow was born July 31, 1930 in Moscow as the son of a clock-maker. In 1949 he finished the Russian circus school in Moscow and started his career in the state circus. Six years later, he became the first clown from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to perform in the Western world. In 1969 he was honored by his country as a "folk artist".
Career
He performed as clown, a mime, a tightrope walker, and a juggler. In 1981 he won the oscar of the clown world: The Golden Clown of Monte Carlo. His role as a clown follows the tradition of the Russian "Iwanuschka", who fools other people and who is teased himself. Popow is also called the "sun of the clowns".
He was the most popular clown in the Soviet Union during the second half of the 20th century. His idols include Charlie Chaplin and Heinz Rühmann, a German actor. He now lives in the region of Nuremburg, Germany.
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