Location : BIG ST. PETERSBURG STATE CIRCUS
Saint Petersburg.
On December 26, 1877, the first stationary circus in Russia opened – the Big St. Petersburg State Circus. Artists of that time called it one of the most beautiful and unique circuses. Gaetano Ciniselli – Italian, hereditary circus performer, trainer, a great rider and author of a unique idea about the construction of the building. During the construction, there were no internal columns, which added space, and the span of the dome broke all records – 49.7 meters.
The special construction, completely unlike the others, seems to cover the hall. This design was so loved by the audience that it began to be used in the construction of many other stationary circuses. In the interior, they adhered to luxury: velvet, gold, mirrors. The total number that the circus could accommodate is 5,000 people, of which 1,500 in the stalls. The building of the Big St. Petersburg State Circus or the Ciniselli Circus quickly became a tourist attraction, and tickets for performances were sold out long before the premieres.