Yury Nikulin’s Creative Work

Obverse

in the centre there is a relief image of the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation and over it a semicircular inscription along the rim ‘РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ’ (RUSSIAN FEDERATION) framed by doubled rhombuses on both sides, under the emblem, in three lines, there is an inscription ‘БАНК РОССИИ’ (BANK OF RUSSIA), the coin’s par value ‘25 РУБЛЕЙ’ (25 RUBLES), and the year of issue ‘2021 г.’ (2021), and on the right there is a mint trade mark.

Reverse

a relief image of Yury Nikulin’s portrait against the background of the inscription ‘ЦИРК’ (CIRCUS); at the bottom, there is an image of the actor’s signature and life years in two lines: ‘1921’ and ‘1997’.

Authors

Designers: E.V. Kramskaya (obverse), A.V. Gnidin (reverse).
Sculptors: A.A. Dolgopolova (obverse), A.V. Gnidin (reverse).
Mint: Moscow Mint (ММД).
Edge: 180 corrugations.

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Yuri V. Nikulin (1921–1997) was awarded the titles of the People’s Artist of the USSR, the Hero of Socialist Labour, and was the laureate of the State Prize of the RSFSR.

In 1946, Nikulin joined the clownary studio at the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard. After graduation he worked as an assistant to the famous clown Karandash for two years. As a clown, he performed with his devoted partner Mikhail Shuidin and his wife Tatyana for many years. Together they devised many funny and interesting clown reprises and scenes often finding plots in the real life and focusing attention on funny things.

In 1982, Yuri Nikulin became the general manager and artistic director of the said circus.

Nikulin starred in more than 40 films. They are still admired by film lovers of all generations: The Diamond Arm; Kidnapping, Caucasian Style; Operation Y; Come Here, Mukhtar!; Twenty Days Without War, etc. It is impossible to imagine either cinema or circus without Nikulin.

Yuri Nikulin was an actor of the epic genre. On the screen, he appeared in eccentric and dramatic roles, yet he never impersonated mean or evil men. Being funny people, his characters always evoked sympathy and love.

For many years, Yuri Nikulin run the White Parrot TV show, where he invited many famous people to share jokes and funny stories.

From 1992, Nikulin was the Chairman of the Board of the Peace Foundation. In 1997, he established the Circus and Mercy Charitable Foundation to help veterans and young circus performers.

Source: https://www.circusnikulin.ru