Fontanka River Embankment, 3, lit. A, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191028
Since 1827, Turner’s circus was located in the Engineering Square (in front of the southern facade of the Mikhailovsky Castle) near the Simeonovsky Bridge, adapted in 1828 for theatrical performances as well. The building existed until 1842, when it was demolished due to dilapidation.
In 1864, Karl Ginne’s circus arrived in Petersburg and was housed in a wooden building previously built for Lora Bassen. Due to its dilapidation, the building had to be demolished, and in 1867 Karl Ginne began constructing a new wooden circus. Ginne’s troupe performed there until 1871, and in 1872 Gaetano Ciniselli received this building from his father-in-law for a symbolic sum.
By then, the plan to build a stone circus had already taken shape, as other European capitals already had permanent circuses.
But securing a prime location in the city center near the imperial residence was not easy; it was said that the charming daughter of Gaetano Ciniselli helped persuade the emperor. In 1875, the emperor leased the territory for 40 years for a modest sum, which Ciniselli could raise in one evening, on the condition that part of the city’s Engineering Square would also be arranged at Ciniselli’s expense. The circus building was designed by architect V. A. Kenel.
The Great Saint Petersburg State Circus became the first stone permanent circus in the Russian Empire, opening on December 26, 1877.
The circus interiors were lavishly decorated; nevertheless, shortly after construction was completed, the building had to be restored: water leaked from the ceiling, and the hall was very stuffy, making it difficult for visitors to stay until the end of performances. Tickets to the circus cost more than theater tickets, but the director never compromised or lowered prices. Nevertheless, the circus was very successful.
After Gaetano Ciniselli’s death in 1881, his wife Wilhelmina Ginne took over management of the circus, and after her death in 1886, their son Scipione (Scipione Ciniselli) assumed the role of director.
In 1919, the circus became state-owned, and the last owners from the Ciniselli dynasty emigrated to Paris, where they died in poverty. In 1924, Williams Truzzi became the circus director. In 2014–2015, a major reconstruction of the circus was carried out. The foundation and walls were reinforced, and the circus dome was renovated. The auditorium had fewer rows, but the seating arrangement became more comfortable. Also, the orchestra was moved from the imperial box back to its original place (above the proscenium — the curtain).
In 2015, in honor of Gaetano Ciniselli’s 200th anniversary, the building’s original name — Ciniselli Circus — was restored. The doors of the “Circus on the Fontanka” opened to the public on December 18, 2015.
The circus building is a unique technical structure, created based on the advanced engineering ideas of its time. For the first time in the world, when constructing a dome with a record span for that era (49.7 meters), no supporting internal columns were used, creating an unusual spatial effect. The fundamentally new lattice-ribbed dome structure, like a giant inverted bowl, covers the hall. This new technical solution later became widely used in the construction of similar buildings.
The auditorium’s decoration was luxurious. Its interior combined crimson velvet, gold, and mirrors. The boxes and stalls were designed for 1,500 people, and the total capacity of the hall, including the spacious gallery, reached up to 5,000 spectators.
Sources:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Большой_Санкт-Петербургский_государственный_цирк
https://spbcult.ru/articles/prazdniki/vsemirnyij-den-czirka/
