b. 1950
Vladimir was born in 1950 in Ukraine, and grew up in Moscow. He started in a circus when he was 12, and in 1966 he went to Moscow Circus School where he learnt acrobatics, juggling, balancing, clowning and making acts! He has now been in the circus for 43 years.
He has lived an interesting life in the circus, living in many different countries and working with many large circuses. He specialised as a clown and Eccentric Acrobat and has had a lot of practice! In The UK his circus family has worked with Zippo’s Circus and The Moscow State Circus and have now chosen to live in Gateshead. He was the coach for his daughters’ doubles rola-rola and juggling act. He now teaches acrobatics at Circus Central, Newcastle where classes take place in both physical language and Russian. His catch phrase is “No Good”, but his adults students know that that means ‘Could be better’ even if it’s the best they’ve ever done! He has immense amounts of knowledge to pass on.
Oxana and Veronika Bugrova, daughters of Vladimir Bugrov – performed a double rola rola act with Zippo’s Circus, Gerry Cottle’s Circus and Moscow State Circus and retain links with the circus world in Russia. Their routine featured 8-ball pass bounce-juggling between two rola rola platforms and a dramatic finale with Oxana basing Veronika on her head whilst on the rola rola as Veronika juggles five balls.
Mishanya Galyuk “Misha” was born in 1983 in Ukraine but now lives in Gateshead with his circus family. He is son-in-law to Vladimir Bugrov. He started working in a circus in 2005 after being a gymnast since he was eight years old! When his gymnastic career had finished he found circus and it was a way for him to carry on with a life of exercise! Misha’s skills are both ground and air based such as flying trapeze, high bar and bungee straps. On the ground he is a competent tumbler and as of October 2013 teaches high level gymnastics at Benfield Gymnasium in Newcastle.
