About myself
There wasn’t a single day in my life when I regretted that I am a circus artist. I was born in a circus family, my dad graduated from a circus college in Moscow and became a clown. He fell in love with my mother and took her on tour. She at that time worked on television. My mother did not become an actress, but she was responsible for all the work behind the scene and the administrative part: our beautiful costumes and delicious dinners. They were a wonderful team.
I was born when my dad was a clown. Therefore, my destiny was predetermined. At the age of four when I began to understand something, my father asked me if I wanted to be a circus artist. I answered that of course I want to because I grew up in a circus atmosphere and saw the life of artists. At the age of five I was a clown and at six I started performing alone. Since then I've got into the Divo Book of Records as the youngest clown in the world. The most important thing is that I had a record of service book, and for a circus service one needs to work for 20 years to retire. So that when I turned 26 I was already considered a pensioner. But everything has changed now, and artists work until 58, like everyone else.
Being a circus artist is not an easy job. Constant moving, touring, training. There is one story in my life showing that our family is always on the road. When my mother was pregnant with me, she was returning from Russia tour to give birth to me in Almaty, but she did not manage to get there. She had to stop in Dzhezkazgan and gave birth to me there. But exactly in a week I was already in Almaty, where I grew up. Then it was decided that my life would be spent on wheels, roads, cars, airplanes and trains.
My son Michael will be a circus artist in the third generation of Muturganov family. Work will continue, and the circus will be passed from father to son, then to a grandson. I hope that at least until the tenth generation Muturganovs will live and continue the work that my father Karim Muturganov started.
My wife Alesya brings Michael to all my performances since he was three months old. I think that, perhaps, these are genes, since from one and a half year old he adores the audience and likes to go on the stage and hear the applause. Now he is three years old and is deeply attracted by tricks. His grandfather, Karim Muturganov, specializes in tricks, and he always plays with him, showing various tricks.
Also, Michael loves dancing, I gave him the name in honor of Michael Jackson, as I'm a big fan of him. My son likes to listen to his songs, watch clips and repeat his movements.
About the circus tent
The circus tent is a traveling circus. I bought this tent in Italy because there is a whole factory producing circuses there. In Italy, there are more than 300 circus tents, so when they buy a new tent, they always think of where to sell the old one. And now we have purchased one of these tents. Although it is not the newest tent, it's ours, and we plan to work in it. Then we'll buy a new one and so we will gradually grow, each time we are going to buy bigger tents.
Currently, we are performing in Astana, our tent is located on the territory of EXPO. But we are planning to make a tour all over Kazakhstan. We want people, who live in the cities with no circus, to see it finally. And, of course, my task is to give work to young Kazakhstani artists who cannot find themselves.
Our tent is equipped with special air conditioners under the stands, that’s why our tent is cool when it is hot outside. And if it is cold, then we turn on the heaters. Therefore, we are going to tour in the winter but, most likely, in the southern regions.
We have more than 30 people working in our circus, and there are not only artists but also checkers, electricians, administrations. Those who do the dangerous performances — rope walkers, air gymnasts, artists on the mast Adlet and Camila, a performance with chairs which is also done without safety wire. All performances are original, interesting and dangerous.
We have a girl Dasha, whose training I simply saw on Instagram and thought why she is at home, why she cannot be here with us. So I invited her to our circus, and this is her debut. I want as many professionals as possible to unite under our roof.
Last year I was the manager of Cirque du Soleil at EXPO. When I was telling about the future in one interview, I said that I dream about my own circus. Then I said that maybe it would happen next year, although I did not plan to buy a circus tent. And it happened that exactly a year later I am again giving an interview, and we are conducting it in my circus. This is symbolic, and I'm glad that my dream came true.