Nikolai Aleksandrov Balkanski – Seventh-generation circus artist, Guinness World Record holder, Technical Director of Academic Circus Balkanski
Nikolai Aleksandrov Balkanski was born on 10 February 1970 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Through his grandmother, the renowned circus artist Lola Orlando Malevolti, Nikolai has Italian ancestry.
He entered the circus ring at a very young age and made his professional debut as a circus artist on 24 May 1978, at the age of eight, at Medrano Circus in Athens, Greece. Under the guidance of his father, the legendary Bulgarian circus artist and Academician Aleksander Balkanski, and his grandmother, he performed in the circus act “Perch Poles” as an equilibrist.
In 1983, at the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival, the acrobatic troupe “Balkanski”, of which he was a member, received the prestigious “Silver Clown” Award.
In 1986, together with his brother and parents, Nikolai was awarded medals and watches by the Main Directorate of Construction Troops (GUSV) bearing the inscription “For Civil Courage” for their active participation in rescuing five people injured after the collapse of a 50-metre tower crane in Sofia.
In 1987, as a leading performer and acrobat with the “Balkanski” Acrobatic Troupe, he received the “Silver Plate” Award from the city of Siena, Italy, for “The Best Acrobatic Act in the World.”
In 1988, together with his brother, he was awarded the “Mirage – First Degree” Order by the Commander-in-Chief of the Guynemer Air Force Academy in Lyon, France.
Creation of Circus Balkanski
In 1993, Nikolai Balkanski began preparations for the creation of Circus Balkanski.
On 12 October 2000, the official premiere of Circus Balkanski took place in Sofia, Bulgaria, in the Mladost district, with Nikolai Balkanski serving as its Chief Technical Director.
In 2001, together with his brother, he received the Award of the Union of Bulgarian Actors for Circus Arts for his performance in the extreme circus act “The Wheel of Death.”
In 2003 and 2007, together with the Balkanski Troupe, he received the prestigious “Icarus” Award for the large-scale circus act “Acrobatics on Stilts and Trampolines.”
He is a member of the Circus Artists Guild of the Union of Bulgarian Actors.
Academic Circus Balkanski and International Achievements
On 16 April 2016, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Arts awarded the circus “Balkanski”, under Nikolai Balkanski’s leadership as Technical Director, the prestigious title of “Academic Circus.”
One of the greatest achievements of his artistic career is his continuous participation in the world’s most dangerous circus attraction – “The Wheel of Death.” The creator of the first such apparatus in the world was his father, Academician Aleksander Balkanski.
A remarkable milestone in his career is also his successful participation for 15 consecutive years in the programme of the world’s largest travelling classical circus – Circus Krone, based in Bavaria, Germany.
Performances Before World Leaders and Royal Families
Nikolai Balkanski has performed before prominent international figures, including:
- The Queen of Denmark and the Queen of Sweden – 1982;
- The Queen of the Netherlands – 1983;
- Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom – 1983;
- Prince Rainier III of Monaco – 1983;
- Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu – 2004.
He has also performed three times at audiences before Pope John Paul II in the Vatican, together with his father’s acrobatic troupe “Balkanski.”
Honours and Recognition
Since 2004, Nikolay Balkanski has been an Honorary Citizen of Jerusalem and a recipient of the city’s prestigious honorary distinction – the “Golden Lion.”
From its establishment until today, the management of Academic Circus Balkanski, both in Bulgaria and abroad, has carried out extensive charitable activities dedicated to socially disadvantaged groups, including children, people with disabilities and elderly people.
The initial initiative for this charitable mission was started by Nikolai Balkanski.
Languages and Family
Nikolai Balkanski is fluent in four foreign languages:
- Italian;
- English;
- Russian;
- German.
He is the father of three children – his first-born son Tiziano, and two daughters, Marie and Natalie .
Despite their young age, they have already made their debut in the circus ring as seventh-generation circus artists and are among the youngest circus performers in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Guinness World Records and Major Awards
Nikolai Balkanski is listed in the Guinness Book of Records with two world records achieved in 1982 in Copenhagen, Denmark:
- a somersault performed on two stilts;
- a double somersault performed on one stilt.
Both records were achieved as part of the circus act “Acrobatics on Stilts and Trampolines.”
Unlike many Guinness World Record holders, Nikolai performed these two record-breaking achievements every day, with two performances daily, until the closure of the acrobatic troupe.
Over the entire period, he performed more than 18,000 somersaults on one and two stilts in front of audiences worldwide – without including countless hours of training and rehearsals.
Together with his brother and his wife, Nikolay Balkanski is a recipient of the Ministry of Culture Award “Golden Age – Star” for the outstanding performance of the circus attraction “The Wheel of Death.”
Artistic Career and Circus Acts
Throughout his 40-year artistic career, Nikolai Balkanski has performed and continues to participate in some of the following circus acts:
Perch Poles
1978 – 1997
Acrobatics on Stilts and Trampolines
1982 – 2007
Shari-Vari
1982 – 2007
Kopf Trapeze
2000 – 2004
Aerial Motorcycle
2013 – 2017
Pony Training Act
2007 – Present
The Wheel of Death
1986 – 2020
Present Position
Today, Nikolai Balkanski is the Technical Director and Ring Inspector of Academic Circus Balkanski.