Nicolai Poliakoff
Encyclopedia
Nicolai Poliakoff OBE (1900 – 25 September 1974) was the creator of Coco the Clown, arguably the most famous clown
in the UK during the middle decades of the 20th century. Technically, Coco is not a clown but an auguste, the foolish character who is always on the receiving end of buckets of water and custard pies. The auguste often works with the cleverer white-faced clown, who always gets the better of him.
in 1900. His parents worked in the theatre when Nicolai was born, but both lost their jobs a few years later, and to survive, Nicolai started busking
from the age of five. He became apprenticed to the celebrated Russian clown Lazernko, and went on to manage his own circus. Escaping the hardships of the Russian Revolution to join Circus Busch in Berlin, he was spotted by Bertram Mills
and persuaded to move to England, arriving with his young wife Valentina in 1929. He appeared with the Bertram Mills Circus for many years. His clown persona had two distinctive visual features that endeared him to television audiences: his boots, described as being size 58, and his trick hair with hinges in the centre parting, which allowed it to lift when he was surprised. He is a member of the Clown Hall of Fame.
During the Second World War Poliakoff entertained troops as a member of ENSA
(Entertainments National Service Association
). In 1960 he was involved in a serious road accident prompting him to devote himself to the promotion of road safety awareness in children. He was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
(OBE) for this work by Queen Elizabeth II, one of the few foreigners ever to receive this honour. However, at the same time he continued to work in the circus in the mid-1960s, seated ringside while selling programmes dressed in his full auguste's costume.
Poliakoff died in Peterborough
Hospital on 25 September 1974, after a short illness, and was buried in Woodnewton
, in Northamptonshire
, England. His eldest son, Michael
, a longtime circus "Producing Clown", creator of a much imitated "soap gag" entree, and the Clown who designed the post 1960'sRonald McDonald
, was by then already using the "Coco" moniker. Michael's Coco the Clown was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1991.
As well as Michael, Poliakoff had five other children with wife Valentina: Helen, Nadia, Sascha, Olga, and Tamara. Tamara was the founder, along with her husband Ali Hassani, of the first circus in the UK not to use performing animals.
by Archie (Tom Wilkinson
).
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
in the UK during the middle decades of the 20th century. Technically, Coco is not a clown but an auguste, the foolish character who is always on the receiving end of buckets of water and custard pies. The auguste often works with the cleverer white-faced clown, who always gets the better of him.
Biography
Poliakoff was born to a Jewish family in LatviaLatvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
in 1900. His parents worked in the theatre when Nicolai was born, but both lost their jobs a few years later, and to survive, Nicolai started busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
from the age of five. He became apprenticed to the celebrated Russian clown Lazernko, and went on to manage his own circus. Escaping the hardships of the Russian Revolution to join Circus Busch in Berlin, he was spotted by Bertram Mills
Bertram Mills
Bertram Wagstaff Mills was a British circus owner who ran the Bertram Mills Circus. Originally from Paddington, London, his circus became famous in the UK for its Christmas shows at Olympia in West London...
and persuaded to move to England, arriving with his young wife Valentina in 1929. He appeared with the Bertram Mills Circus for many years. His clown persona had two distinctive visual features that endeared him to television audiences: his boots, described as being size 58, and his trick hair with hinges in the centre parting, which allowed it to lift when he was surprised. He is a member of the Clown Hall of Fame.
During the Second World War Poliakoff entertained troops as a member of ENSA
ENSA
ENSA may refer to:* ENSA, the Entertainments National Service Association* ENSA * École Nationale des Sciences Appliquées d'Oujda, an engineering school in Morocco* EC-Council Network Security Administrator...
(Entertainments National Service Association
Entertainments National Service Association
The Entertainments National Service Association or ENSA was an organisation set up in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie Henson to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War II. ENSA operated as part of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes...
). In 1960 he was involved in a serious road accident prompting him to devote himself to the promotion of road safety awareness in children. He was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(OBE) for this work by Queen Elizabeth II, one of the few foreigners ever to receive this honour. However, at the same time he continued to work in the circus in the mid-1960s, seated ringside while selling programmes dressed in his full auguste's costume.
Poliakoff died in Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
Hospital on 25 September 1974, after a short illness, and was buried in Woodnewton
Woodnewton
Woodnewton is a village in Northamptonshire, England. Essentially a pair of parallel streets, the village lies to the north of a small stream, the Willow Brook, in Rockingham Forest. It is in the East Northamptonshire district. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 442...
, in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, England. His eldest son, Michael
Michael Polakovs
Michael Polakovs , born in Riga, Latvia, was a circus clown who performed in the US under the name of Coco the Clown, a moniker that his father, Nicolai Poliakoff, had made famous in Europe....
, a longtime circus "Producing Clown", creator of a much imitated "soap gag" entree, and the Clown who designed the post 1960'sRonald McDonald
Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and...
, was by then already using the "Coco" moniker. Michael's Coco the Clown was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1991.
As well as Michael, Poliakoff had five other children with wife Valentina: Helen, Nadia, Sascha, Olga, and Tamara. Tamara was the founder, along with her husband Ali Hassani, of the first circus in the UK not to use performing animals.
In popular culture
Coco is mentioned in the 2010 film 44 Inch Chest44 Inch Chest
44 Inch Chest is a 2009 British film starring Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson and Ian McShane. The script was written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto, who wrote another British gangster drama Sexy Beast, and produced by Richard Brown and Steve Golin...
by Archie (Tom Wilkinson
Tom Wilkinson
Thomas Geoffrey "Tom" Wilkinson, OBE is a British actor. He has twice been nominated for an Academy Award for his roles in In the Bedroom and Michael Clayton...
).