Getting ready for the upcoming New Year and Christmas holidays, we have decided to make a present for ourselves and our users. Starting from today, we begin to publish a series of articles about the most famous circus actresses, whom we can with all the confidence call "the circus princesses".
Their photographs have been publicized by the press and their talents have been noted with awards. Many of them have already been around the world and by the age of 20 established themselves financially and have been acknowledged by the experts. The audience watches them with delight, and their fans with desire. Our pages will talk about the life of the "princesses" "behind the circus ring", about the real life of the stars and legends surrounding them. The interview with our first "guest" will begin the series of our articles.

Short info: Kristina Kireeva. Works in the "contortion" genre. 18 years old. Not married (yet). Her parents and young brother are also circus performers. Festival prizes: Yaroslavl – "silver", Italy – "silver", Holland – 3rd prize from the International jury, Monte-Carlo – "Silver Clown".

Circusland: Kristina, please tell us how your career as a circus performer in such a difficult "contortion" genre began?
Kristina Kireeva: Before the age of 12, I was a usual child, I was not interested in circus and dreamt of becoming a sales person. My parents used to work in the same program with Karima Zaripova, her video is in your "Top 10", and they decided that I could be just like them and started rehearsing with me and my brother. Two months later we began to work: me – in "contortion", my brother – in an acrobatic performance with our dad. Back then I was 12 and my brother was only 6 years old. That’s how my brother and me became circus performers, and we are grateful to our parents for this. And today the circus is all my life.
Circusland: And what if you had to choose between, for example, a circus and your personal life, would your choice be in favor of the circus and professional career?
Kristina Kireeva: No. I think that personal life is also important. I hope that I’m lucky in this and I have a person near me who understands this and gives me an opportunity to be happy in life and in circus as well…
Circusland: Looking at the statistics of your competition victories – "silver", "silver", "silver", we’re sorry, but the question arises by itself, is it not pity to be always just a step behind the "gold"?
Kristina Kireeva: Not at all. When we prepared our performances for festivals, I was 14 years old, and in 3 months I performed in 4 festivals. To tell the truth, back then I was not ready to be the first yet and I didn’t really have time to prepare well. And my audience gives me "golden medals" after each of my performances. They are my best jury.
Circusland: It’s interesting, what are the relationships in your "star" family?
Kristina Kireeva: My dad and my brother make a magnificent acrobatic pair, their performance is called "Tramps". Our whole family is made up of circus performers. For example, my mother has been working in the circus for 20 years already, she is my role-model everywhere, on the arena and in my life. She is the best mother in the world. She is my friend. We have one more member in our family. He doesn’t appear on TV-screens and photographs with us too often, but I really love him! His name is Rocky, he is a spaniel. I like dogs very much.
Circusland: Kristina, besides the circus, what else do you like and what do you do? Does the "princess" really have no "women’s weaknesses" and life aside the circus arena?
Kristina Kireeva: Just like all other girls of my age, I like to go to the discos with my friends, go shopping, color my nails brightly and wear high-heel boots. I also like to dance very much… I prepare different dance performances and perform them at the discos. And I also took part in one German music video, that was very enjoyable. I like to have my pictures taken. I like to eat pizza and pasta, but I don’t allow myself to eat them often. I know English and Spanish, although I can’t write them.
Kristina’s mother, Svetlana Kireeva: Kristina cooks, sews and knits very well.
Circusland: Svetlana, would you please tell us, what was Kristina like when she was a child?
Mother: It’s hard to talk about your own children. It was a difficult childhood for our children, just like for many other children of the circus. Have you ever dealt with the circus? Every month there are different schools, different friends… School during the day, then there’s a rehearsal and work in the evening. And 2 or 3 shows on weekends. That’s all the childhood. Kristina was 6 years old when Arkadiy was born, I had to work because the husband’s only circus salary was not enough for a family of four. Kristina was just like a small mother for a brother, he called her "nanny". By the age of six she went shopping by herself and helped me with everything. She loves children very much and children love her as well. She rehearses with them with a pleasure. She has a lot of friends of many ages. Everybody tells me that I have very good and kind children, I’m very glad to hear this. But I think they are just normal kids. Since we started speaking about Kristina’s childhood, I’d like to tell one story. Kristina was 3 or 4 years old then. Once I’ve read her a fairytale "Mashenka And The Bears". And one day we had a rehearsal at the arena. Kristina played nearby. Suddenly, we noticed that she was not around. We all started to look for her and found her in the cage with bear cubs. Luckily their mother was not there. I told her: "Kristina, how could you come in the cage with the bears? They can tear you apart!" and she responded: "You’ve read me the tale, where the bear was kind, he took Mashenka home". Then I realized that many tales are not intended for circus children.
Circusland: Kristina, and what are your plans for the future and what could you wish for our users and your numerous fans?
Kristina Kireeva: Plans for the future… In the beginning of 2002, I’m getting married. My fiance is called Izrael, he is Spanish and he dances in a famous Spanish ballet. He is 24. We are currently rehearsing the new performance, but the production will be in Moscow. Our favorite director, Susanna Kurzyamova (Royanova), will help us in this. It was her, who prepared all our performances. I would also like to go to the "Circus Princess" festival in Sweden with my "Pearl" performance. In any case, I would like to ensure all my fans and audience that I will keep working in the "contortion" genre for a long time. And of course, I would like to wish everyone with all my heart merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Love each other, love your dear and close ones and love CIRCUS!