Circus legend Irina Bugrimova would have celebrated her 100th birthday on March 13. Her co-workers and friends called her the queen of the kings.
Circus legend Irina Bugrimova would have celebrated her 100th birthday on March 13. Her co-workers and friends called her the queen of the kings.
In 1929, Irina Bugrimova entered the arena for the first time. She was the world’s first female lion tamer. Photo: Irina Bugrimova in 1958.
In 1937, the Soviet circus bought several tamed leopards. Surprisingly, the circus manager offered Bugrimova a chance to train the leopards. However, after working with them Bugrimova realized she should be using lions, the true king of beasts. Photo: Lion tamer Irina Bugrimova, 1966.
Укротительница хищников Ирина Бугримова выступает в московском цирке.
Spectators around the world admired the famous lion tamer. Her animal acts were more than just a series of tricks. Each show was a small performance. Photo: Animal tamer Irina Bugrimova, 1957.
The tamer who was also a daredevil would ride a motorcycle up a vertical wall… with a lion on her back. Photo: Irina Bugrimova with her animal in 1969.
Irina and her lions would soar to the heights of the big top on swings. The lions would walk tightropes…
… and take meat from her mouth.
In the finale, the animals would lie on the floor next to each other and their tamer would lie on top of them.
Irina Bugrimova left the circus in 1971 after a performance in Lvov where she stumbled and her lion Neron injured Irina’s leg. Photo: Irina Bugrimova and a sick lion, 1965.
Irina Bugrimova died of heart attack on February 20, 2001.
