Herding Cats: Yuri Kuklachyov

“Sometimes it is not clear whether I train cats or they train me. It is impossible to make them do anything. Cats are very much like women. There is something mysterious about them both. They both feel a need for kindness and know the way to make you feel less tired.”

Born on April 12, 1949, Yuri Kuklachyov decided at eight to be a clown. On the eve of his entrance exams to Circus School, he cut his foot badly and had to take his exam on crutches (doctors told him he would be crippled for life). Thanks to his amazing perseverance, he not only was accepted to the school, but overcame his injury within a year.