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Photos from a street festival of circus performers in the Russian town of Staritsa

Pavel Bednyakov
Saturday 02 August 2025 18:48 BST

Clowns and street performers gather to attend the Karandash-Fest in the town of Staritsa in the region of Tver, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of Moscow.

The festival is named in memory of notable Soviet circus clown Karandash, the stage name of Mikhail Rumyantsev, who started his career in this town on the banks of the Volga River.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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