The legendary clown Oleg Popov visited his motherland to receive the international circus award Master in Sochi.

He was handed the first prize statuette by Vadim Gagloyev, the director of the Russian State Circus.

The People's Artist of the USSR Oleg Popov presently stays in Germany and that was his first visit to Russia since 1991. The 84-year-old clown appeared on the Sochi Circus arena twice and the audience greeted him with applause. Later on at the press conference the Bolshoi Moscow Circus director Edgard Zapashny invited Oleg Popov to celebrate his forthcoming 90^th anniversary in Russia.

The Master Award brought together about 400 circus performers from all over the world. Among the invitees there was also Charlie Chaplin's son Eugene Chaplin. The ceremony was attended by Vyacheslav Polunin as well. 13 awards altogether were handed in on that evening.