Trainer Stepan Isahakyan with a hippopotamus

The photograph was taken in Yerevan in the 1950s or 1960s. In the circus ring stands the trainer Stepan Isahakyan beside a hippopotamus. He wears a jacket with embroidered patterns, wide trousers and high boots. The hippopotamus stands on the edge of the ring with its mouth wide open, and behind them the stands are packed with spectators.

Isahakyan was the first in the world to succeed in training hippopotamuses. This was considered almost impossible, as these animals are known for their unpredictable and difficult nature. His famous act “The Hippopotamus” was shown in many countries around the world and brought great renown to the Armenian circus.