Albert Solomonsky, a citizen of Austria, built the Riga Circus building in 1888. It's the only building of its kind in the Baltic States. The first professional circus performer from Latvia was weight juggler Mifort Reyem (real name ― Trofim Meyer). Many world famous artistes performed at the Solomonsky Circus. The programme was impressively extensive as well ― wrestling musclemen, trained elephants, acrobats and trapeze artists were all on the bill. Our juggler Alfonss Virkauss was the only person in Latvia who could keep 33 hoops in motion simultaneously; he had deservedly won the admiration of his foreign colleagues as well.