Chelyabinsk State Regional Puppet Theatre

The puppet theater in Chelyabinsk - one of the oldest in Russia - appeared thanks to the doll "Petrushka", made more than two centuries ago. Carefully considering this character and discovering his "acting" possibilities, the dramatic actors who came to Chelyabinsk, Pavel and Nina Garyanov, caught fire with the idea of creating a theater. And the first puppet performances at first went on the stage of the drama theater. In 1935, the puppet theater received the status of the state and presented the audience with the premiere performance “Petrushka”.

A year after the opening, a creative studio was created at the puppet theater, which was engaged in the training of actors. It was the country’s first workshop for the training of professional puppeteers. After another year, the young theater became a laureate of the All-Russian Puppet Theatre Competition and became famous throughout the country. But the war interrupted its rapid development. The theater was transferred to the hospital, and many artists went to the front. The remaining members of the troupe performed in hospitals, military units, at conscription points, trying to cheer up soldiers and civilians.

After the war, a new stage in the development of the theater began. 50-60-ies were marked by rapid growth, the theater receives the status of regional. In 1972, the theater moved to a restored building, in which it remains to this day. The team of the puppet theater is full of creative plans and new ideas and strives to constantly please its audience with interesting new products.