The Bolshoi Puppet Theater (St. Petersburg) opened its first season back in 1931. Its creators were musician M. G. Aptekar, actors A. A. Gak, N. K. Komina, A. N. Gumilyov and artist V. F. Komin. The first performance of the theater was called "Incubator".
History
The Bolshoi Puppet Theater (St. Petersburg) in 1932 was headed by a student of V. Meyerhold, director S.N. Shapiro. Under him, the repertoire included performances on classical works and contemporary themes. In 1939, the theater began to be called "Second Leningrad". In 1940, the troupe received premises on Nekrasov Street. During the siege of Leningrad, the surviving actors along with the dolls were evacuated to Siberia. They showed fairy tales for children and satirical performances for adults. Artists performed on ships, in factories, in hospitals.
Since 1954, performances for an adult audience have appeared in the repertoire. In 1955, the theater was given the name "Leningrad State Bolshoi Puppet Theater". In the 60-80s of the 20th century, the troupe traveled to different countries and received prestigious awards. In the 90s, the repertoire included works by F. Durrenmatt, M. Zoshchenko, N. Gogol, D. Bisset and others.
Building
BTK is located in a building built in 1912. It has survived to our days unchanged. The building was designed by architect I.P. Volodikhin. The house belonged to the honorary citizen of the city A.E.Burtsev, who was a collector and bibliophile. Inside, several exhibition halls were provided, where rare books, drawings, historical documents, paintings and autographs, which were collected by the owner of the building, were exhibited. In the 1920s, the building was rebuilt as a theater. Different troupes worked here. Since 1938, the building was given to the Bolshoi Puppet Theater, and to this day the BTK is located in it.
Repertoire
The Bolshoi Puppet Theater (St. Petersburg) offers its viewers the following performances:
- "Viy."
- "Christmas is a little magi."
- "One Hundred Shades of Blue."
- "Minutes of life."
- "Walking with Winnie the Pooh."
- "Dog Kurnos and company."
- "We".
- "A little prince".
- "A life".
- "Tom Kenty's Notebook."
- The Book of Job
- “Bashlachev. The man is singing. "
- "Nutcracker".
- "Sun dust."
- "Fabulamahia."
- "Three pigs".
- “Vysotsky. Requiem".
- "Toybel and her Demon."
- Shakespeare Laboratory.
- "Letters from the Ashes."
- "The big journey of the little Christmas tree."
- "Gnome Gnomech and Raisin."
- "Strider".
- Nirvanapati.
- "Romeo and Juliet".
- “A couple of days and that's it.”
- "The mystery of the Christmas tree."
- "Pig Chok."
- "A Tale for Naughty Teddy Bears."
Other.
Troupe
The Bolshoi Puppet Theater (St. Petersburg) is a wonderful troupe of talented people. There are 26 actors and actresses. BTK Troupe:
- A. Knyazkov;
- S. Stotsky;
- O. Shchurova;
- S. Evgranov;
- E. Mirzoyan;
- A. Trusov;
- T. Barkova;
- V. Martyanov;
- I. Sergeev;
- R. Galiullin;
- B. Matveev;
- A. Shishigin;
- V. Ilyin;
- A. Melnik;
- A. Zorina;
- D. Pyanov;
- N. Tarnovskaya;
- M. Solopchenko;
- O. Evgrafova;
- R. Kudashov;
- A. Kupriyanov;
- P. Vasiliev;
- A. Somkina;
- O. Gaponenko;
- E. Mironova;
- S. Byzgu.
Main director
The Bolshoi Puppet Theater on Nekrasov lives under the direction of Ruslan Kudashov. He became the BTK artistic director in 2000, and since 2006 he has also been the main director. Ruslan was born in 1972. He is a graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy of Theater Arts. In 2000, he became a puppet theater actor, and in 2001 he was already a director. R. Kudashov received many awards for his productions. He is a multiple winner of contests and festivals. In his piggy bank such prizes as “Harlequin”, “Golden Spotlights”, and even “Golden Mask”. Ruslan was also awarded the medal "For Merit to the Fatherland". Among his productions are not only puppet, but also pantomimic, dramatic, plastic and synthetic performances. R. Kudashov offers his viewers philosophical parables, talks with them about eternal truths, advises to believe that there will be light at the end of the tunnel, the main thing is to make out it.
Workshop
At BTK (St. Petersburg) in 2006, a course of students was recruited. The Bolshoi Puppet Theater, together with the Academy of Theater Arts of St. Petersburg, educates future actors. The course is led by R. Kudashov. Students in his workshop were taught to own different puppet systems, to feel free in plastic and dramatic productions, to be in the same person and artists, and puppeteers, and artists and directors. Ruslan Ravilevich seeks to develop author’s thinking in his students. Some of them, after graduating, remained working at BTK.
"Strider"
This is a performance for adults, which is included in the permanent repertoire of the Bolshoi Puppet Theater. Together with the artists, the public will have to find answers to the questions: "What is living? Does it exist in order to endlessly satisfy the flesh? Does it suck out everything that it reaches? Does it appropriate itself for everything that it will win back? How can one find a soul? Can one save her if she’s not? " The plot is based on a story about a horse. And it is told here not so much about how an animal lives among people, but about what a living being is like among others. The tragedy of this story is not that people are sometimes cruel. It lies in the fact that they do not have the body that would give them awareness of their cruel attitude to others. BTK calls us to spirituality and mercy with this performance. The production premiered in 2008. The lead actor P. Vasiliev won the Golden Mask Award.
Where is it and how to get there
Near the metro station "Chernyshevskaya" is the Bolshoi Puppet Theater (St. Petersburg). His address: Nekrasov street, house number 10. You can also walk to the theater on foot from the metro station. "Rebellion Square". From Vladimirskaya (Dostoevskaya) you can get to BTK by any minibus or trolleybus. You need to drive along Vladimirsky Prospekt, then along Liteiny and get off on Nekrasov Street.