Belarusian State Puppet Theater. Belarusian State Puppet Theater Minsk Puppet Theater poster
The eighty-year history of the Belarusian State Puppet Theater is a journey from semi-amateur productions to an art that knows no genre or thematic restrictions and has gained recognition in the country and in the world. Modern puppeteers are capable of both the good instruction of a children's fairy tale, and high poetry, the philosophical depth of the heights of world literature.
How can you talk about events that completely belong to another time? With passion, with bitterness, envy? Rather, with love. You can't throw stones at the past: it's unfair.
In the late twenties and mid-thirties, puppeteers in Belarus enjoyed great success. Their simple belongings and mobility, accessibility of content and lightness of form, constant humor and freedom of improvisation made it possible to easily “reach out” to every viewer. The audience for the puppet show consisted not only of children. Grandchildren are always close to their grandparents. Parents, as a rule, have no time. But sometimes they will also come to the performance.
The idea of creating a puppet theater was in the air and materialized on July 15, 1938. On that day, the opening of the State Puppet Theater of the BSSR took place in Gomel.
The history of a professional puppet theater is similar to a person’s life, with childhood and development. Many of the first baby steps today seem naive, too simple, and sometimes wrong.
For a long time, Belarusian puppeteers did not trust themselves. The performances of the Central Puppet Theater under the direction of Sergei Obraztsov were considered indisputable and perfect role models. They took plays, sketches of puppets and scenery from Muscovites. Is it surprising that at the beginning of the life of professional theater, it was not the actor who played with a doll, but the doll copied a living person. The problem of “plausibility” did not leave Belarusian puppeteers for a long time.
A unique style and your own personality can only be acquired if you have original dramaturgy. The entire theater staff was searching for her. The happy impetus of the pre-war period was the appearance of Vitaly Volsky with the play “Grandfather and the Crane”.
Before the war, the infancy of the State Puppet Theater ended. It was a theater for children. And the child himself. Curious, noisy, impatient and good-natured.
A new era in the history of the theater begins with the move to Minsk in 1950. More precisely, with the appearance of Anatoly Lelyavsky (1956) and Leonid Bykov (1957), the main director and artist of the State Puppet Theater. The almost thirty-year period in the life of Minsk puppeteers is marked by the formation of an original directorial and scenographic culture, the search for new means of expression, and the emergence of original and integral performances for children and adult audiences.
Since the second half of the seventies, actors increasingly come out from behind the screen onto the stage and act not on behalf of the doll, but together with it. The mystical relationship between man and doll, natural for children, fascinated the adult audience. She reached out to the puppet theater. And he immediately gave me rich food for thought and seduced me with harmonious models of existence and consciousness.
If man was created by God and the doll by man, then their interdependence has now changed in an amazing way. The doll turned out to be able to absorb a piece of the divine and rise above human existence. Not a single puppet theater has bypassed The Divine Comedy. It became an epigraph, a sign of a new era. Dolls help to look at human problems from the outside. However, they themselves, the dolls, remain mysterious, unsolved creatures. And they allow us to experience a feeling of physical and spiritual renewal every time.
Increasingly, the Belarusian State Puppet Theater turns to works of classical literature. They stage Yakub Kolas, Yanka Kupala, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Gerhard Hauptmann, Carlo Gozzi, Mikhail Bulgakov, William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov. And it is no longer surprising that, for example, “The Tempest” or “The Master and Margarita” at the Belarusian State Puppet Theater sound more accurate, bright, and emotional than on the first dramatic stages of the country. Both of these performances were created by the director’s hand of Anatoly Lelyavsky’s successor, his son Alexei, who headed the creative team in 1986. The real co-author of both Lelyavskys is the talented set designer Alina Fomina, who has worked in the theater for more than thirty years.
The Belarusian State Puppet Theater is well known and recognized in Bulgaria, Belgium, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Poland, France, Croatia, Estonia.
In 2008, by a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, the theater was awarded the title “Honored collective of the Republic of Belarus”.
The Belarusian State Puppet Theater is one of the leading theater groups in the country. His performances convince of the professional maturity and creative enthusiasm of the team, when the spirit of search and experimentation can rely on the strength of traditions developed over the years.
Photo: Belarusian State Puppet Theater
Photo and description
The Belarusian State Puppet Theater was created in 1938. The theater began its activities in the Belarusian city of Gomel. At first his repertoire included children's performances. The first performances shown were “At the Command of the Pike” by Elizaveta Tarakhovskaya and “Grandfather and the Crane” by Vitaly Volsky. They brought great success and fame to the puppet theater.
In 1950, the puppet theater moved to Minsk to a new building on Engels Street, building 20, specially built for the needs of the puppet theater. The hall of the Belarusian State Puppet Theater is adapted for small spectators, but it is also convenient for adults.
In 1956, Anatoly Lelyavsky came to the theater, in 1957 - Leonid Bykov. With their arrival, a new era of theater creativity begins. This creative tandem proposed an innovative approach to performances. The Belarusian Puppet Theater, in addition to children's repertoire, began to stage performances for adults. The repertoire includes works by famous Belarusian classics: Yakub Kolas, Yanka Kupala, as well as performances based on works of world classical literature by William Shakespeare, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Carl Gozzi, Mikhail Bulgakov.
In puppet theater performances, live actors increasingly appear on stage, becoming characters along with puppets.
In 2008, the Belarusian State Puppet Theater was awarded a high government award. He was awarded the title “Honored Team of the Republic of Belarus”.
The Belarusian puppet theater is in constant creative search. He tours around the world, participates in festivals and is well known in European countries. Thus, in 2012, the play “Why People Aging” was shown at the Golden Mask festival.
Belarusian State Puppet Theater- the oldest puppet theater in the republic. His repertoire includes memorable, spectacular productions. They attract viewers with a fresh, unusual interpretation of traditional classical and modern works, expressive scenography, bright acting, original musical accompaniment, and the use of new types of dolls. The theater is well known and recognized in Bulgaria, Belgium, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Poland, France, Croatia, Switzerland, Estonia and other countries.
The seventy-year history of the Belarusian State Puppet Theater is a journey from semi-amateur productions to an art that knows no genre or thematic restrictions and has gained recognition in the country and in the world. Modern puppeteers are capable of both the good instruction of a children's fairy tale, and high poetry, the philosophical depth of the heights of world literature.
How can you talk about events that completely belong to another time? With passion, with bitterness, envy? Rather, with love. You can't throw stones at the past: it's unfair.
In the late twenties and mid-thirties, puppeteers in Belarus enjoyed great success. Their simple belongings and mobility, accessibility of content and lightness of form, constant humor and freedom of improvisation made it possible to easily “reach out” to every viewer. The audience for the puppet show consisted not only of children. Grandchildren are always close to their grandparents. Parents, as a rule, have no time. But sometimes they will also come to the performance.
The idea of creating a puppet theater was in the air and materialized on July 15, 1938. On that day the opening took place in Gomel State Puppet Theater of the BSSR.
The history of a professional puppet theater is similar to a person’s life, with childhood and development. Many of the first baby steps today seem naive, too simple, and sometimes wrong.
For a long time, Belarusian puppeteers did not trust themselves. Performances were considered indisputable and perfect role models Central Puppet Theater governed by Sergei Obraztsov. They took plays, sketches of puppets and scenery from Muscovites. Is it surprising that at the beginning of the life of professional theater, it was not the actor who played with a doll, but the doll copied a living person. The problem of “plausibility” did not leave Belarusian puppeteers for a long time.
A unique style and your own personality can only be acquired if you have original dramaturgy. The entire theater staff was searching for her. The happy impetus of the pre-war period was the appearance of Vitaly Volsky with the play “Grandfather and the Crane”.
Before the war, the infancy of the State Puppet Theater ended. It was a theater for children. And the child himself. Curious, noisy, impatient and good-natured.
A new era in the history of the theater begins with the move to Minsk in 1950. More precisely, since the advent Anatoly Lelyavsky(1956) and Leonida Bykova(1957), chief director and artist of the State Puppet Theater. The almost thirty-year period in the life of Minsk puppeteers is marked by the formation of an original directorial and scenographic culture, the search for new means of expression, and the emergence of original and integral performances for children and adult audiences.
Since the second half of the seventies, actors increasingly come out from behind the screen onto the stage and act not on behalf of the doll, but together with it. The mystical relationship between man and doll, natural for children, fascinated the adult audience. She reached out to the puppet theater. And he immediately gave me rich food for thought and seduced me with harmonious models of existence and consciousness.
If man was created by God and the doll by man, then their interdependence has now changed in an amazing way. The doll turned out to be able to absorb a piece of the divine and rise above human existence. Not a single puppet theater has bypassed The Divine Comedy. It became an epigraph, a sign of a new era. Dolls help to look at human problems from the outside. However, they themselves, the dolls, remain mysterious, unsolved creatures. And they allow us to experience a feeling of physical and spiritual renewal every time.
Increasingly, the Belarusian State Puppet Theater turns to works of classical literature. They put Yakub Kolas, Yanka Kupala, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Gerhard Hauptmann, Carlo Gozzi, Mikhail Bulgakov, William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov. And it is no longer surprising that, for example, “The Tempest” or “The Master and Margarita” at the Belarusian State Puppet Theater sound more accurate, bright, and emotional than on the first dramatic stages of the country. Both of these performances were created by the director's hand of the successor Anatoly Lelyavsky, his son Alexey, who headed the creative team in 1986. The real co-author of both Lelyavskys is a talented set designer Alina Fomina, who worked in the theater for more than thirty years.
The Belarusian State Puppet Theater is well known and recognized in Bulgaria, Belgium, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Poland, France, Croatia, Estonia.
In 2008, by a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, the theater was awarded the title "Honored Team of the Republic of Belarus".
The Belarusian State Puppet Theater is one of the leading theater groups in the country. His performances convince of the professional maturity and creative enthusiasm of the team, when the spirit of search and experimentation can rely on the strength of traditions developed over the years.
Tatiana ORLOVA
A new era in the history of the theater begins with the move to Minsk in 1950. More precisely, with the appearance of Anatoly Lelyavsky (1956) and Leonid Bykov (1957), the main director and artist of the State Puppet Theater. The almost thirty-year period in the life of Minsk puppeteers is marked by the formation of an original directorial and scenographic culture, the search for new means of expression, and the emergence of original and integral performances for children and adult audiences.
Since the second half of the seventies, actors increasingly come out from behind the screen onto the stage and act not on behalf of the doll, but together with it. The mystical relationship between man and doll, natural for children, fascinated the adult audience.
Increasingly, the Belarusian State Puppet Theater turns to works of classical literature. They stage Yakub Kolas, Yanka Kupala, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Gerhard Hauptmann, Carlo Gozzi, Mikhail Bulgakov, William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov. And it is no longer surprising that, for example, “The Tempest” or “The Master and Margarita” at the Belarusian State Puppet Theater sound more accurate, bright, and emotional than on the first dramatic stages of the country. Both of these performances were created by the director’s hand of Anatoly Lelyavsky’s successor, his son Alexei, who headed the creative team in 1986. The real co-author of both Lelyavskys is the talented set designer Alina Fomina, who has worked in the theater for more than thirty years.
The Belarusian State Puppet Theater is well known and recognized in Bulgaria, Belgium, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Poland, France, Croatia, Estonia.
In 2008, by a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, the theater was awarded the title “Honored collective of the Republic of Belarus”.
The history of the Belarusian State Puppet Theater began with an information note published on April 23, 1938 in the newspaper “Chyrvonaya Zmena”. It reported that the Administration for Arts under the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR decided to organize a republican puppet theater in Gomel.
On July 15, 1938, the theater was officially opened. In September 1938, the premiere of the first performance by Belarusian puppeteers, “At the Command of the Pike,” took place. And in the spring of 1939, the theater team for the first time turned to the stage embodiment of a Belarusian work - Vitaly Volsky's fairy tale "Ice and the Crane".
From 1940 to 1947, the artistic director of the theater was Mikhail Babushkin, a student of E. Mirovich. The following were staged: “Kashtanka” by A. Chekhov, “The Tale of the Priest and His Worker Balda” by A. Pushkin, etc.
During the Great Patriotic War, the theater's activities did not stop. Some of its workers, led by artist Boris Zvinogrodsky, organize a propaganda team and perform at the front with concert programs.
The Belarusian State Puppet Theater became the first of the republic's theaters to resume its work on liberated Belarusian soil - on May 1, 1944.
In 1950, the theater team moved to Minsk for further work.
Artists A. Ma-riks, I. Peshkur, L. Bykov collaborate with the theater. The music for the performances is written by famous composers: E. Tikotsky, L. Abeliovich, Y. Semenyako, G. Wagner and others. Their work contributed to the professional development of the team.
The chief director Anatoly Lelyavsky, who headed the theater in 1956, and the chief designer Leonid Bykov in 1957, began with the search for a bright hero, expanding the arsenal of staging and acting techniques, and using various puppet systems in performances: cane, tablet, puppets. The most significant productions of that period: “Ivan the Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf” by A. Bychkov, “Dwarf Nose” by V. Gauf, “Ice and the Crane” by V. Volsky, etc.
Since the mid-60s, the theater has been able to constantly work in one of the halls of the Pioneer cinema. There is an opportunity to turn to the works of major writers: V. Mayakovsky, N. Leskov, V. Shukshin, J. Hasek, P. Neruda, etc. Experimental productions and performances for adult audiences are staged: “The Lovely Galatea” by B. Gador and S. Larvash , "The Divine Comedy" by I. Stock, "The Bedbug" by V. Mayakovsky, "Until the Third Rooster" by V. Shukshin, "Lefty" by N. Leskov, "The Star and Death of Joaquin Murrieta" by P. Neruda, "The Adventures of the Good Soldier Schweik" by J. Hasek, "Lark" by J. Anouilh. Interest in the new, combined with respect for traditions, freedom to choose expressive means, and a constant desire to improve the professional skills of the troupe have made the Belarusian State Puppet Theater one of the leading theater groups in the country.
In the 70s, heroes of Belarusian writers A. Vertinsky, P. Makal, S. Klimkovich and others appeared on the stage of the theater. Performances from different nations and works by foreign authors appeared in the repertoire. Among them: “Thank you, thank you very much!” A. Vertinsky, “Swan Bells” by L. Brausevich, “Golden Horse” by J. Rainis, “Nut” by R. Alexandrova, etc. It was during these years that a new creative tandem was born - artist Alina Fomina and director Victoria Kozlova.
Heading the creative team of the theater in 1986, the chief director Alexey Lelyavsky continued his creative searches in line with the direction in the art of modern puppeteers, which tends to use techniques and forms of all types of theater in their productions. In the performances of this period, dramatic, puppet, musical theater and pantomime are closely intertwined.
In recent years, the Belarusian State Puppet Theater has shown great interest in works of classical drama. The stage adaptation of classics has always been one of the most difficult theatrical problems. Translating the poetics of a literary and dramatic work into the language of puppet theater is doubly difficult. Nevertheless, many of the group’s successes are associated with classical productions: “Ice and the Crane” by V. Volsky, “The Master and Margarita” by M. Bulgakov, “Symon the Musician” by Y. Kolas, “Cinderella or the Triumph of Virtue” by J. Massenet, "Gannele" by G. Hauptmann, "It's finished with Paris!.." based on the comedy "The Cherry Orchard", "The Seagull. Reading Experience" by A. Chekhov, etc.
The Belarusian State Puppet Theater is well known abroad. He was an indispensable participant in puppet theater festivals of the Baltic republics and Belarus in Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, Kaunas, and the All-Union Festival of Theaters for Children and Youth in Tashkent. The theater has toured several times in the Netherlands, Germany, and France.
The theater gained wide European fame thanks to its participation in International Puppet Theater Festivals in Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Ukraine, France, Switzerland, and Croatia.
The Belarusian State Puppet Theater is a collective member of UNIMA (International Union of Puppet Theater Workers) and one of the organizers of the Belarusian International Puppet Theater Festival.
The Belarusian State Puppet Theater today is one of the most popular theaters in the republic. His performances convince of the professional maturity and creative enthusiasm of the team, when the spirit of search and experimentation can rely on the strength of traditions developed over the years.
Alexey LELYAVSKY- chief director of the Belarusian State Puppet Theater. Born in 1957 in Minsk. Graduated from the Belarusian State Theater and Art Institute in 1980.
Director, assistant to the chief director for the literary part of the State Puppet Theater of the Republic of Belarus (1979-1982). Chief director of the Mogilev Regional Puppet Theater (1982-1986). He worked in puppet theaters in Belarus, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia, and Slovenia. Laureate of the Lenin Komsomol Prize, L. Mazolevskaya Prize, J. Lorman Prize for his great contribution to the development of Polish puppet theater. He staged more than sixty performances for children and adults.
A number of performances were shown at numerous international festivals and foreign tours in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Lania, Spain, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Uzbekistan, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Estonia.
He staged a number of experimental performances for international music festivals in Vitebsk and Minsk. Associate Professor of the Belarusian State Academy of Arts. Head of the creative workshops "Directing in the Puppet Theater" in Belgium (1991) and the Netherlands (1994), "Motion Animation" in Germany (2003). Artistic director of the Belarusian International Festival of Puppet Theaters in Minsk (1990, 1993, 1999).
Gerhard HAUPTMANN
Gannele
Drama-dream
Stage director - Alexey LELYAVSKY
Production designer - honored. activities claim RB Alina FOMINA
Composer - Vladimir KONDRUSEVICH
Lullaby text - Konstantin BALMONT
Translation from German - Olga CHYUMINA
Literary edition for the puppet theater - Alexey LELYAVSKY
Phonogram sound engineer - Alexander GOPODHOB
Vocal tutor - Grigory POLISCHUK
Accompanist - Larisa CHERENOK
Sound engineer - Boris LOBANOV
Lighting operator - Andrey DRAKO
Sculptural works - Natalya KUDASHKINA
The short life of the fourteen-year-old girl Gannele is tragic. She spends her last hours in a shelter for the poor, where she is brought after a suicide attempt.
Gannele sincerely believes in the world of angels and the nearness of God. She believes that after death she will be freed from suffering and humiliation.
The performance was shown: at the International Festival of Puppet Theaters "Ryazan Shows" (Russia, 1999); International Festival "Torun Meetings of Puppet Theaters" (Poland, 1999); World Festival of Puppetry in Bielsko-Biala (Poland, 2000); I International Festival of Puppet Theaters named after. S. V. Obraztsova in Moscow (Russia, 2001); V International Festival of Puppet Theaters in Magdeburg (Germany, 2003); International festival "KUK-APT" in St. Petersburg (Russia, 2003).
At the International Festival "Torun Meetings of Puppet Theaters" the performance was awarded: a prize for a performance touching on significant problems in a child's life, a prize for directing, a prize for music, a prize named after. Y. Vilkovsky for acting with a doll.
