Aistenok Puppet Theatre

Aistenok Puppet Theatre (Irkutsk Regional Puppet Theatre 'Aistenok') is a puppet theatre based in Irkutsk, Russia. It was founded in 1935 by a group of Irkutsk artists as the East Siberian State Theatre of Puppets and Marionettes, making it the first and at the time only puppet theatre in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. The theatre opened to the public on 8 January 1935 with the premiere of the play 'The Hedgehog, Petrushka and Two Monkeys'. In 1936 the travelling company was renamed 'Red Petrushka'. In 1939 the First and Second Regional Mobile Puppet Theatres were created on its basis, and they were merged back into a single company in 1941. During the Great Patriotic War the theatre toured the Far East, Chita Oblast, Khabarovsk Krai, Komsomolsk-on-Amur and even reached Russky Island aboard military ships. In 1958 the theatre took part in the Festival of Puppet Theatres in Moscow and received a second-degree diploma for the production 'RVS' after Arkady Gaidar. In 1986 it received the building of the 'Mir' cinema on Baikalskaya Street and the new name 'Aistenok'. In 2000 it returned to Moscow for the festival dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Sergei Obraztsov, the creator of the Moscow Puppet Theatre, with the play 'Masha and the Bear'. The theatre has toured Germany four times through a friendship with the German puppet theatre 'Mottenkefich' ('Moth Cage') in Pforzheim, and the German puppeteers visited Irkutsk three times. In January 2020 the theatre marked its 85th anniversary. Today Aistenok is a regional state cultural institution that stages puppet productions for a range of ages, runs sociocultural and inclusive projects, and has received awards including the Russian Government Prize for the best theatrical production based on Russian classics in 2019 for 'Duck Hunt. Zilov's Dreams' after Alexander Vampilov. The theatre's current administration includes director Andrei Streltsov and chief director Yuri Utkin.

Aistenok Puppet Theatre was founded in 1935 by a group of Irkutsk artists who decided to create their own theatre. They named it the East Siberian Theatre of Puppets and Marionettes because it was the first and at the time the only puppet theatre in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. The theatre opened to the public on 8 January 1935 with the premiere of 'The Hedgehog, Petrushka and Two Monkeys'. In 1936 the travelling company received the new name 'Red Petrushka'. The theatre continued to grow and develop, attracting actors who had completed courses in puppet theatre, and a professional director of puppet performances, A. A. Nadezhdina, came from Moscow. The renewed company became in demand not only in the Irkutsk region but also among audiences in Buryatia, Primorye and Sakhalin Island. In 1939 the First and Second Regional Mobile Puppet Theatres were created on the basis of 'Red Petrushka'. Although they were named as two separate theatres, they were a single company, which allowed them to be merged in 1941. During the Great Patriotic War the theatre toured the entire Far East, visited Chita Oblast, Khabarovsk Krai and Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and reached Russky Island aboard military ships. The theatre took on new actors, helped by the puppet department that opened at the Irkutsk Theatre School. It was also fortunate with directors: for almost ten years the artistic director of the theatre was M. S. Khomkalova, and directors N. Nadezhdina, D. Khodkov, D. Shatrov, P. Khoroshikh and P. Oster worked there in different years. In 1958 the theatre received the right to take part in the Festival of Puppet Theatres in Moscow and was awarded a second-degree diploma for the production 'RVS' after A. Gaidar. In 1986 the theatre received the building of the 'Mir' cinema on Baikalskaya Street and the new name 'Aistenok'. In 2000 the Irkutsk puppet theatre again came to Moscow for the festival, now dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the creator of the Puppet Theatre S. V. Obraztsov, with the play 'Masha and the Bear'. Speaking of Aistenok's travels, one cannot fail to mention its four tours in Germany. Thanks to friendship with German colleagues — the puppet theatre with the exotic name 'Mottenkefich' ('Moth Cage') — Aistenok showed in Pforzheim its 'Masha and the Bear', 'Metyolych and Bantik', 'The Jumping Princess' and the anniversary programme 'Best of the Best', dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the theatres' friendship. The German puppeteers made return visits, coming to Irkutsk three times. In January 2020 one of the oldest puppet theatres in Siberia turned 85. Today Aistenok occupies a prominent place among Russian puppet theatres, as its company is constantly searching for new forms of activity, follows creative and technical trends in contemporary theatrical art and puts much of it into practice. Numerous innovative sociocultural projects are being introduced for audiences of different ages, including for people with disabilities. Aistenok's productions are regularly recognised with Prizes of the Governor of Irkutsk Oblast for creative achievements in the sphere of culture and art.

• 2020

  Marked its 85th anniversary in January.

• 2019

  Received the Russian Government Prize for the best theatrical production based on Russian classics for 'Duck Hunt. Zilov's Dreams' after Alexander Vampilov.

• 2001

  Laureate of the I International Festival of Puppet Theatres dedicated to the 100th anniversary of S. Obraztsov in Moscow.

• 2000

  Performed in Moscow at the festival dedicated to the 100th anniversary of S. V. Obraztsov with 'Masha and the Bear'.

• 1986

  Received the building of the 'Mir' cinema on Baikalskaya Street and the new name 'Aistenok'.

• 1982

  Laureate of the Irkutsk Komsomol Prize named after Iosif Utkin.

• 1958

  Participated in the Festival of Puppet Theatres in Moscow and received a second-degree diploma for 'RVS' after A. Gaidar.

• 1941

  The two mobile theatres were merged into a single company.

• 1939

  The First and Second Regional Mobile Puppet Theatres were created on the basis of 'Red Petrushka'.

• 1936

  The travelling company was renamed 'Red Petrushka'.

• 1935

  Founded as the East Siberian State Theatre of Puppets and Marionettes; opened on 8 January with 'The Hedgehog, Petrushka and Two Monkeys'.

A historic regional puppet theatre in Irkutsk, presenting literary and children's puppet productions and inclusive cultural projects.

• 1935

  The Hedgehog, Petrushka and Two Monkeys

• 1958

  RVS

• 2000

  Masha and the Bear

• Metyolych and Bantik

• The Jumping Princess

• 2019

  Duck Hunt. Zilov's Dreams

• How I Loved to Fly

• Princess Krapinka

• Mother's Field

1. 1Главная | Театр кукол Аистенокaistenok-irkutsk.ru
2. 2Театр кукол Аистенок — О насaistenok-irkutsk.ru
3. 3Aistenok Puppet Theatre — Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Аистёнок (театр) — Википедияru.wikipedia.org