The puppet theatre’s first curtain
The city executive committee approved a puppet theatre on 23 August 1968; its first performance followed on 28 October in the renovated Yunost club. Puppeteers came from across the country and produced four premieres in their first year.
The official history names director Zolotaryov, designer Makarov and actors Nikolai Gaidar, Lyudmila Kuznetsova, Arkady Badilovsky, Olga Vasyutinskaya, Nikolai Borisov and Yekaterina Parilova. The company soon toured the region and BAM construction communities.
Yevgeniya Semiusova became director in 1969. A building on Podbelskogo Street became its home. Directors Nikolai Gaidar, Yelena Chekhovskaya and Vladimir Biryukov brought different approaches to puppetry.
