The XI International Festival of Puppet Theaters has started in Yekaterinburg

The XI International Festival of Puppet Theaters "Petrushka the Great" started on Thursday at the Yekaterinburg Puppet Theater, bringing together representatives of 14 theaters from Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkey.

"We have three countries participating this year. We are very glad that you have come to us, that all our performances will be very bright, interesting, emotional! That the brightest, magical, amazing festival starts today, that we have gathered in full-time format, we can enjoy all this beauty," Ekaterina Sibirtseva, Deputy Head of Yekaterinburg for Social Policy, said at the opening ceremony.

The geography of the festival participants covers Irkutsk, Kazan, Kirov, Kyzyl, Moscow, Omsk, St. Petersburg, Ulyanovsk, Khanty-Mansiysk and Tomsk. The program also includes theaters in Kostanay (Kazakhstan) and Istanbul (Turkey). "Dear colleagues, we have been preparing for this meeting for a very long time, we have been waiting for you. I really hope that these five festival days will be very fruitful," said Sergei Strazhnikov, director of the Yekaterinburg Puppet Theater.

The festival will last until September 12. At five venues, the audience will see 15 performances united by the theme "Puppet Theater: Breaking stereotypes". All the presented productions will be unusual, the organizers promise. The performances will be evaluated by the jury, choosing the best works. In addition, the program includes master classes and an educational program, and a meeting of the executive committee of the Russian center of the International Union of Puppet Theater Workers (UNIMA) will also take place.

"Petrushka the Great" has been held in Yekaterinburg since 2002, this year it turns 20 years old. Every two years, the Urals becomes the center of attraction for puppeteers from different cities and countries.