About the Theatre | Львівський театр ляльок

History of the Theatre Building

The building that now accommodates the Lviv Puppet Theatre was built c. 1914 as the Handicrafts Chamber and was used as a meeting venue for the handcraft professionals of Lviv and the environs.

However, due to the volatile situation in the aftermath of World War I, after a massive financial crisis, many venues throughout the city were leased out piecemeal, and the Handicrafts Chamber was no exception. Entrepreneur Marek Pariser leased the assembly hall of the Handicrafts Chamber and established the 290-seat Sztuka Cinema there in 1926. In the interwar period, the assembly hall was repurposed as Bałtyk Cinema. By 1941, the hall changed hands several times over but was unchangeably used as a cinema hall.

Fragments of an authentic stained glass window in the style of Secession on the ceiling and exquisite ironwork have survived to this day. There was also a second stained glass window behind the mirror. Thanks to these two stained-glass windows, the lobby seemed flooded with daylight.

1914 year

Handicraft Chamber

1918 year

Cinema "Baltika"

1945 year

Puppet theatre

Founders

Antonina Matskevich was the founder and first director of the Lviv Puppet Theater. She spent two years studying in the acting studio of Les Kurbas – the most famous and at one time the most progressive director and theorist of the Ukrainian theater.

In 1940, together with her husband Sergei Stetshenko, she founded the House of Folk Art, where she taught children and young people of acting skills. And already in 1945, together with the small troupe formed during this time, the Lviv Puppet Theater began its activities. At first, there were only seven actors in the Lviv Puppet Theater, a carpenter, a sculptor, an artist, an accompanist and a dressmaker.

His theater’s first performance, directed by Antonina Matskiewicz, was shown on April 8, 1945.
Interestingly, Mrs. Antonina had her philosophy, which she hid from Soviet power. Often, on the tour before the performance was an introduction, which was played with a doll by King Danylo and his son Leo. It is Queen Lev, Mrs. Antonina portrayed on the logo of the theater and called for the Soviet regime Ivasyk – Telesik. Queen Lev was in the middle of the shield – a coat of arms crocheted by three towers. In particularly difficult hours, they forced to draw the middle tooth to avoid resembling a trident.

Nowadays

Today in the repertoire of over 20 different performances. Since 2017, the theater team is working on the development of activities and the creation of individual projects for both children and adults.

Performances
in repertoire

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History of the Theatre Building

Founders

Nowadays