The circus and puppet theatre were once common in western societies. Both eventually fell out favor there, but in communist societies they had the official support of the state.
Circus was viewed as an art form that could show humanity’s mastery over nature as well as the fact that the human body could be pushed well beyond what most would assume were its limits. Both of these were conducive to what the development of what is often termed “Soviet man,” a new evolutionary form that would be achieved by communist rule.
Puppet theatre allowed for highly mobile productions that required fewer actors to mount. They were initially seen as efficient means of educating the masses in both cities and the countryside about communist ideals. This helped set the artform as a permanent fixture within state-supported arts in most Communist counties.
Both circus and puppet theatre can still be readily found in many formerly communist countries. Their presence there can be seen as part of these countries’ unique cultural development.
Russia is known for its theater and ballet. Take advantage and see all that you can while here. You can buy tickets at the theater or concert hall itself or from a reseller such as Parter or Ponominalu, which allow you to reserve tickets pick them up at location near you or even have them […]