How Petrushka Met Karagöz

Discover Turkish and Russian puppet theatre traditions and their main characters, then create an original performance.

This programme is organised in collaboration with the Obraztsov State Academic Central Puppet Theatre, supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey and the Yunus Emre Institute in Moscow.

Petrushka, the famous jester from Russian puppet theatre, is known for outwitting policemen, priests, the devil, and even death itself. His distant relative Karagöz (meaning “black-eyed” in Turkish) is equally renowned for his wit and merry pranks. Both characters embody folk wisdom, rough humour, and the courage to speak truth. The main difference between them lies in their form: Petrushka is a hand puppet, whilst Karagöz is a shadow puppet in the eponymous theatre tradition.

These two national traditions will meet in a workshop led by Turkish director Cengiz Samsun and artist Lyudmila Rogova. At GES-2, Cengiz Samsun will present classical Karagöz performances, demonstrate traditional leather puppet-making and manipulation techniques, and guide participants in creating their own characters using soft plastic. Participants will then visit the Obraztsov Theatre Museum, home to one of the world’s largest puppet collections, where they will discover Petrushka’s various incarnations, learn about the squeaker device, and understand hand puppet manipulation. Under Lyudmila Rogova’s guidance, each participant will create their own character. The workshop will conclude with participants mastering basic shadow theatre and hand puppet techniques, imagining an encounter between Petrushka and Karagöz, and developing a performance outline.

All photos: Vadim Shtein and Anya Todich

Workshop leaders

Ruslan Vasiliev is a puppeteer and graduate of the Yaroslavl State Theatre Institute. He has participated in international and national competitions including Acting Through Movement, the Smolensky Inter-University Recitation Competition, and the Chekhov International Recitation Competition. Currently performs at the Obraztsov State Academic Central Puppet Theatre.

Lyudmila Rogova is a theatre artist and puppet maker. She participated in the Open Sky Montenegro Street Theatre Festival (Budva, Montenegro, 2015). Has created puppets for the Glas Russian Spiritual Theatre, Moscow Art Theatre, Moscow Tabakov Theatre, and for numerous productions at the Obraztsov State Academic Central Puppet Theatre, where she has worked since 2008, including Thumbelina, Don Quixote, I Am Sergey Obraztsov, and A Christmas Story.

Cengiz Samsun is an actor, director, and educator, serving as Artistic Director of the Karagöz Puppet Festival (Hatay, Turkey). Recipient of the UNIMA National Centre Award and the Special Karagöz Association Award (2017).

Workshop assistants
Daria Kurennaya, Svetlana Khudarova, Sinem Öztürk Samsun, Usame Varol

Interpreters
Sakina Kerimova, Hatice Edanur Özer, Nesrin Hurma, Birgül Çiloğlu, Ece Çınarlı, Atilla Özdemir, Boran Kürkçü, Ana Pataridze, Fidan Gasymova Mayıl Kızı

Curator
Polina Zotova

Children’s and family programme coordinators
Valeria Maslovskaya, Katerina Zueva

Head of International Relations at GES-2
Anastasia Gvozdeva