Valerija and Stasys Ratkevičiai Puppets Museum
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Information about the museum
Stasys and Valerija Ratkevičiai were the founders of the professional National Puppet Theatre in Kaunas, which opened in 1958. Stasys Ratkevičius (1917–2010) was an actor and long-time director of the Kaunas National Puppet Theatre, and his wife Valerija Gruodytė-Ratkevičienė (1916–2004) was an actress, director and teacher. For many years she built the archive of Kaunas Puppet Theatre, collecting puppets from plays, props, and documentary material. This drove the idea to establish the Kaunas Puppet Theatre Museum. The official founding year of the museum is 1994.
The museum is an excellent attraction for children, although teenagers and adults will also find it fascinating. The exhibits feature puppets created for plays, masks, props, decorations and other exhibits related to the history of the theatre. Many of the puppets are created in the aesthetic of pure realism. Visitors can learn about the history of the theatre and puppets and about its most memorable plays.
The museum offers interactive theatre activities for families and elementary school children. Through play, children learn the ins and outs of puppet theatre, discover how puppets are created and brought to life, meet actors from the theatre, hold a puppet and even act out a small production.