Nikolai Naumov

Head of the Directing and Acting for Puppet Theatre studios, Dean of the Puppet Department

Has been teaching at RGISI since 1983.

Recipient of the Little Prince award at the International Childrens’ Theatre Festival (Serbia) for his significant contribution to the development of theatre arts for children (2010) and an award for his significant contribution to theatre pedagogy from the APART International Theatre Festival (2014).

Author of several programs of instructor training and master classes – Introduction to Directing for Puppet Theatre, Hand Movements as an Artistic Device in the Art of Puppet Theatre, Investigation into the Puppet’s Mask: the Etude Stage in Working on a Role, The Actor and Puppet as a Single Means of Expression in Creating a Scenic Image.

Among his students are artistic directors and head directors of many theatres. Graduates from his studio work in theatres in Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Germany, Georgia, Israel, Cuba, Moldova, Lebanon, Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Croatia and France.

Director of over 55 productions, author of nine plays for puppet theatre. Author of many articles on puppet theatre. Editor of the monographs In the Puppeteer’s Professional School, Hand Movements – the Foundation of the Puppeteer’s Acting Art, Let’s Write a Play, M. M. Korolyov – Director, Pedagogue, Theorist of Puppet Theatre.

Chairman of the jury of international theatre festivals in Russia and abroad, regular participant in international conferences on puppet theatre.

Co-creator of the following partnerships: Puppet Theatre Laboratory (together with the Union of Theatre Practicioners of the Russian Federation) and Fairytales of Our City (together with the St. Petersburg Children’s Library of History and Culture).

Has taught master classes in France, Romania, Latvia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tunisia and more.