Theatre of drama and puppetry «Svitaya Krepost»

The first professional theater in Vyborg was founded by graduates of the Puppet Theater Department of the Leningrad State Institute of Theater, Music and Cinematography (now RGISI). Initially, the Theater was created only for children, and until 1999 the repertoire consisted exclusively of children’s plays. The premiere of the first children’s play “The Sinister from Kosice”  was held in 1982.

But after 1999 he acquired the status of “dramatic” and for the first time received the first prize “Golden Sofit” for the play “Eight Loving Women” based on the play by Robert Tom (director Yuri Labetsky) in the nomination “Best Director’s Debut”. After the theater began to be called dramatic and puppet, he markedly changed his creative course.

The end of the 80’s was marked by a new stage in the life of the theater: touring abroad, prestigious awards for performances that attest to the recognition of the theater not only in Russia but also abroad. The theater took part in festivals in Austria, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Lebanon. Soon the “Holy Fortress” begins to organize large-scale festivals in Vyborg together with the World Organization of puppeteers UNIMA. The theater continues to stage new performances and touring extensively throughout Russia and abroad.

In 1997 the musical and plastic performance “Bolero” (directed by Yuri Labetsky) was awarded the “Golden Sofit” by the Higher Theater Award of St. Petersburg, and also became a laureate of two international and two Russian festivals, including the All-Russian Theatrical Festival “Golden Mask”.

In 2007 the Theatre of drama and puppetry «Svitaya Krepost» celebrated its 25th anniversary. The theater continues to develop and create. The decision of the Union of Theater Workers awarded him the prize “For the creation of the theater – the center of the spiritual life of the city of Vyborg.”