Martiros Badalyan: The Artist Behind Yerevan's Marionette Theater

The Yerevan State Marionette Theater, founded in 1935, continues to shape Armenian childhoods through puppet performances and stage design. Martiros Badalyan, who has worked at the theater for nearly four decades, creates props, set pieces, and puppet designs that bring productions to life. Beginning with sketches, Badalyan transforms characters and worlds for performances such as "The Dog and the Cat" and "The Chalk-Chalk King." Beyond the theater, Badalyan is also a painter and collage artist who works with recycled materials. He describes his theater and fine art work as deeply interconnected, each influencing the other. According to Badalyan, successful puppetry requires more than technical skill—it demands touch, taste, and feeling. A distinctive sculpture at the theater's entrance, originally conceived as reflecting the actor-puppet relationship, has come to evoke motherhood for many viewers.