Exhibition in the Reading Room “The World of Arnold Burovs, Where Puppets Live, Dream, and Rule”

The National Library of Latvia Museum of Literature and Music invites you to visit the exhibition “The World of Arnold Burovs, Where Puppets Live, Dream, and Rule,” on view in the museum reading room at Pulka iela 8, Riga, from September 14 to October 8. Admission is free.

Arnolds Burovs (1915-2006) was an outstanding Latvian director, artist, screenwriter, set designer, and the founder of Latvian puppet animation. He had a major influence not only on the artistic direction of Latvian puppet theatre, but was also one of the most notable promoters of the development of puppetry art.

The museum holds more than one hundred puppets from puppet theatre performances and animated films. We invite you to view puppets made for director Arnolds Burovs’ animated films “Umurkumurs” (1976), “Bimini” (1981), and the film cycle “Chapliniana”: “Dream” (1983), “The Last Leaf” (1984), “The Princess and the Puma” (1986), “My Paradise” (1989) - artist Gediminas Kotello; “The Foolish Dauka” (1968), “The Tale of a Coin” (1969), “Vanadziņš” (1978) - artist Gunārs Cīlītis; “Si-Si-Dra” (1977) - artist Gunārs Bērziņš; “Why the Little Mouse Could Not Sleep” (1979) - artist Frančeska Kirke; as well as the film “Rabbit’s Cabbage” (1970) created by Arvīds Norins - artist Arnolds Burovs.

In 1995, in recognition of his outstanding merits and lifelong contribution to the development of Latvian puppet cinema and animation, as well as for bringing the name of Latvia to the world, Arnolds Burovs was awarded the Order of the Three Stars, 5th Class. Several of A. Burovs’ puppet animation films, as well as the director himself, have received the “Big Kristaps” award, and the film “Vanadziņš” (1978) is a national treasure included in the Latvian Cultural Canon.

In the world of Arnolds Burovs, every puppet is an outstanding work of art that leaves no one indifferent and can remain in memory for a long time - they speak through the plasticity of movement, their special language of the eyes, and emotionally crafted characters.

Exhibition creators: Elita Kalnača and Roberts Skrajāns.

Reading room opening hours: Monday-Thursday, 10:00-16:30.