Victor Plotnikov (A.K.A. Victor PO/ DedushkaPo/ VPO) was born in 1961 in the suburbs of Kurgan, Siberia. Victor attended school in the small mining town Chernopartizansk, Ukraine. After returning to his hometown, Victor started to work as prop builder in a local puppet theatre and, within a short period of time, began designing and staging numerous puppet performances for children.

 

In 1983 Victor entred LSUTMC (Leningrad State University of Theatre, Music and Cinematographic Art) as a set designer and artist-sculptor for puppet theatre. During this period the system of ‘Professional Distribution’ was in place in Russia, which led to Victors relocation to work in Chelyabinsk Puppet theatre where he directed and staged a large number of shows. Between 1978 and 1992 Victor designed a total of 47 puppet theatre productions.

 

1992 saw the beginning of a chapter of independent work and theatre projects. Victor founded the ‘White Goat’ - a small theatre beginning with it’s first shows ‘Carmen' and ‘Balaganchik’. This theatre project gained international recognition, and participated in many festivals world-wide with various performances - 

 

International Festival of Puppetry and Synthetic Arts - Kukart, Saint-Petersburg.

 

1993 National League of Puppeteers Festival 93, San Fransisco, USA

 

1993 Performances in Denver and Aspen, Colorado, USA

 

1994 First International Festival of Synthetic Theatres, Baden, Switzerland.

 

1994 "MicroClimat" Festival, Fribourg, Switzerland.

 

1994 Performances in Narbonne, Paris, France.

 

1995 Cross-Festival of Arts of Urals and Switzerland.

 

1996 Co-production with puppet company 'Ginyol and Roullet', ‘Wings’, Fribourg

 

1997 Tour in Neuchatel, Fribourg, Switzerland, & Stuttgart, Germany.

 

2000 Henson International Festival of Puppet Festival, New York.

 

2002 Tour and Performances in Tianjun, Taiwan

 

2004 7th International Puppet Festival, Liubliana, Slovenia.

 

In 2004 the project was closed due to financial problems, though the shows still live… in the box.

 

In 1993 Victor met with the clown Slava Polounin and very soon after, the two collaborated to create 'The Snow Show', for which Victor developed the unique style and set design. The show had humble beginnings, playing on the small stages of 'Houses of Culture” in Chelyabinsk and St.Petersburg, but rapidly began to grow. The show now celebrates international commercial success and is renowned as one of the greatest theatre performances of the generation. Unfortunately the success of the show was accompanied by the artist’s name being bleached from the credits.

 

2004 was the beginning of a new page - ‘Machanisoids' and ‘Automatons', which this website widely represents.

Most of the works here are available for exhibition or sale, as well as the possibility of touring theatres.