Batlejka

Batlejka booth in the Belarusian National History Museum
Batlejka puppets in the Belarusian National History Museum
Batlejka depicted on a Belarusian post stamp

Batlejka (Belarusian: Батле́йка, Batleyka) is a Belarusian amateur puppet theatre. Its name is derived from the city of Bethlehem[1] and performances are traditionally given over the Christmas period.[2]

It became popular in Belarus in the 16th century[3] but the peak of its popularity falls on the 18-19th centuries. It was largely forgotten during Soviet times but revived in present-day Belarus and within the Belarusian diaspora.[4]

  1. ^ Этнаграфія Беларусі: Энцыклапедыя / Рэд.: І. П. Шамякін (гал. рэд.) і інш. — Мн.: БелСЭ, 1989.
  2. ^ "Belarus", World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts
  3. ^ Батлейка // Театральная Энциклопедия. — М.
  4. ^ "10-годдзе беларускай батлейкі ў Лондане". zbsb.org (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-04-03.