The history of the parsley doll. Parsley Theater: description, history, repertoire and interesting facts

Glove puppets and puppets have a long history. The first most ancient plot ancient theater- The Tale of the Gods.

Like live actors, the dolls quickly moved from religious themes to everyday ones. For this purpose, glove puppets with their rough, sharp movements were much better suited than sophisticated puppets. IN Ancient Rome the crowd was entertained by the obscene jokes of the Mokkus doll. In the Middle Ages, various histrions and buffoons always carried dolls with them, using their lips to make risky witticisms addressed to those in power. And if something happened they said: “It’s not me, but a doll.” And they were justified - so strong was the faith in the dolls’ own separate existence. All the puppet characters were cheerful, perky and wore red jester's caps, which is why the Italians nicknamed the first of them Pulcinella (“cockerel”). From him came the French Polichinelle, the English Punch (“kick”), and the Dutch Pikkelherring (“smoked herring”). And the Russian Petrushka, or in full Pyotr Petrovich Uksusov, isn’t it from the rooster?”

“PETRUSHKA is the nickname of a farce doll, a Russian jester, a jokester, a wit in a red caftan and a red cap; the entire jester’s, puppet den is also called Petrushka” (V. Dahl).

Master class on handicrafts: Glove doll Parsley using papier-mâché technique

Progress of the lesson

V. Berestov “The Hand is an Artist.”
The hand turns
Either into a kitten or into a puppy.
So that the hand becomes an artist
You need very, very little:
Special gloves,
Intelligence, talent - and everything is in order.
During our master class you will get acquainted with the techniques of creating theatrical puppet From scrap materials, make a glove puppet with your own hands, guess which one:
My beautiful cap
Pushed dashingly to the side.
I'm a funny toy
And my name is... (Petrushka)
Well, of course, Petrushka.
The story of Parsley.
It was with Petrushka that the puppet theater in Rus' began its existence. The first puppet theater was born a long time ago, back in Ancient Rome. The main character of his performances was the cheerful, cheerful Pulcinella. Folk puppet heroes who knew how to express feelings ordinary people, appeared in other countries. In France, Polichinelle became the favorite of the audience, and in England - Punch, in Turkey - Karagöz, and in Germany - Hanswurst.

In terms of character, courage, audacity, and mockery, they are all relatives of our Parsley. What men and working people could not, did not dare to say out loud, dolls shouted loudly in squares and fairs. What will you do for Petrushka? Performances by traveling puppeteers were prohibited. The wooden stages and screens were removed. But, the next day, Petrushkin’s screen appeared in the neighboring village and the doll again boldly and boldly, loudly, expressed the secret thoughts of the assembled spectators.
Petrushka's appearance is by no means Russian: he has exaggeratedly large hands and head, and exaggerated facial features. Big eyes and a huge hooked nose, Parsley got it from the Italian Pulcinella. Many people mistakenly believe that Parsley’s wide-open mouth is a smile, but this is not true, being negative character, Petrushka constantly stretches her lips in a grin.
We will do good to you, Merry Parsley. The doll consists of two parts: the head and the body (gloves, which is why the dolls are called glove dolls).
We will make the head from papier-mâché. Papier-mâché, translated from French, means “chewed paper” - it is an easily moldable mass obtained from fibrous materials (paper, cardboard), usually with the addition of adhesives.
Tools and materials required for work:

The history of this doll goes back to the beginning of the 17th century. Although she has many prototypes in the folk theaters of Italy, France, Germany, and Turkey. The Parsley Theater enjoyed enormous popularity, first among ordinary people, and then among the wealthier segments of the population.

History of the theater

The Petrushka People's Theater is one of the oldest in Russia. It is precisely established that it existed at the very beginning of the 17th century in Rus'. Confirmation of this fact can be found in the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, where the fresco depicts a puppeteer raising the curtain.

This is also evidenced by the entries in the travel diary of the scientist, diplomat and traveler Adam Olearius (Elschläger), which was republished several times. He was in Russia twice: in 1633-1634 - as secretary of the German embassy, ​​in 1635-1639 - as a scientific researcher.

Olearius described in detail the puppet theater of Petrushka, supplementing his story with an illustration, later made by an engraver at the request of the author. Character and type puppet shows, which was portrayed by Adam Olearius, suggests that these performances were the prototype of the Petrushka Theater of the 19th century.

Description of the theater

The Parsley Theater was a screen that consisted of frames fastened with special staples, covered with fabric, most often chintz. This structure was attached around the puppeteer's body. After it was raised above the head, a kind of stage was formed on which the performances took place.

In the performance of the Petrushka puppet theater in the 17th century, a guslar or a whistle-player participated, who maintained dialogues with the puppet and with the audience. The musician invited the audience to the performance and collected payment at the end.

In Rus', only a man could be the puppeteer of Petrushka. When he “drove” the doll and voiced it, the actor inserted a whistle (squeaker) into his larynx. This made the character's voice ringing and loud, which was necessary at fair performances where a large number of people were present. At the same time, because of the squeak, speech was not always intelligible; in such cases, an accompanist came to the rescue and explained everything to the viewer.

The history of the doll

Parsley is a glove puppet that the puppeteer places on his hand and controls it with his fingers. This character is dressed in a red shirt, canvas pants and a pointed cap with a tassel at the end. In V. I. Dahl’s dictionary, Petrushka is positioned as a farcical doll, a jokester, a Russian jester, a wit in a red caftan and cap.

His appearance is not at all Slavic, although he was the main character of the Russian folk theater Parsley. The doll has greatly enlarged arms and a head, which were carved from wood treated with a special compound to darken it.

Parsley has hypertrophied facial features, huge almond-shaped eyes with eyeballs white and a black iris. A large, long nose with a hump and a wide-open mouth, which some take for a smile, but in fact it is an evil grin. Petrushka got his appearance from the doll of Pulcinella, an Italian comedy character.

Origin of the name

How this doll got the name Parsley is not known for certain. There is a version that the famous comedic character was named after his namesake, Pietro Mirro (Pedrillo or Petrucha-Farnos). This was the court jester of the Russian Tsarina Anna Ioannovna. This version is confirmed by texts and popular prints (amusing sheets) identical to the plots of the Parsley Theater.

There is also a hypothesis that Petrushka received his name from famous puppeteer actors who lived in early XVIII century, these are Pyotr Ivanov and Pyotr Yakubovsky. It is quite possible that the doll was named after one of these amusements, whose performances were most popular at that time.

It is believed that Petrushka was named because of the similarity of his profile and ringing, noisy voice with a rooster. This version is supported by the fact that in Russia roosters are called Petya, Petrusha.

The puppet character got his name in the “Petrine Age”, when Emperor Peter I, according to one expression, signed his rescripts not with a pen, but with a club, and in free time drank and fooled around under the name of Petrushka Mikhailov in “the most drunken cathedrals.”

Performance scripts

There were several scenarios in the Parsley Theater. The main plots are buying a horse and riding it, learning to be a soldier, preparing a wedding, a scene with a gendarme or a policeman, with a dog or death. Almost every scene showed a fight between Petrushka and another character, in which he invariably won.

Usually the performance began with Petrushka wanting to buy a horse, and the accompanist calling for a gypsy salesman. The main character examines the horse for a long time, and then begins a long bargaining with the gypsy, as a result of which he beats the latter on the back with a stick for attempting to deceive.

After this, Petrushka gets on the horse, but she throws him off and runs away. He remains lying on the ground, waiting for the doctor, who appears later. There is also a conflict with the doctor, and it all ends in a fight with a club. Later there is a skirmish with a gendarme or a policeman, in which Petrushka also defeats them with a stick. And it all ended with his meeting with a dog or with death, after which he died.

Popularity of the heroes of the Parsley Theater

All the characters participating in the performance changed periodically. The only constant was Petrushka, who was also called Pyotr Petrovich Samovarov, Vanka Ratatouille or Pyotr Ivanovich Ukusov. The comedy with his participation was very popular and widespread in Russia. The love of the common people for the main character of the performances was explained in different ways. Some argued that the reason was the topicality of the satire, while others spoke of the accessibility, simplicity and understandability of the speeches.

In the monthly magazine “A Writer's Diary” in 1876, F. M. Dostoevsky wrote a story on the theme of the Petrushka puppet theater. In it, he describes the performance that took place in the St. Petersburg house of artists. Fathers and their children stood in a crowd and watched the always popular comedy, and in fact this performance was the most fun of the whole holiday. The author asks questions: why do you feel so funny because of Parsley, so happy when you look at him? Why is everyone happy - both old people and children?

Relatives of Parsley

Some historians believe that Petrushka has so-called relatives in the theatrical puppet world of other countries. This, for example, is Pulcinella - a character considered the ancestor of Parsley, since he appeared in the 16th century. In France, this is Polichinelle - the hero of the folk theater, a hunchback, a cheerful bully and a mocker. In England, this is Punch, who is described as a hunchback with a pointed, hook-shaped nose and wearing a cap. He is a rogue, a fighter, a merry fellow and a reveler.

In Turkey, the prototype of the Parsley Theater was a shadow theater, the main character of which was a doll named Karagöz (in Turkish - black-eyed). He also had a cheerful, cocky personality. People's dissatisfaction with the existing government was often expressed in performance scenes.

In Germany, Parsley's brother was the Kaschperle (Casper) doll, who also participated in comic performances at fairs and festivities. By nature, Kasper was a simple, cheerful joker who joked about topical topics.

Petrushka Theater in the 19th century

After a while, this character ceased to exist only as a street performer. Puppeteers and accompanists are increasingly being invited to the houses of gentlemen, where the scenes in which Petrushka participates lose their sharpness and topicality. He stops killing and stabbing his stage partners, and only scolds and drives them away.

At the end of the XVIII - early XIX century, changes are taking place in the theater. Musical instruments such as the harp and whistle are being replaced by the violin and organ-organ. The latter is especially widespread. In fact, she was the first mechanical musical instrument and was liked by the public. It did not require special playing skills and therefore gradually replaced the harp, violin and buzzer.

Also in the 19th century, the structure of the screen itself changed; now it consists of two poles on which coarse fabric is stretched, most often dyed, with Blue colour. Because of this design, the puppeteer showed his performance.

From a wit to a hero of children's parties

Petrushka's speech changes from common folk to more acceptable for manor houses, and the “parsley man” is no longer a street actor, but a salon actor. The stage itself is decorated with beautiful lush draperies, and those participating in the performance dress in satin clothes with shiny tinsel, which makes the performance ceremonial and solemn.

Parsley turns from an evil wit with obscene jokes into a kindly, cheerful character at children's parties and matinees. Moreover, after some time he is reborn from a glove puppet into a puppet, like his foreign relatives Pulcinella, Polichinelle, Punch and Karagez. More and more often you can see the performance of Petrushka the puppet, and not the glove puppet.

Parsley in the twentieth century

IN Soviet time appears new character- Comrade Petrushka, at the same time he leaves the stage and turns into the hero of stories and literary plays. Now the old Petrushka Theater in which much was permissible does not exist. Frivolity is lost in the 20th century storyline, the events unfolding in the plays and stories are aimed at promoting hygiene, literacy and recycling.

All that remains of the original Petrushka is his tendency to accuse. He points out, identifies and condemns drunkards and slackers, and explains to readers the elementary standards of decency and decent behavior in society.

The doll's appearance also undergoes a transformation. Thus, the red shirt in which Petrushka was previously dressed turns into a tunic or blouse, and instead of a pointed cap, a cap, budenovka or cap appears on his head. Even his long nose with a hump shortens and initially becomes snub-nosed, and later becomes completely ordinary.

Parsley in modern times

The history of the Parsley Theater is now being studied by scientists and theater experts. And today this character has not outlived its usefulness. For example, Petrushka became the hero of the ballet of the same name, which is often identified with the unique emblem of the Russian ballet seasons.

He was a real key figure for the work of the composer I. F. Stravinsky, who wrote wonderful music to the ballet, for the founder of the classical Russian ballet school M. M. Fokin, who created this production, as well as for the dancer V. Nijinsky, who performed the main roles in this ballet.

Petrushka remained in the image of an irreconcilable fighter against injustice and negative characteristics person. Making fun of all this, he tries to change it for the better.

The ProDetki editors love to visit cultural places and discover new heroes and characters. For example, we became interested in the hero Petrushka in the puppet world.

The Petrushka Theater is a unique performance whose history goes back to the 17th century. At first it was a popular entertainment for ordinary people, and then it gained popularity among high society.

Doll Parsley

Parsley is a printed doll dressed in pants and a red shirt, distinctive feature This character had a pointed cap and a huge red nose.

History of the Petrushka Theater

The Petrushka Theater is one of the oldest entertainments in Rus', which has survived to this day and has not lost its relevance. . Many perceive it as a folk creation, but in reality its prototypes Russian folk theater Petrushka has in many countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Türkiye.

The first appearance of the Petrushka Theater in Rus' was recorded back in the 17th century, but it gained its main popularity only in the 19th century. Despite the fact that there were several types of puppet theater in Rus', Petrushka's performances were the most popular.

Character Parsley

It is not surprising that Petrushka is the main character of the puppet theater, which is named after him. Let's take a closer look at what it is. As you can see from the history of the creation of the theater, it came to Russian lands from other countries, therefore Russian Petrushka has collected many in his appearance distinctive features different nationalities . For example, his head and hands were incredibly large, and his eyes were almond-shaped, his skin color was dark, and his nose had a large hump. Thanks to all this, he was very similar to his Italian prototype - Pulcinella.

Parsley Although he put his main character at the head of the presentation, he did not limit himself to this. For example, Petrushka’s constant partner in the plot was a bear, with whom he acted out the main scenes .

Russian theater Petrushka and its plots

Based on stories theatrical performance There were always banal and philistine themes of that time: soldier's service, treatment, acquisition of a horse and its testing, as well as Petrushka's dating and wedding.

All the scenes had their own order and were shown strictly one after another:

— The first scene was always based on Petrushka’s purchase of a horse. He bargained with a gypsy salesman, who did not want to give in, then Petrushka got tired of it, for which he hit the merchant. This was the end of the first performance.

— The second scene was a demonstration of how Petrushka climbs onto a horse, but it does not want to obey him and throws off the main character, and then leaves after the gypsy.

— In the third scene, as at the beginning of the performance, Petrushka is not distinguished by a calm disposition, and, having visited the doctor, beats him because the doctor finds many ailments in the main character.

— The last scene is also not complete without fights. When the policeman appears to find out why Petrushka killed the doctor, main character without thinking twice, he does the same with the quarterly. But justice is personified by the dog, which barks and growls at the main character, and then, not succumbing to any cajoling and begging of Petrushka, who grabbed him by the nose, drags him away from the impromptu stage.

This is where the show ends. It is interesting that the duration of the performance depends on how interesting the scenes are played out, because it lasts as long as there are spectators on the street who deign to pay attention to it.

Russian folk theater Petrushka is not limited to just four main scenes in its performance . When there are a lot of onlookers on the streets and the audience is ready to watch as much as they want - to watch a puppet theater, the story continues with others interesting stories. One of them is “Parsley’s Wedding”. The script for this performance was so rude and frivolous that parents did not allow their children to watch such a scene.

In all performances, Petrushka acted as a rogue, a swindler and a rude man. Nand his facewas depicteddeven not a sweet smile, as many may think, but a rude grin.

Street theater Petrushka

Traditional Petrushka - puppet theater one actor, the scene of which was always street fairs and shopping areas . The very first performances were shown without a screen, since the only actor-puppeteer simply wore a special skirt with a hoop on his belt. By lifting this ring, the puppeteer disappeared from the view of the audience, giving them the opportunity to enjoy the performance. At the same time, he could calmly move and work with both hands to control two characters at once.

Already at the beginning of the 19th century, such a costume for an actor was replaced by a screen , a prototype of the one in use today. It was installed directly on the ground, hiding the puppeteer and all his props.

Only men were puppeteers, but in order to give their voices additional squeakiness, a specialized squeaker was used. It was inserted directly into the larynx. This gave the puppeteer the opportunity to speak louder.

Contemporary Petrushka Theater

Thanks to many artists who make every effort to preserve the traditions of puppet theater, we have the opportunity to enjoy interesting performances today. Nowadays, of course, these are not only nomadic fair performances, but also street puppeteers.

Most often, Petrushka’s performances can be seen in children’s puppet theaters, for example, “Firebird”, “Albatross”, “Fairytale” and many others.

People's Theater Petrushka on this moment is an opportunity to introduce children and adults to history, as well as to instill in the younger generation a love and interest in literature.

Initially, puppets at performances “acted out” fairy-tale scenes, the main characters of which were gods; later biblical stories became popular.

In the Middle Ages, each buffoon artist had his own “tame” hero - a scoffer-tooth, making obscene and evil jokes about those in power. What is the demand for the doll?

The buffoon owners and traveling actors dressed the jokers in a red cap corresponding to their title and rank and gave their jesters sonorous, bright names. The first Italian Parsley was called Pulcinella, which means "cockerel".

Italian Pulcinella

Parsley's French cousin was called Polichinelle

In Germany Casper or Hanswurst

Funny EnglishmanMr Punch

In Turkey - Karagöz, in Spain - Don Cristobal. Russian Petrushka is a ruddy joker, a participant in fairground skits, a character in Russian folk puppet shows, a glove puppet in a red shirt, canvas pants and a cap with a tassel.

Nikolai Alekseevich Nekrasov in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” described “Comedy with Petrushka” as follows:

Comedy with Petrushka,

With a goat and a drummer

And not with a simple barrel organ,

And with real music

They looked here.

Comedy is not wise

However, not stupid either

Khozhalu quarterly

Not in the eyebrow, but straight in the eye!

For more than three centuries, Russian puppeteers have given preference to Parsley in a red cap, with a big nose, and a shrill voice. Jesters have always been considered in Rus' a special caste, which was allowed to tell the truth, dressing it in a witty and sparkling joke.

PETRUSHKA, “the nickname of a farce doll, a Russian jester, amusement maker, a wit in a red caftan and a red cap; The whole clownish, puppet den is also called Petrushka” (V.I. Dal).

The origin of this doll, which appeared in Russia in the second half of the 19th century, has not been reliably clarified. The first written mention of puppet theater in Russia dates back to 1609. The most famous doll of that time was Petrushka. It was first seen in Russia by the German writer, traveler and diplomat Adam Olearius. This happened almost 400 years ago! In 1730, the newspaper St. Petersburg Vedomosti first published an article about the puppet theater and its main character.

Many descriptions of these street screen performances have been preserved. IN late XIX centuries, parsley makers were usually paired with organ grinders. From morning until late evening, puppeteers walked from place to place, repeating the story of Petrushka's adventures many times a day - it was not long, and the entire performance lasted 20-30 minutes. The actor carried a folding screen and a bundle or chest with dolls on his shoulder, and the musician carried a heavy, up to thirty kilograms, barrel organ.

Russian puppeteers used marionettes (puppet theater on strings) and glove puppets-Parsley (in Russia, only men “drove” Petrushka). The set and order of scenes varied slightly, but the basic core of the comedy remained unchanged. Petrushka greeted the audience, introduced himself and started a conversation with the musician. The organ grinder from time to time became Petrushka's partner: entering into a conversation with him, he either admonished him, then warned him of danger, or suggested what to do. These dialogues were also determined by a very important technical reason: Parsley’s speech was not always intelligible enough because of the peep, and the organ grinder, conducting the dialogue, repeated Parsley’s phrases, thus helping the audience understand the meaning of his words. The fact is that Parsley speaks in a special voice using a special instrument - a peep or “talker”. Anyone who has ever blown into a blade of grass held between their palms, producing either a squeak or a “crow”, can understand the principle of its operation. So the squeaker is designed in exactly the same way, only instead of a blade of grass there is a strip of fabric, and instead of palms there are metal plates. The parsley presses the squeak with its tongue to the upper palate, when exhaling, the tissue vibrates (like vocal cords), and that’s the sound! Before mid-19th centuries in Russia, Parsley did not yet have its current name. Most often he was then called “Petr Ivanovich Ukusov”, “Samovarov”, “Vanka Ra-ta-tu-y”.

Petrushka was portrayed as a stupid character, but behind this stupidity lay everyday cunning. He is a mocker, sometimes a rude man, he is pugnacious and cocky. In the person of Petrushka, the people ridiculed their superiors and masters - their hypocrisy, arrogance, passion for wine and delicacies, disdain for to the common people. Maxim Gorky, characterizing the image of Petrushka, wrote the following: “... a figure was created... known to all peoples... This is the invincible hero of the folk puppet comedy, he defeats everyone and everything: the police, the priests, even the devil and death, himself. zho remains immortal. In a crude and naive image, the working people embodied themselves and their belief that in the end, it is they who will overcome everything and everyone.”

With the advent of the 20th century, “The Comedy about Petrushka” begins to quickly collapse. The reason for this was the strict control of the authorities, which reached the point of direct persecution and bans. Petrushka's situation worsened even more when the first World War. Famine and devastation engulfed Russia; the people had no time for entertainment, and Petrushka catastrophically quickly lost its viewers. To earn a living, puppeteers are increasingly beginning to perform their comedy in front of “well-bred” children’s audiences. They are invited to children's parties, Christmas trees; in the summer they go to the dachas. Naturally, under such conditions, the text and action of many scenes inevitably changed. Petrushka was becoming almost a good boy. Now he was waving a club and simply scattering his enemies, talking politely. Common speech disappeared, and with it the individuality of the hooligan-baffler, to whom both old and young flocked. The tradition of folk puppet theater was interrupted in the 20th century.

This is interesting

The prototype of the fair doll Petrushka is a real historical figure - the favorite jester of Anna Ioannovna, the Russian Empress from 1730 to 1740. That jester's name was Pietro Mira Pedrillo, he was the son of an Italian sculptor. Pedrillo came to St. Petersburg to the court of the Empress as a musician, performing the role of buffa and playing the violin. Early in his career he had an incident with courtiers. Count Biron, the empress's favorite, invited the young musician to try himself as a court jester.

Pietro Pedrillo with this sonorous surname, natural wit and brilliant mind, was able to do a dizzying career at the court of Anna Ioannovna. He was her constant card partner, generously rewarded and treated kindly by her. The jester left Russia as a very wealthy man after the death of the Empress. His palace nicknames were varied - “Adamka”, “Antonio”, “Petrushka”. It was the last name that was given to the puppet joker of all the fairs and booths of that time. Thus, the Italian court jester became the “father” of the Russian doll, which forever remained a part of the national flavor.

And Petrushka’s appearance is by no means Russian: he has exaggeratedly large hands and head, exaggerated facial features, the face itself (carved from wood) is treated with a special plant liquid, which makes it look darker; large almond-shaped eyes and a huge nose with a hump, completely white eyeballs and a dark iris, due to which Parsley’s eyes appear black. He inherited Parsley's appearance from the Italian Pulcinella. Many people mistakenly believe that Parsley’s wide-open mouth is a smile, but this is not so; being a negative character, Petrushka constantly stretches his lips in a grin. He has four fingers on his hands (a possible symbol that Petrushka is not a person, but some character from another world).

This is what Petrushka remembers in his book “The Life of an Artist” (Memoirs, volume 2) Alexander Benois: “In fact, the first performances that I enjoyed were the performances of Petrushka.

In any case, I remember Petrushka at the dacha, when we still lived in the Cavalier Houses. Already from afar you can hear a piercing squeal, laughter and some words - all this pronounced by the Petrushechnik through a special machine, which he placed behind his cheek (the same sound can be reproduced if you close both nostrils with your finger). The motley calico screens are quickly set up, the “musician” places his barrel organ on the folding trestle, the nasal, plaintive sounds it makes are tuned to a special mood... And then a tiny and very ugly man appears above the screens. He has a huge nose, and on his head is a pointed hat with a red top. He is unusually agile and nimble, his hands are tiny, but he gestures very expressively with them, and he deftly threw his thin legs over the side of the screen. Immediately Petrushka teases the organ grinder with stupid and impudent questions....

Petrushka is courting the terribly ugly Akulina Petrovna, he proposes to her, she agrees, and both take a kind of wedding walk, holding each other tightly by the hand. But a rival appears - this is a brave, mustachioed policeman, and Akulina apparently gives him preference. Parsley, in a rage, beats the peace officer, for which he ends up as a soldier. But soldier’s teaching and discipline are not given to him, he continues to commit outrages and, horror of horrors, kills his non-commissioned officer. Here comes an unexpected interlude. For no apparent reason, two black araps, dressed in bright costumes, emerge. Each of them has a stick in their hands, which they deftly throw up, throw to each other and, finally, loudly beat each other on the wooden heads with it. The interlude is over. Parsley is on the screen again. He has become even more fidgety, even more active, he enters into daring altercations with the organ grinder, squeals, giggles, but the fatal outcome immediately follows. Suddenly, a figurine gathered into a furry ball appears next to Parsley. Parsley is extremely interested in her. He nasally asks the musician what it is, the musician replies: “it’s a lamb.” Parsley is delighted, strokes the “learned, soaked” lamb and sits astride it. The “lamb” obediently makes two or three rounds with its rider along the side of the screen, but then suddenly throws it off, straightens up and, horror of horrors, it is not a lamb at all, but the devil himself. Horned, covered in black hair, with a hooked nose and a long red tongue sticking out of his toothy mouth. The devil butts Petrushka and mercilessly tosses him, so that his arms and legs dangle in all directions, and then drags him to the underworld. Three more times, Petrushka’s pitiful body flies up from some depths, high, high, and then only his dying cry is heard and an “eerie” silence sets in...”