Valery Shadsky was born on February 22, 1949. After getting his degree at the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema, he worked at puppet theatres in Vologda and Arkhangelsk.

He is the current artistic director of the Ryazan Regional Puppet Theatre. He has directed more than 80 performances in Russia and abroad, has written multiple play adaptations for puppet theatre and was engaged in teaching.

In 1989, Shadsky initiated the first festival “Ryazanskiye Smotriny”, which is now one of the most significant International Puppet Festivals in Russia.

In 2002, he was elected President of the UNIMA Russia National Center, and has represented the puppeteers of his country abroad for many years. He is an Honorary UNIMA member (since 2016) and a member of UNIMA’s International Council.

“Why do people go to the theatre? That is the question. After all, we often heard the theatre is dying. As cinema appeared – they said that the theatre would die, as television appeared, they said that the theatre would die, now the Internet has appeared, but the theatre still does not die. And it will not die, because it is a miraculous form of human communication, which cannot be replaced by any gadget. And doctors say that a person needs tactile sensations, so that one’s aura comes in contact with another. A good theatre is a theatre with good artists, and good artists are those who spread good energy, are engaging and charismatic. This is why people go to the theatre”, – V. Shadsky.