State puppet theater, Puppet theatre in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The State Puppet Theatre is a theatre in Almaty, Kazakhstan, housed in a multi-story building with several performance halls dedicated to different styles of puppet shows. The halls vary in size, making it possible to stage both small and larger productions under the same roof.

Founded on 10 October 1935 by order of the Kazakh ASSR Central Executive Committee, the theatre opened with Kazakh and Russian troupes. Its first shows, "Aldar-Kose" and "Otegen Batyr", were staged by A. Fedorchenko and A. Ancharov, with music by Boris Yerzakovich and Latif Khamidi. In 1938 it became the Republican Puppet Theatre, the oldest in Kazakhstan. Since the mid-1980s it has occupied the 1910 former Public Assembly building of Verny.

The theatre's roots lie in the Kazakh game Orteke, in which a carved wooden figure of an antelope or horse is made to dance on strings while a dombra is played. Kazakh and Russian troupes have worked side by side since the theatre opened, and performances use hand, rod, string and shadow puppets.

The theatre puts on shows for different age groups, including performances aimed at children and family audiences. Checking the programme in advance helps you find the right show for your group and plan your visit accordingly.

The theatre keeps a collection of handcrafted figures representing characters from Kazakh folk tradition and Central Asian mythology, and these puppets are used in regular performances rather than simply displayed. This means visitors can see the same figures they might spot backstage or on display actually brought to life on stage.