Master of Movement. 3

A.V. Shiryayev (1867-1941) is a unique and multifaceted figure in the history of Russian culture. He is primarily known to the international public for his achievements in ballet: an outstanding character and grotesque dancer at the Imperial stage, assistant choreographer Marius Petipa, founder of the discipline “Character Dance” at the choreographic school, co-author of the first textbook on character and folk dance worldwide, organizer and artistic director of the first Russian ballet troupe in Western Europe. However, half a century after his death, a unique film archive was discovered, revealing another significant achievement by A.V. Shiryayev. It turned out that even before the release of Russia's first movie in 1908, in 1906, A.V. Shiryayev, fascinated by the technical and artistic possibilities of cinema, began shooting documentary, everyday life, comic, drawn, and puppet films. He did this not for commercial purposes but for himself and his loved ones. This archive, as well as the twists and turns of fate, personal qualities, and artistic accomplishments of A.V. Shiryayev, will be explored in the research documentary film "Master of Movement."