That's how, once, a fairy tale about a theater for children was born in one person's mind, which would give faith in miracles. Well, everyone who reads fairy tales will surely confirm that sooner or later they turn into reality. It happened this time as well...In late 1958 on a sunny spring Sunday, the premiere of the first state puppet theater in Lithuania was performed - the play "Aladdin's Magical Lamp", as if giving us a hint about the fulfillment of the wishes of ordinary people.Who was this ordinary extraordinary man whose wishes were granted by a genie and how challenging was his journey to his dream?!This is Stasys Ratkevičius (1917 – 2010) and his faithful companion in life, his wife Valerija Gruodytė – Ratkevičienė (1916 – 2004).More: The founder of the theater was attracted to music from a young age. He learned to play the violin, piano, and organ very early. Later, he became seriously interested in medicine, entered the institute, but, as he has said, "he was still seduced by music", therefore, not afraid to follow his heart, he began his studies at the State Conservatory, the Vilnius Drama Studio, and sang in the philharmonic choir.Having started his creative career in the Klaipėda Drama Theater, with no shortage of successful roles and directorial works, S. Ratkevičius nurtured his unquenchable dream - to found a theater for children. "While traveling on tour routes, the great desire of children to watch theater performances was extremely exciting. Gathering in groups at the entrance to the hall, they pestered the doorman for hours with their constant prayer: "Uncle, let me in!" But there were no opportunities for that. Most of the plays are intended only for adults, and the time of the performances is quite late. They need their own theater... Comprehensible and children's, I decided. It is absolutely necessary!", - the founder of the puppet theater S. Ratkevičius writes in his memoirs about the reason that determined the chosen path.in 1956 After leaving half a dozen created roles and several directed plays in Klaipėda, putting dolls in boxes for a trial performance, Stasys and his wife Valerija, who refused roles in the Klaipėda drama theater that many actors could only dream of, the future King of Fairytale Land, came to work in Marijampolė (then - Kapsukas). and in the home theater began to realize long cherished ideas. So slowly the secret dream of his heart began to take shape."Creation for children should be accompanied by joy and affirmation of good, and the form should serve the content" - he thought.in 1957 The premiere of the pilot puppet show "Enchanted Clogs" took place. And already in 1958, S. Ratkevičius became the manager of the newly established Puppet Theater. It was this year that the audience saw the director's first performance "The Magical Lamp of Aladdin" (about the first year of work in Marijampolė - excerpts from the memoirs of actress O.I. Stankevičienė).1960 the theater moved to Kaunas, to the premises of the "Odeon" cinema built between the wars (in the Soviet era - "Baltija", "Pionierius").This was the beginning of his long and wonderful journey…During his long life full of miracles, discoveries, crossroads and disappointments, S. Ratkevičius directed about four dozen puppet shows (I. Štok's "Devil's Mill", V. Mayakovsky's "Mystery Buf", P. Mančev's "Bunny School", S. Nėries "Eglė - queen of snakes", "Spindulėlis" by A. Popescu, "I'm looking for a flute" by J. Degutytė, "Johnny" by S. Ratkevičiaus (based on the tales of J. Biliūnas), which won international recognition and opened the way for Lithuanian puppeteers to foreign stages, fascinated thousands of children and adults who visited the smallest towns in Lithuania and reached Latin America (S. Ratkevičius' memoirs about theater and creative activities).But the hero of no fairy tale overcomes trials alone...