From: "Robert Rogers" <robertrogers-AT-robertrogerspuppets.com>
To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:12:54 -0500
Subject: [Puptcrit] Nikolai Shishkin


I recently reported the death of puppet theater director Nikolai Shishkin, who was back in Russia to direct a production for the Obraztsov company.  He had been attacked in October and lay in a coma for a month.  John and Carol Potocnik of the Catskill Puppet Theater was in touch with his family, and sent me this e-mail:


     Galina (his wife) called us Sunday morning about the wake.   We didn't really get a chance to talk much to the family because it was structured so that people got up and spoke about Nikolai.  There was a sign up saying that he was beaten by 'strangers' but then picked up in an 'ambulance' and taken away to parts unknown for 22 hours before he finally was brought to the hospital.  Galina bribed an administrator to read his records and found out that he had come out of his coma on Nov. 11th but nobody had told her.  She got up at the wake and asked  "What did he know? What did he find out?" So I guess her theory is he "knew too much".  He wasn't robbed so it's all pretty mysterious.  


Galina said that the Russian Mafia made it really difficult to bring him home, but Dasha (his daughter) didn't want to leave him there in Russia. That's about all I know so far.  It's really a sad and scary situation.

Robert Rogers  
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