Honored Artist of the RSFSR Sofya Shelmenkina has died in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

      19 August 2025 16:27

      [175]

      Society

      In Nizhny Novgorod, Honored Artist of the RSFSR Sofya Shelmenkina has died at the age of 79. Her death was reported by the Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Puppet Theater, where she worked for more than half a century.

      It is known that on 7 August Sofya Sergeyevna went into the woods to pick berries in the Semyonovsky District and went missing. Volunteers from the "Rys" search-and-rescue team immediately began searching. However, two days ago it became known that the actress had been found dead.

      Sofya Shelmenkina was born in 1946. In 1965 she graduated from the Gorky Theater School, after which she worked for three years at the Stavropol Puppet Theater. In 1968 she returned to Gorky and joined the local puppet theater, where she worked for 53 years and performed more than forty roles.

      Over the years of her creative work the performer received numerous awards, diplomas and honorary certificates. In 1979 she was awarded the title "Honored Artist of the RSFSR." In 2004, on the theater's 75th anniversary, she received an honorary certificate from the Ministry of Culture of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      The theater noted that Sofya Sergeyevna possessed a rare musical ear and a subtle sense for puppetry. She was able to accurately convey the inner state of a character, achieved harmony between word and movement, and created a vivid stage embodiment.

      The editorial office of NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" extends its condolences to the family and friends of Sofya Shelmenkina.

      Earlier it was reported that Nizhny Novgorod architect Vladimir Ignatyev had died in his 87th year.

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