Check out this interesting article from Voices of Russia about the Museum of the Demeny Puppet Theatre and it’s exhition of puppets that were used in shows during the blockade of Leningrad.
Excerpt:
By January 1942, only 10 people were left in the theatre troupe. Some went to the front; some were killed by the bombing. When the actors were evacuated, they thought on how to preserve their unique props and puppets. Ms Kostina said, “Even in the darkest days of the blockade, we preserved our marionettes. Despite the terrible cold, not one doll was burnt in the stove for heat, even though they were all made of wood. Yes, we burnt scenery, and we burnt anything that we could get our hands on, anything but our precious dolls. When our actors were evacuated, you could take only 10 kilogrammes (22 pounds) as baggage, and everyone who left took their dolls with them”.