Soviet Animation Classics
Soviet Animation - Unbeatable Classic!
Russian Animation from Soviet times passes on the message of love and care so well to any child who watches it.
I grew up in the former USSR (Lithuania) watching awesome Russian cartoons! (multiki). I'm so happy and grateful for that, it's incredible just how much their influenced me and shaped my taste, and just how amazing and diverse they were.
The cartoons illustrate the values Soviet kids were taught: friendship, respect for elders, compassion, love for country, and love for parents. This is just a part of every little kid's life that grew up the Soviet Union. And also they were all made with incredible care, love and talent.
It brings back my entire childhood...
Any kid who grew up in the former USSR knows this by heart. Cartoon characters were second parents, teaching children good and being much more complex that one could see from the first glance.
Every time I watch "Yozhik v tumane" or "Bremenskie muzykanty", I cannot help admiring its beautiful and original technique and finding some new ideas that enrich my life with fresh impressions.
I create this lens about these very nice little films to bring back the nicest memories of my childhood. Mostly it will be animation videos from YouTube and some series with English subtitles.
Soviet Animation
with English subtitles
Little Mammoth's Mother - Mama Dlya Mamontenka
I always cry when I watch this cartoon or hear the song from it. This film is about a little mammoth who finds a mother.
Hedgehog In The Fog - Yozhik v Tumane
Hedgehog is on his way to visit Bear cub, to sit and count the stars, their nightly ritual. On the way however, he is distracted by the sight of a beautiful white horse in the fog, and curious about the nature of this strange world, ventures into it, becoming hopelessly lost in the process.
Umka (Oom-ka) - Umka
Nice cartoon about one little polar bear.
Ну погоди! Nu Pogodi! Just You Wait! episode 19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ6e86WIRUg
The series follows the comical adventures of an artistic and mischievous wolf trying to catch (and presumably eat) the hare. The series usually takes place in Moscow, but other episodes have been set in other places in the Soviet Union and beyond (an example would be an "exotic island" in Episode #17). Like Tom and Jerry, the series has additional characters that usually either help the hare or interfere with the wolf's plans.
Winnie Pooh Goes Visiting - Vinni Puh Idet v Gosti
Chapter 2 of the Soviet version of Winnie the Pooh (1971).
The Soviet Vinni may be drawn more simply, but comes across as more real, more complex, and wiser than his Disney counterpart. This is truly a masterpiece of Soviet animation, and may change the way you see Vinni.
Baby Coon - Kroshka Enot
Just a smile and a gloomy day goes bright
Just a smile and a rainbow wakes up in the sky
Share your smile
And it will get back to you not once...
There Once Was A Dog - Zhyl byl pios
Adapted from a Ukrainian folk tale, Eduard Nazarov's short film tells of a dog who has become too old to be of use to his human family, yet they keep him because they are kindly. Things come to a head though when his deafness prevents him from hearing a burglar, and he is kicked out into the forest. Here we meets with an old wolf who he used to hunt, and the two of them hatch a plot to get the dog back into the villagers' good books. Later he returns the favour by sneaking the hungry wolf into a wedding banquet.
Mitten - Varezhka
A very nice puppet cartoon.
Travels of an Ant - Puteshestvie Muravja
This clip about an ant who gets blown away with the wind from its home and the adventures it goes through in desparately trying to find its way back.
Karlson Returns - Karlson Vernulsia
Second and final cartoon in a hugely popular series in Russia based on Astrid Lidgren's story "Karlson on the Roof"
Cinderella - Zolushka
Winnie Pooh
Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
The Bremen Musicians - Bremenskie Muzykanty
Cheburashka
Based on books written by Eduard Uspensky, this stop-motion animated series follows the adventures of the loveable, big-eared creature, Cheburashka, and his friends, Crocodile Genady and Old Lady Shapocliak - three of the most popular animated characters ever produced by Moscow's famed Soyuzmultfilm Studio.
The Hunch Back Horse - Konjek-Gorbunok
A lovely story of a Hunchbacked Horse by Pyotr Ershov.
Soviet Animation
without English subtitles
By the Road with Clouds! - Po Doroge s Oblakami
A very nice cartoon "By the road with clouds", 1984. A little tiger and a monkey took a walk in a cloudy day! The cartoon has a very beautiful songs :). It's without subtitles but we hope you will still enjoy this kind cartoon!
Little Lion and Turtle
New Year Night - Novogodnyaya noch
Good Night, Kids - Spokoynoy nochi, malyshi!
I used to watch Russian Cartoons on special children's program "Good Night, Kids", almost every evening before going to sleep.
I remember that program presenter was always joined on-set by one or two puppet characters.
The most regularly appearing puppets were Khryusha (a piglet), Stepashka (a hare), Philya (a dog). The presenter engages the puppets in a short conversation or helps them to perform a quick activity such as cleaning up the puppets' toys, or learning a moral lesson.
After a minute or two the presenter was introducing a short cartoon. The cartoon usually lasted about five minutes and was often taken from the Soyuzmultfilm stock.
After the cartoon the presenter and puppets return for a few seconds to say "Spokoinoi nochi, malyshi", or a variant thereof, and wave goodnight. The lullaby "Sleep, tired toys" opens and closes each segment, accompanied by elaborate clay animation.
Sleep, Tired Toys - Spyat Ustalye Igrushki
When I was a child, I used to believe that my toys were alive at night, when I was sleeping :) I used to hear this lullaby every night before going to sleep. It was comforting me, that toys were tired too and were goin to sleep during the night... :)
English translation of the song:
Tired toys and books are sleeping
Blankets and pillows wait for children
Even the fairy tale goes to bed
So that we can dream it at night
Close your eyes, rock-a-bye
Rock-a-bye, all people must sleep at night
Rock-a-bye, tomorrow will be another day
We have gotten very tired today
So let us tell everyone "good night"
Close your eyes, rock-a-bye...
Russian Folk Tales
Which ones were your favourite?