At Kundura Sinema, we continue to present themed selections under the #kundurasinemaizliyor banner. This time, we take a close look at 6 cartoons from the Soviet era, which left its mark on film history, featuring a range of adventurous and lovable characters, with English subtitles. Let’s explore together the inspiration this striking period gave its animation artists and the works that emerged from it.

GENA THE CROCODILE

Written by Eduard Uspensky in 1966, the story of Cheburashka became a phenomenon in the country when it was presented in 1969 in 4 episodes of 20 minutes each. It begins with Cheburashka’s arrival in the Soviet Union in a crate of oranges. Turned away from the zoo by scientists, Cheburashka meets a cultured crocodile named Gena, and this wonderful story of friendship sets sail for adventures full of songs that will never grow old.

A BAG FULL OF APPLES

This 1974 cartoon tells of a hare’s efforts to bring a bag full of apples to his 4 children waiting at home, while getting past many dangerous creatures in the forest, such as a bear, a wolf and a crow. It shows how the hare’s kindness and generosity fill the hearts of both the dangerous forest dwellers and the viewers with love.

HEDGEHOG IN THE FOG

A hedgehog whose favorite pastime is watching the stars and drinking tea with his friend the bear finds himself drawn into a whirlwind of life, death and friendship when, one day, fog descends and erases that familiar landscape. In this 1975 animation, our hero begins his adventure by first seeing an owl; then, frightened by a white horse in the fog and a shadow resembling an elephant, he feels he must keep going to reach his closest friend.

THE THREE FROM PROSTOKVASHINO

A boy nicknamed “Uncle Fyodor” wants to take home a cat named Matroskin one day, but his parents object. The two run away from home and meet a stray dog named Sharik along the way. While his parents search for Fyodor, they settle in a village called Prostokvashino and find themselves in the middle of comic adventures. Full of life, this production, based on Eduard Uspensky’s novel, was released in 1978.

THE WOLF AND THE HARE

Begun in 1969 as the Soviet Union’s Tom and Jerry, this production was voted the best cartoon of all time and continued until 2006. In this cartoon, which even inspired many computer games, a hare has mischievous adventures while escaping from a pipe-smoking wolf.

THE RUSSIAN WINNIE THE POOH

The honey-loving bear created by A.A. Milne, known and loved by everyone, appears this time in his Soviet version as Vinni-Pukh. Of this 3-episode series made in 1969, Wolfgang Reitherman, who created the Disney version and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, said, “The Soviet version is much better than mine.”