New Year’s Special: Putin Joins Animated Adventures in Prostokvashino

The Russian streaming service Okko premiered a special New Year episode of the beloved children’s animated series «Prostokvashino» on Friday, featuring an animated version of President Vladimir Putin.

In this episode, the characters head to Moscow’s Red Square to ring in the New Year. Matroskin the cat and Sharik the dog debate whether the president records his annual holiday message ahead of time or delivers it live.

While in Red Square, they meet Putin, and Sharik invites him to share New Year greetings with the Russian people.

The character of animated Putin is voiced by actor Dmitry Grachev, who is recognized for his portrayal of the Russian leader on the show «Comedy Club.»

Earlier this year, Yuliana Slashcheva, the chair of the animation studio Soyuzmultfilm, which creates «Prostokvashino,» hinted at the animated Putin’s appearance, suggesting that the series might contribute to enhancing Russia’s «soft power» internationally.

«Prostokvashino,» which started in 2018, continues the tale of the well-known Soviet-era cartoon inspired by Eduard Uspensky’s children’s stories from the 1970s. It is set in the made-up village of Prostokvashino, meaning «sour milk» in Russian.