A special New Year’s episode of the popular Russian children’s cartoon series “Prostakvashination” featured an animated portrayal of President Vladimir Putin, released by the streaming platform okko on friday.
The episode depicts the characters traveling to Moscow’s Red Square to celebrate the New Year, where the cat Matroskin and the dog Sharik debate whether the president records his annual holiday address live or in advance.
While on Red Square, Sharik asks putin to join them in congratulating the citizens of Russia on the New Year.
Actor Dmitry Grachev, known for his parody of the Russian leader on the show Comedy Club, provides the voice for the animated Putin.
“Prostakvashination” originally aired in the Soviet era. The new episode marks a notable inclusion of a current political figure into the established world of the cartoon.
Earlier this year, Yuliana Slashcheva, chairwoman of the animation studio Soyuzmultfilm-which produces “Prostoccinino”-teased Putin’s appearance, suggesting the series could bolster Russia’s “soft power” internationally.
Launched in 2018, “Prostakvashination” is a continuation of a beloved Soviet-era cartoon, itself based on the 1970s children’s stories by Eduard Uspensky.The series unfolds in the fictional village of Prostokvashino, a name that translates from Russian as “sour milk.”
