A group of politicians have written an open letter to UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, demanding that the Russian animated series Masha and the Bear be removed from streaming services.
According to the BBC’s Russian service, the letter was signed by 50 members of parliament from six parties – including the Labor Party, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, members of the Scottish National Party and the Welsh party Plaid Cymru.
The animated series, according to them, is propaganda and “not very subtle”. The deputies were dissatisfied with one episode in which Masha, trying to guard the garden of the Bear, first put on a hat with a blue ribbon and a red star (similar to those worn by NKVD officers), and then a tank driver’s helmet.
British MPs reminded the culture minister that the NKVD was responsible for the mass deportations, executions and persecution of tens of millions of Soviet citizens. They claim that the animated series “actively normalizes the Soviet military aesthetic for a global youth audience”.
The authors of the open letter noted that “Masha and the Bear” had previously been criticized by authorities in other European countries
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhkna, for example, recently called the animated series “part of the Kremlin’s soft power, injecting pro-Kremlin, militaristic imagery into children’s entertainment while normalizing Russian aggression and imperial ambitions.”
In the UK, Masha and the Bear airs on Netflix and the streaming service ITVX, owned by British broadcaster ITV. “British parents have a right to expect that the content reaching their children through licensed platforms has been properly vetted, particularly where our allies have raised legitimate concerns about state propaganda,” the authors of the letter stressed.
Animaccord Studios, the studio that produced Masha and the Bear, denies accusations of spreading Russian propaganda. Studio representatives emphasized that Animaccord has permanently withdrawn from Russia as of 2025 and that the production of the animated series has not received any Russian state funding.
The series “Masha and the Bear” has been broadcast since 2009. Seven seasons have been produced so far, and the last one will be broadcast in 2025. In addition to Netflix, the series is broadcast on TV channels and streaming services in the United States, Canada, Germany, Greece, France and other countries.
The Russian production sparked heated debate among Russian politicians, political scientists and writers in November last year. The most successful animated series in Russia, “Masha and the Bear,” was at risk of being banned because it contradicted traditional values. Masha, the main character of the series, was accused of capricious behavior and promoting a dangerous model of independence. A Russian political scientist criticized little Masha. According to him, the four-year-old girl actually contradicts traditional Russian values because she is capricious and lives alone, which contradicts the Kremlin’s ideology, which does not imagine an autonomous little girl who does not submit to male authority. The most watched preschool series in the world, “Masha and the Bear,” is not the only one that has caused discontent among the political class. For example, “Winnie the Pooh” caused discontent in China because it was claimed that the main character too closely resembles President Xi Jinping.
Illustrative photo: pexels-suju-10550019
