It is generally accepted that foreign cinema outperforms domestic cinema in many ways, and in a sense this is true, but there are also striking exceptions to the rule. For example, some Soviet and Russian cartoons are notably popular with foreign viewers – they like the unique approach to creating a setting and storyline, unusual characters, smooth animations, and a general concept that Hollywood projects have long since abandoned. Moreover, some Soviet cartoons are so good that, based on them, many cult figures of this market not only grew up, but also formed their own vision.
Hedgehog in the Fog (1975)
- IMDb – 8.2 out of 10 points.
Almost fifty years ago, Yuri Norshtein at the Soyuzmultfilm studio created a reference Soviet cartoon about the Hedgehog, who went to visit his friend Bear cub, but got lost because of the fog and ended up in an amazing world with beautiful creatures. The story was based on the story of Sergei Kozlov, reworking it into a script, and for the filming itself, the director used tiered scenery (the fog effect was created precisely thanks to them). The foreign audience liked the cartoon so much that in 2003 in Japan at the Laputa festival it was recognized as the best animated film of all time.
“Shorts like this remind us that cartoons don’t need big budgets or modern technology to be good.” — lee_eisenberg.
“This is a deep philosophical story about the search for something new and unknown… This is a grand Hymn to Friendship, Courage and Curiosity. I love this great movie. It’s incredible…” — terraplane.
Smeshariki (2003–2012)
- IMDb – 7.7 out of 10 points.
A completely unique animated series, which was originally created as part of the educational Russian project “A World Without Violence” – the main characters, in fact, promote this topic. Amazing spherical anthropomorphic characters with funny names since 2003 find themselves in various difficult situations, cope with difficulties and along the way talk about important everyday topics. It turned out to be a very bright project with a lot of funny and instructive stories that will be of interest to both the younger generation and quite adult people with an already formed life position.
“Kind, witty, interesting, a little philosophical series for the whole family. Funny stories about brave heroes I like to watch no less than my little sister, ”- BiiivAL.
“So funny and interesting! The kids love it, and the adults too. Each episode has charming and well developed characters and a well thought out plot. This series should become a classic.” — rustem.
Snow Queen (1957)
- IMDb – 7.6 out of 10 points.
Back in 1957, Soviet animators set themselves an incredible task – they decided to draw a full-length film based on the fairy tale “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen, telling the original story (consisting of 7 stories) in one go. The task, of course, was not an easy one, especially given the overall timing of the picture, but the artists coped with the film adaptation. Moreover, the result exceeded all expectations – the cartoon collected a lot of awards, influenced the work of Hayao Miyazaki and is considered the most popular Soviet animated film among foreign audiences.
“The animation is simple but very effective. The backgrounds and colors are nice and the characters are well drawn. What really impressed me is the animation of the Snow Queen herself, her appearance alone makes her icy and intimidating. The music is just amazing, sometimes beautiful, sometimes haunting, sometimes melancholy.” – TheLittleSongbird
“This is a film adaptation of a fairy tale, but adults will also like the film. The visual style is very different from Disney and modern cartoons. You really immerse yourself in the story and show empathy for all the characters, which is something that is not present in modern projects. – frenchlerner.
Cheburashka (1971)
- IMDb – 8.0 out of 10 points.
The authors of this cartoon created a unique and incredibly cute living creature, which in the blink of an eye sunk into the hearts of viewers both in the USSR and abroad. For example, the Japanese liked Cheburashka so much (they call him “Chiba”) that in 2003, at the international animation fair, the Japanese media giant SP International bought the rights to distribute cartoons with this character in his country from Soyuzmultfilm until 2023. All thanks to the friendship of the crocodile Gena, fluffy ears of Cheburashka and a simple plot that relaxes, but conveys the general essence of the story.
“Little Cheburashka is known to everyone in the countries of the former Soviet Union, and even if its popularity has not reached the Western world, it is still a cartoon worth watching for connoisseurs of high-quality animation, if only because it is completely different, unique,” Horst_In_Translation.
Tale of Tales (1979)
- IMDb – 7.9 out of 10 points.
A truly amazing piece of cinematic art that was decades ahead of the market in terms of story. In this cartoon, the top from fairy tales observes various events taking place in different eras, traveling through a whole heap of tangled memories, studying the past and the future, real events and fictional ones, childhood dreams and reflections of an adult with a baggage of life experience. At the same time, literally every character has a soul and character, every scene is attractive and interesting, and the general concept in the spirit of Andrei Tarkovsky catches the viewer of any age and nationality.
“This is one of the most beautiful and captivating short films. I really liked the animation and music. After watching The Hedgehog in the Fog, I was very interested in Russian animation, but especially short cartoons by Yuri Norshtein,” Rectangular_businessman.
“Norshtein is known as a perfectionist – he only has six films on his resume (they all together last less than 80 minutes), but every minute is perfection in itself. Norstein puts a piece of his heart into every frame. He is an Artist and Humanist – one of the best directors of all time, and not only in animation,” – Galina_movie_fan.
The Old Man and the Sea (1999)
- IMDb – 8.1 out of 10 points.
That rare case when it is not so much the story itself that is important (the cartoon is based on the story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway), but how exactly the author presents it. Alexander Petrov, a Russian screenwriter and animator, worked on the project for two and a half years, drawing characters and scenery with brushes and fingers on glass. It turned out so well that the project became the first cartoon to be shown in an IMAX cinema, and it also won an Oscar for best short film and many other honorary awards around the world. A unique in its kind representative of the genre, which is simply impossible to pass by.
“Seamless animation and waves of beautiful marine images take us on an amazing journey. One of the best examples of short animation I’ve ever seen.” — Hitchcoc.
“While the author certainly does a good job of telling Hemingway’s story, it’s essentially a feast for the eyes. The oil on glass technique makes colors jump off the screen. This short film is definitely a work of art by any definition.” — llltdesq.
Once upon a time there was a dog (1982)
- IMDb – 8.2 out of 10 points.
A Soviet cartoon with instructive overtones, which was parsed into memes long before the very concept of “memes” was accepted into use. And all thanks to two bright characters – the Dog, who, due to old age, was kicked out of his home in the forest, and the Wolf, who helps his new comrade pull off a tricky kidnapping with a happy ending (and this is only half of the adventures that befell the shaggy friends). The creators of the cartoon, in fact, drew a reference farm with all the characteristic features, characters and customs – perhaps this is what the foreign audience liked, which is watching “Once upon a time there was a dog” to this day.
“Probably the best Soviet cartoon. Inexpressible and untranslatable magic shines in every frame of this masterpiece. I highly recommend this to every person.” — Maksik.
“The combination of beautiful animation and touching moralizing makes Once Upon a Time a Dog one of the best Russian animated shorts I have ever seen,” ackstasis.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (1941–1975)
- IMDb – 7.1 out of 10 points.
The cartoon, created on the basis of the Russian fairy tale of the same name by Pyotr Ershov, was so liked by Walt Disney (yes, the same one) that he repeatedly showed it to his artists so that they could adopt the features and unique style of Russian artists. The storyline, however, does not lag behind the visual component either – a lot of bright events, memorable characters and fictional creatures allow you to plunge headlong into the adventures of an ordinary guy from the village. No wonder the original fairy tale was translated into 27 languages and published with a total circulation of 7 million copies – there is something in it.
“This film is truly magical. With an amazing story, an extremely likable protagonist, mesmerizing visuals and poetic language, this is like something from another realm, a truly magical world. I loved him both as a child and as an adult. The perfect cartoon.” — e_k_cinephile.
Wait for it! (1969–2017)
- IMDb – 8.6 out of 10 points.
It is hard to imagine a modern Russian-speaking person who would not know about the wolf and the hare from Nu, Pogodi!, but in fact this animated series is also adored outside the CIS countries. The project boasts the highest ratings on all major rating platforms, a host of international awards, a sea of references in literature and even video games, its own line of commemorative coins from the Bank of Russia, and main characters recognizable around the world. And although they recently decided to restart the franchise (very unsuccessfully), the original stories in the spirit of Tom and Jerry will forever remain in the treasury of Soviet cinema.
“This is the best cartoon ever released in the USSR. It’s like Tom and Jerry, and you don’t even need to understand Russian to enjoy the story.” – werdnak.
“I first saw this TV show when I was about 5 years old, now I’m 18 and I can still laugh at the first episode, even with its ‘old fashioned’ jokes” – matthew-shats.
Masha and the Bear (2007–…)
- IMDb – 7.5 out of 10 points.
Most Russian or Soviet cartoons attracted the attention of foreign audiences with unusual settings, characters, plots, or drawing styles. But the creators of “Masha and the Bear” went further, showing the whole world that Russian animators could well create 3D projects with incredible detail of characters, objects, and the virtual world. Of course, they also did a good job on the plot and characters, but the visual style and quality level turned out to be so worthy that even American viewers, accustomed to modern Disney creativity, express their respect to the Russian cartoon.
“I was very impressed with the quality of the animation and the attention to detail. Once again, the Russians have proven their understanding of animation media,” vawlkee_2000.
“Each episode is a surprise that we never tire of revisiting countless times. Series for all ages! My husband and I have chosen our favorite animated series of all time,” alphaborealis.
Source: Trash Box
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