Elena Iampolskaya
Elena Alexandrovna
believes that trying to find propaganda in the Russian animated series “Masha and the Bear”, British experts forget about the “soft power” of the works of our entire culture, along with the works of Western culture.
“Yes, “soft power”. So what? Just like all of our richest culture: from the spiritual heights of Pushkin and Tolstoy to the comedies of Ryazanov and Gaidai. From Tchaikovsky and Levitan to children's cartoons. The same way as Shakespeare and Dickens, the Beatles and the Queen, Mr. Bean and Bridget Jones remain a soft but very powerful force,” the Committee Head stated.
“We always remember that not only Russian culture is part of world culture, but, perhaps more importantly, world culture is naturally included in Russian culture. We must be able to love the talented and admire the talented regardless of its nationality,” she believes.
“The success of the series “Masha and the Bear” and its characters show that in the 21st-century Russian culture still has something that can interest people all over the world. We are proud of this and see no reason to hide it,” said Elena Iampolskaya.
The parliamentarian reminded that “Masha and the Bear” is among the five most recognizable cartoons in Europe. 88% of Italian children and almost half of the German children know these characters. The English-speaking channel “Masha and the Bear” has 4 million regular subscribers.
According to Elena Iampolskaya, thanks to claims to “Masha and the Bear”, we understand how the West sees Russia, as a “charming and intelligent, determined and practical, inquisitive and tireless, modern, emancipated and at the same time deeply rooted in the tradition, and most importantly who domesticated very serious force.“ “This force lovingly helps us overcome mistakes, teaches us, protects and preserves us. Each of us calls this force in its own way. But, it seems to me, it is this explicit patronage of Russia that so angers our Western partners. And ”Masha and the Bear“ is just an excuse. And we should not be angry or be offended because of this,” the member of the State Duma concluded.
