Old Soviet cartoons

[sowhat]

Well, something to start with. I adore old Soviet cartoons. And i also think that art (?) - literature, music, movies, etc - for children is what characterises the country and people who live there the best.
A couple for the start. Both with English subtitles.
"Варежка" - Mitten. Perhaps one of the saddest animation movies of the era. I couldn't watch it without bursting out crying when i was a kid, and it still brings tears to my eyes.

And another one, more positive, so to speak. There are English subtitles, but i'd rather translate the dialogue like this: "Is it for me? - Yes, for you. - And what for? - For nothing [just a present]".

More to follow (if anybody's interested, of course )
Cheers, SC.

[kiramdear]

Sheena, those are so cool, thanks for that.

Mitten has gotta be a classic, wonderful. I didn't find it sad, just touching.

More, please.

[lars]

Wow! Beautiful! Thanks for sharing, Sheena!

[jps]

That is a wonderful look into Russian culture, Sheena. Thanks for those!

[kiramdear]

"Варежка" - Mitten.

Sheena, how do you pronounce "ж"? The rest I can suss out from my Greek studies, "vare?ka"...

[beatlefreak]

Interesting, Sheena. A perspective on animation that we wouldn't normally see.

[sowhat]

"Варежка" - Mitten.

Sheena, how do you pronounce "ж"? The rest I can suss out from my Greek studies, "vare?ka"...

That would be the sound... well, the symbol for it in English transcription system looks similar to "з" in "dз". Ah, wait - you may know the sound from the word "garage", that'd be the final sound in the word.

[sowhat]

A couple more, both with English subtitles. These are from the "Little fox" series, from early 90s.

[kiramdear]

That would be the sound... well, the symbol for it in English transcription system looks similar to "з" in "dз". Ah, wait - you may know the sound from the word "garage", that'd be the final sound in the word.

I know which sound you refer to. We don't really use that sound much except in the French words we've appropriated or in Zsa Zsa Gabor.
I know, it's pronounced varezska for us monoglots.

Every time I see a cartoon I want a bowl of cereal and milk. "Scuse me now...

Thanks Sheena

[sowhat]

And now — my absolute favourite. There's lots of debates as to whether it's Ukrainian or Russian (and the Wolf's voice belongs to an Armenian), based on Ukrainian fairy tale, made in USSR and loved by many people here. Unfortunately, the translation (subtitles) doesn't really reflect the intonation and such.
Жил-был пёс (There once was a dog)

[kiramdear]

Nice one, Sheena

The artwork reminds me of the painter Rousseau, and the music snippets were wonderful. I love the singing style and tonalities from that part of the world. The story is not unlike Aesop, who used animals to express universal wisdom.

This is becoming my favorite thread. Brava!

[lars]

That's wonderful, Sheena! I like that it does not have a strong moral point. It's more like: you help me, I help you... And life goes on... No one is gloryfied.

[sowhat]

One more, with English subs. A true classic. There is a mistake there, though. It's not based on a "folk tale", it's based on a tale written by Sergey Kozlov, a Soviet writer (born 1939).

[doctorno]

Thank you for sharing these cartoons, Sheena. They are beautiful. I always wonder why "the Russian soul" seems to be so melancholic. Russian music, Russian movies, Russian literature - they always seem to be so sad and at the same time so beautiful ... and somehow uplifting. You do not know, if you should laugh or cry.

[sowhat]

I really couldn't say, Markus. Yes, you're absolutely right in your observation, but i cannot explain why. That's like — well, something natural, something that one adopts as a baby. "Joy and sadness walk hand in hand, but in the end, life is beautiful".