Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
It is not the first time the world-famous children’s show is under fire for promoting pro-Kremlin narratives.
Children around the world spend millions of hours watching cheerful animated characters play on screen.
Yet behind the innocent music and bright slapstick comedy, digital entertainment can quickly turn into a fierce geopolitical battlefield.
One of the most popular children’s cartoons, Masha and the Bear, is broadcast globally on Netflix and YouTube, but now Ukraine is sanctioning the creators behind the show for being a threat to national security.
Targeting the toon
Ukraine has officially imposed strict sanctions on the creators behind one of the most famous children’s shows on the internet. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a formal decree targeting the key figures responsible for “Masha and the Bear” after officials concluded the show poses a direct threat to national security.
The legal measures directly hit Animaccord Animation Studio, the main production company behind the series. Ukrainian authorities also sanctioned the studio’s founder, chief executive, director, screenwriter, and co-producer.
Officials in Kyiv accused the worldwide hit of doing much more than simply entertaining toddlers. They claim the series helps generate revenue for the Russian government while subtly spreading Kremlin political narratives across international streaming platforms.
“We must respond separately to Russian propaganda, especially when it is aimed at children and is distributed through large international platforms,” said Vladyslav Vlasyuk, sanctions policy adviser to Zelensky.
Representatives from the studio rejected the allegations, calling them “false and defamatory.”
Not the first scrutiny
Friction over the show reached outside Ukraine earlier this summer. According to The Moscow Times, a group of British lawmakers wrote an open letter asking U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to push streaming platforms to pull the show, alleging that several episodes contain subtle propaganda.
Moscow also chimed in, with Kremlin officials blasting the new sanctions on Friday last week, claiming that taking action against a harmless children’s cartoon “shows once again the ugliness of the Kyiv regime.”
“Masha and the Bear” takes its basic inspiration from a traditional Russian folktale. Since launching, the show has broken global streaming records, turning into one of the most viewed animated franchises in the history of YouTube.
