Russian animated series “Masha and the Bear” accused “Kremlin propaganda” and called tool “soft power” Russia. This was stated by British Professor Anthony Glees of the University of Buckingham, Pichette Gazeta The Times.
The newspaper quotes the professor, who declared, a cartoon character named Masha has an assertive and unpleasant character, but at the same time she is determined and takes on a lot. According to Glis, Masha “behave like Putin”. With regard to the Bear, the professor stated, that this character is Russia “trying to change his image in the children's mind from negative to positive”.
Previously, the teacher of Tallinn University Priita Hybemägi saw a threat to the national security of Estonia in the image of the Bear., who also announced Russia's attempt “with this character to change a negative image to a positive one”. Lithuanian critics were embarrassed by the USSR border guard's cap worn on Masha's head in one of the series. In their opinion, this “Moscow demonstrated the protection of its borders”. Lithuanian political scientist Laurynas Kasciunas called the animated series “Masha and the Bear” new weapon of the Kremlin and declared, that some messages are encrypted in it, that allegedly influence the audience and make it think in a certain direction. And the Italian newspaper La Stampa wrote in its material, what “Masha hides Putin's tanks under her skirt. She is a Trojan horse, designed to hypnotize the children of the enemy”.
Despite statements from various “fighters against Russian propaganda”, among the English-speaking children's audience, the Russian cartoon is very popular. Total views “Masha and the Bear” is more than forty billion.
