Russian Web Animation at Its Best · Global Voices
Masyanya travels to Budapest. Episode 121. YouTube.
When you think of Russia, what springs to mind? Perhaps your head floods with visions of rocket scientists, KGB badges, vodka, borsch, <PERSON>, and so on. Even the culturally inclined are likely to think of ballet or literature before considering Russian Web animation, but it’s in this latter field that the Russian Internet has achieved something brilliant.
For more than a decade, <PERSON> has produced a Flash-animation cartoon called “Masyanya.” The Web series is named after its main character, a St. Petersburg woman in her early twenties. A punk and an anarchist in her youth, <PERSON> is a mother of two by adulthood.
According to <PERSON>, the first installments of his cartoon were meant as a private joke between friends. Then, in September 2002, <PERSON>, a popular television host, approached <PERSON> with the opportunity to broadcast episodes of Masyanya at the end of his TV show. The partnership lasted just one season, but the exposure created a fan base for Masyanya.
It’s difficult to explain Masyanya’s massive popularity in Russia. 880
The cartoon is unique in many ways. It centers on <PERSON> and her two friends, <PERSON> and <PERSON>, and provides an offbeat look at familiar, everyday situations. The language spoken on the show is witty and colloquial, and <PERSON>’s animation boasts some impressive graphics.
(<PERSON> prepares the morning coffee.)
The show’s protagonist is undoubtedly its greatest appeal. <PERSON> is an incurable optimist, prone to making philosophical observations in any situation. <PERSON>, an author at Feminismandreligion.com, argues that <PERSON>’s lifestyle is a cross between Buddhism and Feminism. <PERSON> ignores various social conventions, instead following her own philosophy. She is unorthodox: <PERSON>’s wedding is modest, but she celebrates her divorce like a marriage ceremony, bemusing her friends to no end. When money gets tight, <PERSON> doesn’t sell her things or find a second job—she invests in a bookshop that has no cashier, where all the books are on sale at whatever price customers name.
(Oops! More misadventures from <PERSON>.)
For a time, Masyanya had a whole production team, with several animators, though the show has returned to its roots, with <PERSON> writing, animating, and voicing everything by himself. New episodes appear on the program’s official website, where visitors can also find comic strips, games, and ringtones based on the <PERSON> show. 285