Top 55 Soviet & Russian Animated Films
by teokir | created - 15 Apr 2018 | updated - 15 Apr 2018 | Publicby Teremov
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1. The Hunchback Horse (1947)
57 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
Adventures of Ivan the Fool and humpbacked horse in the world of kind magical creatures and cruel people.
Directors: Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya, Viktor Gromov, Ivan Ivanov-Vano | Stars: Georgi Chernovolenko, Alik Kachanov, Anatoliy Kubatskiy, Georgiy Millyar
Votes: 1,150
Traditional animation. Based on the classic satirical poem The Hunchedback Horse about Ivan and his magic horse who run errands for a Tsar. Highly regarded by Walt Disney, it was later redrawn from scratch, with 15 minutes added.
2. The Mystery of the Third Planet (1981)
48 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
Zoologist professor Steel, his small daughter Christine and captain Green leave Earth in search for rare space animals. The journey turns into adventurous and dangerous mission involving space pirates and a missing captain of a ship.
Directors: Roman Kachanov, Glenn Stanton | Stars: Olga Gromova, Vsevolod Larionov, Yuriy Volyntsev, Vasiliy Livanov
Votes: 3,592
Traditional animation. Breathtaking space adventure of the schoolgirl Alice in the 22nd century based on a series of sci-fi books The Mystery of the Third Planet. The soundtrack is especially beautiful (replaced in the US release).
3. Junior and Karlson (1968)
19 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A Soviet cartoon adaptation of a classic Swedish tale by Astrid Lindgren about Karlsson-on-the-Roof.
Director: Boris Stepantsev | Stars: Klara Rumyanova, Vasiliy Livanov, Valentina Leontyeva, Faina Ranevskaya
Votes: 3,409
Traditional animation. Karlsson-on-the-Roof is a popular Swedish fairy tale about a little fat guy with a propeller behind his back turned into one of the funniest toons.
+ Karlsson Flies Again (1970)
4. The Adventures of Mowgli (1973)
Not Rated | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
A boy raised by animals learns to live by the laws of the jungle. Full-length version of the Soviet animated series.
Director: Roman Davydov | Stars: Lyusena Ovchinnikova, Aleksandr Nazarov, Anatoliy Papanov, Sergey Martinson
Votes: 2,295
Traditional animation. A faithful adaptation of the two Jungle Books. Careful translation of Kipling's philosophies, distinctive art style and a truly epic battle with red dogs!
5. The Adventures of Buratino (1960)
68 min | Family, Adventure, Animation
A colorful fairy tale about a little wooden boy Buratino and his quest for the Golden Key that opens a secret door.
Directors: Dmitriy Babichenko, Ivan Ivanov-Vano, Mikhail Botov | Stars: Nina Gulyaeva, Evgeniy Vesnik, Georgiy Vitsin, Tamara Dmitrieva
Votes: 883
Traditional animation. Based on the best-selling Soviet fairy tale The Adventures of Buratino (which is also, eh, based on The Adventures of Pinocchio). It's easily among the best-looking Russian toons ever, very colorful and detailed.
6. Adventures of Brownie (1986 TV Short)
17 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Prequel to Kuzya's story tells about his adventures in the woods, and how he got into Natasha's apartment.
Director: Aida Zyablikova | Stars: Georgiy Vitsin, Tatyana Pelttser, Feliks Ivanov, Joeb Ruzi
Votes: 667
Stop motion animation. Adventures of Little Domovoi is a very funny mini-series about an underage house spirit and other folk creatures adapting to the Soviet realm. And yes, the countdown usually starts from the second chapter that serves as a prequel.
+ A House for Kuzka (1984)
+ Fairy Tale for Natasha (1986)
+ Return of Domovoi (1987)
7. Well, Just You Wait! (1969–2017)
TV-G | 10 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
A long-years odyssey of Wolf to catch Hare. Comprehensive changes in the Soviet Union pass in the background.
Stars: Anatoliy Papanov, Klara Rumyanova, Igor Khristenko, Olga Zvereva
Votes: 6,249
Traditional animation. A wolf hooligan is chasing a hipster hare through various Soviet locations in Well, Just You Wait! Most popular cartoon series of its time (and place).
8. The Little Tiger on the Sunflower (1981)
10 min | Animation, Short, Family
In cold and snowy taiga, the Tiger cub had no home. So he was looking for a warm and safe place to hide.
Director: Leonid Nosyrev | Stars: Evgeniy Leonov, Aleksey Ptitsyn, Aleksandr Baranov
Votes: 285
Traditional animation. A Tiger on a Sunflower is a touching story about a cute Amur baby tiger who warmed a seed that grew into a giant sunflower, home for everyone!
9. Winnie-the-Pooh (1969)
11 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A Soviet version of Winnie-the-Pooh. His first adventure is a desperate attempt to get to honey in a bee hollow. He is ready to take decisive action.
Director: Fyodor Khitruk | Stars: Evgeniy Leonov, Iya Savvina, Vladimir Osenev
Votes: 4,816
Traditional animation. 3 chapters from Winnie-the-Pooh drawn in an unorthodox manner. A lot of humour was added on the way, making it one of the most quotable Soviet toons.
+ Winnie-the-Pooh Goes Visiting (1971)
+ Winnie-the-Pooh and a Busy Day (1972)
10. The Frog Princess (1954)
38 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
A prince discovers an enchanted beauty turned into a frog by Koschei the Immortal. After Koschei steals her again, the prince goes on a dangerous quest to free the land of the evil.
Director: Mikhail Tsekhanovskiy | Stars: Boris Chirkov, Vladimir Gribkov, Aleksey Gribov, Margarita Kupriyanova
Votes: 327
Traditional animation. One of the most gorgeous animations based on one of the weirdest Russian fairy tales The Frog Princess about a prince who once married a frog.
11. Ostrov Sokrovishch (1988)
G | 72 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Cartoon adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's most famous adventure novel.
Director: David Cherkasskiy | Stars: Valeriy Bessarab, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Viktor Andrienko, Vyacheslav Dubinin
Votes: 4,349
Traditional animation/live action. How to make a laugh-out-load comedy out of Treasure Island? Take the original text, add goofy characters, parodies, slapstick and satirical songs (cut out from the American version).
12. Vovka in a Far Far Away Kingdom (1965)
19 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A schoolboy gets into a fairy tale with the help of a librarian and DIY book. But life in the magical land is not as easy as it seems.
Director: Boris Stepantsev | Stars: Rina Zelyonaya, Elena Ponsova, Klara Rumyanova, Emiliya Treyvas
Votes: 1,995
Traditional animation. Vovka in a Far Far Away Kingdom is a very very funny postmodernist look on Russian folklore. A lazy Soviet boy finds a way into the book of fairy tales.
13. The Bewitched Boy (1955)
44 min | Animation, Short, Family
A naughty boy named Nils is shrunken to a small size after offending a tomte. He has to go on a voyage with geese across Lapland to fulfill the prophecy and turn back to normal.
Directors: Vladimir Polkovnikov, Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya | Stars: Valentina Sperantova, Anatoliy Kubatskiy, Erast Garin, Tatyana Strukova
Votes: 490
Traditional animation. The Enchanted Boy is an adorable, atmospheric adaptation of the popular Swedish fairy tale The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. A boy has to travel with geese across Sweden after offending a vindictive tomte.
14. Khalif-aist (1981 TV Short)
20 min | Animation, Short, Fantasy
A rich caliph is leading a careless life. One day an evil wizard sells him a magic potion that can turn human into any animal he wants. The only condition: one mustn't laugh.
Director: Valeriy Ugarov | Stars: Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Natalya Seleznyova, Inna Churikova, Vasiliy Livanov
Votes: 367
Traditional animation. Based on Caliph Stork by the German classic Wilhelm Hauff, it used to scare kids all over the country. There's just something very unhealthy, yet amusing about a stupid calif and his encounter with an evil wizard.
15. Three from Prostokvashino (1978)
17 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
Little Fedor brings a cat to home despite his mother's distaste for cats. He runs away with his talking cat, to make more friends on the way.
Director: Vladimir Popov | Stars: Oleg Tabakov, Valentina Talyzina, Mariya Vinogradova, Boris Novikov
Votes: 3,742
Traditional animation. Three from Prostokvashino is a fun, charming film series about a town boy who immigrated to a village house, together with a talking cat and a dog.
+ Vacation in Prostokvashino (1980)
+ Winter in Prostokvashino (1984)
16. The Old Man and the Sea (1999)
20 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
An old fisherman goes out on his fishing trip and makes a huge catch, the biggest of his life.
Director: Aleksandr Petrov | Stars: Gordon Pinsent, Kevin Duhaney, Yôji Matsuda, Rentarô Mikuni
Votes: 4,582
Paint-on-glass animation. This movie based on the famous novel by Hemingway perfected Petrov's style, turning him into one of the world's most respected animators.
17. The Snow Maiden (1952)
67 min | Animation, Fantasy, Musical
The tale about a girl with a cold heart who is dying in agony because of joy and love.
Directors: Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya, Ivan Ivanov-Vano | Stars: Veronika Borisenko, Leonid Ktitorov, Irina Maslennikova, Veniamin Shevtsov
Votes: 365
Traditional animation. The Snow Maiden is a beautiful winter tale based on Rimsky-Korsakov's opera based on Ostrovsky's play. It takes place during pre-Christian days, with pagan symbols, folk creatures, Slavic songs and dances.
18. Padal proshlogodniy sneg (1983 TV Short)
20 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Surreal misadventures of a lazy drunkard with speech impediment trying to get a New Year tree on a short notice. Loosely based on folk fairy tales.
Director: Aleksandr Tatarskiy | Stars: Liya Akhedzhakova, Stanislav Sadalskiy
Votes: 2,082
Claymation. Last Year's Snow Was Falling, the second - and arguably the best - Soviet clay animation (the first was Plasticine Crow in 1981). Absolutely hilarious mix of Russian fairy tales and morphing abilities of plasticine.
19. The Bremen Town Musicians (1969)
20 min | Animation, Short, Family
A story loosely based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale 'Town Musicians of Bremen', about a donkey, a dog, a cat, a rooster and their master Troubadour.
Director: Inessa Kovalevskaya | Stars: Elmira Zherzdeva, Oleg Anofriev, Anatoliy Gorokhov, Gennadiy Gladkov
Votes: 3,313
Traditional animation. How Troubadour and several animals started a musical band. The Bremen Town Musicians and its sequel are full of songs and hippies (back in the USSR!). + On the Trail of Bremen Town Musicians (1971)
20. The New Gulliver (1935)
75 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
While hearing the story of "Gulliver's Travels", a young Russian boy dreams that he is the title character on the island of Lilliput.
Director: Aleksandr Ptushko | Stars: Vladimir Konstantinov, Ivan Yudin, Ivan Bobrov, Fyodor Brest
Votes: 379
Stop motion animation + live actor. Ptushko was the first to properly combine stop motion cartoon and a live actor in The New Gulliver - Soviet Swift adaptation. 3000 dolls, hundreds of animations per frame and various camera tricks.
21. The Snow Queen (1957)
Unrated | 74 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
When the Snow Queen, a lonely and powerful fairy, kidnaps the human boy Kay, his best friend Gerda must overcome many obstacles on her journey to rescue him.
Director: Lev Atamanov | Stars: Vladimir Gribkov, Yanina Zheymo, Anna Komolova, Mariya Babanova
Votes: 3,026
Traditional animation. The Snow Queen is a gorgeous feature based on the epic fairy tale by H.C. Andersen. US versions are not so gorgeous, lacking original score/songs.
22. The Journey of the Ant (1983)
10 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
The story about a injured ant who travel by a hitch-hiking.
Director: Eduard Nazarov | Star: Eduard Nazarov
Votes: 709
Traditional animation. Highly educational and simply hilarious short Travels of an Ant. Based on the story by the Russian scientist and writer Vitaly Bianki known for his books on nature. Welcome to the crazy world of insects!
23. Myshonok Pik (1978 TV Short)
17 min | Animation, Short, Family
Animation story about a little mouse, who was so tiny, that everybody could offend him.
Director: Gennadiy Sokolskiy
Votes: 71
Traditional animation. A Mouse Called Pik is another one of Bianki's stories about a baby mouse and his travels through wildness. The film is stunning visually and full of green colour, enchanting music and sounds of nature.
24. Return of the Prodigal Parrot (1984–1988)
10 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Kesha is a parrot. That explains a lot. He's a Soviet parrot, and that explains the rest.
Stars: Gennadiy Khazanov, Margarita Korabelnikova, Natalya Chenchik, Vyacheslav Nevinnyy
Votes: 2,014
Traditional animation. A much beloved mini-series (three 10-minute shorts), The Return of the Prodigal Parrot is not just a comedy about a bad-tempered parrot Kesha. For many it mirrors the life in the USSR during the 1980s.
25. Firing Range (1977)
10 min | Animation, Short, Sci-Fi
A military scientist creates a mind-reading weapon for his generals on a remote island. After the demonstration, the generals are pleased. Little do they realize, both the weapon, and the creator of the weapon have a mind of their own.
Director: Anatoliy Petrov | Stars: Aleksandr Belyavskiy, Anatoliy Kuznetsov, Sergey Martynov, Oleg Mokshantsev
Votes: 443
Traditional animation. Firing Range is not only technically impressive (Petrov developed a very complex, realistic art style long before CGI). It is also a deep antiwar story.
26. The Golden Antelope (1954)
31 min | Animation, Short, Fantasy
A poor Indian boy saves a magic antelope that can produce gold with its hooves. After a greedy Raja learns about it, he orders to bring him the antelope - or die.
Director: Lev Atamanov | Stars: Valentina Sperantova, Nina Nikitina, Ruben Simonov, Aleksandr Gruzinsky
Votes: 1,517
Traditional animation. A colourful and imaginable film, The Golden Antelope is based around Indian fairy tales about a peasant boy, a greedy raja and a magic auriferous antelope. Full of wonderful scenes of exotic wildlife.
27. The Cameraman's Revenge (1912)
Not Rated | 12 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Mr Beetle seeks companionship from a statuesque dragonfly dancer, unaware that her ex-boyfriend, a slender grasshopper and an industrious cameraman, watches their every move. Will Mrs Beetle forgive him? Will he get away with adultery?
Director: Wladyslaw Starewicz
Votes: 3,218
Stop motion animation. Starevich gained fame after a series of films with animated insects released in 1910-1915. What's more important, they are still fun to watch!
+ The Beautiful Leukanida (1912)
+ The Grasshopper and the Ant (1913)
+ The Lily of Belgium (1915)
28. Laughter and Grief by the White Sea (1987)
59 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
An old fisherman tells stories about Pomors. A collection of fairy tales about the Russian North, full of folk humor and wisdom.
Director: Leonid Nosyrev | Stars: Evgeniy Leonov, Yuriy Volyntsev, Anatoliy Barantsev, Boris Novikov
Votes: 540
Traditional animation. Laughter and Grief by the White Sea is an amusing collection of seven Pomor fairy tales collected by two Russian folklorists and inspired by national art.
29. Martynko (1987)
10 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
The story about young deserter who found a magic cards and fell in love with a horned princess .
Director: Eduard Nazarov | Stars: Leonid Kuravlyov, Nelli Kornienko, Nina Ruslanova, Eduard Nazarov
Votes: 469
Traditional animation. Yet another Pomor tale by Boris Shergin about Imperial Russia - one of the funniest so far.
30. Kikoriki (2003–2012)
TV-Y | 6 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A popular Russian TV series for kids about the colorful land populated by anthropomorphic spherical animals who solve their daily problems using the Winnie-the-Pooh logic.
Stars: Erica Schroeder, Dan Green, Mike Pollock, Jason Griffith
Votes: 1,253
Computer animation. Smeshariki (or funnyballs) is the most popular Russian TV series of the past 10+ years with some of the best writing featured. Adventures of nine rounded animals from the forest led by "Winnie-the-Pooh logic".
31. A Naughty Kitten (1953)
11 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
A naughty kitten runs away from home to take part in a dangerous forest adventure. A special "fluffy effect" was developed for this cartoon to make animals look more lively.
Director: Mstislav Pashchenko | Stars: Vladimir Ratomskiy, Mariya Yarotskaya, Yuliya Yulskaya, Viktoriya Ivanova
Votes: 71
Traditional animation. A Naughty Kitten leads a forest gang on a big trip. One of the most charming shorts you'll ever see.
32. The Swans of Nepryadva (1980)
23 min | Animation, Short
A film dedicated to the great Battle of Kulikovo that took place many centuries ago between the Russian army led by Dmitry Donskoy and the Golden Horde.
Director: Roman Davydov | Stars: Stepan Bubnov, Vladimir Burlakov, Vladimir Kenigson, Mikhail Kislyarov
Votes: 75
Traditional animation. The Swans of Nepryadva is dedicated to the Battle of Kulikovo, one of the most important battles in Russian history. Full of pathos and symbolism.
33. Adventures of Captain Vrungel (1976–1979)
10 min | Animation, Short, Action
An old sea captain and his student decide to take part in the international regatta. At the same time an amateur thief steals a statue of Aphrodite from Louvre and boards their yacht by mistake. A long, fun adventure is ahead.
Stars: Zinoviy Gerdt, Evgeniy Papernyy, Georgiy Kishko, Grigoriy Shpigel
Votes: 2,168
Cutout/traditional animation. It started as a comedy novel by a former sailor about Captain Vrungel ("vrun" as in "liar") and his circumnavigation. Although animators seemed to be more inspired by spy films, musicals, Zeman and Gilliam.
34. The Twelve Months (1956)
55 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
A poor girl was given an impossible task by her stepmother: to gather snowdrops in a winter forest. Suddenly she stumbled across twelve brothers who happened to be the twelve months.
Directors: Ivan Ivanov-Vano, Mikhail Botov | Stars: Tatyana Barysheva, Yuliya Yulskaya, Lyudmila Kasatkina, Galina Novozhilova
Votes: 1,501
Traditional animation. Traditional New Year cartoon The Twelve Months and one of the true eye candies. A young girl who was searching for April flowers in a winter forest stumbled across all 12 months chilling out by the fire.
35. Alice in Wonderland (1981)
30 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Alice follows the white rabbit, falls down a deep hole and discovers a strange Wonderland at the bottom.
Stars: Marina Neyolova, Rostislav Plyatt, Tatyana Vasileva, Aleksandr Burmistrov
Votes: 754
Cutout/traditional animation. Soviet Alice in Wonderland is as different from Disney as possible. The madness of Carroll's writings is all over the two films.
+ Alice in the Looking Glass (1982)
36. Hedgehog in the Fog (1975)
11 min | Animation, Short, Drama
A little hedgehog, on the way to visit his friend the bear, gets lost in thick fog, where horses, dogs and even falling leaves take on a terrifying new aspect.
Director: Yuri Norstein | Stars: Vyacheslav Nevinnyy, Mariya Vinogradova, Aleksey Batalov
Votes: 8,081
Cutout animation. An innocent fairy tale about a hedgehog and a bear turned into a psychedelic thriller Hedgehog in the Fog. One of Miyazaki's and world's favourites.
37. Once Upon a Time there Lived a Dog (1982)
10 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Two lonely souls met: a dog outcast by his owners, and a poor wolf living in the woods.
Director: Eduard Nazarov | Stars: Georgiy Burkov, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Eduard Nazarov
Votes: 4,219
Traditional animation. Despite a simple story (an old wolf helps an old dog to get his "job" back) and few spoken lines, There Once Was a Dog is universally beloved.
38. Sister Alenushka and Brother Ivanushka (1953 TV Short)
11 min | Animation, Short, Fantasy
A classic Russian fairy tale about Alyonushka and her naughty brother turned into a goatling.
Director: Olga Khodatayeva | Stars: Aleksey Konsovskiy, Roza Makagonova, Vera Popova, S. Rozenblyum
Votes: 586
Traditional animation. An old fairytale, Sister Alenushka and Brother Ivanushka is also an exceptionally beautiful, touching film about a naughty boy turned into a goatling.
39. Dunno on the Moon (1997)
151 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Neznaika acquaint with the fundamentals of the capitalist system on the Moon and communicate with antisocial elements. His friend Ponchik is becoming very rich selling salt.
Directors: Yuriy Butyrin, Andrey Ignatenko, Aleksandr Lyutkevich | Stars: Venera Rakhimova, Kristina Orbakaite, Svetlana Stepchenko, Aleksey Borzunov
Votes: 999
Traditional animation. The popular Soviet fairy tale Neznayka on the Moon about big adventures of tiny folks.
40. Gena the Crocodile (1969)
20 min | Animation, Short, Family
Cheburashka is a creature unknown to science. After the zoo rejects him, he becomes lonely and wants friends. Meanwhile, a crocodile named Gena is in the same boat and seeks friendship. The two meet and build a house for the lonely.
Director: Roman Kachanov | Stars: Vasiliy Livanov, Klara Rumyanova, Vladimir Rautbart, Vladimir Kenigson
Votes: 2,434
Stop motion animation. Gena the Crocodile and its sequels feature a cute, shy big-eared animal Cheburashka who seeks friends. Very popular in the USSR and Japan.
+ Cheburashka (1971)
+ Shapoklyak (1974)
+ Cheburashka Goes to School (1983)
41. Ivashka from Pioneer Palace (1981)
10 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Animation film about boy Ivashka's adventures in the country of fairy tales.
Director: Gennadiy Sokolskiy | Stars: Efim Katsirov, Svetlana Kharlap, Garri Bardin
Votes: 442
Traditional animation. A geeky Ivashka from the Pioneers Palace (a center for creative children) is kidnapped by an old witch. He has to confront all kind of evil creatures armed with nothing but his brains and gadgets.
42. The Scarlet Flower (1952)
42 min | Animation, Short, Fantasy
Nastenka asks her good father to bring her a scarlet flower from his journey One thing she doesn't know: the flower belongs to a horrible beast.
Director: Lev Atamanov | Stars: Mariya Babanova, Nikolay Bogolyubov, Olga Chepurova, Vladimir Gribkov
Votes: 1,251
Traditional animation. Another stunning film of the golden era (that's 1950s), The Scarlet Flower is based on the old Russian fairy tale similar to Beauty and the Beast.
43. My Love (2006)
26 min | Animation, Short, Drama
In nineteenth-century Russia, a teenage boy in search of love is drawn to two very different women.
Director: Aleksandr Petrov | Stars: Aleksandr Palamishev, Aleksandra Zhivova, Evgeniya Kryukova, Nina Ruslanova
Votes: 1,641
Paint-on-glass animation. My Love is a very personal film by Petrov based on the memories of the Russian Orthodox writer and emigrant Ivan Shmelyov about 19th century.
44. Wow, a Talking Fish! (1983)
8 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A poor fisherman catches a talking fish, upon releasing it he summons a shape-shifting wizard by mistake.
Director: Robert Sahakyants | Stars: A. Belozorovich, Valeri Plotnikov, Artyom Karapetyan, Irina Kartashyova
Votes: 1,037
Traditional animation. Armenian trilogy starting with Wow, a Talking Fish! offers some of the most mind-blowing and surreal animations, with shapeshifting beasts and worlds.
+ In the Blue Sea, in the White Foam... (1984)
+ Oh You, Maslenitsa! (1985)
45. Scamper the Penguin (1986)
29 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
The adventures of a little penguin living in Antarctica.
Directors: Gennadiy Sokolskiy, Kenji Yoshida | Stars: Rolan Bykov, Vyacheslav Nevinnyy, Evgeniy Leonov, Yuriy Volyntsev
Votes: 1,411
Traditional animation. A grand Soviet-Japanese production about a colony of cute Adélie penguins and their adventures in Antarctic. Most foreign versions of the movie are based on the US version which was heavily censored and edited.
46. The Nutcracker (1973)
27 min | Animation, Short, Romance
A young chambermaid finds a neglected nutcracker under a Christmas tree. It comes to life, but the Nutcracker is really an enchanted prince.
Director: Boris Stepantsev | Stars: Hans Conried, Shirley MacLaine
Votes: 1,076
Traditional animation. The Nutcracker is a perfect Christmas cartoon: 30 minutes of wonderful animation and Tchaikovsky's music without a single spoken word!
47. Dobro pozhalovat! (1986)
10 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
The kind elk does not know how to refuse, and his antlers turn into a home for forest dwellers.
Director: Aleksey Karaev | Stars: Anatoliy Barantsev, Aleksey Borzunov, Yuriy Volyntsev, Lyudmila Gnilova
Votes: 169
Paint-on-glass animation. Welcome is a very funny, edifying tale about hospitality based on Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose by Dr. Seuss. A work of two notable glass painters.
48. Geese-Swans (1949)
19 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
With a help of good nature a young brave girl goes to the dark forest for saving her youngest brother abducted by Baba Yaga.
Directors: Ivan Ivanov-Vano, Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya | Stars: Mariya Babanova, Georgiy Millyar, Vera Orlova
Votes: 350
Traditional animation. Another brave girl saves her little bro stolen by evil Geese-Swans on Baba Yaga's request. Classic Russian fairy tale true to the pagan spirit of Rus'.
49. Cipollino, the Onion Boy (1961)
38 min | Animation, Short, Action
An oppressed vegetables and fruits rebel against tyranny leading by Chipollino, an onion boy.
Director: Boris Dyozhkin | Stars: Nina Gulyaeva, Erast Garin, Sergey Martinson, Grigoriy Shpigel
Votes: 1,252
Traditional animation. Onion boy fights Lord Tomato in a fast-paced comedy adaptation of the Italian fairy tale.
50. The Path (1988)
31 min | Animation, Short, Sci-Fi
People survive on an alien planet in the hope of returning to Earth. Fantastic cartoon based on Kir Bulychyov's novel.
Director: Vladimir Tarasov | Stars: Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, Vasiliy Livanov, Aleksandr Pashutin, Alla Pokrovskaya
Votes: 467
Traditional animation. About a group of forced colonizers stuck on a distant planet and their dangerous, trippy travel to The Pass. Not for the faint of heart.
51. Sack of Apples (1974)
19 min | Animation, Short
Hare carries bag of apples for 4 sonnies and lovely daughter. But along the way he gives all apples to forest dwellers leaving his children hungry.
Director: Vitold Bordzilovskiy | Stars: Boris Andreyev, Georgiy Vitsin, Anatoliy Papanov, Boris Vladimirov
Votes: 615
Traditional animation. Sack of Apples and its sequel feature a poor family of hares trolled by a wolf from Well, Just You Wait! and a bastard crow.
+ Father Frost and the Grey Wolf (1978)
52. Petia and Little Red Riding Hood (1958)
19 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A boy finds his way into the Little Red Riding Hood cartoon in order to save the girl from the Big Bad Wolf.
Directors: Evgeniy Raykovskiy, Boris Stepantsev | Stars: Sergey Filippov, Sergey Martinson, Valentina Sperantova, Valentina Tumanova
Votes: 259
Traditional animation. A cartoon within a cartoon. Petya and the Little Red Riding Hood unite against the wolf.
53. Mermaid (1997)
10 min | Animation, Short, Fantasy
An elderly monk, while training the young novice who will succeed him, recalls the mysterious lost love of his past - just as his young successor appears to be encountering her himself.
Director: Aleksandr Petrov | Star: Evgeniya Smolyaninova
Votes: 1,213
Paint-on-glass animation. Yet another Petrov's masterpiece, it tells a metaphorical story of a young monk who fell in love with a mystical creature - Rusalka (or Mermaid).
54. Adventures of the Piglet Foontic (1986–1988)
10 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A piglet named Funtik is on the run from miss Belladonna - a greedy, corrupted woman who is after him. Luckily there are always friends around ready to help.
Stars: Zoya Pylnova, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Olga Aroseva, Spartak Mishulin
Votes: 982
Traditional animation. Funny, colorful mini-series about the Adventures of Funtik the Piglet who joins a circus troupe to escape the clutches of greedy Miss Belladonna.
55. The Wild Swans (1962)
57 min | Animation, Fantasy, Musical
When a witch transforms her brothers into swans, a young princess must find a way to change them back.
Directors: Vera Tsekhanovskaya, Mikhail Tsekhanovskiy | Stars: Valentina Tumanova, Elena Ponsova, Viktor Sergachyov, Erast Garin
Votes: 440
Traditional animation. A rare example of Soviet Gothic, The Wild Swans is based on H.C. Andersen's fairy tale. It's dark, moody, melancholic and very different.
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