In childhood, we all loved to watch cartoons. And those of us whose youngest years fell on the late Soviet period will easily recall not only cartoons of domestic production (those who are truly kind and able not only to please our little viewers, but also properly educate them), but also foreign animated products produced in the countries of the socialist camp (that is, mainly in Eastern Europe - Poland, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, etc.).
These cartoons were often multi-part, and they were distinguished by some kind of strange, unique (“not ours”) style, as well as kindness and extreme naivete (even by the standards of an ordinary 7-10-year-old Soviet child).
But we watched them with great pleasure (especially since we showed these very memorable and, often, unusually vivid cartoons by no means every day).
Let us recall the 10 most popular animated series of the countries of the socialist camp, which Soviet children loved very much.
10. About Dorotka | Poland
A 10-episode cartoon about the mischievous girl Dorotka and her pet (and best friend), a large blue-yellow parrot, was released in the Polish People's Republic back in 1960.
Dorotka is very kind: in one of the episodes, she helps a star girl accidentally falling from the sky; in another, he takes care of the ostrich, hatched from eggs that have rolled from the ostrich mother, etc.
But at the same time, she, like any child, is naughty, which is why she constantly gets into difficult situations (for example, once she is lured into a gingerbread house - with the help of sweets - the cunning Baba Yaga), from which she has to be rescued to a strict parrot.
What is even more remarkable is the cartoon about Dorotka - he absolutely does not need a translation, any story out of 10 is simple and understandable in terms of the visual range.
9. Tales of the fairy Amalka (Říkání o víle Amálce) | Czechoslovakia
Amalka is a small, smart and very kind forest fairy who always tries to help the forest inhabitants and protect them from the troubles that people cause (for example, one of the 13 episodes of this animated series created in Czechoslovakia in 1975 is called “How Amalka expelled a hunter A fly from the forest ”). But she also helps people very willingly, if necessary.
As a fairy, Amalka should help forest plants spread seeds as far as possible, and she performs her duties very conscientiously, despite the fact that sometimes she is very disturbed by a bully wind.
And Amalka loves to dance, - once she danced the giant Thunderer. A very kind cartoon with excellent Soviet voice acting, which still causes warm feelings.
8. The magic pencil (Zaczarowany olowek) | Poland
The main characters of the Polish cartoon “Magic Pencil” are the boy Petrik and his favorite doggie. Once (of course, in the very first series of 39) they save a gnome from a mousetrap, and he, as a thank you, gives Petrik (who loves to draw) a magic pencil.
The main “trick” of this pencil is that everything that Petrik draws to them, immediately becomes real. And now the boy can at any time receive an urgently needed item (for example, an umbrella). Not only that, he is able to draw, he can immediately revive even animals. The main thing is that a suitable sheet of paper or just a wall is turned up by the arm.
With the help of a magic pencil, “resolving” any difficult situation is simpler than simple, because with it you can get almost anywhere and on anything (which Petrik actually does). This animated series was shot in Poland from 1962 to 1976, and in the USSR it was shown already in the 1980s.
7. Maxipes Fik (Maxipes Fík) | Czechoslovakia
This animated series consists of two seasons (each of 13 episodes), in fact, “Maxips Fick” (1975) and “The Amazing Dreams of Maxips Fick” (1978).
It is easy to guess that the main character of the cartoons is a huge dog (apparently - Saint Bernard breed) named Fick. He was presented to the girl Aya by a very young puppy.
But the dog turned out to be a big glutton, and therefore it very quickly ceased to fit first in a shoe box, then in a basket, and then even in a booth.
Aya's dad was about to sell it, but just that day Fick rescued the drowning Aya from the pond, and so he was not only allowed to stay, but even built a special house.
Fick simply loves Aija (and this is mutual!), He is always next to her, and this couple together gets into different instructive situations.
And Fick is not just a dog. He is a thinking and talking dog! (Moreover, in the Soviet voice acting, Fick speaks in a male voice with very funny intonations).
6. Krzhemelik and Wahmurka (Pohádky z mechu a kapradí) | Czechoslovakia
The three-season animated series (13 episodes in each season) “Krzhemelik and Vakhmurka” or, in another Soviet version, “Tales of the Forest Men”, in the original was called “Tales of Mosses and Ferns”.
He starred from 1968 to 1972. for Czechoslovak television based on the books of the Czech children's writer Vaclav Chtvrtek.
The entire first season was black and white, but in the USSR they showed only the second and third seasons - already colored.
Forest little men (very similar to gnomes in caps) constantly stick in various funny stories, sometimes literally, because they are great gourmets and therefore like to cook all kinds of goodies for themselves.
But, thank God, they have many friends who help Krzhemelik and Vakhmurka in difficult situations (and our heroes do not remain in debt, they also help other forest inhabitants from time to time).
5. Mach and Shebestova (Mach a Šebestová) | Czechoslovakia
These cartoons were shot on the books of children's writer Milos Matsourek. Makh and Shebestova are ordinary Czech third-graders, inseparable friends. They sit at the same desk and together end up in the same adventures.
Once, Mach and Shebestova help a man who has lost points on the street. For this, he gives them a magic handset - if you just say any desire in it, it will come true. And we must pay tribute to Mach and Shebestova - they never use this gift for personal gain, but only in order to help someone. (By the way, neither in the book, nor in the cartoons, these characters are never called by name, only by last name).
The first season of cartoons about Makh and Shebestova (as well as about their friend, the dog Jonathan) was released back in 1977, and, alas, we were not able to remember (and even find out via the Internet) how many episodes were in it and when He was shown in the USSR.
But in 1998 and 2005. two sequels about our heroes came out, respectively, “Mach and Shebestova on Vacation” (13 episodes) and “Travel of Inseparable Friends” (8 episodes).
4. Bolek and Lolek (Bolek i Lolek) | Poland
Yes, most likely, you can’t remember some of the cartoons from the above, but you will know for sure those that will be mentioned by us in paragraphs 1-4.
For example, a long animated series about the Polish boys Bolek and Lölek (their full names sound like Boleslav and Karol).
From 1962 to 1986 more than 130 episodes (in 8 or 9 sub-series) were published about these two fiddles who love adventures (during this time they visited Africa, Australia, the Wild West, and even the North Pole, went in for sports, worked in a mine, searched for treasures, etc.).
In the USSR, "Boleka and Loleka" in the 1970-1990s. showed quite often. And in Poland itself, these cartoon characters still occupy first place among all the others. Not only that - streets in the cities of Zielona Gora, Olsztyn, Kwidzyn and Ostrow Wielkopolski were even named after them, and the Wroclaw Electronic Factory Elwro at one time produced 441 Bolek and 481 Lolek calculator models.
3. Stepladder and Macaronin (Štaflík a Špagetka) | Czechoslovakia
If we wrote in the subtitle only the original name of this cartoon (and in fact - as many as 26 episodes divided into 2 seasons, the first of which, still black and white, was shot in 1969-1971, and the second, color, in 1988-1990) - “Staflik and Shpagetka”, you might not understand what is at stake. But Stremyanka and Makaronin are, of course, perfectly familiar to you.
Many Soviet children adored these two dogs - the white shaggy mongrel Stremyanka and the black dachshund Makaronin. These cute little animals always had something to do - they did repairs in their home (glued wallpapers, put together furniture, etc.), then they went fishing together, then they went in for sports and other interesting things.
And constantly they tried to cheat on the harmful neighbor of the raven (apparently, she was just bored), for which she was often punished.
2. The Adventures of Rex (Reksio) | Poland
Well, who doesn’t remember Rex’s little dog - a funny dog who lives in a cozy kennel and makes friends with other pets, as well as with a funny and smiling curly boy?
As for the Rex breed, many meticulous viewers are still arguing whether it is a fox terrier or a Jack Russell Terrier. All in all about this kind and very smart character from 1967 to 1988. 65 cartoons came out.
Rex quickly became popular and recognizable not only in Poland, but also in almost all other countries of the socialist camp. In the USSR, cartoons about him were shown quite often.
In today's Poland, Rex is almost the same cultural symbol as Bolek and Lolek (and, by the way, there is an interesting point - in some episodes in the Rex booth you can see books about Bolek and Lolek). And in the city of Bielsko-Biala there is a real monument to Rex.
1. About the mole (Krtek) | Czechoslovakia
And, finally, the most famous (and, perhaps, the most popular) animated series from the former socialist camp - “The Mole” (or “The Mole”).
The first cartoon of this series (“How the Mole of the Panties Found”) was released back in 1957, and the last - the 63rd (“The Mole and the Frog”) - in 2002.
Oh yes! By the way, in the very first series, the mole talked (!), And in all subsequent ones it only made various funny sounds.
Here's an interesting fact for you: the laughter and cry of the mole, as well as his exclamations expressing surprise, fright, joy, etc. Is an expression of similar emotions by real children.
Zdenek Miller is an artist and director of our favorite cartoon, recorded (and then slightly processed) live crying, laughter, etc. their little daughters to use this to voice the mole. And this idea turned out to be truly ingenious - as a result, not a single episode of the animated series was incomprehensible to its young viewers, no matter in what country of the world they watched it.
Cartoons about mole are incredibly kind, in addition, they are very informative (as it was planned!) And allow children to broaden their horizons. And Krotik teaches simple, but very important things - friendship, mutual assistance, justice, honesty, independence, etc.