Having grown up during the coldest of the Cold War, and I mean Cuban Missile Crisis, we in America were only led to believe terrible things about Russia and Russians. Then I got a little older and read Tolstoy, listened to Rimsky-Korsakov, and saw Ilya Repin paintings. Did I mention that growing up in Pittsburgh, I saw some beautiful Eastern churches? And many of them have church signs, which is how I first saw the Cyrillic alphabet. America really is the melting pot.
Anyway, the point is that Russians are people too. So I really enjoy watching the wonderful Russian cartoons available to us in modern times. Masha i Medved is a wonderful show. Anyone who has children can appreciate the adorable and well-meaning Masha as she drives the bear to his wit's end. The Bear is like most parents, just wanting a bit of "me time" to work in his garden or read. Masha turns things upside down for Bear, the neighboring animals and the other bears n that forest.
This show is the perfect antidote for all the serious TV shows and all-Kavanaugh, all the time news. The media will move on as soon as the next big issue comes up, but we will always need entertainment.
In my younger days I never thought that Russia would make cartoons, and if they did, the cartoons would be violent - something like "Comrade Lenin smashes the evil West forever."
Back in the second grade when THEY launched the Sputnik, things were scary.
But -- just like Nikolai Gogol, there really is Russian humor!
It's amazing how the Internet shrinks the world and lets us see other people in other countries.
This is a great show -- very heartwarming and many laughs! Definitely a 10!
Also recommended are "Hedgehog in the Mist" and "Three from Prostokvashino". Enjoy!