Overview
- Sojusmultfilm head Julianna Slaschtschewa announced on June 19 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that Putin would become a character in Prostokwaschino.
- The president is set to appear alongside the series’ iconic talking cat Matrosskin in new episodes based on Eduard Uspenski’s children’s stories.
- Prostokwaschino was relaunched in 2018 with over 160 short episodes updated to present-day settings.
- The Kremlin raised no objections to the portrayal, with spokesman Dmitri Peskow noting that presidential permission was unnecessary.
- Officials view the addition as a soft power strategy to bolster Putin’s image and expand Russian cultural influence in regions such as China and Southeast Asia.