President Vladimir Putin makes a short cameo in the classic Prostokvashino cartoon, appearing alongside talking characters Matroskin the cat and Sharik the dog to deliver a New Year greeting. Visitors at a Moscow theme park reacted cautiously but mostly positively, noting children may find the cameo memorable. Soyuzmultfilm said the brief appearance is intended as a form of "soft power" to promote Russian culture and expand the studio's international reach.
Putin Makes Surprise Cameo in Beloved Cartoon, Greets Russians With Talking Cat and Dog
An image depicts the characters of Russian children's cartoon Prostokvashino, Sharik the dog and Matroskin the cat, and the animated version of Russian President Vladimir Putin delivering a New Year message to the nation in Moscow's Red Square, in the undated footage released December 26, 2025. Soyuzmultfilm Official VK Page/Handout via REUTERS
MOSCOW, Jan 7 — President Vladimir Putin made a brief, unexpected cameo in a popular Russian children's cartoon, appearing to deliver a New Year greeting alongside two iconic animated characters: Matroskin the cat and Sharik the dog.
The appearance, shown in an episode of the long-running Prostokvashino series — named after the fictional village at its center — surprised visitors at a Prostokvashino theme park in Moscow, who watched as the animated Kremlin leader greeted viewers at the turn of the year.
An image depicts the characters of Russian children's cartoon Prostokvashino, Sharik the dog and Matroskin the cat, and the animated version of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's Red Square, in the undated footage released December 26, 2025. Soyuzmultfilm Official VK Page/Handout via REUTERS
Adults accompanying children reacted with cautious approval. "Listen, I don't know. I think anything can happen in a cartoon. Why not?" said one woman, Marina. Another visitor, Oksana Frolkova, added that children already recognize Mr. Putin, and seeing him in an animation is "probably important and interesting to them." She also suggested the cameo could attract interest from audiences abroad.
"Putin's brief appearance in Prostokvashino is a form of 'soft power' to promote Russia and its culture," said Yuliana Slashcheva, chair of the board at Soyuzmultfilm studio.
Slashcheva had hinted at the cameo last year and noted that Soyuzmultfilm sells its content to former communist states and countries in the Middle East, and is seeking to expand in China. She described the president's animated appearance as part of the studio's broader effort to promote Russian culture internationally.
The animation and the public reaction were reported by Reuters. (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Aidan Lewis.)
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