Russian Leaders Appeared in Cartoon Duet on New Years Eve Night

VLADIVOSTOK. January 12. VOSTOK-MEDIA – Top Russian officials had a special surprise in store for Russian citizens on New Years Eve night. Dmitri Medvedev and Vladimir Putin appeared in a New Year’s cartoon broadcast on Channel One, Russia’s leading channel.

The cartoon showed Russian Prime Minister and President dancing across Red Square, playing musical instruments and singing a duet commenting on the year 2009 in the form of ditty. They referred to events in 2009, such as protest actions in Pikalevo, failed attempt to buy Opel from General Motors, South Stream and Nord Stream gas pipelines as well as relations with neighboring countries.

The New York Times wrote that this is one of the first caricatures of Putin on Russian television for the past decade. After the weekly Russian TV show of political satire named “Kukly” (Dolls), in which Vladimir Putin was frequently represented, was closed down, allegedly after pressure from Kremlin, television cartoons have been a taboo, the news agency wrote.

What has surprised the U.S. journalists the most is that Putin and Medvedev will be added to the regular cast of satirical animated bi-weekly show Mult Lichnosti (Cartoon Personalities), according to Konstantin L. Ernst, the Channel One director.

He said he was not obliged to consult with the Kremlin while developing animations of Russian leaders, but added that “we have to be careful.”

“You can’t do something that is likely to insult top officials. You can insult someone in show business, because a person like that is selling himself and does not answer for anything else, whereas the President and Prime Minister also represent the work they do. Those who insult any one of them at the same time offends many others. In any way, we have no intention to insult anybody,” he added.