Key facts
- A cross-party group of UK MPs has asked ministers to investigate banning the Russian cartoon "Masha and the Bear" from UK broadcasts.
- The MPs argue the show, popular on YouTube and Netflix, uses imagery like Soviet military uniforms to promote Russian propaganda.
- Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation and Estonia's foreign minister have also voiced concerns about the cartoon's soft power messaging.
- Animaccord, the show's studio, denies the claims, stating it is a private business with no political messaging.
- The cartoon is available in the UK on ITVX and has been recommissioned for Netflix.
A group of British MPs has called on the government to explore ways to stop the broadcast of the popular Russian children's cartoon "Masha and the Bear" in the UK, alleging it serves as a tool for Russian propaganda.
The cross-party group, including MPs from the Liberal Democrats, Labour, Conservatives, Green Party, SNP, and Plaid Cymru, has written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. They argue that certain episodes, which feature the young protagonist Masha in attire resembling Soviet military uniforms, amount to "not subtle" propaganda, potentially normalizing Soviet military iconography for a global audience of young children.
The cartoon, based on a Russian folk tale, is a global phenomenon with billions of views on YouTube and has been recommissioned for Netflix, also streaming in the UK on ITVX. Concerns have been amplified by Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, which described the show as an "instrument of Russian soft power" that mocks other nations and normalizes Soviet symbols. Estonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, echoed these sentiments, linking Soviet symbols in the show to historical atrocities.
Animaccord, the Cyprus-headquartered Russian animation studio behind the series, has vehemently denied the accusations. A spokesperson stated that the company is a private business that has never received state funding and that the show, which has entertained families for nearly two decades, contains no political messaging. They called the claims "false, irresponsible and without evidentiary basis."
Whitehall sources indicated that the responsibility for content lies with broadcasters, provided they adhere to the rules overseen by the media regulator Ofcom. ITV and Netflix have been contacted for comment.