A cross-party group of UK Members of Parliament has written to ministers requesting an examination of whether the globally popular children's cartoon "Masha and the Bear" can be banned from UK broadcast, citing concerns it functions as Russian propaganda.
The controversy highlights ongoing concerns about Russian 'soft power' and propaganda, even within children's entertainment, and raises questions about the scrutiny of content available to young audiences on major streaming platforms and domestic broadcasters.
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.
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