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Uncle Fyodor and his four-legged friends, Malysh and his moderately well-fed comrade Carlson, Umka and his patient mother… It is worth watching your favorite cartoons of our childhood.
«Three from Prostokvashino»
The cartoon was created at the Soyuzmultfilm studio in 1984 based on the novel by Eduard Uspensky «Uncle Fyodor, the Dog and the Cat». Those who grew up in the USSR will call the situation normal: the parents are busy with work, the child is left to himself after school. Are there alarming moments in the cartoon and what will a child psychologist say about it?
Larisa Surkova:
“For Soviet children, who for the most part were deprived of parental attention (in the amount in which they would like it), the cartoon was very understandable and correct. So the system was built — mothers went to work early, children went to nurseries, to kindergartens. The adults had no choice. So the situation in the cartoon is shown quite typical.
On the one hand, we see a boy whom his mother does not pay attention to, and he spends a lot of time alone (at the same time, parents, especially mother, seem quite infantile). On the other hand, he has the opportunity to devote this time to himself. He does what interests him, communicates with animals.
I think this cartoon played the role of a kind of support for Soviet children. First, they could see that they were not alone in their situation. And secondly, he made it possible to understand: it’s not so bad to be an adult, because then the reins of government are in your hands and you can be the leader — even of such a peculiar pack.
I think that today’s children look at this story a little differently. They are characterized by a deep assessment of many situations. My children always ask where the boy’s parents are, why they let him go alone to the village, why they didn’t ask for documents on the train, and so on.
Now children are growing up in a different information field. And cartoons about Prostokvashino give parents who were born in the Soviet Union a reason to talk with their child about how things used to be completely different.”
«The Kid and Carlson Who Lives on the Roof»
Filmed at Soyuzmultfilm in 1969-1970 based on Astrid Lindgren’s trilogy The Kid and Carlson Who Lives on the Roof. This hilarious story today causes conflicting feelings among viewers. We see a lonely child from a large family, who is not sure that he is loved, and finds himself an imaginary friend.
Larisa Surkova:
“This story illustrates a fairly common phenomenon: there is Carlson’s syndrome, which describes everything that happens to the Kid. Six or seven years is the age of the conditional norm, when children can have an imaginary friend. This gives them the opportunity to face their fears and share their aspirations with someone.
No need to be scared and convince the child that his friend does not exist. But it’s not worth it to play along, actively communicate and play with an imaginary friend of your son or daughter, drink tea or somehow “interact” with him. But if the child does not communicate with anyone other than a fictional character, this is already a reason to consult with a child psychologist.
There are many different nuances in the cartoon that can be considered separately. This is a large family, mom and dad work, no one listens to the Kid. In such situations, experiencing loneliness, many children come up with their own world — with a separate language and characters.
When a child has a real social circle, the situation is simplified: the people around him become his friends. When they are gone, only imaginary ones remain. But normally this passes, and closer to the age of seven, children are more actively socialized, and invented friends leave them.
«House for Kuzka»
Studio «Ekran» in 1984 shot this cartoon based on the fairy tale by Tatyana Alexandrova «Kuzka in a new apartment.» The girl Natasha is 7 years old, and she also has an almost «imaginary» friend — brownie Kuzya.
Larisa Surkova:
“Kuzya is the “domestic version” of Carlson. A kind of folklore character, understandable and close to everyone. The heroine of the cartoon is at the same age as the Kid. She also has an imaginary friend — an assistant and ally in the fight against fears.
Both children, from this cartoon and from the previous one, are primarily afraid of being alone at home. And both have to stay there because their parents are busy with work. Brownie Kuzya supports Natasha in a difficult situation for a child, just like Carlson and Malysh do.
I think this is a good projective technique — children can project their fears onto the characters and also, thanks to the cartoon, part with them.
«Mom for a mammoth»
In 1977, at a gold mine in the Magadan region, the preserved body of the baby mammoth Dima (as scientists called it) was discovered. Thanks to the permafrost, it was perfectly preserved and was handed over to paleontologists. Most likely, it was this discovery that inspired the scriptwriter Dina Nepomniachtchi and other creators of the cartoon filmed by the Ekran studio in 1981.
The story about an orphaned kid who goes in search of his mother will not leave indifferent even the most cynical viewer. And how good it is that in the finale of the cartoon Mammoth finds a mother. After all, it does not happen in the world that children are lost …
Larisa Surkova:
“I think this is a very important story. It helps to show the reverse side of the coin: not all families are complete, and not all families have children — relatives, blood.
The cartoon perfectly reflects the issue of acceptance and even some kind of tolerance in relationships. Now I see in it interesting details that I had not paid attention to before. For example, while traveling in Kenya, I noticed that baby elephants really walk holding on to their mother’s tail. It’s great that in the cartoon this is shown and played up, there is some kind of sincerity in this.
And this story gives support to mothers. Who among us did not cry to this song at children’s matinees? The cartoon helps us, women with children, not to forget how we are needed and loved, and this is especially important if we are tired, if we have no strength and it’s very difficult … «
«Umka»
It seems that the little animals in Soviet cartoons had a much better relationship with their parents than the «human cubs». So Umka’s mother patiently and wisely teaches the necessary skills, sings him a lullaby and tells the legend of the “sad sun fish”. That is, it gives the skills necessary for survival, gives maternal love and conveys the wisdom of the family.
Larisa Surkova:
“This is also a projective story about the ideal relationship between mother and baby, which shows the features of children’s behavior. Children are not right, they are naughty. And for a little person who watches this cartoon, this is an opportunity to see with their own eyes what bad behavior can lead to. This is a thoughtful, sincere, emotional story that will be interesting to discuss with children.
Yes, it has a hint!
In cartoons and books on which generations of Soviet children grew up, you can find a lot of oddities. Modern parents often worry that children may be upset when they read a story that is sad or suspicious from the point of view of today’s realities. But do not forget that we are dealing with fairy tales, in which there is always a place for conventions. We can always explain to a child the difference between the real world and the fantasy space. After all, children perfectly understand what “pretending” is, and skillfully use this “tool” in games.
“In my practice, I have not met children injured, for example, by the cartoon about Prostokvashino,” notes Larisa Surkova. And if you are a vigilant and anxious parent, we recommend that you rely on the opinion of an expert, get comfortable with your child and enjoy watching your favorite childhood stories together.