| Cheburashka Russian: Чебурашка | |
|---|---|
 A celebratory 25-ruble coin of Cheburashka and Gena the Crocodile, released in 2020. | |
| Created by | Eduard Uspensky |
| Designed by | Eduard Uspensky Roman Kachanov & his companions Makoto Nakamura Dmitry Dyachenko & his equipes |
| Voiced by | Klara Rumyanova (1969–1983) Nozomi Ohashi (2009–2010) Larisha Brokhman (2012–2018) Yelena Lomteva (2018–2019) Anzhelika Varum (2020) Olga Kuzmina (2023) |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Cheburashka |
| Alias | Somikmovska |
| Occupation | Himself Pet Pupil |
| Family | Gena the Crocodile (his comrade) |
| Nationality |  Soviet Union →  Russia |
Cheburashka (Russian: Чебурашка, IPA: [tɕɪbʊˈraʂkə] ), also known as Topple in earlier English translations, is a fictional character created by Soviet writer Eduard Uspensky in his 1965 children's book Gena the Crocodile and His Friends. The character subsequently appeared as the protagonist in a series of stop-motion animated films directed by Roman Kachanov for Soyuzmultfilm, the first of which was made in 1969,[1][2][3] with songs composed by Vladimir Shainsky.[4]
Even today Cheburashka is still renowned in the former Soviet Union, and has been called the "Soviet Mickey Mouse" by external observers. Although only four short animated films have been produced featuring Cheburashka, he is still a national symbol in the former USSR and Russia, and is famous outside of it. One reason for his popularity is the message of his stories, which stress that where you're from doesn't matter as much as kindness.[5]
- ^ "Список фильмов Archived 8 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine" (in Russian). Official E. Uspensky website. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
- ^ MacFadyen, David (2005). "Filmography – Krokodil Gena (1969)". Yellow Crocodiles and Blue Oranges: Russian Animated Film since World War Two. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 236. ISBN 0-7735-2871-7
- ^ "Cheburashka Classics Archived 2011-05-12 at the Wayback Machine". Frontier Works, Inc. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
- ^ Soundtrack composer for legendary Soviet cartoon dies aged 92 TASS, 26 December
- ^ Palumbo, Jacqui (24 September 2018). "How Cheburashka, the 'Soviet Mickey Mouse', achieved international fame". CNN. Retrieved 6 July 2023.