Ban Masha and the Bear in the UK - MPs demand

A group of British Members of Parliament (MPs) has urged the government to investigate the possibility of stopping the broadcast of 'Masha and the Bear', a highly popular Russian cartoon among young children, in the UK. They accuse Russia of subtly engaging in 'soft propaganda' through this series, which revolves around a little girl and a retired circus bear.

More than fifty Members of Parliament, led by Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon, have sent a letter to British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, urging immediate intervention. The letter points out that the propagandistic elements contained within this cartoon cannot be dismissed lightly, citing an episode where Masha is dressed in an outfit similar to a Soviet-era uniform as a prime example.

One episode of this series, which is among the most-watched cartoon programs on YouTube, has been viewed over 4.6 billion times. The series has recently started broadcasting again on Netflix and ITVX, the digital platform of ITV. MPs emphasize that the reach of this content to British children through such powerful global and local media platforms is completely unacceptable, and the government must act immediately against it.

This series has previously been severely criticized as a tool of Russian 'soft power' by a Ukrainian government-backed institution and Estonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation has pointed out that the cartoon mocks the traditions of other nations and normalizes Soviet symbols and militaristic themes.

However, Animaccord, a Russian animation studio and the creators of 'Masha and the Bear', strongly reject these accusations, stating that they are completely false and defamatory. A spokesperson further mentioned that their creation contains no political messages and that the accusations against it are baseless. Meanwhile, the British Department for Culture, Media and Sport, as well as ITV, have declined to comment on the incident, and inquiries have also been made to Netflix regarding this matter.