Nesterka (Нестерка) is a series of Belarusian short animated films. There are eight in total, each a few minutes long, produced by National Film Studio “Belarusfilm” (Национальная киностудия “Беларусьфильм”). The first episode/film was released in 2004, the last in 2012. According to Belarusfilm, Nesterka is one of Belarus’s most treasured folk heroes. Nesterka is often […]
Leon Somov & Jazzu is a contemporary Lithuanian band. They refer to themselves as pop/electronica, but their music has a deep, soulful edge that transcends and defies those genres. They sing in both Lithuanian and English. The group was created by Leonas Somovas (Leon Somov) and Justė Arlauskaitė (Jazzu) in 2007. Somov is the band’s leader and […]
Antis is a Lithuanian postmodernist rock band that’s been around since 1984. The name literally translates as “duck,” but in Lithuanian it also refers to… fake news!—or more accurately, “a false mass media sensation,” as the band puts it. This had a lot of resonance when the band first formed, at the end of the Soviet […]
Dagö is an Estonian folk/ethno band. They formed in 1998 and have been active on and off to the present day, though their main popularity and success came in the early 2000s. The band’s name is taken from the historic (German/Swedish) name for Hiiumaa, an island off the northwest coast of Estonia. The founding members were Lauri Saatpalu […]
Windward Land (Tuulepealne maa) is an Estonian television miniseries that tells the story of some of the most dramatic years in Estonia’s history. Its 12 episodes, each about an hour long, aired in 2008. A 13th episode aired in 2013. The series takes place from World War One through World War Two, encompassing Estonia’s war […]
Kruglyachok (Круглячок; sometimes also spelled Кругляшок in Russian) is a Ukrainian short animated film. Ukrainian and Russian versions were created in 1992 and 2002, respectively. The film is under 10 minutes long and was produced by Ukranimafilm (Укранімафільм), the studio that replaced the Soviet-era Ukrainian animation studio Kyivnaukfilm (Київнаукфільм). Kruglyachok is based on an old Ukrainian fairy […]
This Is Ours and This Is Yours (Це – наше і це – твоє) is a contemporary Ukrainian cartoon series. It airs on PlusPlus (ПлюсПлюс), a children’s TV channel in Ukraine that also airs other cartoons such as Helpful Hints (Корисні підказки). The episodes are about a minute long. The show aims to imbue children with national […]
As Petrik Pyatochkin Counted Elephants (Як Петрик П’яточкін слоників рахував) is a short animated film in Ukrainian. It was created in 1984 and runs about 10 minutes. It’s one of the few films that Kyivnaukfilm (Київнаукфільм), the Ukrainian/Soviet animation studio, produced in Ukrainian rather than Russian. Petrik is one of the most beloved of Ukrainian cartoons. […]
There Once Was a Dog (Жив-був пес in Ukrainian; Жил-был пёс in Russian) is a Ukrainian/Russian short animated film from the Soviet era. It was created in 1982 and spans about 10 minutes. The original version had dialogue in Russian and songs in Ukrainian; in 2012 the film was given a Ukrainian-language voiceover. The story is based […]
Evening Urgant (Вечерний Ургант) is a Russian late-night talk show, the (intentional) equivalent of American shows like Letterman and Jimmy Fallon. It began airing in 2012 and is often called the first Russian show of its kind. It airs every day, Monday to Friday, at 11:30 on Perviy Kanal (Первый канал). The host of the […]
Cossacks (Козаки) is a series of Ukrainian short animated films that appeared between 1967 and 1995. There are nine episodes, most about 15 minutes long. The films are about three Zaporozhian Cossacks. (Cossacks are historical ethnic Ukrainians known for their fighting prowess and are considered a major part of Ukraine’s proud cultural heritage. Zaporozhian Cossacks […]
Pozner (Познер) is a Russian talk show hosted by Vladimir Pozner (Владимир Познер). It’s been airing weekly since 2008: there are 9 seasons and almost 250 hour-long episodes. The show features Pozner interviewing major figures in Russian society: politicians, artists, athletes, scientists, and others. The guest discusses various topics, often contemporary events, with Pozner, and […]
