Nu, pogodi!

So I think everybody here will agree with me that these are the one of the very best animation films ever made in Soviet Union. So if you are understanding Russian language I can recommend to see them!

While there are only two main heroes in all series - Wolf and Hare this is amazing work of Soviet times animation masters. In fact these series are a little bit similar to Tom and Jerry series. Only they are not so much pain for bad hero - Wolf.

You have to be Russian to truly appreciate this cartoon series. I first saw these cartoons up to episode 5 on 8mm film no sound. I still have these films around (although damaged from time) from 1974 when I left the Soviet Union for good. You have to understand that these cartoons were made from behind the iron curtain. Soviet cartoon making technology was far behind the US, and US cartoons were not available to Soviet artists for comparison. How could they be available if the soviet government made it a point to spread propaganda that Communist life is the USSR was better? Besides the adventures in the chase for the rabbit you see nostalgic elements of Russian urban, and suburb life. You see things like the electric troly buses, public drinking dispensers for carbonated water with one public glass that is washed prior to use, the 1982 Olympics and Russia's enthusiasm with good sportsmanship, typical soviet beaches, and attitude by hoodlums towards the law. Where else can you find a children's cartoon where the bad wolf smokes cigarettes, drinks beer while eating dried salted fish, steals and vandalizes property? One can't help but fall in love with both the hero and villain. I recently purchased the DVD of all 18 classic episodes 13 of which I waited 25 years to see and now with sound. I plan to have my kids watch these cartoons before they find the remote control to the TV so they too can appreciate what life was like for Russian children in the Soviet union.

This is the greatest cartoon to ever come out of USSR. It is similar to Tom and Jerry, and you don't even need to understand Russian to enjoy this great feature. Problem is finding any of it here in America...If anyone knows where I can get it, please email me.

Probably inspired by the American "Tom and Jerry" and "Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote" cartoons, the Russian animated series "Nu, pogodi!" features the smoking, beer-gutted, rebellious Volk (wolf) and his futile attempts to capture and eat the innocent young Zayats (hare). The first cartoon of the series was released in 1969, the second in 1970 and the series continued for sixteen episodes until the death of Anatoli Papanov, the voice of the wolf, in 1987. In 1993, two more episodes were produced featuring archived samples of Papanov's voice.

Though the cartoons are in Russian, dialogue within the films is scarce, rarely stretching beyond the wolf's trademark "Nu, zayats, nu pogodi! / Hare, just you wait!", which he utters every time his plans fail, and which you'll pick up on very quickly. Each ten-minute episode takes place in a different setting, and the wolf attempts to utilise the current situation to capture the hare (voiced by Klara Rumyanova) and presumably make a good meal out of her. Alas, these attempts are almost always in vain, with the hare constantly outsmarting the desperate wolf, either deliberately or inadvertently. Just like in your typical 'Roadrunner' cartoon, our sympathies are split between the characters – we certainly don't want the young innocent hare to be devoured, but we do feel sorry for the wolf as his endeavors fail miserably time after time.

I'm yet to see all the episodes in the series (I've really just started, in fact), but I'm enjoying it immensely, and each adventure brings forth something different and exciting. Somewhat uniquely, 'Nu, pogodi!' often sets its story to the tune of popular pop hits from the era in which it was made, so approximate dates of release can be pinpointed for any given episode based purely on the music selection. I also uncovered an interesting piece of trivia about the series. Initially, Russian singer/actor Vladimir Vysotsky was cast as the voice of the wolf, but Soviet cinema authorities did not give the studio their approval to use him, as he was not popular amongst the Communist party elite. As we know, Anatoli Papanov went on to become the voice of the wolf, though the cartoon's producers possibly included a slight tribute to Vysotsky by playing a sample of his well-known "Song about a Friend" ("Pesnya o Druge" in Russian) at the very beginning of the first episode.

As a child I saw this cartoon, together with Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry etc. Some would say that it is a copy of other cartoons but I say, watch it and you'll change your opinion. A different context, together with funny setting offer an insight in the recent history of the Soviet Union. It has nothing to do with politics but just with pure fun.

I highly recommend it to everyone; I recently saw some of the 18 episodes. They are all top notch with a heavy cultural background ranging from folklore to contemporary 70s to 80s music.

A counterpart of American cartoons, it offers a most interesting point of view in the history of animation.