British lawmakers demand ban on Russian cartoon ‘Masha and the Bear’ over ‘propaganda’

Fifty members of the British parliament from six parties have written an open letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy demanding that the Russian animated series Masha and the Bear be pulled from streaming services, BBC Russia reports.

The signatories include members from Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the Scottish National Party, and Plaid Cymru. The series amounts to propaganda, the lawmakers argued, and “not subtle” propaganda at that. As an example, they mention an episode in which Masha, while guarding the Bear’s vegetable garden, first puts on a peaked cap with a blue band and a red star — resembling those worn by NKVD officers — and then dons a tank crew helmet.

The letter reminds Nandy that the NKVD was responsible for the mass deportation, execution, and persecution of tens of millions of Soviet citizens. In the lawmakers’ view, the series “actively normalizing Soviet military iconography for a global audience of young children.”

The letter’s authors note that Masha and the Bear has drawn criticism from authorities in other European countries. Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna recently described the series as part of the Kremlin’s soft power, “embedding pro-Kremlin and militaristic messaging in children’s entertainment.”

In the United Kingdom, Masha and the Bear is available on Netflix and ITVX, a streaming service owned by British broadcaster ITV. “British parents have a right to expect that content reaching their children through licensed platforms has been subject to proper scrutiny, especially where credible concerns about state propaganda have been raised by our allies,” the letter’s authors wrote.

Animaccord, the studio that produces Masha and the Bear, rejects the accusations of spreading Russian propaganda. Studio representatives said Animaccord has fully departed from Russia as of 2025 and that no Russian state funding is involved in producing the series.

The animated series Masha and the Bear has been running since 2009. Seven seasons have been produced to date, the most recent of which was released in 2025. In addition to Netflix, the series has aired on television channels and streaming services in the United States, Canada, Germany, Greece, France, and other countries.