Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has criticized the American streaming platform Netflix for acquiring the rights to stream the Russian animated series Masha and the Bear, claiming that the cartoon contains pro-Kremlin and militaristic messaging. According to the Estonian minister, the presence of Soviet symbols in children’s entertainment requires “moral clarity.”
Tsahkna expressed his views on his page on X (formerly Twitter). He described the animated series as “part of the Kremlin’s soft power,” arguing that it promotes “pro-Kremlin and militaristic ideas” through children’s entertainment while “normalizing Russian aggression and imperial ambitions.”
The minister also drew a comparison between Soviet imagery appearing in some episodes of the cartoon and Nazi symbolism.
“The world would never tolerate children’s content portraying Nazi symbols in a positive light. Soviet symbolism deserves the same moral clarity,” he wrote.
According to Tsahkna, for many nations, including Estonia, Soviet symbols represent “occupation, mass killings, deportations, and crimes against humanity.”
His comments came after it was announced on June 9 that Netflix had expanded its licensing agreement with the Russian animation studio Animaccord. Under the new deal, the streaming platform acquired the rights to distribute the eighth and ninth seasons of Masha and the Bear, while also extending the licenses for previous seasons and spin-off series.
The agreement covers more than 100 countries, including the United States, Canada, European countries, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
