Ulitsa Sezam

Ulitsa Sezam (Russian: Улица Сезам) is the Russian production of the children's television program Sesame Street. The show was first released in 1996 and went off the air in 2010.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

In 1993 Sesame Workshop recruited Natasha Lance Rogoff to produce Ulitsa Sezam.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was funded by Russian advertising agency VideoArt and the U.S. Agency for International Development.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref> A total of 279 Russians were recruited to help develop and produce the series, and the show's budget totaled US$6 million.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite news</ref> Production began in 1994.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite news</ref>

The initial creation of this series proved difficult with a myriad of complications like cultural clashes with prospective native talent, many of whom were resistant to emulating the American style of puppetry created by Jim Henson. Instead, they proposed native puppetry material that the producers like Rogoff could not accept as they were too violent, frightening, or went against the educational curriculum of the Children's Television Workshop (CTW).

Another problem involved different approaches to script writing. Some of the first scripts produced by the Russian team included "lecturing, tough-talking adults," which CTW pushed back on.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite news</ref> Other scripts tended towards fantasy or the idea of leaving the country.<ref name=":3" /> In response, CTW encouraged the script writers to "create a childhood that they [envisioned] for a future generation of Russians", rather than to try and emulate their own childhoods.<ref name=":6" />

Cultural clashes were also present during auditions; most of the children auditioning for the show "sat back in their chairs and started to sing very sad songs," which startled the American producers.<ref name=":6" />

There were other problems like the assassinations of some of the production's local business partners, serious financial difficulties by the production's major local producer, and a military raid on the studio in which vital materials were seized.

The series debuted on October 22, 1996, on TV channels NTV and ORT.<ref name=":0" /> The show was nominated for a TEFI award in 1997, but lost to perennial favorite Good Night, Little Ones!.

Second season

The second season on "optimism" was filmed in 1999 and broadcast in 2000 on NTV and STS.<ref name=":5" />

Third season

The third season began filming in September 2001 and was aired in November on STS.<ref name=":5" />

The main theme of the third season was "Diversity in the world". Several celebrities were guests on the show, including actors Leo Durov and Mary Aronov, composer Grigory Gladkov, and opera singer Vyacheslav Voynorovsky.

Fourth season

In 2006, the show celebrated its tenth anniversary. Filming of the new fourth season took place in early 2006 in the pavilion "Mosfilm". The premiere of the new season was broadcast on STS channel in September 2006.

The city yard set was re-vamped to reflect a more realistic depiction of modern-day urban Russia. An intact oak tree grows in the center of this courtyard, and windows from surrounding houses face each other so neighbors can pop their heads out to greet one another. The set includes a creative art center and a playground with an urban backdrop of buildings that was made grittier, a bit grey, with Khrushchev-style buildings in the background. Businka and Kubik's rooms change into a two-story house with a balcony.

New cast members included Yamila and Altin, two sisters recently arrived in Russia from Kazakhstan. The show also tackled the issue of adoption by introducing a young boy named Kolya who was adopted by Aunt Dinara and her husband, Uncle Jura.

Season 4 introduced a new recurring segment inspired by Prairie Dawn's art show from Play with Me Sesame where Businka shows artwork done by kids.

Celebrity guests for the season included TV presenter Tina Kandelaki, actress Olga Prokofiev ("My Fair Nanny"), Ekaterina Guseva, Vladimir Turchinsky (Dynamo Moscow), Natasha Podolsk, Varvara, Vladimir Asimov, and children's group "Fidget".

Content

One of the show's primary goals was to teach children about living in a democratic and diverse society, particularly with the recent fall of the Soviet Union.<ref name=":6" /> Other goals included instilling pride in children's culture and traditions, and to display a supportive environment in which children could feel secure.<ref name=":3" /> Children from different ethnic groups, as well as disabled and deaf children, were included in different segments.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Cultural content included traditional Russian dances, instruments, and foods.<ref name=":4" />

In addition to original content produced in Moscow, the show also featured Russian-dubbed clips of Sesame Street, Elmo's World, Global Grover and Play with Me Sesame; these comprised about 30-50% of the show's content.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" />

The series is set in a Russian courtyard with a playground, surrounded by a mixture of traditional, rural, and urban architecture.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

Characters

Human characters included:

• Aunt Dasha, who lives in a traditional cottage and preserves Russian folklore and traditions<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" />
• Katya, an 8-year old girl who is fond of classical music.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":7">Template:Cite news</ref>
• Katya's mother, a physician<ref name=":7" />
• Katya's father, a repair man<ref name=":7" />

Muppet characters included:

• Zeliboba (Зелибоба), a nine-foot furry blue Dvorovoi (tree spirit) who enjoys dancing, can smell music, and tries hard to be polite.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> He slightly resembles a hound in some aspects (long muzzle, floppy ears and a keen sense of smell), and always wears a long fuzzy cloak that looks somewhat like a regal mantle decorated with leaves and fluffy catkins.
• Businka (Бусинка), "bead", is a bright pink monster who finds joy in everything.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" />
• Kubik (Кубик), "cube", is an orange monster who is the resident pensive problem-solver.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" />
• Kermit<ref name=":6" />
• Korzhik, the series' version of Cookie Monster<ref name=":6" />
• Vlas and Enik, the series' versions of Bert and Ernie<ref name=":6" />
• Znak, the series' version of Count von Count<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Episodes

The first season consisted of 52 half-hour episodes, which were broadcast over the show's first two years on air.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> The pilot episode shown to the press in January 1996 showed children from various Russian ethnic groups exploring Moscow's Pet Market.<ref name=":6" />

By the time of 2005, the program had 3 seasons consisting of 156 half-hour episodes in total.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Legacy

In 2022 the original producer, Natasha Lance Rogoff, released a non-fiction book, Muppets in Moscow, detailing the show's production.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>