June 26, 2020

The reboot of a classic Russian cartoon features some modern updates.


The reboot of a classic Russian cartoon features some modern updates.
Wolf gets his act together. Nu pogodi!

The classic cartoon “Ny pogodi!” is getting revamped in 2020, and, according to Soyuzmultfilm Director Boris Mashkovtsev, viewers should expect at least one significant change in the new episodes.

Whether you grew up watching it or first saw it in a Russian language class, we all remember that rascally wolf “Volk” chasing “Zayets” (a rabbit) with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Now, however, Volk will be cutting out this bad habit. “In the episodes for which stories are being created, Volk does not smoke at all," said Mashkovtsev. "If now Volk smokes, the information will be distorted, the audience themselves, no matter what they say now, will generally evaluate the fact of smoking in a different way.”

Volk quitting smoking isn’t the only big change coming to the reboot.  Three new secondary characters are being introduced: the badger Tim, the hedgehog Shu, and the deer Ulya. According to Marina Malygina, Soyuzmultfilm press secretary, the original cartoon features multiple memorable secondary characters, such as a hippo and piglets. The new secondary characters are just a continuation of that experience, and are not meant to overtake the main characters, Volk and Zaets.

According to Malygina, “Badger Tim is a young sportsman, always on the move, kind and responsible. Hedgehog Shu is a small researcher with glasses, an inventor. Deer Ulya is an emotional beauty, active and positive. They will participate in the plot, but the main focus, of course, will remain Volk and Zaets.”

The reboot will still maintain the original’s slapstick comedy by relying more on actions than dialogues. And of course, the catchphrase “Ny, Zaets, pogodi” (“Well, Rabbit, just you wait”) will remain the same.

As to the timing of the reboot’s release, Mashkovtsev predicts it will be sometime in the second half of 2020. The director reminded fans that this is a creative process and that, “however long it takes, that’s how long it will take.”

You Might Also Like

Moving Pictures
  • November 01, 2003

Moving Pictures

The masters of Russian and Soviet animation rank among the world's greatest artists of the genre. But not many outside the industry know their names or have ever seen their work.
Influential Comic Voice
  • September 01, 2002

Influential Comic Voice

Actor Anatoly Papanov (1922-1987) would have turned 80 on October 31. Generations of Russian children associate his voice with that of the Wolf in the popular cartoon Nu Pogodi!  (“You just wait!”).
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955