Cheburashka's Nationality Debated

What can a crate of oranges tell you about a beloved non-human, Soviet fictional character’s nationality? As it turns out, citrus may be the necessary clue to settling the debate at the highest levels: the Russian State Duma recently discussed the nationality of Cheburashka, a beloved non-human fictional character from a popular Soviet stop-motion cartoon.

During a Budget and Tax Committee meeting, Andrei Makarov, a member of the Duma, joked that Cheburashka is Jewish. His evidence: the crate of oranges in which the character was discovered. According to Makarov, Israel was the only country importing oranges to the USSR during the time of the cartoon's airing. This crate of oranges became key evidence in solving the mystery of Cheburashka’s nationality. 

Despite other members of the Duma suggesting that Cheburashka could be from Morocco or Spain, as these countries also exported citrus, Makarov remained firm that Cheburashka must be Jewish. 

The debate arose around funding for the Native Toy Competition, which seeks to create Russian alternatives to foreign toy brands. One offscreen member of the Duma is heard saying, “No Labubu, only our matryoshka dolls.” Makarov then suggests Cheburashka as a step forward from the simple wooden matryoshka doll (and perhaps a bit closer to Labubu).

Cheburashka first appeared in the Soviet writer Eduard Uspensky’s 1966 children’s book Gena the Crocodile and his Friends. The character’s popularity increased with the 1969 release of "Gena the Crocodile," a short stop-motion animated film. 

Cheburashka has a confusing mix of animal features: large, round ears and a small furry body. A fruit and vegetable seller uncovers Cheburashka in a crate of oranges, but cannot leave him at the zoo, because he is rejected as a “beast unknown to science.”

Theories pointing to Cheburashka’s Jewishness circulated prior to Makarov’s statement. Many of the staff at the Russian and previously Soviet animation studio Soyuzmultfilm were Jewish, and it is possible that Cheburashka represented aspects of their identity.

Still, Cheburashka continues to resonate with viewers worldwide. The most recent addition to the franchise was a live-action film released in 2023. 

With Soyuzmultfilm’s registration of the Chebubu trademark, it might not be long until the Labubus are packed up in shipping crates and Cheburashkas hit the shelves.