Popular Russian children's show ‘Masha i Medved’ ceases production, citing a lack of funding

The popular children's animated series Masha i Medved ("Masha and the Bear") is ending its 52-episode run, the show's creators told the newspaper Izvestia, citing a lack of funding. Earlier today, the show's production company, Animaccord, released the final episode on YouTube, where it already has more than 21,000 views. 

In the finale, the usually rambunctious child Masha suddenly starts acting mature, performing chores and behaving politely. As a result, she contacts her grandmother, who comes to the forest to bring her back to "the city." Her parting words to the forest animals suggest that she might return, one day.

The show's producer, Dmitry Loveiko, told Izvestia that Animaccord lacks the necessary funding to continue production, despite Masha i Medved's enormous popularity both in and beyond Russia.

The first episodes of Masha i Medved premiered on national television in Russia in 2009, as part of the children's program Spokoinoi nochi, malyshi ("Goodnight, Kids"). Every episode is roughly six minutes long, and features the adventures of a young girl living with a bear in the forest. Today, the show is broadcast on television and sold on DVD in 30 different countries. The Masha i Medved official YouTube channel has more than 3.6 million subscribers and has attracted more than 4.3 billion views.