The State Duma proposed replacing Disneyland with Cheburlandia
26 January 07:15
Russia needs to create an analogue of the French amusement park Disneyland with characters from domestic cartoons and films. This proposal was made by Airat Gibatdinov, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Culture.
“Our native Cheburashka, Crocodile Gena, Winnie the Pooh, Carlson, the heroes of ‘Just You Wait!’, and Prostokvashino have become a cultural universe that can truly compete with Western franchises,” the senator said, according to "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Russian propaganda media.
In his opinion, the authorities could use this park as “an instrument of cultural policy and soft power that shapes a positive identity in children through native heroes.” “And we need a clear and familiar name. Something like ‘Cheburlandia,'” Gibatdinov added. The senator cited the Dream Island amusement park in Moscow as a good example of such projects, but added that it falls short of Disneyland in terms of scale. In his opinion, the site should combine attractions, interactive zones, theatrical performances, and multimedia formats aimed at a family audience.
According to Gibatdinov, Russian society has recently been increasingly striving to “strengthen the domestic cultural code,” which has led to a growing demand for “rethinking and popularizing” the Soviet creative heritage. He added that in the future, Disneyland-like parks are expected to appear in various regions of the country.
In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin was made the hero of the animated series Prostokvashino. Announcing his inclusion in the project, Yuliana Slascheva, chair of the board of directors of the Soyuzmultfilm film studio, said that Matroskin the cat and the head of state would “make a wonderful duo for promoting” the country and domestic culture.
At the same time, the State Duma had previously criticized the Russian films Cheburashka and The Bremen Town Musicians.
