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Russian court sentences Masyanya creator Kuvaev to 4 years and 1 month in absentia
The Nevsky District Court in St. Petersburg sentenced Oleg Kuvaev, creator of the Masyanya animated series, to 4 years and 1 month in prison in absentia. Kuvaev was also banned from broadcasting online and administering websites for four years.
The Nevsky District Court in St. Petersburg sentenced Oleg Kuvaev, creator of the Masyanya animated series, to 4 years and 1 month in prison in absentia. The court also banned Kuvaev from broadcasting online and administering websites for four years.
The court's press service accused Kuvaev of publicly calling for actions against state security and failing to comply with obligations imposed on people designated as "foreign agents." The ruling was linked to an animated episode that allegedly encouraged Russian soldiers to surrender or leave their units.
The Idoliada episode at the center of the case
Investigators argued that the 2023 episode "Idoliada," the 169th episode of the Masyanya series, called on Russian soldiers to surrender, desert and disobey their commanders' orders.
According to explanations in the case file, the episode also featured the Ukraine-based project "I Want to Live," which helps Russian soldiers surrender. The file further alleged that the cartoon conveyed "ideological hatred and hostility" toward the Russian government and officials, as well as opposition to the invasion.
Investigators determined that the verbal calls in the episode were directed against Russia's state security. The criminal case was opened three years ago, while Kuvaev was designated a "foreign agent" in December 2023.
Kuvaev's work in Israel
Kuvaev, who has lived in Israel since 2006, continues to produce anti-war works from abroad. In November 2025, the artist released an AI-assisted animation satirizing the Soviet-era song "May There Always Be Sunshine."
The video showed red-aproned rag dolls representing Soviet schoolchildren flying over devastated cities with missiles and trying to protect themselves from bombardment. The song's lyrics repeatedly invoked war and massacres instead of wishing for peace, while Kuvaev presented the video as "new Russian children's songs."
Kuvaev also said he hoped for the dissolution of Russia and the independence of the country's ethnic republics. The artist contrasted this view with what he attributed to the Russian opposition.
Kuvaev dismissed the ruling
After the ruling, Kuvaev made a statement dismissing the proceedings. The artist said, "There is really nothing to say. Perhaps I can only say that I regret and am concerned about the state of mental health of the rotten empire."
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