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

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

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 at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
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...

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

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