Moscow Metro launches Soyuzmultfilm train

"Winnie the Pooh" is a popular Soviet cartoon (1969) based on Alan Alexander Milne's classic children book. Source: Kirill Zykov / Moskva Agency

Lucky riders on the Serpukhovko-Timiryazaevskaya (gray) line of the Moscow metro will get to share their commute with Cheburashka and Gena. On Aug. 29, the Moscow Metro launched a special train commemorating the 80th anniversary of Soyuzmultfilm, the largest Soviet and Russian animation studio.

Cheburashka is a character featured in several animations (1969-1983) based on Eduard Uspensky's book "Crocodile Gena and his friends." Source: Kirill Zykov / Moskva Agency

The design of the train cars, which took about four months to create, features images of characters from classic Soviet cartoons, including Once Upon a Dog, Junior and Karlson, Hedgehog in the Fog, The Bremen Town Musicians and many others.

The Wolf is one of the main characters of the animation series "Nu, pogodi!" ("Well, Just You Wait!"). His escapades with the series’ other protagonist, The Hare, are similar to those of Tom & Jerry. Source: Kirill Zykov / Moskva Agency

The train also celebrates the studio's talented filmmakers, so while riding, passengers can learn more about such animation artists and directors as Boris Dyozhkin (Cipollino, Revenge Match, Shaybu! Shaybu!), Lev Atamanov (Kitten Named Woof), Fedor Khitruk (Winnie the Pooh) and Roman Kachanov (Cheburashka, The Mystery of the Third Planet).

"The Scarlet Flower" (1952) is an animation based on a tale by Sergei Aksakov and is the Soviet answer to "Beauty and the Beast." Source: Kirill Zykov / Moskva Agency

The launch of the new train will be accompanied by a release of special-edition one- and two-ride tickets.

Metro tickets featuring Winnie the Pooh (above) and Hedgehog in the Fog (by Yuri Norshtein, 1975) were released to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Soyuzmultfilm studio. Source: Kirill Zykov / Moskva Agency

The animation train is the fourth themed train dedicated to cinematography on the Moscow Metro. The other three trains, "Heroes of All Time", "Victory Cinema" and "Movie Legends," all run on the Koltsevaya (brown) line.

Союзмультфильм (Soyuzmultfilm) train. Source: Kirill Zykov / Moskva Agency

First published in Russian by Tass news agency.

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