Despite the high artistic level of Soviet animation works, the full-length cartoon format was not widespread in the USSR. And the audience’s need for it was largely met by renting the works of foreign animators. 
At the same time, preference was not always given to the products of friendly socialist countries; Japanese and Western European cartoons had a significant weight in the repertoire of Soviet cinemas. In this collection, we have collected the ten most memorable foreign cartoons released in Soviet theaters in the 1970s and 80s.
10. Princess of the Underwater Kingdom/ Anderusen dôwa ningyo-hime (1975) 
Unlike the Disney fairy tale of the late eighties, the Japanese film adaptation from the Toei studio is much closer to Andersen's original story with its dark ending. And although the quality of animation here is not as high as that of the familiar American version, to Soviet schoolchildren who saw the picture in 1977, it seemed perfect. At the same time, the Japanese animators' sea witch turned out to be, perhaps, more terrifying.
9. Little Fox Vuk (1981) 
The full-length cartoon, based on the fairy tale of the same name by the Hungarian writer Fekete, was very popular with all Soviet viewers. Much of the credit for this goes to the high-quality dubbing. The story of the adventures and growth of a little fox, who managed to grow into a real thunderstorm of hunters and take revenge on them for the death of his relatives, appeared on the screens of the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s.
8. Puss in Boots/ Nagagutsu o haita neko (1969) 
Of course, there is no trace left of Charles Perrault’s classic fairy tale, but the wonderful animation - Hayao Miyazaki himself had a hand in it - and the stunning dubbing made this cartoon a real hit in the USSR. In spirit, the plot is more reminiscent of “The Three Musketeers,” and the continuation of the film, entitled “Puss in Boots Around the World,” released in 1976, was based on Jules Verne’s book “Around the World in 80 Days.” However, even today they look the same, and Puss in Boots has become the mascot of the Toei studio.
7. Hippopotamus Hugo/ Hugó, a víziló (1973) 
Not quite an ordinary Hungarian cartoon at the intersection of a children's fairy tale, environmental drama and light psychedelia. Judge for yourself - hippos were brought to the fabulous island so that they would destroy the sharks (!), which were bringing untold disasters. And when the brought animals were no longer needed, they were destroyed, and only Hugo remained alive. After a hungry hippo devastated the orchard, he was hunted, and his main defenders were children and the wise sultan. In general, it turned out to be fun and challenging.
6. Saffi/ Szaffi (1984) 
A magical Hungarian cartoon about the adventures of a gypsy boy and girl who escaped from Hungary in the house of a good witch. After many years of separation, they met again, and by that time Saffy herself had become a real sorceress. A kind and very funny story that appeared on Soviet screens in 1987.
5. The King and the Bird/ Le Roi Et L’Oiseau (1980) 
The original and unusual cartoon by Paul Grimaud and Jacques Prévert was released in Soviet theaters in 1985, but was liked more by adults than by children. The satirical plot about the stupid tyrant Charles V+III=VIII+VIII=XVI, to whose face only the mockingbird dares to speak the truth, is based simultaneously on many fairy tales by Andersen, woven together. And spiced up with giant robots!
4. Barefoot Gen/ Hadashi no Gen (1983) 
A must-see cartoon for everyone. Based on the manga of the same name by Keiji Nakazawa, who survived the bombing of Hiroshima, this film had a particularly strong effect on Soviet children. After all, an initially simple children's story gradually unfolds into a real human tragedy, albeit told in simple animated language.
3. Wonderful forest/ Cudesna Suma (1986) 
A cute and funny Yugoslav cartoon about an artist who dozed off in the forest under an enchanted tree. Waking up, he realizes that he has begun to understand the language of animals, and his brush has become magical. Now he must help the inhabitants of the Wonderful Forest defeat the evil cactus king, who plans to destroy their magical world.
2. Ghost Ship/ Sora tobu yûreisen (1969) 
One of the first science fiction cartoons from the Toei studio, which laid the foundation for the genre. Hayao Miyazaki himself took part in its creation. Giant robots and monsters, an incredible ghost ship with a scary and mysterious captain, a conspiracy between soda producers and aliens... Even today, the film is capable of captivating, and what can we say about Soviet schoolchildren - after watching them, they were tormented for a long time by dreams of underground factories and a flying sailing frigate , firing rockets.
1. The Lords of Time/ Les maîtres du temps (1982) 
The most significant film in the career of the famous French animator Rene Laloux became a real event at the Soviet box office. And although the intricacies of the plot about jumps in time and the social subtext of some scenes sometimes eluded the understanding of small Soviet viewers, the visual part hit home. The story about a little boy looking for his parents in a huge alien forest inhabited by creepy creatures, as well as mysterious lords of time, is rightfully considered one of the masterpieces of world animation.
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