Eduard Nikolayevich Uspensky (russian: link=no, Эдуард Николаевич Успенский; 22 December 193714 August 2018) was a Soviet and Russian children's writer and poet, author of over 70 books, as well as a playwright, screenwriter and TV presenter. His works have been translated into 25 languages and spawned around 60 cartoon adaptations. Among the characters he created are
Cheburashka
''Cheburashka'' (russian: links=no, Чебурашка, a=ru-Cheburashka.ogg, p=tɕɪbʊˈraʂkə), also known as ''Topple'' in earlier English translations, is a fictional character created by Soviet writer Eduard Uspensky in his 1965 child ...
and
Gena the Crocodile
Gena the Crocodile (russian: links=no, Крокодил Гена, Krokodil Gena) is a fictional friendly crocodile in the series of animation films ''Gena the Crocodile'', ''Cheburashka'' and ''Shapoklyak'' by Roman Kachanov (Soyuzmultfilm studi ...
,
Uncle Fyodor and
Kolobki brothers. He was awarded
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"
The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (russian: Орден «За заслуги перед Отечеством», ''Orden "Za zaslugi pered Otechestvom"'') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by P ...
, 4th class in 1997.
Biography
Uspensky was born in
Yegoryevsk
Yegoryevsk (russian: Его́рьевск) is a town and the administrative center of Yegoryevsk Urban Settlement in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Guslitsa River southeast of Moscow.
Toponymy
Yegoryevsk was named ho ...
, in Moscow Oblast into a Russian family. His father Nikolai Mikhailovich Uspensky came from the city of
Yelets
Yelets, or Elets (russian: Еле́ц), is a city in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Bystraya Sosna River, which is a tributary of the Don. Population:
History
Yelets is the oldest center of the Central Black Earth Region. It was ment ...
and was a distant relative of
Tikhon Khrennikov
Tikhon Nikolayevich Khrennikov (russian: Тихон Николаевич Хренников; – 14 August 2007) was a Russian and Soviet composer, pianist, and General Secretary of the Union of Soviet Composers (1948–1991), who was also known ...
. He served as a high-ranking official in the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, – TsK KPSS was the executive leadership of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, acting between sessions of Congress. According to party statutes, the committee direct ...
. Eduard's mother Natalia Alekseyevna Uspenskaya (''nee'' Dzurova) was an engineering technologist from
Vyshny Volochyok
Vyshny VolochyokThe more-regular spelling Vyshny Volochok ( rus, Вы́шний Волочо́к)—with instead of after an unpaired "hush consonant"—is seen but is not official; the two spellings are pronounced the same in Russian. ( rus, ...
. She came from a
merchantry social estate. Her paternal ancestors were
Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
who were resettled in Russia after one of the Polish uprisings.
In 1941 with the start of the war the family was evacuated to Siberia where they spent two years. They returned to Moscow later on. After graduating as an engineer, Uspensky earned his living by writing and producing animations.
Besides writing and producing, Uspensky has enjoyed a professional role as a long-lasting figure in radio and television. He was among the founders of the longest-running Russian children's TV show ''
Good Night, Little Ones!
''Good Night, Little Ones!'' (russian: Спокойной ночи, малыши!, Spokoynoy nochi, malyshi!) is a long-running Russian-language children's television program. Continuously broadcast since 1964 (premiered during the Soviet era), i ...
'' and the popular radio program ''Radio Nanny'' produced with the aim of featuring songs and humorous dialogue as integral elements of an educational radio program explaining concepts in grammar, mathematics, scientific subjects, and courteous behavior to children.
From 1991 to 2016 he hosted the musical TV and radio talk show ''Ships Used to Enter Our Harbour'' where he and his guests recollected the so-called street folklore, which included
Russian chanson
Russian chanson ( rus, русский шансон, r=russkiy shanson}; from French "chanson") is a neologism for a musical genre covering a range of Russian songs, including Russian romance, city romance songs, Bard (Soviet Union), author song ...
and
blatnaya pesnya
''Blatnaya pesnya'' ( rus, блатная песня, p=blɐtˈnajə ˈpʲesʲnʲə, "criminals' song") or ''blatnyak'' ( rus, links=no, блатняк, p=blɐtʲˈnʲak) is a genre of Russian song characterized by depictions of criminal subcultu ...
. The songs were performed by both professional and amateur singers, politicians, actors and people of various occupations.
In addition to children's books, Uspensky's creative output also includes plays and poems.
Death
Uspensky died of cancer on 14 August 2018 in his country house (Puchkovo village, part of Moscow's
Troitsky Administrative Okrug
Troitsky Administrative Okrug (russian: Троицкий административный округ) is one of the twelve administrative okrugs of Moscow. The okrug was founded on July 1, 2012.
Territorial organisation
At the time of form ...
).
Eduard Uspensky, Creator of Soviet Cartoons, Dies at 80
by The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, 15 August 2018 He was buried at the Troyekurovskoye Cemetery
The Troyekurovo Cemetery (russian: Троекуровское кладбище, Troyekurovskoye kladbishche), alternatively known as ''Novo-Kuntsevo Cemetery'' (russian: Ново-Кунцевское кладбище, Novo-Kuntsevskoye kladbishch ...
, plot 21.
Uspensky's work in literature
Uspensky's first book about Uncle Fyodor, '' Uncle Fedya, His Dog, and His Cat'', was first published in Russian in 1974. The main character is a six-year-old boy who is referred to as 'Uncle Fyodor' because he appears serious-minded, self-reliant and responsible. After his parents don't let him keep Matroskin, a talking cat, Uncle Fyodor leaves his home. With the dog Sharik, the three set up a home in the country, a village called Prostokvashino
''Uncle Fedya, His Dog, and His Cat'' (russian: Дядя Фёдор, пёс и кот, lit="Uncle Fyodor, The Dog and The Cat", translit=Dyadya Fyodor, pyos i kot) is a children's novella written by Eduard Uspensky and first published in 1974. It ...
(Простоквашино, from the Russian for buttermilk
Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter in western countries is not made with cultured cream but uncultured sweet cream, most mod ...
, простоквашa). After finding a treasure, Uncle Fyodor can afford to buy a tractor that runs on soup and potatoes, and a portable sun to do the heating during the winter. The book was made into a successful animated film, ''Three from Prostokvashino
''Three from Prostokvashino'' (russian: Трое из Простоквашино, r=Troye iz Prostokvashino) is a 1978 Soviet animated film based on the children's book '' Uncle Fedya, His Dog, and His Cat'' by Eduard Uspensky. The film has two s ...
'' (and its two sequels). Uspensky continued with Uncle Fyodor in other books, which have not, however, been as successful. Uspensky published other books with human-like animal characters.
Selected books
*'' Crocodile Gene and His Friends'' (1966)
*'' Uncle Fedya, His Dog, and His Cat'' (1974
on archive.org
*''The Little Warranty People'' (1975)
Selected screenplays
* ''Gena the Crocodile'' (1969)
* ''Happy Merry-Go-Round
''Happy Merry-Go-Round'' ( rus, Весёлая карусель, Vesyolaya karusel') is a long-running Soviet and Russian animated anthology series created by Anatoly Petrov and Galina Barinova for Soyuzmultfilm in 1969. It is presented as a col ...
'' № 1 (1969), № 3 (1971), № 19 (1988)
* ''Cheburashka'' (1971)
* ''Shapoklyak'' (1974)
* ''Three from Prostokvashino
''Three from Prostokvashino'' (russian: Трое из Простоквашино, r=Troye iz Prostokvashino) is a 1978 Soviet animated film based on the children's book '' Uncle Fedya, His Dog, and His Cat'' by Eduard Uspensky. The film has two s ...
'' (1978)
* ''Uncle AU'' (1979)
* ''Holidays in Prostokvashino'' (1980)
* ''Plasticine Crow
''Plasticine Crow'' (russian: Пластилиновая ворона, translit. ''Plastilinovaya vorona'') is a 1981 Soviet clay animation by Alexander Tatarsky ('' T/O Ekran'' studio). Animation divided into three independent parts (''Pictu ...
'' (1981)
* ''Along Unknown Paths
''Along Unknown Paths'' (russian: Там, на неведомых дорожках..., Tam, na nevedomykh dorozhkakh) is a 1982 children's fantasy film directed by Mikhail Yuzovsky based on the novel ''Down by the Magic River'' by Eduard Uspensky. ...
'' (1982)
* ''Cheburashka Goes to School
''Cheburashka Goes to School'' (russian: Чебурашка идёт в школу, Cheburashka Idet v Shkolu) is a 1983 Soviet animated film directed by Roman Kachanov.
Plot summary
Gena the Crocodile finds out that Cheburashka is unable to rea ...
'' (1983)
* ''Winter in Prostokvashino'' (1984)
* ''About Vera and Anfisa'' (1986)
* '' Investigation Held by Kolobki'' (1986–1987)
* ''The Fixies'' (2010)
* ''Cheburashka'' (2013)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uspensky, Eduard
1937 births
2018 deaths
20th-century Russian male writers
20th-century Russian screenwriters
21st-century Russian male writers
21st-century Russian screenwriters
People from Yegoryevsk
Moscow Aviation Institute alumni
Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class
Male screenwriters
Russian children's writers
Russian male dramatists and playwrights
Russian male poets
Russian male writers
Russian people of Polish descent
Russian radio personalities
Russian television presenters
Soviet children's writers
Soviet dramatists and playwrights
Soviet male poets
Soviet screenwriters
Deaths from cancer in Russia
Deaths from prostate cancer
Burials in Troyekurovskoye Cemetery