Obverse. Photo © Bank of Russia
  • 25 Rubles 2022, CBR# 5015-0068, Russia, Federation, Russian Animation, Happy Merry-Go-Round No. 1
  • 25 Rubles 2022, CBR# 5015-0068, Russia, Federation, Russian Animation, Happy Merry-Go-Round No. 1
Description

Happy Merry-Go-Round (Russian: Весёлая карусель) 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 collection of 2–4 experimental shorts by various young directors. The original series ran from 1969 to 2001 and was released theatrically during the Soviet days and on television in the Russian Federation. 2012 saw the revival of the series.

The idea of the animated "newsreel" anthology (or a "children's animated magazine" as it was known in the Soviet Union) came to Anatoly Petrov and his wife Galina Barinova, both experienced animators at Soyuzmultfilm who hadn't been given a chance to direct their own films before. It was conceived as a proving ground for experimental animation by beginning directors based on riddles, rhymes, songs, absurd stories and so on.

The series aired in 1969 as a collection of four short traditionally animated cartoons by a team of newcomers, originally under the "artistic guidance" by Roman Kachanov. The first episode included Distracted Giovanni by Petrov, a hand-drawn story with a cutout look about a distracted boy who literally fell apart; Mosaic directed by Galina Barinova and Leonid Nosyrev that utilized mosaic aesthetics; Antoshka, a musical comedy also by Nosyrev, and Well, Just You Wait! by Gennady Sokolsky which was soon turned into a popular series of its own.

Date of issue: 15.11.2022

Obverse

In the centre the relief image of the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation, above the semicircular inscription along the rim THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION framed on both sides by ornamental elements of doubled rhombuses, in the lower part of the disc, at the edge the horizontal inscriptions BANK OF RUSSIA and 25 RUBLES, the date 2022 under it, over it to the right the mint trade mark.

The two main elements of Russian state symbols (the two-headed eagle and the mounted figure slaying the dragon) predate Peter the Great. Today, however, the official description does not refer to the rider on the central shield as representing Saint George, mainly in order to maintain the secular character of the modern Russian state. The imperial crowns on each head stand for the unity and sovereignty of Russia, both as a whole and in its constituent republics and regions. The orb and scepter grasped in the eagle's talons are traditional heraldic symbols of sovereign power and authority. They have been retained in the modern Russian arms despite the fact that the Russian Federation is not a monarchy.

Artist: E. V. Kramskaya
Sculptor: A. A. Dolgopolova

РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ
ММД
БАНК РОССИИ
25 РУБЛЕЙ
2022 г.

Reverse

Depicts a coloured image of a scene from the animated film series ‘Happy Merry-Go-Round No. 1’ (particularly, Antoshka, a musical comedy directed by Leonid Nosyrev) and the relief inscription "HAPPY MERRY-GO-ROUND NO. 1" on the upper left.

"Antoshka" is a cartoon about a lazy boy named Antoshka, who did not want to go digging potatoes at first, and then reluctantly agreed to play the harmonica for the guys, but then changed his mind and sang a teaser instead. But he not only did not refuse the invitation to dinner but also took a huge spoon. However, in his bowl (the largest on the table), instead of porridge, he finds a frog, which the guys put there in order to teach him a lesson.

The plot of ‘Antoshka’ is based on a children’s song about a lazy boy. The author of the text is poet Yuri Entin. When he was young, Entin worked as a school teacher of history for a while, and one of his pupils became the prototype of the character Antoshka. The music to the song was written by composer Vladimir Shainsky. The song was first broadcast in the TV show ‘Good Morning’ that Entin and Shainsky applied to a few months later. The song was performed by children’s choir ‘Sputnik’.

Artist: A. D. Schablykin

ВЕСЕЛАЯ КАРУСЕЛЬ № 1

Edge

180 corrugations

25 Rubles

Colorised

Russian Animation
Happy Merry-Go-Round No. 1

Subscribe series
CBR# 5015-0068
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Cupronickel
Weight 10 g
Diameter 27 mm
Thickness 2.3 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Moscow Mint (MMD)

Related coins

Colorised, Three Bogatyrs

Russian Animation

Silver, 31.1 g, ⌀ 39 mm
Colorised, Winnie-the-Pooh

Russian Animation

Silver, 31.1 g, ⌀ 39 mm
Colorised, Well, Just You Wait!

Russian Animation

Silver, 31.1 g, ⌀ 39 mm