The Evolution of Russian Children's Cinema from its Inception to the Beginning of the "Thaw"

The article examines the evolution of Russian and Soviet feature cinema for children, covering the period from its inception in the late 19th century to the beginning of the Khrushchev Thaw. It traces the transformation of children’s cinema from the first pre-revolutionary film adaptations of fairy tales to the cinema of the 1920s-1930s, which was solidifying its role as a tool for ideological education. It is noted that during this period, the on-screen image was dominated by the child as a “little adult” – a bearer of revolutionary ideas and a conscious builder of communism. The article provides a detailed analysis of the “malokartin’e” period, spanning from 1941 to 1953. During the Great Patriotic War, children’s cinema, among other things, was aimed at providing emotional strength. Particularly popular plots were dedicated to the heroic deeds of children on the home front and at the front lines. After the war, the school films emerged, and storylines became more personal.