Ulitsa Sezam

thumb|right|300px|The show's opening.
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Ulitsa Sezam (Cyrillic: Улица Сезам) is the Russian co-production of Sesame Street. The series first aired on October 22, 1996.
==Sesame Workshop description==
Russian children and their families have been enjoying Ulitsa Sezam since it began airing in 1996. This educational and engaging series is composed of curriculum goals developed by Russian educators and writers. The series includes regionally diverse original material produced and filmed in Russia, as well as segments from the Sesame Street International Library. The Ulitsa Sezam set features a Russian courtyard surrounded by homes and stores that are populated by both Ulitsa Sezam Muppets (puppet characters) and human characters.
Ulitsa Sezam has been successfully produced and aired in Russia since 1996 with sponsorship from USAID, the Soros Foundation, and the Nestlé Corporation with support from the Russian Ministry of Education. Three seasons and a total of 156 30-minute episodes have been produced to date. The show currently airs on NTV.
Ulitsa Sezam engages preschoolers to learn about the lives and interests of people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds, including their own. The show incorporates a uniquely innovative educational curriculum created by Russian educators and child development experts. Its current focus is on good nutrition, health and well being, and diversity.
==History==
===Debut Era: 1996===
The series debuted in October 22, 1996 on TV channels NTV and ORT and was entitled "Life in an open society." The Muppet characters include: a seven-foot tall Dvorovoi (spirit) named Zeliboba and two monsters, Businka and Kubik.
The co-producer was a studio called VideoArt."Leisure time: Sesame Street has new international addresses", The Courier-News (Bridgewater, New Jersey), 2 September 1996, page 10.
===Second run: 1999===
The second season on "optimism" was filmed in 1999 and broadcast on NTV and STS.
===Third run: 2003===
Filming the third season, the main theme was "Diversity in the world." The program was broadcast on television channel STS. In the third season, famous celebrities appeared on the show: Actors Leo Durov and Mary Aronov, composer Grigory Gladkov, and opera singer Vyacheslav Voynorovsky.
===Fourth run: 2006===
In 2006, the show celebrated its 10 anniversary. Filming of the new fourth season took place in the spring of 2006 in the pavilions "Mosfilm". The premiere of the new season was broadcast on STS channel in September 2006. The city yard set was re-vamped to reflect a more realistic depiction of modern-day urban Russia.Sesame WorkshopAn intact oak tree grows in the center of this courtyard, and windows from surrounding houses face each other so neighbors can pop their heads out of windows to greet one another. The set also includes a creative art center and a playground with an urban backdrop of buildings that was made grittier, a bit grey, with Khrushchev-style buildings in the background. Businka and Kubik's rooms change into a two-story house with a balcony. New cast members include Yamila and Altin, who are two sisters, recently arrived in Russia from Kazakhstan. The show also tackled the issue of adoption by introducing a young boy named Kolya who was adopted by Aunt Dinara and her husband, Uncle Jura. Season 4 also introduce a new recurring segment inspired by Prairie Dawn’s art show from Play with Me Sesame where Businka shows artwork done by kids. Famous celebrities include TV presenter Tina Kandelaki, actress Olga Prokofiev ("My Fair Nanny") and Ekaterina Guseva, Vladimir Turchinsky (Dynamo Moscow), Natasha Podolsk, Varvara, Vladimir Asimov, a children's group "Fidget".
==Human Characters==
* Grandmother: She is 55-60 years old, but she is very modern and fashionable. She loves adventure and collects souvenirs as she travels all over the world. She is always ready to tell interesting stories.
* Aunt Dinara: She is very kind and likes to communicate with children. and therefore works in a children's club. She speaks several languages and introduces the inhabitants of "Ulitsa Sezam" with the traditions and customs of different peoples.
* Uncle Jura: He plays with the children and sing them songs. He is married to Aunt Dina and has an adopted son Kolya.
* Kolya - a charming, kind boy.
* Timonthy: Grandson of Grandmother, who lives in the North.
* Yamila and Altin: Two sisters who recently arrived in Russia from Kazakhstan. Altin is learning to speak in Russian.
==Crew==
*Executive Producer, Natasha Lance Rogoff, 1993-1997
*Senior Producer: Robin Hessman 1995-1999
*DIXI-TV executive producer: Yana Shelygina
== Notes ==
* Early seasons sourced American segments (Muppet skits, animated shorts, and films) from episodes of Open Sesame. Later seasons also incorporated Elmo's World, Global Grover, and clips from Play with Me Sesame. Besides street scenes, locally-produced segments included films and animated shorts (mostly on Russian letters and words). A side effect of this was that several characters (particularly Grover, Ernie, Prairie Dawn, and, in Elmo's World appearances, Bert) were recast with voices that sounded nothing like the original voice actors, which became particularly noticeable when older segments and newer segments aired in the same episode.
== Character Translations ==
Character 	Translation (Romanization) 	Voice Actor
Bert 	Влас (Vlas) 	Vasily Dakhnenko (1996-2008)
Unknown 2 (Elmo's World)
Ernie 	Еник (Enik) 	Pavel Kipnis (1996-2008)
Elmo 	Элмо (Elmo) 	Svetlana Kharlap (1996-2008)
Cookie Monster 	Коржик (Korzhik) 	Unknown (1996-??)
Grover 	Гровер (Grover) 	Unknown 1 (1996-ca. 2003)
Unknown 2 (2006-2008)
Kermit the Frog 	Лягушонок Кермит (Lyagushonok Kermit)	Unknown (1996-ca. 2003)
Count von Count 	Граф фон Знак (Graf fon Znak) 	Unknown (1996-??)
Oscar the Grouch	Оскар (Oskar) 	Unknown (1996-ca. 2003)
Prairie Dawn 	?? 	Unknown 1 (1996-ca. 2003)
Unknown 2 (2006-2008)
Big Bird 	Большая Птица (Bolshaya Ptitsa) 	Valery Yaremenko (ca. 1999-2008)
Telly Monster 	Тели (Teli) 	Unknown (1996-2008)
Zoe 	?? 	Unknown (ca. 1999-2008)
Rosita 	Розита (Rozita) 	Unknown (ca. 1996-2008)
==Sources==
==See also==
* Muppets in Moscow, a history of the show by producer Natasha Lance Rogoff 
* Ulitsa Sezam Merchandise
==External links==
* Smithsonian Magazine "When the Muppets Moved to Moscow" by Brigit Katz, October 14, 2022
* Dixi-TV Ulitsa Sezam Project History • (translation)
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Category:International Sesame Street Shows