38 Parrots

38 Parrots (Russian: 38 попугаев, translit. Tridtsat vosem popugaev) is a series of ten children's cartoons produced in the Soviet Union between 1976 and 1991 by Soyuzmultfilm. Featuring animated puppets, the series portrays the amusing adventures of four friends: the talkative chimpanzee Martyshka, the shy young elephant Slonyonok, the eccentric parrot Popugai, and the thoughtful boa Udav.[2]

38 Parrots
Written by	Grigoriy Oster
Directed by	Ivan Ufimtsev[1]
Starring	Nadezhda Rumyantseva Mikhail Kozakov Vasily Livanov Vsevolod Larionov
Music by	Vladimir Shainsky Gennady Gladkov Aleksei Shelygin
Country of origin	Soviet Union
Original language	Russian
Production
Producer	Soyuzmultfilm
Running time	9 min.
Release
Original release	1976 (1976) – 1991 (1991)

The title of the series comes from the very first episode, where Udav has his length measured in parrots. In most episodes the heroes solve paradoxes related to language and meaning. In one, for example, they discuss the number of nuts it takes to make a whole pile. In another, they tackle the problem of how to convey a greeting without it disappearing in transit.

The series was created by director Ivan Ufimtsev and artist Leonid Shvartsman, and scripted by children's author Grigoriy Oster. The characters were voiced by popular actors Nadezhda Rumyantseva (Martyshka), Mikhail Kozakov (Slonyonok), Vasily Livanov (Udav) and Vsevolod Larionov (Popugai). The series' music is written by Vladimir Shainsky, Gennady Gladkov and Aleksei Shelygin.[3]