Cheburashka is one of those cartoon characters that we continue to enjoy, even as adults. We will not retell in detail the work itself “The Crocodile Gena and His Friends” (he is his hero), but find out the following point: why Cheburashka was called Cheburashka.
And who is the author?
There can be no discrepancies in answering this question: the character emerged from the pen of the Soviet and Russian writer, screenwriter, and author of children's books, Eduard Uspensky. It happened in 1966. Then another of his works was published - "Down the Magic River." Ouspensky has become popular. To answer the question: "Why was Cheburashka called Cheburashka?" - we will turn a little lower.
The birthplace of the writer is the city of Yegoryevsk (Moscow region). After graduation, he entered the Moscow Aviation Institute. In the same period, his first literary works appeared in print.
Today, the writer's place of residence is also the Moscow region. The author’s works continue to be published at the Samovar Publishing House. We hope that there is no difficulty in answering the question: "Who wrote Cheburashka?" - Readers will not have this material.
The character himself became known after the cartoon about the crocodile Gene and his friends (1969) was released.
The original version of the book introduced readers to a clumsy, unpretentious creature. Small ears, brown hair - this is how his appearance was described in general terms. The appearance of the good-natured image of Cheburashka, which is distinguished by large ears and big eyes, we owe to production designer Leonid Shvartsman.
By the way, in the period of the 1990-2000s, the writer Eduard Uspensky had to participate in disputes regarding authorship of this image. It was about its use in the names of various children's institutions, in different products (this was a common practice in the Soviet period).
We remembered who wrote Cheburashka. Next, we will enumerate the options for the name of the character.
The animal from hot countries
There is a version that in childhood, the future writer played with a soft toy, apparently, not of the best quality. She was a strange sight: with big ears and the same big eyes. It was not possible to understand which particular animal detachment of the world it belongs to. Then the fantasy of the parents suggested the name of the animal - Cheburashka. The place of his residence was chosen by hot countries. So far we have given one version of why they called Cheburashka Cheburashka.
Summer, girl, fur coat
Uspensky himself gives an explanation for this name of a fictional hero in one of his interviews. A little daughter grew up in the writer’s family of acquaintances. One of the purchases that her parents decided to please her was a small fur coat. The yard was a warm summer. Trying new clothes occurred under Eduard Uspensky. The girl was dragging a large fur coat on the floor; it was uncomfortable for her to walk. After she stumbled and fell again, her father said: "She chewed herself again!" Ouspensky became interested in the meaning of an unusual word. A friend explained to him the meaning of the word "cheburahnut". It means to fall.
You can also learn about the origin of the word from the dictionary of V.I. Dahl. It also gives the meaning that we have already cited, and such as “bang”, “stretch out”. Dahl also mentions the word "cheburashka". Various dialects define it as “a saber of a burlak strap, it is hung on its tail” or as “a vanka-vstanka, a doll, it rises to its feet by itself, no matter how it is thrown.” The word also has figurative interpretations.
Book title option
In order to understand another option, why Cheburashka was called Cheburashka, let's recall the plot of the book itself. So, oranges were a favorite dish of an animal unknown to science, who lived somewhere in the south. One hot day, he climbed into a box of adorable fruit discovered on the shore. I ate well and fell asleep. Next, the boarded up box was in our country and was delivered to the store. After opening the crate, instead of the expected fruit, a well-fed shaggy creature appeared in front of the store director. Having no idea what to do with him, the director decided to put the animal on a box. The animal could not resist and fell. The director escaped the phrase: “Fuck you, what a cheburashka!” And this name was fixed to the character.
Our story about Cheburashka comes to an end. I would like to supplement it with some interesting facts.
Interesting facts about the character
To date, this hero and his friends have many monuments and sculptural compositions. You can meet them in such settlements as the village of Gaspra (Yalta, Crimea), the Moscow region city of Ramenskoye, the city of Khabarovsk, the city of Kremenchug, the city of Dnipro.
Since 2003, Muscovites every year on August weekends have been holding a charity event called Cheburashka’s Birthday. It aims to help orphans.
In Moscow, in the kindergarten No. 2550 (Eastern Administrative District), the Cheburashka Museum was opened in 2008. It stores a typewriter. It was on it that the story of the beloved was created by both the children and their parents.