Vintage 1968 Soviet Cheburashka & Crocodile Gena Theatrical Poster

Please note: We are expecting this item in late July from our supplier. Orders placed now will be dispatched as soon as it arrives.

A rare and charming piece of late-Soviet graphic art — an original 1968 theatrical playbill produced for the Leningrad Puppet-Marionette Theatre 's  production of Cheburashka (Чебурашка) — a children’s fairy tale by Eduard Uspensky and R. Kachanov — directed by Honored Artist of the RSFSR V. Lopukhin, and issued under the authority of the Main Directorate of Culture of the Leningrad City Soviet Executive Committee.

This poster documents a precise and consequential moment in Soviet cultural history. When puppet sculptor Margarita Skripova-Yasinskaya crafted the stage puppet for this 1968 production, she made the bold artistic decision to give Cheburashka his now-iconic oversized, round ears — a radical departure from Uspensky’s original 1966 text description of a small, squirrel-like creature. This poster captures that prototype design. The following year, production designer Leonid Shvartsman adapted the same visual identity for the legendary 1969 Soyuzmultfilm animated film, permanently cementing Cheburashka’s look in global pop culture. What you are looking at is the origin. 

The print exhibits classic late-1960s Soviet graphic design: bold block typography combined with a vibrant, playful palette — Crocodile Gena in his iconic green scales and checkered vest, a stylized girl puppet with a pink bow, and the soft orange-textured prototype Cheburashka holding a balloon string against a whimsical cityscape silhouette. Equally at home in a collector’s archive, a nursery, or a vintage-inspired interior. Framing behind UV-protective glass is recommended to preserve the vivid original print.

Authenticity

100% Guaranteed Original Vintage Poster — not a modern reprint or reproduction.  Nearly 60 years old and in exceptional condition, this is a genuinely scarce survivor of Soviet theatrical ephemera.

Story: Cheburashka — fairy tale by E. Uspensky & R. Kachanov
Director: V. Lopukhin, Honored Artist of the RSFSR
Puppet Sculptor: Margarita Skripova-Yasinskaya
Year: 1968
Theatre: Leningrad Puppet-Marionette Theatre, Leningrad (St. Petersburg), USSR
Origin: USSR (Soviet Union)
Size: 90 × 60 cm (35.4 × 23.6 in)
Medium: Offset lithograph on paper

Condition

Overall: Excellent (Vintage Grade A / A-)

Wear: Minor handling wear consistent with age and original theatrical use.

Details: Colours remain vivid and saturated. Paper maintains full structural integrity with no tears or losses.

This is an authentic vintage item. Please review the high-resolution photographs for a full and accurate representation. What you see is what you receive.

Shipping & Packaging

We handle historic paper with the utmost care to ensure it arrives immaculate.

Handling: Dispatched within 1–3 business days from our studio
Packaging: Rolled in acid-free tissue paper and shipped in a heavy-duty reinforced mailing tube — no folding, no creasing, no edge damage
Tracking: Fully tracked from our studio to your door
Standard delivery: Registered post (BH Pošta), arriving in 1–4 weeks
Express delivery: DHL Express available at checkout — delivery in 2–5 business days

International buyers are responsible for any applicable customs fees or import taxes.

Framing

Professional custom framing is available for this piece upon request. Contact us before checkout to discuss options and tailored pricing.