Skazka o Malchishe-Kibalchishe

This Soviet animation, based on a story by a former Red Army commander, tells the story of a brave young boy who leads the children left behind to defend their village from the 'bourgeois'. Even when spies try to corrupt them, and one of their own betrays them, they keep their secrets and fight the good fight.

There is a clear propaganda agenda here, especially given the child-centric story, but it's not so heavy handed to make the film unenjoyable. For a non-Russian viewer, the story is different to typical children's animations, having a grounded historical basis, rather than straight folktale. The animation itself is nothing particularly special, but it's clean and colourful. Overall, this a nice little story, that moves along and maintains the audiences attention.