Among the numerous exhibits of the Museum, there are some that are a matter of special pride for our institution. These are the drawn frames from the cartoon “Bobe Mayses”, donated by the Institute of Judaica (Kyiv). Known since the last third of the 19th century, the technique of drawn animation involves sequentially drawing each phase of a character's movement on film (in this case, celluloid). After that, the films with different characters are combined into a single video sequence.

Back in 1993, the first (and the only one in Ukraine today) cartoon “Bobe Mayses” appeared, created based on rich Jewish folklore. At that time, it was recognized as the best animated film in Ukraine. And last year, it received a new life: through the efforts of the film company “MaGiKa-film” in cooperation with “Dovzhenko-Center” with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, the cartoon was restored and digitized. The film received a new sound - the main character speaks in the voice of the outstanding Ukrainian actress Ada Rogovtseva.

Ada Mykolaivna herself admitted in an interview: “I liked this material right away. The film is wonderful, perfect, with great humor. Both serious and philosophical. The animation is beautiful. For me, it is perfect work.”

The director, screenwriter (co-authored by E. Kirich) and animator of the film was Elena Kasavina (born April 17, 1952). She was involved in the creation of the cartoon’s beloved by many children and adults: “How Petryk Pyatochkin Counted Elephants” (1984), “Doctor Aibolit” (1984–1985), “Treasure Island” (1989), “Aeneid” (1991), etc.

The cartoon “Bobe Mayses” tells about the life of Jews in Eastern Europe and depicts the traditions of the Jewish community. These are the so-called “Chelm stories”, the folklore of Jews who lived in the towns of Vinnytsia region. All these stories and proverbs were told to Olena by her grandmother. The main character, Bobe Mayses, is an old man who shares his life experience with young people, giving them important instructions about moral values.

The history of the old town Jews, our grandparents, who used to live here, beyond the settlement boundary and who are no longer there, is gradually being forgotten and somewhat leveled. What is left of them? Books by Sholem Aleichem, paintings by M. Chagall, a few melodies for the violin, yellowed photos... And - fairy tales, folklore. What constitutes not just an established tradition of the Jewish people but also serves as an important factor in the preservation of national identity, language and culture in general.

Thanks to such rare and valuable exhibits received from respected partners, the Museum could tell little-known, but extremely important stories for awareness. Soon these exhibits will take a worthy place in the main exhibition.

Lyudmila Sandul