Vladimir Suteev facts for kids

Vladimir Grigorevich Suteev (Russian: Владимир Григорьевич Сутеев) was a famous Russian author, artist, and animator. He was born on July 5, 1903, and passed away on March 10, 1993. He mostly created stories and cartoons for children. He was also one of the people who helped start the animation industry in the Soviet Union.

His books have been translated into 36 languages. They have been published in many countries around the world. These include places like Norway, France, Mexico, and Japan.

Early Life and Art

Vladimir Suteev was born in Moscow. His mother was Zinaida Vasilievna Suteeva. His father, Grigory Osipovich Suteev, was a well-known doctor. He specialized in skin diseases. Grigory Suteev also enjoyed painting and music. He even performed concerts.

All these artistic interests influenced young Vladimir. A close family friend, Stepan Erzia, had a big impact on him. Erzia was a famous sculptor. Vladimir's mother even posed for him. Vladimir's father wrote many notes about Erzia. These notes were later published in a book.

Even when he was young, Suteev's drawings appeared in magazines. These included Pioner, Murzilka, and Iskorka. His work was also in the newspaper Pionerskaya Pravda. He started his career in children's literature after working in cinema. In 1928, he graduated from the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography. He studied art there with his brother and cousin. Both of them later became important directors of science films.

Animation and Writing Career

While still a student, Suteev worked on China in Flames (1925). This was one of the first Soviet animated films using cutout animation. It supported the Chinese fight for freedom. This film was also one of the world's first animated feature films. It ran for over 50 minutes.

Suteev directed his first film, Athwart Street, in 1931. This was the first Soviet animated film with sound. He then joined the Soyuzmultfilm studio in 1936. There, he worked on more than 30 films. He was a director, writer, and animator. Some of his films, like Petya and Little Red Riding Hood, won international awards. In 1941, he finished the cartoon Clatterfly. This film was based on a fairy tale by Korney Chukovsky.

Suteev served in the Great Patriotic War from beginning to end. After the war, he returned to Soyuzmultfilm. However, he left after two years. He had a personal story involving another animator, Tatiana Taranovich. They later married 37 years later when they were both older. They lived together for 10 more years. Both passed away in 1993.

From 1947, Suteev worked at the Detgiz Publishing House. His first book, Two Tales about the Pencil and the Paints, was published in 1952. The famous writer Korney Chukovsky praised this book. After that, Suteev published many more books. Some popular titles include:

• What Kind of a Bird is This?
• Under the Mushroom
• The Bag of Apples
• The Chicken and the Duckling
• Who said "Meow"?.

Many of his stories were also made into animated films.

Vladimir Suteev also illustrated books by other famous authors. He drew pictures for tales by Korney Chukovsky. He also illustrated "Whiskers and Stripes" by Samuil Marshak and "Uncle Stjopa" by Sergey Mikhalkov. Suteev's drawings also appeared in the first Russian editions of books by international authors. These included "Cippolino's Adventures" by Gianni Rodari and "Happy New Year" by Alf Prøysen. His illustrations for "The Adventures of Pif" made the character Pif-puppy a favorite worldwide.