Book Review: Muppets In Moscow

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the timing appeared perfect to bring Sesame Street to millions of children living in the former Soviet Union. With the Muppets envisioned as ideal ambassadors of Western values, no one anticipated just how challenging and dangerous this would prove to be.

In Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia, Natasha Lance Rogoff brings this gripping tale to life. Amidst bombings, assassinations, and a military takeover of the production office, Lance Rogoff and the talented Moscow team of artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and puppeteers remained determined to bring laughter, learning, and a new way of seeing the world to children in Russia, Ukraine and across the former Soviet empire.

Rowman and Littlefield will be releasing this book on October 15, 2022; I was able to read an early galley in exchange for this review.

As a child of the 70's, I grew up on the original seasons of Sesame Street. Therefore, the subject matter of this book was very intriguing to me. I found myself instantly captivated by Lance Rogoff's story. She presents the details of launching Ulitsa Sezam, the Russian version of the popular children's television show, in a refreshing and engaging way; at times, it was almost like reading fiction.

She does a wonderful job illustrating the cultural differences between America and Russia. With examples throughout the development process, she explains clearly to the readers how something that would work in one place would not translate as easily into the other. She also shows how she had to navigate in Russia as well as how her Russian team experienced their first brushes with American lifestyles.

Overall, Muppets In Moscow is a lesson of hope, cooperation and perseverance. These are exactly the types of things I had learned from the original Sesame Street as a child.