The "Kukly" puppet show set out Sunday night to test the new NTV management's promise not to censor the popular political satirical program.
In the show Sunday, President Vladimir Putin, or more precisely his latex version, was depicted as a Chinese leader at the time of the Cultural Revolution fighting the enemies of the state.
The enemies, in this case, were NTV founder Vladimir Gusinsky, who lost control of the channel last week, and Boris Berezovsky, who has offered ousted NTV management and reporters refuge at his TV6 television station.
"A fatty goose has been practically exterminated," said former Finance Minister Alexander Livshits, using the popular nickname for Gusinsky, whose surname begins with the Russian word for "goose."
"But evil offshoots of beryoza [birch] are still sprouting here and there," he added, in a nod to Berezovsky's nickname.
But the main enemy, Putin was told, would prove to be sparrows ?€” journalists ?€” because they flutter around out of control and are inclined to discharge droppings on people's heads.
"That could have been me," Putin said early in the show after seeing a bird dropping land on a nearby head.
The government concluded that the battle plan for fighting enemies of the state was simple and announced to Chinese citizens over the radio: Sing and dance to prevent the sparrows from resting. After 20 minutes in flight they will simply die of exhaustion.
With fears growing that press freedom in Russia is in danger, the show from all appearances and according to its producers was aired without any censorship.
Vasily Grigoryev, the founder and producer of "Kukly," said NTV's new general director Boris Jordan has offered his word that the show will continue to be uncensored.
Unless, of course, proven otherwise.
"If there are three or more repeats of old shows, that will mean that there are signs of censorship," said Grigoryev.
But Grigoryev said he firmly believes that Jordan will do everything in his power to protect the show from any external pressure.
One of the more immediate problems for the new management will not be censoring the show but securing funding for it, he said.
"Kukly" is probably "the most expensive show to produce apart from feature films," he said, declining to elaborate.
Seemingly unharmed in the turbulent takeover of NTV by state-connected gas giant Gazprom, "Kukly," nevertheless, did not leave the battlefield without losses. Of the 50 people who film "Kukly," one person left ?€” the show's screenwriter and prominent television personality Viktor Shenderovich.
Notably, Shenderovich, who is widely seen as the best of the show's screenwriters, was also the only one in the team who was on staff at NTV, which itself suffered deep losses as angry managers and journalists left the channel in droves.
"Having seen Jordan break one promise, I have little faith in trusting the management with leaving 'Kukly' untouched," Shenderovich said, referring to Jordan's promise not to use force to take over NTV.
Jordan's team peacefully seized NTV's offices in a night raid.
"I don't know how long they will go on without censorship," Shenderovich said. "Three weeks, three and half?"
Grigoryev said he was disappointed that Shenderovich left the show.
"He became a TV personality with 'Kukly,' so with his departure some of the living tissue of the program has been torn off," Grigoryev said.
"Kukly" has two more screenplay writers, Natalya Belyushina and Ivan Kiasashvili, and viewers have often confused Kiasashvili's material for Shenderovich's, he said.
Grigoryev refused to discuss whether the Kremlin's patience with "Kukly" would run thin.
"'Kukly' is Putin's favorite show," Grigoryev said. "I don't think there will be much need or desire to get rid of such a popular program as 'Kukly,' especially now that Gusinsky has announced his departure from the company."
Gusinsky said Thursday that with control of NTV in Gazprom's hands he would sell the rest of his stock in the channel.
"Kukly" was launched in 1994 and has become an irritant for a handful of top officials and average citizens alike. Already in 1995 the Prosecutor General's Office was after the show, saying it "publicly humiliated" the "honor and dignity" of top government officials. It also accused Grigoryev of tax evasion and with illegally using hard currency to pay for transactions. Prosecutors dropped investigations into the show and its founder in 1996.
Over the years, politicians, especially leftists and nationalists, have indicated a deep dislike for the show.
Then in February 2000 a group of professors from St. Petersburg slammed "Kukly" in an open letter, saying it had insulted Putin.
By airing "Kukly," the signers wrote, NTV causes "a feeling of profound indignation and exasperation" in their hearts. The program attempts to defame Putin "with a special rage and frenzy," they said.
Putin's press secretary thanked the petitioners but said that the president would not take any legal action against "Kukly."
The show appeared to have a special message for Putin on Sunday night about not taking any action against the press.
When the sparrows finally flew themselves to death, China was faced with a bigger problem than bird droppings. Locusts gobbled up all the crops, leaving the country to starve.
In the show Sunday, President Vladimir Putin, or more precisely his latex version, was depicted as a Chinese leader at the time of the Cultural Revolution fighting the enemies of the state.
The enemies, in this case, were NTV founder Vladimir Gusinsky, who lost control of the channel last week, and Boris Berezovsky, who has offered ousted NTV management and reporters refuge at his TV6 television station.
"A fatty goose has been practically exterminated," said former Finance Minister Alexander Livshits, using the popular nickname for Gusinsky, whose surname begins with the Russian word for "goose."
"But evil offshoots of beryoza [birch] are still sprouting here and there," he added, in a nod to Berezovsky's nickname.
But the main enemy, Putin was told, would prove to be sparrows ?€” journalists ?€” because they flutter around out of control and are inclined to discharge droppings on people's heads.
"That could have been me," Putin said early in the show after seeing a bird dropping land on a nearby head.
The government concluded that the battle plan for fighting enemies of the state was simple and announced to Chinese citizens over the radio: Sing and dance to prevent the sparrows from resting. After 20 minutes in flight they will simply die of exhaustion.
With fears growing that press freedom in Russia is in danger, the show from all appearances and according to its producers was aired without any censorship.
Vasily Grigoryev, the founder and producer of "Kukly," said NTV's new general director Boris Jordan has offered his word that the show will continue to be uncensored.
Unless, of course, proven otherwise.
"If there are three or more repeats of old shows, that will mean that there are signs of censorship," said Grigoryev.
But Grigoryev said he firmly believes that Jordan will do everything in his power to protect the show from any external pressure.
One of the more immediate problems for the new management will not be censoring the show but securing funding for it, he said.
"Kukly" is probably "the most expensive show to produce apart from feature films," he said, declining to elaborate.
Seemingly unharmed in the turbulent takeover of NTV by state-connected gas giant Gazprom, "Kukly," nevertheless, did not leave the battlefield without losses. Of the 50 people who film "Kukly," one person left ?€” the show's screenwriter and prominent television personality Viktor Shenderovich.
Notably, Shenderovich, who is widely seen as the best of the show's screenwriters, was also the only one in the team who was on staff at NTV, which itself suffered deep losses as angry managers and journalists left the channel in droves.
"Having seen Jordan break one promise, I have little faith in trusting the management with leaving 'Kukly' untouched," Shenderovich said, referring to Jordan's promise not to use force to take over NTV.
Jordan's team peacefully seized NTV's offices in a night raid.
"I don't know how long they will go on without censorship," Shenderovich said. "Three weeks, three and half?"
Grigoryev said he was disappointed that Shenderovich left the show.
"He became a TV personality with 'Kukly,' so with his departure some of the living tissue of the program has been torn off," Grigoryev said.
"Kukly" has two more screenplay writers, Natalya Belyushina and Ivan Kiasashvili, and viewers have often confused Kiasashvili's material for Shenderovich's, he said.
Grigoryev refused to discuss whether the Kremlin's patience with "Kukly" would run thin.
"'Kukly' is Putin's favorite show," Grigoryev said. "I don't think there will be much need or desire to get rid of such a popular program as 'Kukly,' especially now that Gusinsky has announced his departure from the company."
Gusinsky said Thursday that with control of NTV in Gazprom's hands he would sell the rest of his stock in the channel.
"Kukly" was launched in 1994 and has become an irritant for a handful of top officials and average citizens alike. Already in 1995 the Prosecutor General's Office was after the show, saying it "publicly humiliated" the "honor and dignity" of top government officials. It also accused Grigoryev of tax evasion and with illegally using hard currency to pay for transactions. Prosecutors dropped investigations into the show and its founder in 1996.
Over the years, politicians, especially leftists and nationalists, have indicated a deep dislike for the show.
Then in February 2000 a group of professors from St. Petersburg slammed "Kukly" in an open letter, saying it had insulted Putin.
By airing "Kukly," the signers wrote, NTV causes "a feeling of profound indignation and exasperation" in their hearts. The program attempts to defame Putin "with a special rage and frenzy," they said.
Putin's press secretary thanked the petitioners but said that the president would not take any legal action against "Kukly."
The show appeared to have a special message for Putin on Sunday night about not taking any action against the press.
When the sparrows finally flew themselves to death, China was faced with a bigger problem than bird droppings. Locusts gobbled up all the crops, leaving the country to starve.