Masha and the Bear is a Russian preschool comedy computer-animated television series created by Oleg Kuzovkov and produced by Animaccord Animation Studio, loosely based on the oral children's folk story of the same name. The show focuses on the adventures of a very young girl named Masha and her caring friend, the bear (miška) that always keeps her safe from disasters.

Masha and The Bear is the most watched preschool series in the world, with 36 times more requests than the average. It is also the fifth most-watched youth series (0–18) worldwide, just ahead of Peppa Pig.

Masha is a four-year-old girl who lives in the forest with her pig, goat, and dog. In the first episode, it is shown that all the animals in the forest are afraid of her, as she is constantly forcing them to play with her. Then Masha sees a butterfly and inadvertently follows it inside the home of the Bear, who has gone fishing. While playing there, she makes a big mess. When he returns, he sees the disaster caused by Masha. The Bear tries to get rid of Masha but after multiple failed attempts, the unlikely duo become friends.

Masha

A sculpture of Masha and The Bear along with their friend Hare in Yelan.
Masha (a diminutive form of Maria) is a 4-year-old girl who is portrayed as naughty and hyperactive, and always thinks about playing. She lives in a house near a railway station;

Bear

The bear is a retired circus Kamchatka brown bear who lives in a house hollowed out of a tree in the forest. His past occupation makes him very talented in performing arts (like juggling, unicycling, and even stage magic) although he's also known to dabble into other hobbies and even some intellectual pursuits.