Winnie-the-Pooh: Transmediation of A.A. Milne’s Story in Anglophone and Post-Soviet Context

Communications. Media. Design. 2022. Vol. 7. No. 3. P. 186–199.

Lapina-Kratasyuk E., Nikitenko I.

The popularity of Winnie-the-Pooh in the English-speaking countries and post-Soviet Russia goes far beyond literature. The story has developed in the form of two separate media franchises, including the adaptation of the original plot for various platforms (in the form of famous animation adaptations by Disney and Soyuzmultfilm in particular) and its expansion both in the imagery linear plot space and in the real world. Despite this, Winnie-the-Pooh has not yet been studied in terms of its development across distinct media and environments. This paper will examine the phenomenon of the dual, parallel development of Winnie-the-Pooh as a transmedia project in the Anglophone context and post-Soviet Russia. It aims to outline the transmedia extensions of the original story and its Soviet adaptation in terms of the content, media platforms that are used for its broadcasting, and audience participation.

Keywords: adaptation, трансмедиа, Disney, Дисней, transmedia project, Winnie-the-Pooh, Soyuzmultfilm, Milne, Zakhoder, Винни Пух, Союзмультфильм, Милн, Заходер