"Cheburashka" was an extremely popular animation series during the Soviet era in Russia, animated by Timofeyevski. Heavily steeped in Soviet propaganda, including a blatant bias towards youth in the Pioneers, it nevertheless is quite entertaining.
The primary characters were Cheburashka, as sort of mouse-creature with a fuzzy body and enormous ears, and Crocodile Gena, a crocodile with a hat and jacket. The two were close friends and formed the basis of every episode.
Perhaps the most lasting impact that "Cheburashka" has had on modern Russia is that it is the source of "Pesenka Krokodila Genui", the Russian birthday song.