Speaker: Natasha Lance Rogoff, author of Muppets in Moscow
Moderator: Thomas J. Garza, Slavic Studies, UT Austin

"Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street In Russia" (published in Jan 2023 in UK/US 2022) is a spellbinding account of how a young American TV producer, Natasha Lance Rogoff brought Sesame Street to post-communist Russia.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the timing appeared perfect to bring The Muppets, ideal ambassadors of Western values, to millions of children in the former USSR. No-one expected just how challenging this was going to be.

In Muppets in Moscow, Natasha brings this gripping tale to life, amidst bombings, assassinations, and a military takeover of their production office. With cultural clashes coloring nearly every aspect of the production, Natasha explores the post-Soviet societal tensions that continue to thwart the Russian people’s efforts to create a better future for their country. She provides a valuable perspective of Russia’s people, their culture, and their complicated relationship with the West that remains relevant even today. The author has been featured on in major media in the US and internationally. As the war in Ukraine horrifically grinds on, this story offers a unique perspective through the prism of the Muppets.


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