Leopold the Cat

Throughout the series, he has to deal with two mischievous mice, Grey and White (Mitya and Motya according to an early script version, but the cartoons themselves mention no names).

He wanted to invite him for a second series ("Leopold and the Golden Fish"), but Mironov fell ill. As a result, all 4 characters were voiced by Gennady Khazanov.

All characters are anthropomorphic animals that walk on their hind legs, wear clothes, and behave like humans.

Almost always, not excluding street situations, he is dressed in soft blue home trousers rolled up to the knee, a yellow turtleneck, house slippers, and his invariable bow tie, which he does not take off even when bathing.

Leopold is distinguished by his optimism, he is a real peacemaker cat, and his life credo is expressed by the phrase repeated at the end of each episode - "Guys, let's live in peace!"

According to some sources, they were originally named Mitya and Motya, but, according to Arkady Khait, they are deliberately not pronounced in the cartoon - the authors did not want children with names that in a diminutive version could sound like Mitya and Motya, "to be teased as mice, toothy or rodents", so they are usually called according to their appearance - "Grey" and "White".

They usually call Leopold a "vile coward" and look for a way to spite him, but at the same time they themselves become victims of their own tricks and at the end of each episode they repent of their machinations.

Starting from the third episode, the obvious leader and brain center - the inventor of traps and nastiness for Leopold is the skinny and squeaky White, and the heavyset Gray with a bass voice becomes an obedient accomplice and executor of his plans.