The Golden Antelope

The film "makes considerable use of traced live-action scenes" with the human figures were recorded with the rotoscope.^[2][4] Leonid Shvartsman drew all the characters except the antelope, which was drawn by Natalia Stroganova, a student of the wildlife artist Vasily Vatagin. Shvartsman spent hours in the Lenin Library going through albums about India and Sikhs to create the Raja, his assistant, guards, the tiger, and the boy.^[5]

The characters, who are realistically illustrated, wear traditional Indian dress.^[4] Ruben Simonov, who voiced the Raja, wore a turban and a khalat (robe) and walked hunched over with his hands behind his back, just like his character. Shvartsman noted that Simonov brought a lot to his role—"characteristic gait, gestures, intonations."^[6]

The composer was Vladimir Mikhailovich Yurovsky and the soundtrack was played by the USSR Ministry of Culture Orchestra under the direction of Grigori Gamburg.^[3]

The film was well received both domestically and internationally.^[7] A TASS transmission reported that the film was met "with great success in the cinemas of the country.^[8] Animator Yuri Norstein commended it as an exemplary Soviet animated film that demonstrates perfect color harmony and dramaturgy and as a great achievement of animation.^[9] Fyodor Khitruk called it a masterpiece.^[6] Film critic Larisa Malyukova described it as "a true animated masterpiece", praising its "sharp, laconic dialogues and expressive characters", especially the Raja and Ruben Simonov's voicing of the Raja.^[10] Sergey Asenin similarly commended Ruben Simonov's voicing of the Raja.^[7] In 1958, its script writer Nikolai Abramov listed it among Soviet films that "stand up to the best of animated films produced anywhere."^[11] Eleanor Cowen found it overally brilliant and lavish.^[4]

• 1955 Cannes Film Festival Short Film Special Distinction^[12]
• 1955 International Film Festival at Durban Diploma^[3]
• 1955 International Festival of Short Films in Belgrade Diploma^[3]
• 1957 First British International Film Festival in London (Festival of Festivals)^[3]

In Russian media, it is referred to as a masterpiece and a classic of Soviet animation.^{[13][14][15][16]}

Along with The Snow Queen (1957), The Golden Antelope is considered Atamanov's best work.^[17]

In 1978, the fairy tale "The Golden Antelope" was released as a children's phonograph record.^[18]

In 2021 Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin opened the "Soyuzmultpark" multimedia center at the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNKh), featuring four interactive zones based on several Soviet animated films including The Golden Antelope, where visitors can participate in animation workshops and create their own cartoons.^[19]