Investigation Led by Kolobki (, also Investigation Led by Kolobki, translit. Sledstvie vedut kolobki) is a series of Soviet animated shorts by Alexander Tatarsky and Igor Kovalyov that were produced from 1986 to 1987.
The first two shorts were produced by Soyuztelefilm in 1986, whereas the third and fourth shorts were produced by Studio Ekran in 1987.
After the shorts were released, the Pilot Brothers duo came to be heavily used by Tatarskiy's studio, Pilot TV, particularly in the series The Fruttis Attic () and The Academy of Our Mistaks () [sic].
The name of the series of shorts is a pun on a once-popular Soviet television series Investigation Led by Experts.
On August 9, 2018, a version of the cartoon with English dubbing was posted on the Gosteleradiofond YouTube channel.
A foreign smuggler named Karbophos (a Soviet term for Malathion insecticide), under the guise of a tourist, steals a rare striped elephantâÂÂnamed BaldachinâÂÂfrom a city zoo in Berdychiv. Previously, Karbophos had been the owner of Baldachin, but due to his abuse of the elephant, it fled from him. The renowned Kolobki brothersâÂÂa detective duoâÂÂtake up the investigation.
At a souvenir shop, Karbophos obtains a certificate for a porcelain elephant that he purchases (and then promptly breaks). He attempts to use said certificate to board a aeroplane with Baldachin.
However, the Kolobki brothers manage to arrive in the nick of time, and lure the elephant away with cod liver oil. Karbophos is eventually shot with a toy gun that shoots with ballons, and flies away. The Kolobki brothers and Baldachin (along with a turncoat ex-servant of Karbophos) then walk through the city.