To produce the images that convey his fatalistic and ironic approach to life, tinged with hope, he needed the environment and knowledge of Mother Russia, oiled with a bit of bribery to certain circus trainers. Enter the Great Russian Bear, the personification of Russia for the last several centuries, onto center stage and into his studio. The bear is recognized as both brutish and cute – Misha was the mascot for the 1980 Olympic Games – and has remained a symbol of Russia since Tsarist times. In 2009 it is the symbol of the United Russia Party.

A hunter holds a shot female pheasant next to his dog “Lola”, a Deutsch female Kurzhaar, during the first day of the Italy hunting season in Castell'Azzara, Tuscany, central Italy, September 20, 2015. The number of hunters in Italy has been decreasing, from 1,701,853 in 1980 to 751.876 in 2007, with a percentage reduction of 55.8%, according to the latest available numbers from the national statistics bureau ISTAT. (Photo by Max Rossi/Reuters)

A woman looks at an artwork during the preview of the Art Paris 2020 held at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, September 9, 2020. Originally scheduled for April, Art Paris, France's second-biggest modern and contemporary art fair, opens its door to the public from Sept. 10 to 13. (Photo by Chine Nouvelle/SIPA Press/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

An airplane is silhouetted at sunrise, seen from the suburb of Saint-Cloud, near Paris, France, 08 December 2016. Paris is undergoing a third day pollution spike, prompting the city to limit vehicle circulation. (Photo by Ian Langsdon/EPA)

In November 2021 Vogue has released photographs to promote the upcoming publication of Vogue Paris: 100 Years, the first illustrated history of the magazine from its debut edition in 1920 to its centenary. The book is expected to be published next March. (Photo by Vogue Paris: 100 Years/The Times)

Model Daisy-May Demetre, 9 year-old double amputee who will walk the runway during Paris Fashion Week, is seen during a photo shoot a day before the show of luxury children's wear label Lulu et Gigi in Paris, France, September, 26, 2019. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)

Jessie Jo Stark and Bella Hadid attend Chrome Hearts X Bella Hadid Collaboration Launch as part of Paris Fashion Week at Chrome Hearts on March 4, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images for Chrome Hearts)

A model wears a creation by Taiwanese fashion house Shiatzy Chen as part of its Spring-Summer 2016 ready-to-wear fashion collection, presented during the Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France, Tuesday, October 6, 2015. (Photo by Jerome Delay/AP Photo)