A general view of Tokyo Tower and the surrounding area in high resolution (~5600x3500 px) on February 10, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Enthusiasts skate on a frozen fen in sub-zero temperatures on February 11, 2012 in Sutton, England. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Whitney Houston's body arrives at Whigham Funeral Home on February 13, 2012 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)

Brazilians perform capoeira on the first day of Carnival celebrations on February 16, 2012 in Salvador, Brazil. Rio de Janiero's Carnival begins tomorrow. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A general view of the Burj Khalifa on February 23, 2012 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 829.84 m (2723 ft) tall the Burj Khalifa is currently the tallest building in the world. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Pixel – the cat about to enter the record books as the world's shortest feline. Standing at just five inches from shoulder to paw this compact cat could break the previous record held by her mother Fizz Girl in 2012, who stood at six inches.

“Supanova Pop Culture Expo (Supanova) is a fan convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy film and TV, comic books, anime, gaming and collectables. It is held annually in the Australian cities of Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Terminator and Wolverine pose for photos during the National Cosplay Championships as part of the Supanova Pop Culture Expo at the Dome at Olympic Park on June 19, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. Cosplayers and comic book and sci-fi fans from across the state gathered to meet like-minded folk and attend guest panels with the stars of some of the popular television shows and publications of the genre. (Photo by Sergio Dionisio/Getty Images)

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.