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 Nepalese girl in traditional attire takes part in Kumari Puja, a mass worship ceremony for preteen girls, in Kathmandu, Nepal on September 27, 2023. In Nepal, Kumari Puja is the tradition of selecting a Kumari, usually a preadolescent girl, to worship symbolically as a goddess. More than hundred girls under the age of nine from across the country gathered for the mass worship. Performing Kumari Puja for three continuous years is believed to protect the girls from diseases throughout their entire life. (Photo by Narendra Shrestha/EPA/EFE)

“The Wii U is an upcoming home video game console by Nintendo, and the direct successor to the Wii. The system is expected to be released in 2012 and was unveiled during Nintendo's press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 on June 7, 2011. The Wii U is the first Nintendo console to produce 1080p high-definition graphics, and features a new controller with an embedded touchscreen. The controller allows a player to continue a gaming session by displaying the game even when the television is off. The system will be fully backwards compatible with Wii, and Wii U games can support compatibility with Wii peripherals, such as the Wii Remote and Wii Balance Board”. – Wikipedia

Photo: The new Nintendo game console Wii U is displayed at the Nintendo booth during the Electronic Entertainment Expo on June 7, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. The Wii U will have HD graphics, a controller with a 6.2 inch touchscreen and be compatible with all other Wii accessories. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

This cute elephant calf was spotted after it got stuck in a pool of water and required a helping trunk from its mum to get out. The young calf looked like it was having an incredible time however, as it frolicked about in the water and could have done with some waterproofs to boot. But mum clearly knew best with her tot, when she wrapped her trunk around the youngsters body and hoisted it out of the pool. The incident which took place on the Chobe River, Botswana, was captured by Neal Cooper, 50, a professional photographer from South Africa. (Photo by Neal Cooper/Caters News)

Lali carries balloons to sell on a beach in Mumbai, India, Sunday, October 11, 2015. The United Nations General Assembly marks October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. (Photo by Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo)

Members of South Korean K-Pop girl group Brave Girls pose on the red carpet at KCON Seoul 2022 in Seoul on May 7, 2022. (Photo by Anthony Wallace/AFP Photo)

Whenever we don’t have enough magic in our real life, we try to create it using our imagination. The cute characters created by Belgian illustrator Marie Breuer allow us to see the mystical world that resides within her mind. It is dark and adorable, enchanting and solemn. The thing that separates her drawings from the rest is the vivid colors and the bizarre huge, anime-like heads of her characters. The pictures that we liked the most were the ones where her characters wear different living animals like cloaks, with the mood of the characters being closely linked to the animal that they are wearing. (Photo by Marie Breuer)