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.

Revellers cool themselves in the Danube River during the Sziget music festival on an island in Budapest, Hungary August 12, 2015. The event is one of the biggest cultural events of Europe, offering art exhibitions, theatrical and circus performances and music concerts. Almost 200 performers from 47 countries will entertain the hundreds of thousands of visitors from 11 to 18 August. (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Reuters)

“Harajuku is a district in Shibuya ward, Tokyo Prefecture”. – Wikipedia. Photo: Harajuku Girl Photo Shoot. (Photo by Tokyo Fashion)

A girl uses her mobile phone during the evening at the National Park in Khartoum, Sudan, April 24, 2015. (Photo by Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters)

A homeless girl asks for alms outside a coffee shop in Mumbai, India, June 24, 2016. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

A girl plays with coloured chicks for sale prior to Easter celebrations in Byblos, Lebanon on March 22, 2015. (Photo by Jamal Saidi/Reuters)

A little girl takes a picture of a lion in the zoo in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, September 13, 2016. (Photo by Michael Probst/AP Photo)

A girl participates in a New Year calligraphy contest in Tokyo, Japan, January 5, 2017. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)