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.

“The Waterloo Cup was a coursing event. The three day event was run annually at Great Altcar in Lancashire, England from 1836 to 2005 and it used to attract tens of thousands of spectators to watch and gamble on the coursing matches. It was founded by William Philip Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton, and, originally, was supported by his patronage”. – Wikipedia

Photo: A Greyhound races after Hare at the last Waterloo Cup Hare coursing event, February 14, 2005, near Liverpool, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Indian ivory furniture legs in the shape of a goddess from the first century AD are displayed in the 'Afghanistan Crossroads of the Ancient World' exhibition at The British Museum on March 1, 2011 in London, England. Displaying treasures that were in great danger during the years of civil war and Taliban rule, these surviving artifacts reveal Afghanistan's ancient culture, its fragility and its remarkable place in world history. The exhibition opens to the public on March 3 and runs until July 3, 2011. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images). LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 01

Mushers and their huskies practice at a forest course ahead of the Aviemore Sled Dog Rally on January 24, 2016 in Feshiebridge, Scotland. Huskies and sledders prepare ahead of the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain 34th race taking place at Loch Morlich this weekend near Aviemore. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

Girls of University of Cincinnati Stage Grecian Games on April 29, 1921. Garbed in costumes of ancient Greece, fair students of the University of Cincinnati, Ohio arranged a set of Grecian Games for the benefit of the University athletic fund. All of the girl students of the University, who take a great interest in outdoor games and athletics, took part in the games. The fund was greatly increased through the staging of the unique attraction and the girls purpose to give a return engagement. The accompanying photographs show the girl contestants in their Grecian costumes. Photo shows the start of the 100 yard dash. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

Living on the edge of Exmoor, Rob takes his inspiration from the rolling countryside surrounding his home, where each Bough House sculpture takes several months to construct. The designs do not follow an explicit plan or process, each piece is unique. They evolve and flow freely, as part of a creative journey which has no natural limit, whilst also revealing great logic and engineering integrity. Every aerial walkway or staircase leads to a room - there are no dead-ends and every turret and tower can be reached.

Alice Ross views a gold crown which was presented to Queen Victoria, part of the Royal Collection on display at the Queens Gallery on March 13, 2012 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The exhibition, which marks Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, reflects the tastes of monarchs and other members of the royal family who have shaped one of the world's great art collections. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

The Aletsch Glacier is pictured at dusk in Fiesch, Switzerland, August 11, 2015. One of Europe's biggest glaciers, the Great Aletsch coils 23 km (14 miles) through the Swiss Alps – and yet this mighty river of ice could almost vanish in the lifetimes of people born today because of climate change. The glacier, 900 metres (2,950 feet) thick at one point, has retreated about 3 km (1.9 miles) since 1870 and that pace is quickening. (Photo by Denis Balibouse/Reuters)