Peruvian surfer Carlos “Huevito” Areola rides a reed board, or “caballito” (little horse), into a wave at Sydney's Bondi Beach, February 24, 2016. Areola is part of a group of Peruvian surfers touring Australia’s east coast to promote the use of the “caballito”. The “caballito” is thought to have been invented around 3,000 BC in northern Peru. (Photo by Jason Reed/Reuters)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Mongolian Foreign Minister Lundeg Purevsuren watch an archer during a Naadam ceremony, a competition which traditionally includes horse racing, Mongolian wrestling and archery, in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, June 5, 2016. (Photo by Saul Loeb/Reuters)

Two journalists stand on the back of a horse-shaped statue on display to promote the art performance titled “Yu Ma” presented by Taiwan’s Paper Windmills Theater, during a photo call outside the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei on March 24, 2021. (Photo by Sam Yeh/AFP Photo)

Horses are spooked as the Woolsey Fire moves through the property on Cornell Road near Paramount Ranch on November 9, 2018 inAgoura Hills, California. About 75,000 homes have been evacuated in Los Angeles and Ventura counties due to two fires in the region. (Photo by Matthew Simmons/Getty Images)

A drone view shows the Folkestone White Horse with a red nose that has been placed to make the landmark overlooking the town look like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ahead of Christmas, in Folkestone, Britain, on December 19, 2024. (Photo by Chris J. Ratcliffe/Reuters)

American actress and model Julia Fox is seen on the 'One Night Only' movie set at the 'White Horse Tavern' in the West Village, Manhattan on December 02, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Every week, crowds bypass Orlando’s enticing theme parks and megamalls, opting instead to follow a blood-soaked Jesus impersonator as he heads for crucifixion on an immaculate Florida lawn. This ironic choice of amusement is what prompted photographer Daniel Cronin to pay a hefty entrance fee and document the Holy Land Theme Park Experience, a 1,200-square-foot replica of biblical Jerusalem a few miles from Disney World and other well-known theme parks. (Photo by Daniel Cronin)

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.