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

Hotel CasAnus has all the elements of a great weekend getaway. It's just shaped like a giant human colon. On a small island, nestled between Antwerp and Ghent in Flanders, Belgium, this quaint structure is designed like a humongous intestinal tract, complete with an anus replica.
Originally an art sculpture created by the Dutch designer Joep Van Lieshout, CasAnus is now a part of the Verbeke Foundation art park, one of Western Europe’s edgiest art venues.

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)

More than 1,500 snappers submitted their most hilarious pictures of all creatures great and small, and now 45 have made the cut. From drunken-eyed owls to embarrassed chipmunks and laughing goats – the finalists in the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are guaranteed to raise a smile. Here: 'Dancing sifaka'. (Photo by Alison Buttigieg/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards/Mercury Press)

People wearing and holding helmets take part in a drill simulating a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Tokyo, Japan, August 26, 2016. The drill was held in Ginza, a high-end shopping and business district, and held ahead of the 93rd anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 which claimed at least 100,000 casualties. It was one of the largest natural disasters in recorded history and since 1960, September 1st, and the period around that date has been declared as national disaster prevention awareness period. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

Bluebella Lingerie advertising photo shoot, Oxford Circus, London, Great Britain on September 14, 2017. Bluebella has staged its most daring lingerie campaign yet, sending 19 models to strut their stuff in skimp smalls on one of London's busiest junctions. Bluebella organised the show early in the morning to minimise congestion ahead of London Fashion Week which starts on Friday 15th September. The “models” included a medical PA, a company boss, four students, two actors, a musician and two writers. (Photo by Cavendish Press/LESAUVAGE/Bluebella)