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.

“Supanova Pop Culture Expo (Supanova) is a fan convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy film and TV, comic books, anime, gaming and collectables. It is held annually in the Australian cities of Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Terminator and Wolverine pose for photos during the National Cosplay Championships as part of the Supanova Pop Culture Expo at the Dome at Olympic Park on June 19, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. Cosplayers and comic book and sci-fi fans from across the state gathered to meet like-minded folk and attend guest panels with the stars of some of the popular television shows and publications of the genre. (Photo by Sergio Dionisio/Getty Images)

“Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites”. – Wikipedia

Photo: A general view of Cheddar Gorge is seen on March 22, 2012 in Cheddar, England. With only a few months to go until the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic games, Britain's tourist industry is hoping to benefit from the influx of athletes, officials and visitors. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

A Brazil fan enjoys the atmosphere prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Semi Final match between Brazil and Germany at Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Jule 8, 2014. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Syrian refugee and Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini is pictured during a training session in a pool at the Olympic park in Berlin, Germany on April 26, 2018. (Photo by Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)

A competitor poses on the catwalk during the Miss Bumbum Brazil 2016 pageant in Sao Paulo, Brazil on November 9, 2016. Fifteen candidates compete in the annual pageant to select Brazil' s sexiest female rear end. (Photo by Miguel Schincariol/AFP Photo)

A US soccer fan cheers during the FIFA World Cup 2014 group A preliminary round match between Brazil and Croatia at the FIFA Fan Fest in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 12 June 2014. Brazil won 3-1. The FIFA World Cup 2014 will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014. (Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA)

Japan's Katsuyuki Tanamura reaches for a shot during a Japan men's water polo team training session at the Olympic Aquatics Centre, ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (Photo by Luca Bruno/AP Photo)