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.

A hunter holds a shot female pheasant next to his dog “Lola”, a Deutsch female Kurzhaar, during the first day of the Italy hunting season in Castell'Azzara, Tuscany, central Italy, September 20, 2015. The number of hunters in Italy has been decreasing, from 1,701,853 in 1980 to 751.876 in 2007, with a percentage reduction of 55.8%, according to the latest available numbers from the national statistics bureau ISTAT. (Photo by Max Rossi/Reuters)

Children play marbles on the dirt in Garut, West Java, Indonesia on October 17, 2025. This traditional game, which was popular in the 1980s, is now rarely played by children due to the increasing popularity of modern games with advanced technology. According to a survey by the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), more than 71.3% of school-age children own gadgets and play them for a considerable amount of time each day, and as many as 79% of child respondents are allowed to play gadgets for purposes other than learning. (Photo by Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Young cheetahs eat meat at The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) center in Otjiwarongo, Namibia, on August 13, 2013. The CCF started breeding Anatolian livestock dogs to promote cheetah-friendly farming after some 10,000 big cats – the current total worldwide population – were killed or moved off farms in the 1980s. Up to 1,000 cheetahs were being killed a year, mostly by farmers who saw them as livestock killers. But the use of dogs has slashed losses for sheep and goat farmers and led to less retaliation against the vulnerable cheetah. (Photo by Jennifer Bruce/AFP Photo)

This series cannot get any cuter! Entitled Life is Adventure, the images portray little kittens and puppies playfully placed within elaborate scenes. To create each setting, the creative team first sketched out ideas and then used everyday household items like books, pillows, and a broom, to bring the imaginative moments to life. In the compositions, kittens ride camels, puppies sail off to sea, upside-down hangars look like seagulls, and a ring of yellow rubber gloves form a sun shining overhead.

International artist Yvette Mattern shows her stunning laser rainbow projection, Global Rainbow, on March 1, 2012 in Whitley Bay, England. The light installation celebrates the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad in the north-east of England. The Global Rainbow has previously lit up the skies of Germany, France and the United States. The projection will shine along the North Tyneside coastline for 4 days, before moving to other locations in the UK. (Photo by Bethany Clarke/Getty Images)

These snaps were captured by a pro phone camera photographer. You can see the intricate detail in each shot, from the shining eyes of the insects to the tiny water droplets that splash down on them. Here: Komangs macro photography of insects using his Samsung Galaxy J7 and homemade camera lens in Bali, Indonesia. (Photo by Komang Wirnata/Caters News Agency)

Greek actress Katerina Lehou, playing the role of High Priestess, lights a torch during the dress rehearsal for the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the site of ancient Olympia in Greece, April 20, 2016. Fire spurted from the concave mirror as a priestess, kneeling in her long, pleated dress before a ruined Greek temple, focused the blazing sun's rays on her metal torch. Come rain or shine on Thursday's official lighting ceremony, Rio de Janeiro has now secured its Olympic flame, which will burn in the main Olympic stadium throughout the Aug. 5-21 games. (Photo by Yannis Behrakis/Reuters)