Russian Bear

The Russian Bear (

The uses of the bear are mixed. It was often used by Westerners, in British caricatures and later also used in the United States, often not in a positive context. On occasion it was used to imply that Russia is "big, brutal and clumsy". However, Russians have also used it to represent their country, where it has been used as a "symbol of national pride."^[2]

Early history

Use in Russian coats of arms

There have been a few examples of Russians depicting bears in coats of arms, mainly showing polar bears and brown bears.^[3] The Novgorod Oblast coat of arms and flag include two brown bears.^[3] The Republic of Marii El's coat of arms is a red bear with a sword and shield.^[3] The coats of arms of Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug have polar bears.^[3] Meanwhile, the Republic of Karelia and Khabarovsk Krai have black bears in their coat of arms.^[3]

In the arms of

The idea of the Russian bear that pushes Russianness first appeared not in Russia but in the West.[4] It is unknown when the Russian bear was first used in the West.^[4] One of the earliest usages of the Russian bear was from William Shakespeare's Macbeth in Act 3, Scene 4. Where Shakespeare referred to a "rugged Russian bear."^[4]

In Maps

Multiple maps from the 17th to the 20th centuries show Russia as inhabited and represented by bears.^[4][5] The maps started with small bears to represent Russia.^[4] The small use of the Russian bear led one scholar to suggest that the West viewed Russia as "realms for wild animals" by pointing out the comparison between the bears in Russia and the lions in North Africa.^[4] Over time these bears started to represent the entire country.^[3] In the end, the bears became connected with the idea of Russia, rather than small animals on the map, especially through satirical maps.^[5]

In cartoons

The Russian bear has also been depicted in

The cartoons, however, did not always represent Russia through war or expansion but also used the bear to describe internal problems.[4] Sometimes the bear is shown as injured from war or internal problems.^[4] Especially after the January uprising in Poland, a Russian bear is portrayed fighting a woman who represents the Poles.^[4]

Use in the Soviet era

The bear image was, however, on various occasions (especially in the 20th century) also taken up by Russians themselves. Having the bear cub "Misha" as the mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games was evidently intended to counter the "big, brutal Russian Bear" image with a small, cuddly, and smiling bear cub.

In Ronald Reagan's successful campaign to be re-elected President of the United States in 1984, he used the bear motif in the famous "Bear in the woods" ad. It claimed that Reagan recognized the existence of a Soviet threat to the United States and the "First World", while his opponent Walter Mondale denied its existence.

Use in post-1991 Russia

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there was some support in the

Later, the bear was taken up as the symbol of the United Russia Party, which has dominated political life in Russia since the early 2000s. Coincidentally, the surname of Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president elected in 2008, is the possessive adjective of медведь, meaning "of the bears".

Gallery

From Russia

• 
  Misha the teddy bear, the mascot of Moscow Olympics (1980)
• 
  Banner depicting the Russian Bear unfurled by Russian football supporters (the inscription says "Forward, Russia!").
• 
  Coat of arms of Novgorod
• 
  The humorous image of four-pawed double-headed bear posing as double-headed eagle

From outside Russia

• 
  British political cartoon concerning Napoleon's invasion of Russia 1804.
• 
  The Russian Bear (sitting, to the right) among the European powers courted by

  Bismarck

  to isolate France.
• 
  A humoristic Japanese world map representing Russia as a big bear
• 
  Cartoon from the English satirical magazine

  The Great Game

  . The caption reads: "AS BETWEEN FRIENDS. British Lion (to Russian Bear). 'IF WE HADN'T SUCH A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING I MIGHT ALMOST BE TEMPTED TO ASK WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE WITH OUR LITTLE PLAYFELLOW.'"
• 
  Chinese view of THE SITUATION IN THE FAR EAST, 1905. Bear for Russia intruding from the north, bulldog for the United Kingdom in south China, frog for France in southeast Asia, and American eagle for the United States approaching from the Philippines.
• 
  The reverse of a World War I German Silver medallion liberation of East Prussia 1914 by Paul von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg. Referring to the Battle of Tannenberg. The naked General Hindenburg fighting the Russian Bear with his sword.