BEARS!
Myths about Russia: part five in a series
Two weeks ago, after football practice, students could see roe dears which were walking around the football pitch and trying to jump over the fence. Really Oregon could be called deer state. About Russia there is a similar rumor. Today we will talk about head myth of all myth.
Bears
I’m sure, you think bears are the most important animals in Russia. Even pets. I have to disappoint you – it is not so.
We do have bears in Russia, of course, but they do not walk along our streets and our president doesn’t ride a bear.
Moreover, there are a lot of other traditional Russian animals – the Amur tiger, Orlov horses, sables. There are also foxes, wolves and many more. As for pets, Russians love dogs and cats, hamsters and gold fishes.
Not bears. This animal can be aggressive and so dangerous for people. Why do you can see souvenirs with bears in Russia? Demand creates supply. If everybody who comes to Russia ask about bears, we understand that is so profitable business. And we make it more and more popular all over the world.
The bears were the symbol of Olympic Games in Moscow 80th and in Sochi 2014. We have popular cartoons about bears. For example, we have our own Soviet version of Winnie the Pooh, which is one of the best in the world. In addition, there is a modern cartoon “Masha and the bear” poplar in China, Europe and maybe in the US.
To be honest, most Russians have never seen a bear, except in a zoo and circus.
