We are all a bit of bears: the character of the main living symbol of the country was revealed at the National Centre RUSSIA
A bear is a mirror of Russia and a part of each of us. This was the conclusion reached by the participants of the final meeting of the "National Symbols of Russia" cycle. The thematic session titled "The Bear is a Force That is Respected" was held on 2 November at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the "Peoples of Russia and the CIS Countries" international festival under the auspices of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
Alexei Stolyarov, member of the Russian Geographical Society and blogger, shared his experience of meeting a brown bear in its natural habitat.
"In my expeditions, I have met brown bears more than once, and each time I was excited. After all, the bear is a versatile fighter and one of the most powerful predators on earth. At the same time, I have never seen it attack first, and this is very similar to our country: strong, but fair, ready to defend everyone who needs it," said Alexei Stolyarov.
The expert noted that the bear not only symbolizes the strength and breadth of the Russian soul, but also serves as a source of inspiration for artists, writers, animators and other representatives of creative professions. The famous Olympic teddy bear is an important part of the country's sports culture.
"I have seen bears many times in my life: in the taiga, in art, in sports. And I realised that real strength is not power, but respect, wisdom, and harmony. The bear is a mirror of Russia, it is a part of us," concluded Alexei Stolyarov.
Bogdan Bulychev, member of the Russian Geographical Society, polar explorer and Arctic researcher, shared his personal story of studying the polar bear, the ruler of the Arctic. According to him, since his childhood he felt that the Arctic bear was the true image of Russia: strong, calm, resilient, and a little mysterious.
"What is unique about the polar bear? It understands that it is at the top of the food chain and has no other rivals in nature. And if we draw a parallel with our country, then we are just about the same: you don't touch us, and we don't touch you, and everything is fine with us. And this is also a kind of top of the food chain," said Bogdan Bulychev.
According to the researcher, the bear symbol runs through the whole life of a Russian person: "In our childhood, we have Umka the bear cub: kind and curious, just like a child discovering the world. In our teenage years and as students, we foster strength and character, and a desire to prove that we can survive and achieve our goals. In adulthood and expeditions, it is a symbol of the country that we represent on the edge of the earth. When you stand in the middle of the white silence and see the tracks of a bear, you feel: here it is, Russia: without borders, without undue pathos. Here is only strength, purity and silence."
Alexander Odzho, history teacher at a Moscow school and expert in history, education and patriotism, shared the story of the bear's transformation into a symbol of Russia. He drew attention to the deliberate attempts to discredit this symbol.
"At certain points in history, our opponents tried to make the bear an aggressor, showing it from the bad side in cartoons. But everything has changed, thanks to our wonderful Soviet artists. Thus, Viktor Chizhikov became the "father" of the Olympic Bear, an incredibly sincere and sweet symbol that emotionally connects us with sports values," said Alexander Odzho.
He added that today's interpretation brings us back to the original understanding of the image of the bear: "Addressing even modern fairy tales and cartoons, we see that the bear appears not only as a strong, but also as the wisest beast, the guardian of the forest and justice."
The "Peoples of Russia and the CIS Countries" international festival runs from 31 October to 5 November at the National Centre RUSSIA, the World Trade Centre, and the MosKino Film Park. The cultural and educational programme, expositions, workshops and other events are aimed to bring together representatives of government authorities and the expert community.
The festival is organised by the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs (FADN of Russia), in coordination with the Security Council of the Russian Federation, the Presidential Executive Office of Russia, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, with the participation of the Ministry of Culture of Russia, Rossotrudnichestvo, the Government of Moscow, MosKino, Gazprom-Media Holding, RUTUBE, the Russian society Znanie, the Russian Geographical Society, ROSKINO JSC, the Regional Film Support Foundation, and the Internet Development Institute.
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