History Main / RussianBear

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The Russian bear is one of the most well-known and recognized animal stereotypes in modern culture. This association exists in part because of the presence of large numbers of wild bears in the Russian wilderness, and in part because of popularized parallels between the physical might and power of the animal and that of the various incarnations of the Russian state. Depending on the context, this may have varyingly positive and negative connotations. During the Cold War in particular, American media tended to emphasize the more negative portrayals of [[BearsAreBadNews bears as ferocious and dangerous predators]] in these contexts.

* ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'': In ''Pleasant Goat Fun Class: Travel Around the World'' episode 2, the gang goes to Russia and meets a strong bear man who helps them to retrieve a Russian doll that's frozen in the water.

* The brown bear is commonly used as the national animal of Russia. It ''almost'' became part of the coat of arms after the fall of the [=USSR=] (but it was decided otherwise).

* ''VideoGame/{{Tropico}} III'': Radio host Juanito will occasionally mention giving the Russian Bear "a big furry hug!"

[[folder:Eastern Animation]]
* ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'': In ''Pleasant Goat Fun Class: Travel Around the World'' episode 2, the gang goes to Russia and meets a strong bear man who helps them to retrieve a Russian doll that's frozen in the water.
* ''Animation/SquirrelAndHedgehog'': Russians are represented as bears, and are the unreliable allies of the heroic North Korean squirrels and hedgehogs against the villainous South Korean rats, Japanese weasels, and American wolves and foxes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Roleplay/DarwinsSoldiers'': Piotr Kozlov is a hulking anthropomorphic Siberian brown bear.

A SubTrope of NationalAnimalStereotypes. Compare AmericanEagle and KangaroosRepresentAustralia, contrast NationsAsPeople. MakeTheBearAngryAgain is named after this motif. If a Russian character is themself portrayed as a bear, they will usually be a HuskyRusskie.

Subtrope of NationalAnimalStereotypes. Compare AmericanEagle and KangaroosRepresentAustralia, contrast NationsAsPeople. MakeTheBearAngryAgain is named after this motif. If a Russian character is themself portrayed as a bear, they will usually be a HuskyRusskie.

!!Examples

* ''WebVideo/PrincessTutuAbridged'': Played for laughs in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPtzoQ3pitU Episode 11]], which gave a Russian accent to the Bear Lady who gives Edel the jewel.[[note]] Averted by the [[Anime/PrincessTutu original anime]][[/note]]

** ''Theatre/HenryV'': "Foolish curs, that run winking into the mouth of a Russian bear and have their heads crushed like rotten apples!" (III.vii.1771-1773)
** ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'': "What man dare, I dare: Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear," (III.iv.1395-1396)

* The brown bear is the national animal of Russia, and serves as a symbol along with the double-headed eagle. It almost became part of the coat of arms after the fall of the [=USSR=] (but it was decided otherwise).

* ''WebVideo/PrincessTutuAbridged'': Played for laughs in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPtzoQ3pitU Episode 11]], which gave a Russian accent to the Bear Lady who gives Edel the jewel.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'': Grizzly Slash the bear has a base in Russia for his ArmsDealer business.
* ''VideoGame/RubbleTroubleMoscow'' has dancing Russian bears that can be used as wrecking balls similar to the sumo wrestlers from ''Rubble Trouble: Tokyo''.

** *''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'': The Soviet Union fields [[BearsAreBadNews war bears]] as their field scouts.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode [[Recap/FamilyGuyS8E3SpiesReminiscentOfUs "Spies Reminiscent of Us"]], after arriving in Russia, Stewie and Brian are surprised to find the stereotype is true.

The Russian bear is one of the most well-known and recognized animal stereotypes in modern culture. This association exists in part because of the presence of large numbers of wild bears in the Russian wilderness, and in part because of popularized parallels between the physical might and power of the animal and that of the various incarnations of the Russian state. Depending on the context, this may have varyingly positive and negative connotations. In the Cold War in particular, American media tended to emphasize the more negative portrayals of [[BearsAreBadNews bears as ferocious and dangerous predators]] in these contexts.

In humorous or fantastical works, Russian or Russian FantasyCounterpartCulture characers and armies may be seen using bears as [[HorseOfADifferentColor mounts]] or [[BeastOfBattle war animals]]. In a WorldOfFunnyAnimals, Russian characters are often depicted as bears.

Subtrope of NationalAnimalStereotypes. Compare AmericanEagle and KangaroosRepresentAustralia, contrast NationsAsPeople. MakeTheBearAngryAgain is named after this motif. If a Russian character is themselves portrayed as a bear, they will usually be a HuskyRusskie.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': There's a polar bear character with the Russian-sounding name Koslov. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen He was originally intended to be a more prominent character]], head of [[TheMafiya a Russian-type mafia]], complete with the accent, but in the final film he's a non-speaking henchman of the Italian-accented mafioso Mr. Big. Other polar bear mobsters wear attire stereotypical of Russian mobsters, like tracksuits and golden chains.

** The soundtrack includes a theme scored for choir and military band called ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDQ7hXMLxGc Soviet March]]''. This has undergone MemeticMutation and has been used -- both straight and ironically -- as the backing music to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZuAf7VAeKg videos displaying the might of the Russian armed forces]]. The lyrics keep returning to the the might and hunting prowess of the Soviet bear.

* ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer'': As shown in "Dora's World Adventure", Russia has their own version of Swiper, a bear named Fomkah.