User:Tbeaisasn579779257/Russian Bear

Summary

The Russian Bear (Russian: Русский медведь, romanized: Russky medved) is a widespread symbol (generally of a Eurasian brown bear) for Russia, used in cartoons, articles and dramatic plays since as early as the 16th century, and relating alike to the Russian Empire, the Russian Provisional Government and Russian Republic, the Soviet Union, and the present-day Russian Federation.

The uses of the bear are mixed. It was often used by Westerners, in British caricatures and later also used in the United States, and not always in a flattering 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, especially in the Russian Federation, where it has been used as a "symbol of national pride."

The Russian Bear Before Soviet Times

Bears In seals

There have been a few examples of Russians depicting bears in coat of arms. Mainly showing Polar Bears and Brown Bear.The Novgorod Oblast coat of arms and flag include two brown bears. The Republic of Marii El's coat of arms is a red bear with a sword and shield. While in the regions of Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the coat of arms have polar bears. Meanwhile, the Republic of Karelia and Khabarovsk Krai also have bears in their coat of arms, albeit Black Bears. In Perm Krai and the Republic of Karelia coat of arms, there is a bear meant to symbolize how Orthodox Christianity took over from bear cults. Despite the bear having symbolism inside Russia, the local coat of arms use the bear more to reflect a region or history rather than Russia as a whole.

Use in the West before the 1917 Revolution

The idea of the Russian bear that pushes Russianness doesn't appear in Russia but in the west. It’s unknown when the Russian bear was first used in the west. 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."

In multiple maps from the 17th to 20th centuries show Russia as inhibited and represented by bears. The maps started with small bears to represent Russia but started to move towards larger bears. That soon came to represent the entire country. 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. Over time the bear became connected with the idea of Russia rather than just backgrounds especially through satirical maps.

The Russian Bear has also been depicted in political cartoons, especially in the British publication Punch. One of the earliest uses of the bear's connection to Russia was in the late 18th century when a British cartoon put Catherine the Great's head on a body of a bear being ridden by the Russian General Potemkin. The Napoleonic Wars also had bears used to represent Russia alongside other animals, such as the Lion of England. In the Crimean War, Russia was represented as a bear multiple times, especially in Punch cartoons showing a bear holding a Turkey representing the Ottoman Empire which is given the subtitle "Turkey in danger?" Representation of the Russian bear continued in cartoons through the Turkish war in the 1870s and the Franco-Russian Alliance. Throughout the First World War, many Punch cartoons referred to Russia using a bear to represent the empire.

The cartoons however didn't always represent Russia through war or expansion it also used the bear to represent internal problems. Sometimes the bear is shown as injured from war or internal problem. Especially after the January Uprising in Poland where a Russian bear is fighting a woman meant to represent the Poles.

Many scholars argued that the Russian bear in the Imperial era was first used to show the ignorance of Westerns on who Russian were.

Use in Russia before the 1917 Revolution

Alongside western use the Russian bear was also used by Russians before the 1917 Revolution. For instances many Russian would reprint cartoons by western artists. (Citation needed) The Russian Revolution of 1905 introduced a lot of Russian bears in Russian journalism. (Citation needed)

Use after the Russian Revolution

The Bear was used to represent the Soviet Union after the Russian Revolution. Especially in the United States.