Bears Get Around: Russia

Russia is the biggest country in the world. It is nearly twice as big as the next-largest country on Earth, which happens to be Canada! Russia’s forested wilderness is home to about 150,000 brown bears.

Forty years ago, things like hunting and poaching had left the brown bears of Russia endangered. Russian conservationists have worked very hard to protect brown bears since then. It’s great to be able to tell you that the species is now considered stable.  

The Russian people have long had a special place in their hearts for bears. The bear is a national symbol of the country, and a favourite character in Russian fairy tales.

This is Boris, dressed in a warm coat (made of fake fur, of course!) for the cold winters of eastern Siberia.

Boris wants to tell you about another popular symbol of Russia: the Matryoshka Doll.  

First made over a hundred years ago, these are hollow wooden carvings that you can open up, one after the other, to find smaller dolls inside.

Maybe you have a Matryoshka Doll at home, too?

Photos and story © S. Clouthier