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Where did the Russian bear come from?
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Post new topic   Reply to topic    Way to Russia Talk Lounge Forum Index -> Russian Contexts, Myths and Truths
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Mogsfan
WayToRussified


Joined: 03 Nov 2004
Posts: 490

PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 3:16 am    Post subject: Where did the Russian bear come from? Reply with quote

Well?
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard


Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3431

PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

from the forest where he ate some berries and slept all winter...
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wwwadim
Lounge Lizard


Joined: 15 Apr 2005
Posts: 145
Location: Moscow Region, M-7 Highway, Noginsk

PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
from the forest where he ate some berries and slept all winter...


Yes but this forest must be very very wild and far away from the cities and towns. Black bears are living in the taiga forests in the Siberia, sometimes in Arkhangelsk region. It is very hard to find it in the forest near big cities.

I want to remember one story of my life.
Once I had seen a bear, but it was not black bear, it was polar bear. We were going through thundra from one settlement to another, where I lived.
This settlements were situated at the edge of chukotka peninsula, Chukotka region. Near Vrangel iceland - Chukotken Sea.
The distance between this two little towns was about 85 kilometers, but we used to spen about 6 hours to arrive in home. In the Russian Polar North there are not any roads or highways - there only temporary ways called zimnik. Very very dangerous way because it is easy to lose the way in the thundra or turn over the car (exactly it was cross-country polar vehicle - vezdekhod).

After 3 or 4 hours of way we had seen something in 300-400 meters. Something white dirty, yellowish big spot. It was Polar bear.

We have quickly stopped, then slowly went and signalled ahead to the bear. Polar bears are afraid sounds of the cross-country vehicle and alarm sounds. But the bear did not want to leave. Then someone has got an alarm rocket, he put out it and has started up it in air. The bear has seen bright red flash and was frightened and has sharply jumped and then has run away. It so quickly ran, that I very strongly was surprised as far as they quickly run. Approximately at a sight of 60-70 kilometers per hour. And bear's weight was 500-700 kg! Our cross-country vehicle which weighed about 2 tons went approximately with speed of 40-50 kilometers per hour, therefore bear easily would catch up us.

But the bear has run away far and we did not see it more, and we have safely reached a house.
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mister_wizzz
VIP


Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 582

PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 1:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MrSpice wrote:
from the forest where he ate some berries and slept all winter...


Smile
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wavetossed
WayToRussified


Joined: 27 Jun 2004
Posts: 339

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2005 12:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In Moscow it seems like every second street vendor is selling T-shirts that say, in English, "I came to Moscow, there were no bears".

You have to get into the wilderness to find bears. I recommend the region south of lake Baikal.
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sputnik
Lounge Lizard


Joined: 02 Jan 2005
Posts: 141

PostPosted: Fri May 06, 2005 10:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you want to find bears, i would recommend visiting a zoo.
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El-Casey
Lounge Lizard


Joined: 15 Apr 2005
Posts: 87
Location: Мелбурн, Флорида США

PostPosted: Sun May 08, 2005 9:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Where the hell did the myth that Moscow has a bear problem get started, anyway? Why in the hell would bears hang around in a huge metropolis? Confused
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rodionx
Frequent Guest


Joined: 31 Jul 2004
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2005 8:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You'll often find bears around the edges of big Canadian cities, especially near the dump, but sometimes in residential areas. They come to eat garbage. You'll smaller animals near the centre, too. I live in a Canadian city of over a million, and I've come dangerously close to hitting wild rabbits with my bike right in the centre.

When I lived in Russia (near the Urals), I never saw a bear, a deer, or even a rabbit, even when hiking in the woods. I always wondered whether this was because of hunting or environmental problems. A large city located in vast wilderness area (which includes so many Russian cities) ought to have more wildlife.
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard


Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3431

PostPosted: Mon May 16, 2005 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think it's more difficult to find wild animals in Russia today because of the lack of hunting restrictions and environmental problems.
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sheng-ka
Frequent Guest


Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 2:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

MrSpice wrote:
I think it's more difficult to find wild animals in Russia today because of the lack of hunting restrictions and environmental problems.


who told you that Shocked ? there are very strict hunting restrictions. even to buy a rifle one has first to enter a hunting club, then to provide a lot of doco's including a paper proving that he is mentally healthy.
as for bears - there are many of them in russia, especially in taiga (siberian wild rorest). my mum's frined was sculped by a bear long ago when she and her family were camping it taiga.
anyway, most wild animals prefer to stay away from people.
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rodionx
Frequent Guest


Joined: 31 Jul 2004
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sure, Russia has very strict hunting restrictions, just as it has very strict restrictions on drinking and driving (the legal limit is 0.0), and very strict restrictions on foreigners moving to cities that aren't listed on their visas. The thing is - nobody pays much attention to such restrictions, especially if they think they can get away with it. Illegal hunting is particularly easy to get away with

There are plenty of bears in the taiga, but few people. What strikes me as peculiar is that there are few or no bears or other wildlife near cities, at least from what I have seen. Some wild animals are attracted to people, and bears are included. If you store food in your tent, for example, you might wake up with a bear nosing around you. Deer and rabbit are also fond of areas where people have recently cleared the land, as there's plenty of fresh grass and weeds.
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sheng-ka
Frequent Guest


Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

rodionx wrote:
Sure, Russia has very strict hunting restrictions, just as it has very strict restrictions on drinking and driving (the legal limit is 0.0), and very strict restrictions on foreigners moving to cities that aren't listed on their visas. The thing is - nobody pays much attention to such restrictions, especially if they think they can get away with it. Illegal hunting is particularly easy to get away with


well I think you can put a name of any country instead of 'Russia'. 'cos there are laws in every country any all those laws are broken sometimes.
so what's the point to mention russia in particular?
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renwan
Talk Show Host


Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 204

PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2005 3:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

haha papers to get a gun? comeone you can get handguns for 20$ if your a russian...20$ maximum....

haha @ gun regulations.
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cyndy22
Lounge Wizard


Joined: 15 Oct 2004
Posts: 1076
Location: massachusetts

PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2005 6:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Renwan,
Why so cynical and hostile? I realize bribes are in fact a part of Russian society. I don't much like this either. But this thread was focused on the bear as a symbol and archetype of Russia. I fear that the bear population in RF are getting squeezed out due to people continually invading their territory for housing, industry etc. Same is true in US. We don't have polar bears but we do have a big brown/black bear population. These bears habitat is shrinking every year. Asa a result these creatures come closer and closer to towns where they feed on bird feeders etc. Wild animals such as bears are not generally vicious. Wild animals only attack when provoked or sick.
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mediashark
Moderator


Joined: 04 Nov 2004
Posts: 1599

PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2005 6:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can't remember if I posted this before... but it may answer the question:

http://akula-v-rossii.blogspot.com/2005/02/what-are-streets-in-russia-like-are.html

Laughing
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