July 21, 2021

Let Sleeping Bears Lie


Let Sleeping Bears Lie
Simply put: don't poke the bear.  Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi via Unsplash

Russian zoos and bears go hand-in-paw, but they don't make for particularly interesting exhibit pieces during their lazy winter months. It is for this reason that the Novosibirsk Zoo is planning on creating exhibits that will allow zoo visitors to observe how a bear takes its long winter nap.

The design itself is the first like this in the country and is incredibly diverse. It will have fifteen separate dens made for the unique needs of each individual bear species.

The dens will have glass windows that visitors may peek (quietly) through to see the slumbering giants. Zookeepers will of course encourage the public to keep their voices down as best they can, but they also aren't convinced that this will work entirely. But they believe that if the bears do wake up from their hibernation, it could still prove beneficial for scientific studies.

The constriction of these dens won't be complete until at least 2022, so hopefully, the teddy bears will have some time to stock up on some z's (and possibly buy some earplugs?) before then. 

Let's just hope they don't visit the country clubs while they are at it. 

You Might Also Like

Can't Bear to Watch
  • March 01, 2021

Can't Bear to Watch

A nurse injects a performer in a bear costume with Russia’s Gam- COVID-Vac vaccine (under the brand name of Sputnik V) at a temporary COVID-19 vaccination site in Moscow’s Shchyolkovsky shopping centre.
A Furry Fugitive
  • June 14, 2021

A Furry Fugitive

In America, people go to country clubs to escape from the drudgery they bear. In Russia, bears escape from country clubs.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955