[custom_adv] If you thought Russia was a place where no one smiles and bears mingle among people, you’d only be half-correct. Meet Stepan: a 750-pound bear that is taking the Eastern European fashion world by snow-storm. [custom_adv] The handsome brown bear was discovered as a cub abandoned by its mother, and taken in by wife and husband Svetlana and Yuriy Panteleenko. Now 28 years old, the apex predator has lived under the care of humans since then, and has the docile demeanor to prove it, according to Moscow-based photographer Mila Zhdanova. [custom_adv] “People have some stereotyped ideas about Russia. They think we never smile and have bears walking the street,” Zhdanova, 40, told Media Drum. “We do have bears, but I want to show in my pictures that we do smile. [custom_adv] ”“Some had heard of the modeling bear and had been dreaming of this for five years,” said Zhdanova. “The shoots are pure delight. There’s never any issues.” [custom_adv] “I’ve had more problems photographing kittens,” she joked. Her latest series featuring Stepan was shot in the woods of Moscow over a period of several months as the wild animal can only be expected to “work” for 90 minutes at a time. Any longer and they might risk agitating the bear. [custom_adv] But despite their innate ferocity, Zhdanova’s fanciful portfolio is indicative of Russian wildlife itself. “I hope people see the beauty and strength in animals and nature through my photos,” she said. [custom_adv] [custom_adv] A bear who was abandoned by his mother and raised by humans now has a career as a model posing alongside children and adults. Inspired by Stepan's friendliness around humans, Mila set out to create a series of fantasy-inspired scenes featuring Stepan posing alongside models in traditional Russian dress. [custom_adv] Photographer, Mila Zhdanova, 40, from Moscow, met Stepan the 28-year-old brown bear through her friendship with the bear's owners, Svetlana and Yuri Pantileenko.
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