In July 2012, over 140 bears - all tame and dollied-up - invaded a city park in St Petersburg.
They were mute but colourful ambassadors of goodwill, having travelled the world for 10 years and - for us Australians - they visited Sydney in 2007.
Before they left for their next stop - Paris - I caught up with them in the Alexandrovsky Garden in St Petersburg.
Each two-metre-high bear figure represented a different country - and Australia was there. Filed under the letter 'A', our bear was an explosion of colour by Australian artist Ken Done.
And at his feet was a little plaque, so he knew where home was...
The bears formed a circle in alphabetical order around the park fountain...
And they were kept in line by the Russian army...
The St Petersburg Times covered the exhibition in an article published on July 4, 2012.
Here's what it said:
New Zealand was there:
and America...
and Moldova - front and back...
Here's more bears, but I can only guess their country of origin...
Detail of above bear:
This bear is gorgeous:
And this bear made a friend:
This bear is a flight of fancy:
A handsome threesome...
And this one does not look like a bear at all...
They were mute but colourful ambassadors of goodwill, having travelled the world for 10 years and - for us Australians - they visited Sydney in 2007.
Before they left for their next stop - Paris - I caught up with them in the Alexandrovsky Garden in St Petersburg.
Each two-metre-high bear figure represented a different country - and Australia was there. Filed under the letter 'A', our bear was an explosion of colour by Australian artist Ken Done.
And at his feet was a little plaque, so he knew where home was...
The bears formed a circle in alphabetical order around the park fountain...
And they were kept in line by the Russian army...
The St Petersburg Times covered the exhibition in an article published on July 4, 2012.
Here's what it said:
Bear hugs from Berlin
A circle of 143 bear sculptures representing
different countries are in town to promote peace and harmony.
By Olga Kalashnikova
The St. Petersburg Times
The world-touring United Buddy Bears are celebrating their 25th
exhibition and 10th anniversary in St. Petersburg. One hundred and forty-three
brightly painted two-meter tall bear figures from all over the world stand hand
in hand in the Alexandrovsky Garden, promoting living together in peace and
harmony.
The free outdoor exhibit is open in the city 24 hours a day through Aug.
5.
Buddy Bears first hit the streets in 2001. Project initiators Eva and
Dr. Klaus Herlitz wanted art to be on display in city streets and decided to
start a unique art project in Berlin.
“The positive reaction we got from visitors gave us the idea to use
Buddy Bears’ popularity to provide more targeted food for thought to promote
mutual understanding between different people. In 2002 this thought developed
into the idea of the United Buddy Bears,” said Michael Stefanescu, managing
director of Buddy Bear Berlin.
Here's a photo (taken by me) of a detail from the Russian bear. It is decorated with a traditional khokhloma pattern.
The article continues:
Each fibreglass bear represents a member state of the United Nations.
All of the bears are standing together hand in hand, forming a large circle of
equals.
Artists from all over the world were invited to realize the project.
Each bear was created in a different style to express the unique character of
the artists’ native countries, allowing visitors to take a journey around the
world while visiting the exhibition.
“Together Buddy Bears represent a complete work of art, spreading an
enormous zest for life,” said Stefanescu.
“The bears promote tolerance and mutual understanding between different
nations and cultures. None of the bears represent a government or current
political system. They represent people and their cultures. The arrangement of
the different countries symbolizes the vision of a world that will be peaceful
in the future,” he said.
There are also four special bears that present ideas necessary for
people to co-exist peacefully. Two golden bears holding hands show that nobody
can live on their own and that how people behave toward one another has
consequences. The first Golden Rule bear conveys the message that the more
friendly a person is to other people, the more friendliness they are likely to
receive in return. The words “Try to treat everyone the way you want to be
treated” are written on it.
The second Global Ethic bear illustrates that there can be no peace
among nations without peace among religions. The bear represents the basic
commandments from the “Declaration toward a Global Ethic” and is covered in
quotes from different religions that all mean the same thing — “In everything,
do to others as you would have them do to you.”
There is also an Einstein Bear with the scientist’s words: “Peace cannot
be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.” The Respect For
All Life Bear appeals for people to have a kind attitude towards all living
creatures.
Each bear represents a different country. Cuba's bear smokes a cigar.
Here are my photos of Cuba's bear:
The bear was chosen from other animals to be the ambassador for this
mission because it is the symbol of Berlin, the city where the sculptures and
idea originated.
“People perceive bears to be simpatico and likable — maybe just because
most of us grew up with teddy bears. And the raised arms of the bears symbolize
that they are not dangerous and do not want to harm anybody,” said Stefanescu.
Since 2002, over 30 million people have viewed the globe-trotting bears.
“Wherever the exhibition has been displayed, including in St.
Petersburg, all visitors are excited, thrilled and enthusiastic … We are also
glad to see that the message of tolerance and understanding is well
understood,” said Stefanescu.
The project aims not only to help with the way people view other
countries and the world, but also to raise financial aid for those who need it.
“We also want to highlight that many countries are in urgent need of our
support. Children from all over the world can benefit from the proceeds
generated by auctioning off sculptures from the circle of United Buddy Bears,”
he said.
Charity has become a key part of the Buddy Bear exhibits. During the ten
years of its activities the project has raised more than $2.4 million to help
children in need. In St. Petersburg one Buddy Bear that represented Russia
during a past exhibition (and can still be seen on display at the exhibit as a
second figure representing Russia) will be auctioned off to benefit a local
children’s charity organization. The starting price is 160,000 rubles ($4,915).
The Buddy Bears’ next destination is Paris: In October this year, they
will make their famous circle next to the Eiffel Tower. In 2013 the bears will
travel to Brazil.
“Due to the fact that more cities and countries are requesting to host
the exhibition, it seems that the world tour of the United Buddy Bears is a
neverending story,” said Stefanescu.
The United Buddy Bears exhibit runs through Aug. 5
at the Alexandrovsky Garden in front of the Admiralty. M. Admiralteiskaya. www.buddy-baer.com.
New Zealand was there:
and America...
and Moldova - front and back...
Here's more bears, but I can only guess their country of origin...
Detail of above bear:
This bear is gorgeous:
And this bear made a friend:
This bear is a flight of fancy:
A handsome threesome...
And this one does not look like a bear at all...
