The history of the creation of the Olympic bear. History of the Olympic Bear: legends and facts Olympic Bear pennant 1980

Do you know who the Olympic Bear is? Photos, postcards, even postage stamps and match labels with his image are still carefully preserved by our parents. How many souvenir toys and commemorative badges were released with him! How many conversations are devoted to this amazing character. What do you know about this cute symbol of the Olympic Games, which has become famous all over the world? Let's remember together the talisman that was born more than thirty years ago.

Olympic bear. Birth of a symbol

As you know, each Olympics has its own mascot. The 1980 Olympics, which took place in Moscow, was no exception. It was for her that this funny talisman was invented. Viktor Chizhikov became Mikhail Potapych’s “father,” as the toy was jokingly called. It was he who came up with the image of Mishka and captured it in the drawings, thinking through everything to the smallest detail. The cheerful, smiling bear cub captivated the jury at first sight. And so, in December 1977, Potapych was approved as the official mascot.

Olympic Bear and its qualities

It was not chosen by chance. The kind and friendly Bear suited the role of a mascot like no one else. Bears are wise guardians of forests, in some ways very similar to people. Moreover, judging by the jokes that circulate all over the world, not just about people, but, first of all, about our Russians. After all, Russia and Russians around the world have long been associated with the bear. Another undoubted advantage was the qualities inherent in a bear - strength, courage and perseverance. This is the kind of character, according to the jury, that athletes should have.

Olympic Bear and its appearance

Mikhail Potapovich is an anthropomorphic bear cub standing on his hind legs. The beast is belted with a blue-black-yellow-green-red belt. These colors have long been symbols of games. Also on his belt there is a buckle consisting of five gold-colored rings. According to rumors, the artist thought for quite a long time about how to dress Mishka, until the idea of ​​​​an “Olympic belt” came to his mind. Only after this was the bear able to become a truly complete character.

Olympic Bear after the end of the Olympics

At the closing of the Olympics, it was decided to launch Mikhail Potapovich into the sky in hot air balloons. The talisman toy flew away to the farewell song performed by Lev Leshchenko. Few of those present in the stands were able to hold back their tears. At the end of the Olympics, Mishka was sent to one of the VDNH warehouses, where he ended his life. They said that the Germans wanted to buy it, but ours flatly refused to sell it.

Conclusion

This is how he is, our kind and affectionate Bear. Olympic mascot, famous throughout the world. And now, when it comes to the 1980 Olympic Games, people first of all remember Mikhail Potapovich, what a wonderful sports mood he created, how sad it was to part with him. Few people can remember the winners and medalists of that Olympics, as well as the mascots of other games. Who knows what is to blame: the patriotism of our people or the irresistible charm of a teddy bear. But in any case, the fact remains that Potapych lives in our hearts to this day.

Here is the story according to this version, briefly. For some reason, it doesn’t tell us at all how the bear was later taken from the area of ​​this boarding house, and as for those vacationers who saw it, their supposedly published memories on the Internet also look somehow strange and everything is cut off. [Or did they all also somehow mysteriously disappear later?! – K.R.]
As for the names mentioned (from Faber to Surov), there is no more information about these people on the Internet, except for links to the same article that the bear supposedly flew exactly like this and was developed by these very people. The circle, in short, closes each time.
[I am reminded of Father Brown’s famous statement from Chesterton’s stories: “Paradoxically, it is sometimes very difficult for a person to believe that zero plus zero plus zero plus zero actually equals zero.” – K.R.]
If someone else is still serious about everything they read, then I can say that on a number of servers the article about the same event ends differently. That Surov did not die, but only lost consciousness from overload... And when he woke up, he found himself lying in the snow, his bear was lying at a distance, and live bears from the taiga, which stretched right there, were already approaching the bear to sniff him.
Therefore, here, I think, we can put an end to part of the conversation about version number one.
Since, in fact, version number two (or, rather, it should be considered the first version) was just described in Soviet newspapers as a fact, and an electronic copy of this editorial is on the Internet.
Soviet newspapers quite openly, in the editorial, the day after the closing of the Olympics, wrote that our dear bear, having left the stadium, flew over the Lenin Mountains and fell behind them, not so far away, on the territory of Moscow. After which it was picked up and placed in the pavilion at VDNKh, where it stands as a memory of our glorious Olympics. The bear flew the way balloons fly beautifully - it simply rose up on balloons and its own pumping, and then - by the will of the wind. Naturally, there was no pilot in it.
And by the way, footage of several dozen athletes quickly putting the bear on its feet and letting it go, untying the ropes with which it was tied so as not to fly away ahead of time, can also be seen on the Internet on copies of film footage from those years, in the “video” section. .
So it’s not very clear what else is here and who had to come up with it? And for what?
True, one might wonder: what if the balloon bear really flew somewhere very “wrong”? Let’s not seriously discuss the issue with foreign countries, but still, what kind of improper type of object could have fallen for this?
Here, they say, this is what happened - after all, a special helicopter with a sniper was lifted into the sky, and the sniper shot several balls with well-aimed shots, thanks to which the bear landed quickly enough, “correctly” and safely.
Well, well, why not. This version is mentioned on a couple of forums - that's all. So - neither prove nor disprove; nevertheless, it is probably possible. If “grandmother said”, then grandma is not the stupidest...
One way or another, according to the version that was described in Soviet newspapers, no casualties or special emergencies happened. Only, perhaps, the bear touched a beer stall and scared two citizens who were drinking beer there nearby. For some reason, this moment repeatedly appears on forums on the internet. Again, who knows.
And again, as you know, there is “folklore” and “family legends” that revolve around any historical event. As mentioned in another note, almost a dozen people claimed that it was near their house that a touching bear fell. Is this really that surprising? This is how we are, people, and sometimes we like to “pull” the story about a true event to one degree or another precisely in our own direction, as they say. Nothing really special.
And from one doctor I heard this: they say, the bear was shot down by air defense. To be honest, it was precisely this “sensation” that made me curious and turned to the topic on the Internet.
Well, and again it’s not so surprising - this is the law of gossip: someone will hear about the sniper on a helicopter, already mentioned by us, and will tell their friends about the air defense. And my friends may believe it.
A documentary film was also recently released about the flight of the bear, in particular, artist Viktor Chizhikov gave an interview there, who invented our bear that year and spoke in detail about the birth of this cute image and its “life” during the Olympics. And also about how the Soviet leadership then showed its downside in terms of royalties and copyright...
The film talked about the same thing: how a balloon bear flew over the Sparrow (or rather, then still Lenin) Mountains and fell behind them. They even showed approximately this “azimuth”.
However, if someone still wants to think differently regarding his flight, well, as Kierkegaard said, freedom of thought is the great and original freedom of man...
The bear was then stored at VDNKh for a long time, managed to “grow old” and be written off. Apparently, a remake copy was not made. But even now in the pavilions of the All-Russian Exhibition Center there are many smaller, various copies of the Russian Misha the athlete.

The touching closing of the 1980 Olympics, which took place in the Soviet Union, is remembered by everyone who saw it. A flying bear accompanied by a symbolic song performed by Lev Leshchenko brought tears of tenderness to hundreds of thousands of people. But few of those who sat in the stadium or watched the closing of the Games on TV at that moment thought about the future fate of this symbol and where the Olympic bear landed.

Excursion into history

More than 30 years have passed since the 1980 Olympics, which were held in the capital of Russia, and its symbol - the Olympic bear - still remains one of the favorite and most famous folk heroes. It was created by Viktor Chizhikov, a book illustrator. By the way, it was the author who gave him the name Mikhail Potapovich Toptygin. This drawing was approved as a symbol of the Olympics due to the fact that it conveyed sports enthusiasm, strength, courage and perseverance. It was selected from over 40,000 options.

1980 received worldwide fame and recognition. The author of this symbol received letters from all over the world. Happy were those who could get an image of a bear, a pendant or a figurine. By the way, for creating such a symbol Chizhikov should have become a millionaire. But a miracle did not happen in the Soviet Union; he was paid 2,000 rubles and forced to renounce the copyright to his brainchild.

Closing of the Games

Of course, the farewell ceremony added to the popularity of the symbol of the Olympics. After all, it is still considered that the closing of the Games was especially touching. At the moment when Mishka rose into the sky, many tears of emotion flowed, the stadium waved to the mascot of the 1980 Games. But few people thought about where the Olympic bear landed. These questions arose a little later.

And at that moment everyone was blinking away tears, listening to the heartfelt words of the song by Pakhmutova and Dobronravov with the title “Goodbye, our affectionate Misha.” By the way, very few people knew that the flight of the Olympic symbol was initially rejected by the chairman of the sports committee, Grammov. On the corresponding proposal, he wrote that bears do not fly, so the idea of ​​flight was rejected. But the main director of the Olympics could not rest on this; he was able to realize this idea only thanks to his courage and perseverance. He turned directly to the chairman of that time - Suslov. They approved and supported this idea.

Where is Mishka?

So, the six-meter symbol of the 1980 Games soared over the stadium and almost nothing is known about its further fate. Even today, there are two versions of where the Olympic bear landed. So, the most common option is the following. The symbol of the Olympics flew to the outskirts of Moscow, where it landed safely. True, according to the same version, he knocked down a beer booth and really scared two local men. This was the end of his adventures, and he was exhibited at VDNKh. By the way, they say that at one time the Germans offered 100,000 marks for it, but the government of the Union did not even consider this option. After the exhibition, the talisman was sent to one of the basements, where rats eventually chewed it up.

But there is another version of how and where the Olympic bear landed. According to the second option, the talisman was carried away by wind currents in the Moscow region. To land it, test pilot Surov needed to open special valves. He successfully completed the task, after which Mishka collapsed to the ground, but Surov died during this operation. The talisman itself also fell into disrepair and was burned. But at present it is no longer possible to find where the 1980 Olympic Bear landed, since it was destroyed anyway.

How was Mishka created?

But many are interested not only in the future fate of the Games mascot. Not everyone understands how, back in 1980, it was possible to send a six-meter figure into a controlled flight. And indeed, coming up with the idea of ​​a touching farewell to the bear was much easier than bringing it to life.

The bear was created at a special institute of the rubber industry. A figure of a bear was first made for him. After that, the gluing men of the balloon workshop, together with specialists from the institute, created a figure of a bear. In case of force majeure, two identical dolls were made at once.

Flight training

But creating the bear turned out to be far from the most problematic stage. It was much more difficult to teach the mascot to fly. The fact is that this figure is absolutely not aerodynamic, sending it into a controlled flight seemed almost impossible. After all, according to the plan, it was supposed to rise above the last stands to a height of about 3.5 meters and fly away from the stadium. At the same time, it was important not to touch the bowl of fire. At first, it was decided to abandon the idea of ​​a rubber doll altogether and send a man into flight. Such tests were carried out at one of the airfields near Moscow, engineer Trusov put on a specially prepared suit and soared sharply with the help of balloons to a great height. After that he was never found.

Another inventor proposed adjusting the control of a rubber doll using balls that could shift the weight of the object in the desired direction. If everything had worked out as planned, there would have been no questions about where the Olympic bear was. After all, according to the plan, a person was supposed to sit in his right paw, who would control the talisman. But the tests failed: the bear flew over the burning torch and burst into flames. The operator sitting in the doll died from burns.

After this, it was decided to attach the balls only to the ears and upper paws. Thanks to this, the bear did not roll over. According to the plan, it was supposed to land carefully in the Sparrow Hills area, but this plan could not be fully implemented.

On August 3, 1980, the whole world watched the closing of the XXII Summer Olympic Games. “Goodbye, our affectionate Misha,” they sang along in the stands, not holding back their tears. And then everyone wondered: where did he fly off to?

Olympic Bear at the Closing Ceremony of the 1980 Olympics. YouTube frame

Millions of spectators watched the Olympic Bear rise into the sky and disappear into the darkness. Many women wept bitterly, and the children believed that he would certainly return to his fairytale forest. the site collects all the rumors and facts and tells how the difficult fate of the mascot of the 1980 Olympics unfolded.

Who invented the Olympic Bear?

In three years, Mishka became almost like family to everyone. In 1977, elections began for the symbol of the Moscow Olympics. The organizing committee, taking into account the results of the popular vote, chose a bear - after all, a “national” hero, immortalized in fairy tales, a symbol of courage, strength and power. The elk was a serious competitor, but the victory still went to the moose. Victory in the competition for the best image of the Olympic Games mascot was won by 42-year-old artist and children's book illustrator Viktor Chizhikov. He said that the idea to put a belt with Olympic rings on Mishka came to him in a dream.

The contract stated that the artist was simply commissioned to draw a “Funny Teddy Bear.” Initially, they wanted to pay Chizhikov, who in any other country would have become a millionaire, 250 rubles, evaluating the sketch by area, by square centimeters, but they agreed on more than a thousand - “for the unique graphics.” There was no talk of copyright or patent. Officials said that since the symbol of the 1980 Olympics was chosen by the entire Soviet people, it means that the author was also the people. When the artist tried to defend something, his experienced friends advised him not to get involved and to come to terms with the situation.

Olympic Bear on a postage stamp, 1980. Source: Wikimedia

Project "Bear"

A huge rubber balloon doll with a height of more than 6 meters was made for the Olympics. The project that the employees of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute worked on was called laconically and almost in a military way - “Bear”.

There was helium inside the Olympic Bear; the body was made of rubberized fabric, which took 150 meters. And the inflatable legs were attached using hinges. When testing began, the project was in jeopardy. TsAGI was in a panic. The main problem was that the bear did not want to take off vertically: it tilted to one side and rolled over on its back. Only when the Olympic mascot's legs were weighted down and balloons tied to his paws did the situation improve.

One option involved replacing the giant doll with a man in a bear costume tied to giant balls. There was also an idea to make Mishka controllable, to place a person inside the doll. They said that the tests were not without casualties: once the doll lost control and, flying too close to the burning Olympic torch, caught fire, and the engineer, who was sitting in the “cabin” in one of his hind legs, subsequently died from burns.

Bears can't fly!

Many still consider the farewell to the Olympic Bear to be the most touching moment both in the history of the Olympics and in the history of the USSR. Then it was time for grandiose fireworks and special effects.\ And in Moscow in 1980, in order to touch the hearts of millions, all it took was a doll soaring into the air, an image of the Games symbol on a giant screen (“the picture” was created with the help of more than four thousand soldiers, changing colored shields on command) and one meager tear rolling down from the bear’s eye.

But this might not have happened! The officials didn’t like the idea of ​​a bear flying away - the option where in the finale Mishka crawls into a den right in the stadium seemed to them more suitable and easily feasible. As the deputy chief director of the Moscow Olympics later said, the flight had to be “pushed through.” At first, party bosses declared that the bear could not fly, then they appealed to the fact that it could collide with an airplane. According to rumors, the project was saved only by the intervention of a high-ranking aviation general, who promised to provide Mishka with an “air corridor.”

He flew away and did not promise to return

The touching closing of the 1980 Olympics, which took place in the Russian Union, is remembered by everyone who saw it. A flying bear accompanied by a symbolic song performed by Lev Leshchenko brought tears of tenderness to hundreds of thousands of people. But not many of those who sat in the stadium or watched the closing of the Games on TV thought about the future fate of this sign and where the Olympic bear landed.

Excursion into history

More than 30 years have passed since the 1980 Olympics, which were held in the capital of the Russian Federation, and its sign - the Olympic bear - remains one of the beloved and most famous folk heroes to this day. It was created by Viktor Chizhikov, a book illustrator. By the way, the creator specifically gave him the name Toptygin Misha Potapovich. This sketch was approved as a sign of the Olympics due to the fact that it conveyed sports enthusiasm, strength, courage and perseverance. He was chosen from among more than 40,000 options.

The 1980 Olympic bear received worldwide fame and recognition. The creator of this sign received letters from all over the world. Happy were those who could get an image of a bear, a pendant or a figurine. By the way, for creating such a sign Chizhikov was supposed to become a millionaire. But a miracle did not happen in the Russian Union; he was paid 2,000 rubles and forced to renounce the author’s rights to his brainchild.

Closing of the Games

Naturally, the farewell ceremony added to the popularity of the symbol of the Olympics. After all, to this day it is considered that the closing of the Games was especially touching. Then, when Mishka rose into the sky, many tears of emotion flowed, the stadium waved to the mascot of the 1980 Games. But not many people thought about where the Olympic bear landed. These questions appeared a little later.

And at that moment everyone was blinking away tears, listening to the heartfelt words of the song by Pakhmutova and Dobronravov with the title “See you soon, our gentle Misha.” By the way, very few people understood that the flight of the Olympic sign was initially rejected by the chairman of the sports committee, Grammov. On the corresponding proposal, he wrote that bears do not fly, so the idea of ​​flight was rejected. But the main director of the Olympics could not rest on this; he was able to realize this idea only thanks to his own courage and perseverance. He turned directly to the chairman of the CPSU Central Committee at that time - Suslov. They approved and supported this idea.

Where is Mishka?

So, the six-meter sign of the 1980 Games flew over the stadium and virtually nothing is clear about its future fate. Even today, there are two versions of where the Olympic bear landed. So, the most common is the following option. The Olympic sign flew to the outskirts of Moscow, where it landed safely. True, according to the same version, he knocked down a beer booth and really scared two local guys. This was the end of his adventures, and he was exhibited at VDNKh. By the way, they say that at one time the Germans offered 100,000 marks for it, but the government of the Union did not even consider this option. After the exhibition, the talisman was sent to one of the basements, where rats chewed it over time.

But there is another version of how and where the Olympic bear landed. According to the second option, the talisman was carried away by wind currents in the Moscow region. To land him, test pilot Surov needed to open special valves. He successfully completed the task, after which Mishka fell to the ground at the Mozhaisk Reservoir. But Cruel died during this operation. The talisman itself also fell into disrepair and was burned. But nowadays it is no longer possible to find where the 1980 Olympic bear landed, because it was destroyed anyway.

How was Mishka created?

But many are interested not only in the upcoming fate of the Games mascot. Not many people understand how, back in 1980, it was possible to send a six-meter figure into a controlled flight. Indeed, coming up with the idea of ​​a touching farewell to the bear was even easier than bringing it to life.

The bear was made at a special institute of the rubber industry. At first, rubberized fabric was made for it. After that, the gluers of the balloon workshop, together with the specialists of the institute, created the figure of a bear. In case of force majeure events, two similar dolls were immediately made.

Flight training

But creating a bear turned out to be far from the most problematic step. It was even more difficult to teach the mascot to fly. The fact is that this figure is completely non-aerodynamic; sending it into a controlled flight seemed virtually impossible. After all, according to the plan, it was supposed to rise above the last stands to a height of about 3.5 meters and fly away from the stadium. With all this, it was important not to touch the bowl of fire. At first it was decided to abandon the idea of ​​a rubber doll altogether and send a man into flight. Such tests were carried out at one of the airfields near Moscow, engineer Trusov put on a specially prepared suit and soared sharply into the air with the help of balloons to a great height. After which he was never found.

Another inventor proposed to control the rubber doll using balls that could shift the weight of the object in the appropriate direction. If everything had worked out as planned, there would have been no questions about where the Olympic bear was. After all, according to the plan, a person was supposed to sit in his right paw, who would control the talisman. But the tests failed: the bear fluttered over the flaming torch and burst into flames. The operator, sitting in the chrysalis, died from burns.

After which it was decided to attach the balls only to the ears and upper paws. Thanks to this, the bear did not roll over. According to the plan, he was supposed to carefully land in the Vorobyovy Gory area, and even this plan could not be fully implemented.