SV The brown bear decided to become a model after being criticized for clinging to its adoptive parents for 25 years, then rose to social media stardom in Russia.

Model Zhana Shveinova seized the opportunity to pose with the world-famous bear, Stepan, who has been on a vegetable diet since childhood.

Photographer Olga Barantseva reached out to Stepan’s owners, Svetlana and Yuriy Panteleenko, who adopted the bear when he was just three months old, to organize the photoshoot.

In this series of photos, 35-year-old model Zhana, originally from Moscow but currently living in Cyprus, can be seen hugging and Petting the bear.

Zhana revealed that she has been a teddy bear artist and toy producer for 14 years. However, she had always dreamt of seeing a real bear up close and witnessing this magnificent creature move freely. Recently, she transitioned to making more lifelike bear replicas and sought inspiration, leading her to Stepan.

Zhana described Stepan as truly unique, a member of the family, and a friend. This is evident in how he interacts with his owners. Stepan is treated with kindness and respect, and he reciprocates that.

“He’s very gentle, he even hugs you very gently regardless of his size and weight,” she said, adding that meeting Stepan was a unique experience that she cherishes.

Previously, Stepan was abandoned by hunters, but the Panteleenko family rescued him when he was very young, with many injuries on his body.

“I think there’s too much cruelty in the modern world, and what I want to show is love. The love between humans and nature, between humans and wild Animals,” photographer Olga said. “What I want to show is that the world can coexist harmoniously. I draw inspiration from Russian fairy tales, which are often filled with love and kindness, where humans and nature live together in harmony.”