View source for Misha

{{Short description|Official mascot of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox
|above   = Misha<br />''{{lang|ru|Миша}}'' (in Russian)
|image   = [[File:1980 USSR stamp Olympic mascot.jpg|200px]]
|caption = Misha on a Soviet stamp (1980).
|headerstyle  = background:#dde8ff;
|labelstyle   = background:#fed;
|header1 = Mascot of the [[1980 Summer Olympics]] ([[Moscow]])
|label2  = Creator
|data2   = [[Victor Chizhikov]]
|label3  = Significance
|data3   = [[Russian Bear]]
}}

'''Misha''' ({{langx|ru|Миша}}), also known as '''Mishka''' ({{langx|ru|Мишка}}) or '''The Olympic Mishka''' ({{langx|ru|Олимпийский Мишка}}), is the name of the [[Russian Bear]] [[mascot]] of the [[1980 Summer Olympics|1980 Moscow]] [[Olympic Games]] (the XXII Summer Olympics). He was designed by children's books illustrator [[Victor Chizhikov]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[RIA Novosti]]|url=https://ria.ru/20200720/1574606866.html|title=Умер художник Виктор Чижиков, создавший образ Олимпийского мишки|date=20 July 2020|language=ru}}</ref>

Misha is the first [[mascot]] of a sporting event to achieve large-scale commercial success in merchandise. The Misha doll was used extensively during the opening and closing ceremonies, appeared on several merchandise products and had both an animated short film (animated by [[Soyuzmultfilm]]) and a television series (animated by [[Nippon Animation]]), all of which are now common practice not only in the Olympic Games, but also in the [[FIFA World Cup]] and other events' mascots.<ref name="autogenerated1">Alpert, Lukas I.. (20 February 2014) [https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304914204579395121349873410 Russians Get Misty for 1980 Olympic Mascot Misha—Except for His Creator – WSJ]. Online.wsj.com. Retrieved on 2016-07-02.</ref>

== Origins ==
In 1977, the committee organizing the Olympics held a contest for the best illustration of a bear. The judges chose Victor Chizhikov's design depicting a smiling bear cub wearing a blue-black-yellow-green-red (colors of the Olympic rings) weightlifter's belt, with a golden buckle shaped like the five rings. Misha's design of a small, cuddly and smiling bear cub was evidently intended to counter the "big and brutal [[Russian Bear]]".{{or|date=February 2025}} Misha was confirmed as an official mascot on 19 December 1977. Chizhikov complained that the country reneged on a promise to grant him the copyright to his bear which deprived him of royalties, although the Russian Olympic Committee stated "in accordance with the Olympic Charter, after Dec. 31 of the year in which the Olympic Games had been held, all the rights to the intellectual property and the symbols of the Olympics go the International Olympic Committee".<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

[[File:RIAN archive 488322 Flag-bearers of states-participants of the XXII Summer Olympic Games.jpg|Placard of Misha shedding tears at 1980 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.|thumb]]

During the [[1980 Summer Olympics closing ceremony|closing ceremony of the 1980 Olympic Games]], a giant effigy of Misha the Bear holding a cluster of balloons was paraded in the stadium. On one side of the stadium where the Olympic Torch was situated, there was a placard mural of Misha which shed tears of happiness from his left eye.<ref>[http://englishrussia.com/2010/07/15/bear-misha-the-olympic-mascot-1980/ Bear Misha – The Olympic Mascot 1980]. English Russia. Retrieved on 2 July 2016.</ref> At the end of the ceremony, Misha with his balloons was released and rose in the air away from the stadium, and this nostalgic moment has been fondly remembered by Russians.<ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insidethegames.biz/blogs/1018527-philip-barker-sochi-2014-have-lot-to-live-up-to-match-misha-farewell-at-moscow-1980|title=Philip Barker: Sochi 2014 have lot to live up to match Misha farewell at Moscow 1980|work=insidethegames.biz - Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games News |date=21 February 2014 |publisher=Inside the Games|access-date=2014-02-24 |last1=Barker |first1=Philip }}</ref> A few hours later Misha landed on [[Vorobyovy Gory (Moscow Metro)|Vorobyovy Gory]] and later was exhibited at the [[All-Russia Exhibition Centre|Exhibition Centre]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxZCcEXYzpQ Moscow Olympics 1980 Closing ceremony with Misha!]. YouTube (8 June 2012). Retrieved on 2016-07-02.</ref>

== Legacy ==
Misha's designer, [[Viktor Chizhikov]], accused the designer of the [[2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots|polar bear mascot]] (named Bely Mishka, said to be Misha's grandson) for the [[2014 Sochi Olympics]] of plagiarism. Chizhikov noted that the Bely's facial features were all taken from Misha, saying "they just pumped him up and made him fatter". Chizhikov also complained that Bely and the other two mascots (the Hare and Leopard) was lacking personality. As a result of these issues, as well as being denied the copyright to Misha, Chizhikov declined to help when asked by the organizers of the [[2014 Winter Olympics closing ceremony]].<ref>Mackay, Duncan. (1 March 2011) [http://www.insidethegames.biz/olympics/winter-olympics/2014/12106-misha-the-bear-creator-claims-sochi-2014-polar-bear-has-been-stolen-from-him Misha the Bear creator claims Sochi 2014 polar bear has been stolen from him]. Insidethegames.biz. Retrieved on 2016-07-02.</ref><ref name="autogenerated1" />

A short clip of the [[1980 Summer Olympics closing ceremony]] of Misha's departure was shown in the [[2014 Winter Olympics closing ceremony|closing ceremony]] of the [[2014 Winter Olympics]]. Afterwards, the giant animatronic [[2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots|polar bear Mishka]] blew out the 2014 Games Olympic torch and shed a tear (in a nod to Misha's tears during the end of the 1980 Games).<ref>[http://www.sochi2014.com/en/news-sochi-2014-closing-ceremony-unites-olympic-generations Olympic News – Official Source of Olympic News] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224194445/http://www.sochi2014.com/en/news-sochi-2014-closing-ceremony-unites-olympic-generations |date=24 February 2014 }}. Sochi2014.com (28 June 2016). Retrieved on 2016-07-02.</ref><ref>Cooper, Sam. (23 February 2014) [https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/sochi-bear-mascot--blows-out--olympic-flame-to-cap-off-a-great-olympics-for-bears-191619654.html Sochi Bear mascot 'blows out' Olympic flame to cap off a great Olympics for bears | Fourth-Place Medal – Yahoo Sports]. Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved on 2016-07-02.</ref><ref>Sanchez, Josh. (23 February 2014) [http://fansided.com/2014/02/23/2014-sochi-olympics-sochi-bear-mascot-cries-blows-flame-closing-ceremony-video/#!ybfPb 2014 Sochi Olympics: Sochi bear mascot cries, blows out flame during Closing Ceremony (Video)]. Fansided.com. Retrieved on 2016-07-02.</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Olympics|Anime and manga|Cartoon|Europe|Russia}}
* [[Olympic mascot]]
* [[Russian Bear]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|1}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Misha}}
* {{anime News Network|anime|1420|Koguma no Misha}}
* [http://www.nippon-animation.co.jp/work/1337/ Anime series outline by Nippon Animation]
* [http://80.ruz.net/ Moscow Olympics' site], includes the Misha farewell song ''До свиданья, Москва''
* [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2007-08/03/content_6011151.htm Translation of the Misha song to English] at the [[China Daily]] website
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071125180428/http://olympic-museum.de/mascot/mascot1980.htm Olympics Logos and Mascots]: Official image of Misha

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box|title=''[[List of Olympic mascots|Olympic mascot]]'' <br />Misha|before=[[Amik]]<br /><small>''Montreal 1976''</small>|after=[[Sam (mascot)|Sam]]<br /><small>''Los Angeles 1984''</small>|years=''Moscow 1980''}}
{{S-end}}

{{Olympic mascots}}
{{Teddy bears}}
{{Nippon Animation}}

[[Category:1979 anime television series debuts]]
[[Category:1980 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Bear mascots]]
[[Category:Fictional bears]]
[[Category:Anthropomorphic bears]]
[[Category:Olympic mascots]]
[[Category:Culture of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Russian mascots]]
[[Category:Mascots introduced in 1977]]