Though Russia’s coat of arms is a double-headed eagle, the bear is the unofficial mascot of Russia, and some might say even more popular and widely associated with the country. While the rest of the world prefers cats and dogs, seemingly only Russians can prefer bears as pets. Today’s story is exactly about that.

Novosibirsk resident Veronica Dichka can proudly say that Archie is her trusty companion. Archie, who is also from Novosibirsk, was initially rescued from a circus by Maya Kirsanova as a cub. He lived in a safari park along with a few other bears until it had to close down due to the pandemic. As time passed, it became increasingly difficult to maintain the shelter, and that’s where the brave Veronica came into the picture and adopted him. It’s worth mentioning that Veronica previously worked with the bear on a few photoshoots, but was only an acquaintance to Archie. But now they’re inseparable, and the photos you’ll see below are a testament to their special relationship.

Meet Veronica and Archie, a bear rescued from the circus two years ago because it didn’t get enough food

Veronica adopted Archie later on, as the bear didn’t have a reliable shelter after the local zoo was closed due to the pandemic

Archie was born in captivity, and couldn’t survive without the help of humans

The unlikely couple are from Novosibirsk, Russia, and they have a jovial relationship

Archie is very smart, knows a lot of tricks and is very disciplined

Veronica is a model, a professional dancer, and a passionate fishing enthusiast

Archie recently even joined Veronica on a fishing trip

Archie is very well fed as opposed to before. He doesn’t even need to hibernate

Veronica knows the true meaning of a bear hug