Digital Edition – 1980 Soviet Olympic Poster – “Misha and Russian Dolls” – Artist Garegin Bucrnuchyan – Moscow Olympics

Instant digital download of a rare original 1980 Soviet Olympic poster, created for the Moscow Summer Games by Garegin Bucrnuchyan, an artist from the Armenian SSR.

Titled “Misha and Russian Dolls”, the composition unfolds diagonally — a procession of classic red and floral matryoshka (nesting) dolls, each opening to reveal the next, until Misha the Bear himself emerges from the smallest, proudly wearing his signature Olympic ring belt. Misha was designed by children’s illustrator Viktor Chizhikov and remains one of the most beloved mascots in Olympic history.

The image is warm, folkloric, and unmistakably Soviet — a piece of soft-power diplomacy at a politically charged moment. The 1980 Moscow Games were overshadowed by a major international boycott, yet Misha endured as one of the most commercially successful and fondly remembered mascots of any Games.

Publication Details
Artist: Garegin Bucrnuchyan (Armenian SSR)
Year: 1980
Event: XXII Summer Olympic Games, Moscow
Origin: USSR (Soviet Union)
Style: Late Soviet-era illustration, warm nostalgic palette
Original size: 36 × 56 cm (14.2 × 22.0 in)

What You Receive
1 high-resolution JPEG file
Print-ready at 300 DPI
Sized for printing at 18 × 24 in
Instant download after purchase
Personal use licence included

File Details
Format: JPEG
Resolution: 300 DPI
Print size: 18 × 24 in
Licence: Personal use only. Commercial reproduction, resale, or redistribution is strictly prohibited.

Want to own the original vintage poster? View the original here →
Prefer it ready to hang? View the framed reproduction here →
Prefer it unframed? View the unframed reproduction here →