Framed Reproduction of 1980 Soviet Olympic Poster – “Best Wishes!” – Misha the Bear – Artist Victor Chizhikov – Trilingual Edition

A museum-quality framed reproduction of one of the most iconic images of the 1980 Moscow Olympics — Misha the Bear extending a joyful greeting in three languages: «ЖЕЛАЮ УСПЕХА!» / "BEST WISHES!" / "BONNE CHANCE!"

Misha was no accident. Designed by Victor Chizhikov — one of the USSR's most celebrated children's book illustrators — after a nationwide competition that drew over 45,000 public letters, Misha was conceived as a "cuddly ambassador": a deliberate departure from the imposing Russian bear, designed to project peace and friendship at a moment of acute Cold War tension.

Despite the largest boycott in Olympic history — 65 nations refused to attend — Misha became the first Olympic mascot to achieve massive global commercial success. The closing ceremony image of Misha floating away over Luzhniki Stadium, a tear on his cheek, remains one of the most emotionally resonant moments in Olympic history.

Publication Details
Original year: 1980
Publisher: Plakat Publishing House, Moscow
Origin: USSR (Soviet Union)
Artist: Victor Chizhikov (Виктор Чижиков)
Occasion: XXII Summer Olympics, Moscow 1980

Want to own the original vintage poster? View the original here →
Prefer it unframed? View the unframed reproduction here →
Prefer an instant digital download? View the digital edition here →

Make a statement in any room with this framed poster, printed on thick, durable, matte paper. The matte black frame made from wood from renewable forests adds an extra touch of class.

• Alder, semi-hardwood .75″ thick frame from renewable forests
• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil (0.26 mm)
• Paper weight: 189 g/m²
• Lightweight
• Acrylite front protector
• Hanging hardware included
• Blank product components in the US sourced from Japan and the US
• Blank product components in the EU sourced from Japan and Latvia

How to hang: place the mounting hook at the centre-top of the frame when hanging vertically.