On the Alexander Nevsky embankment, a brown bear has taken a seat on a bench. Of course, this is not a live bear, but it is just as large and very friendly. The sculpture was created in 2007 by the contemporary Novgorod sculptor Vadim Borovykh, who is already known for his amazing monuments.

There is a legend that this bear once came from the forest to Veliky Novgorod to meet the locals and show himself. He liked it so much that he decided to stay. Now he sits on the bench year-round, both in winter and summer, admiring the Volkhov River and waiting for passersby to chat with.

Finding him is easy: from the Kremlin, you need to walk across the pedestrian bridge to the Alexander Nevsky embankment, then turn left and walk to the Diez shopping center. In summer, the bear is located at the shopping center, and in winter, he moves inside the building along with the bench.