The bear Misha was the mascot of which Summer Olympics?

The bear Misha was the mascot of the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics.

Misha, also called Mishka, was designed by Soviet children’s-book illustrator Victor Chizhikov for the Games held in Moscow in 1980. His friendly brown-bear design presented a softer, more approachable version of the traditional “Russian Bear” symbol. He wore a belt decorated in the colors of the Olympic rings, with a buckle shaped like the five rings.

Misha became one of the earliest Olympic mascots to achieve major commercial success. He appeared on stamps, toys, books and other merchandise, and was featured in animated productions. His popularity helped establish the mascot merchandising model now familiar from the Olympics and other international sporting events.

The character is especially remembered for the closing ceremony. A huge Misha effigy, shown crying a tear of happiness, was carried through the stadium and released with balloons. The emotional farewell is often confused with later Olympic bear mascots, including the polar bear used at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, but Misha specifically belongs to Moscow’s 1980 Summer Games.