The present article deals with the issue of festivals associated with the symbol of a bear established in Russia during the last several years. The author points out that these festivals are a part of the policy of 'bearization of Russia'; this policy is pursued by the 'United Russia' in order to legitimate the power relying on the resource of nationalism. The image of the 'Russian bear' acquired broad popularity in Russia only in the 2000s due, above all, to the propaganda of the ruling party whose logo contains an image of a bear. The article focuses on the 'Day of the Bear' that was established in Yaroslavl in 2011. The article traces some important elements of the ideology of this festival. First, it represents the 'Day of the Bear' as a restoration of an ancient Russian tradition. Then, the festival is marked as a return to the 'genuine Russianness' which is symbolized by the bear as well as its space, time, and characters of Russian fairytales. At the same time the discourse of the festival pays tribute to the ideology of Russian civic nation, pointing out that bear was a deity worshipped by the indigenous Finno-Ugric population of Yaroslavl region. Further, the discourse has anti-Western connotations; it juxtaposes the Russian festival to foreign holidays. Since Yaroslavl's symbol is a bear, the festival impacts on shaping the regional identity. Finally, it is supervised by the regional authorities, and thus the 'Day of the Bear' contributes to legitimation of the political regime.