The brown bear (Ursus arctos), chosen as February's artefact of the month, has been, for decades, part of the Szekler Museum of Ciuc's iconic natural science exhibition, along with many other taxidermied animals. Hundreds of visitors, especially pupils and children, were impressed by the sight in the museum's bastion and, as the following reminiscence report, it meant a lasting experience for years to come:

"The first time I met him was when I was a student in the early 1980’s, when I visited the museum with my class. He was enormous and full of dignity, and from the moment we looked into each other's eyes, it was like a special bond formed between the two of us. There were countless other animals in the bastion hall all around, but he was the only one who managed to amaze me. He fascinated me and called me back. From that moment on I visited him often, making a detour, several times, to the museum after school, spending my cornflakes and yogurt money on tickets, just to see him again and again. I know I wasn't the only one for him because there wasn't a pupil in town who didn't meet him. But my passion for him is timeless and definitive, something that stems from my childhood. Later, when I became a mother, I introduced him to my children, involving them in this special friendship. Then it went into hibernation for many years..."

Now we have revived it, in the hope that, for a month, it will give museum visitors a similar experience similar to the one from 30-40 years ago, recalled above.

The brown bear can be admired at the museum's ticket office from Tuesday to Sunday, daily between 9 AM and 5 PM.