Man'ka is a true Russian through and through. He immigrated to the United States from Saint Petersburg with a friend's family in 1992 - in a cakebox! Man'ka was originally supposed to have been lunch, but luckily my friend's mom got distracted on the way to the store and came home with him instead. Man'ka's owner was out of town for many months and during this time his care was entrusted to me. After spending six months with this very special and personable tort, I knew I had to get one for myself. After talking with my friend about it, we decided that getting a girl would be best so there was a better chance of them getting along. Sasha arrived while Man'ka was hibernating and boy was he "excited" to see her when he woke up.... Unfortunately, Man'ka is no longer in my care, but I can honestly say that I love him very much and will always consider him to be part of my "bale".