Matryoshka: Russian Nesting Dolls

Matryoshka nesting dolls are a relatively new Russian handicraft; the first one dates from 1890, and is said to have been inspired by souvenir dolls from Japan. However, the concept of nested objects was familiar in Russia, having been applied to carved wooden apples and Easter eggs. The first Fabergé egg, created in 1885, had a nesting of egg, yolk, hen, and crown.

The story goes that Sergei Maliutin, a painter from a folk crafts workshop in the Abramtsevo estate of a famous Russian industrialist and patron of arts Savva Mamontov, saw a set of Japanese wooden dolls representing Shichi-fuku-jin, the Seven Gods of Fortune. The largest doll was that of Fukurokuju, a happy bald god with an unusually tall chin. It nested the six remaining deities. Inspired, Maliutin drew a sketch of a Russian version of the toy. It was carved by Vasiliy Zvezdochkin in a toy workshop in Sergiyev Posad and painted by Sergei Maliutin. It consisted of eight dolls; the outermost was a girl in an apron, then the dolls alternated between boy and girl, with the innermost - a baby.

In 1900, M.A. Mamontova, the wife of Savva Mamontov, presented the dolls at the World Exhibition in Paris and the toy earned a bronze medal. Soon, many other places in Russia started making matryoshki of various styles.

During Perestroika matryoshkas featuring the leaders of the Soviet Union became a common variety. Starting with the largest, Mikhail Gorbachev, then Leonid Brezhnev (Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko almost never appear due to the short length of their respective terms), then Nikita Khrushchev, Josef Stalin and finally the smallest, Vladimir Lenin. Newer versions starts with Vladimir Putin and then follows with Boris Yeltsin, Mikhail Gorbachev, Josef Stalin and then Vladimir Lenin.

A doll which represents an old woman is often called baboushka or babushka, that which represents an old man dedoushka or dedushka.

There are several areas with notable matryoshka styles; Sergiyev Posad, Semionovo (currently town of Semyonov), Polkholvsky Maidan, and Kirov.

- from Wikipedia

Russian Matryoshka Nesting Dolls

Flash Puzzle Zone is a site for puzzle enthusiasts. Among their many jigsaws is one featuring Russian dolls. Try your hand and see if you can beat the top time, or check out the other options, such as the slide puzzle or the photo hunt versions.

AllPosters.com offers a wide selection of posters on virtually any topic, including Russian matryoshka. Here is some of the matryoshka artwork they offer. Click on a photo to enlarge it.

Matryoshka Nesting Dolls, Budapest, Hungary Photographic Print



Matryoshka Dolls for Sale, Odesa, Ukraine