Wooden nesting figures are a favorite collectible item. The dolls add a splash of color to any shelf or mantle but... they do more than just look pretty.
Perhaps the best loved feature of a Russian Matrushka doll is that it isn't actually a single doll. Matrushka dolls open to reveal a succession of dolls inside. The dolls are graduated, decreasing in size until the last doll is reached. The final wooden doll can be incredibly tiny.
Children and adults alike enjoy opening the Russian nesting dolls and discovering what secrets they hold. Some Matrushka's have different expressions painted on the faces, which gives individual dolls distinct personalities; other dolls contain different colored "mamas"; still other nesting doll sets depict fairytale characters and scenes.
Russian Matrushka Dolls—A Traditional Symbol of Motherhood
Among Russian peasants, the name Matryona or Matriosha was a popular female name. The Latin root "mater" means mother. These names are associated with the image of a portly woman presiding over a large Russian family.
Wooden nesting dolls came to be called "Matryoshka," a symbol of motherhood. The dolls are known by a number of names: matryoshka, matrioshka, matroshka.
The stacking dolls are also called babushkas but this designation isn't true in the strictest sense because babushka means grandmother in Russian. It is easy to see why the dolls are referred to as bubushkas, however, because of their rounded shape.
History of Russian Nesting Dolls
Matrushka dolls are a popular Russian national souvenir. While much of the history surrounding the nesting dolls is anecdotal and contradictory, what is believed is that the first Russian doll had its origin in 1890 in a workshop near Moscow.
- The first Russian nesting doll was created by the artist Sergei Maliutin, aided by a craftsman and turner named Vassiliy Zviozdochkin (or Vasiliy Zvesdochkin).
- Initially, much attention was paid to the dolls' faces.
- Russian family life was played out through the dolls, usually a mother and her many offspring.
- During Perestroika, dolls were created depicting Soviet leaders.
- By 1913, the Russian nesting dolls had captured imaginations to the point that a 48-piece Matrushka doll was displayed at the Exhibition of Toys in St. Petersburg.
How Matrushka Dolls Were Made
- Shaping the Nesting Dolls: Much attention was paid to shaping of the Matrushka dolls. Master turners were engaged to turn out almost flawless thinly-sided dolls.
- Painting the Matrushka Dolls: Matrushka dolls combined Russian stye with folk art tradition, reflecting these colorful, cultural influences.
- Styles of Russian Stacking Dolls: While both male and female figures were portrayed, the dolls by and large depicted the traditional Russian mother wearing a brightly-colored dress (sarafan), apron and scarf.
- Doll Proportions: Eventually, standard Matrushka doll proportions were adopted, incorporating a 1 to 2 ratio between the width and height.
Russian Matrushka Dolls in Modern Times
Matrushka dolls have captured imaginations and hearts around the world. The dolls are available in specialty shops and in retail stores. In larger cities, some shops carry an inventory that is made up almost entirely of Matrushka dolls.
Modern nesting dolls encompass a wide range of themes: animals, caricatures, ethnographic or fictional characters.
Whatever the color or character portrayed, there's a captivating Matrushka doll just waiting for someone to take it home.
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