Inexperienced, and also experienced foreign tourist First of all, he brings matryoshka dolls from Russia. It has long become a symbol of our country, along with vodka, the bear and similar clichés that have developed in mass consciousness. On the other hand, the Russian nesting doll is a brilliant example of folk talent, weakly susceptible to the influence of mass culture.

History of the Russian nesting doll

The most amazing thing is that until the end of the 19th century there were no nesting dolls in Russia at all. In the second half of the century, the Great Reform of Alexander II bears fruit: industry is rapidly developing, construction railways. At the same time, the level of national self-awareness is growing, interest in national history and culture is emerging, and folk crafts are being revived. From the 60s of the 19th century a new branch began to form fine arts, called “Russian style”. IN Soviet time it was contemptuously called “pseudo-Russian” or even “rooster” style - after the carved and embroidered “roosters” - a favorite motif of the artist and architect I.P. Ropet. Many famous artists, including V.M. Vasnetsova, K.A. Somova, M.A. Vrubel, V.A. Serov, F.A. Malyavin, K.A. Korovin, S.V. Malyutin, E.D. Polenov most actively participated in the creation of the Russian style in art. They were supported famous philanthropists: Savva Ivanovich Mamontov is the creator of the Abramtsevo artistic circle, who invited these painters to his Abramtsevo estate near Moscow. At Mamontov's, the artists discussed the ways of developing Russian art and created it right there, on the spot. The Mamontovs also tried to revive ancient folk crafts and collected objects folk art, including peasant toys. Savva Ivanovich’s brother, Anatoly Ivanovich Mamontov, was the owner of the shop-workshop “ Children's education».

A.I. Mamontov hired highly qualified toy artisans and demanded from them a non-standard approach when making toys. To broaden the horizons of the craftsmen and develop their creative imagination, samples of toys from different countries peace. At this time, there was an increased interest in oriental, especially Japanese, art. Exhibition Japanese art, which took place in St. Petersburg in the second half of the 90s, contributed greatly to the emergence and development of the fashion for “everything Japanese.” Among the exhibits at this exhibition was a figurine of the Buddhist sage Fukurumu, a good-natured bald old man, into which several more wooden figurines were inserted. The Fukurumu figurine was brought from the island of Honshu; according to Japanese legend, such a figurine was first carved by a certain Russian monk who came to Japan through unknown means. It is believed that the Fukurumu figurine became the prototype of the Russian nesting doll.

Author of the Russian nesting doll

The author of the first Russian nesting doll is unknown, but its appearance was predetermined by the widespread interest in national art in all spheres of society, the desire of the owner and craftsmen of the “Children’s Education” shop-workshop to interest the public, to create something new and unusual in the Russian spirit. Finally, the appearance of the Fukurumu figurine at an exhibition of Japanese art became a kind of precise crystallization of this idea.

The first Russian nesting doll was carved in the workshop of A.I. Mamontov. There is a stamp on it: “Children’s education.” It was carved by the hereditary toy maker Vasily Petrovich Zvezdochkin, and painted by S.V. Malyutin, who collaborated with A.I. Mamontov, illustrating children's books.

Why is matryoshka called that?

The name “matryoshka” for the wooden detachable painted figurine turned out to be just right. In the old Russian province, the name Matryona was one of the most common and beloved female names. This name comes from the Latin “mater”, which means “mother”. The name Matryona evokes the image of a real Russian woman, the mother of numerous children, with real peasant health and a typical portly figure.

The first Russian nesting doll looked something like this.

Vasily Zvezdochkin carved the first Russian nesting doll. It was painted by Sergei Malyutin. It consisted of 8 places: a girl with a black rooster, then a boy, followed by a girl again, etc. The artist painted all the figures differently, and the last one depicted a swaddled baby.

What is the Russian nesting doll made of?

Matryoshka dolls are usually cut from linden, birch, alder and aspen. Harder and more durable conifers are not used for such “pampering”. The best material for making nesting dolls is linden. The wood from which the nesting dolls will be cut is harvested in the spring, usually in April, when the wood is sap. The tree is cleared of bark, making sure to leave rings of bark on the trunk, otherwise it will crack when drying. The logs are stacked, leaving an air gap between them. The wood is kept outdoors for two years or more. Only an experienced carver can determine the degree of readiness of the material. A turner performs up to 15 operations on a linden block before it becomes a finished matryoshka doll.

The very first thing to carve is a small one-piece figure. For opening nesting dolls, the lower part, the bottom, is first carved out. After turning, the wooden doll is thoroughly cleaned and primed with paste, achieving a perfectly smooth surface. After priming, the matryoshka is ready for painting.
The first-born in the production of nesting dolls was the “Children’s Education” workshop, and after its closure this craft was mastered in Sergiev Posad. The local craftsmen created their own type of nesting doll, which to this day is called Sergiev Posad.

Russian doll painting

In 1900, the Russian nesting doll was presented at the World Exhibition in Paris, where it received a medal and world fame. At the same time, international orders came in, which only highly qualified craftsmen from Sergiev Posad could complete. V. Zvezdochkin also came to work in the workshop of this city.

The first Russian nesting dolls were very diverse in both shape and painting. Among the early Sergiev Posad examples, in addition to girls in Russian sundresses with baskets, sickles, bouquets of flowers, or in winter sheepskin coats with a shawl on their heads, there are often male characters: the bride and groom holding wedding candles in their hands, a shepherd boy with a pipe, an old man with a beard. Sometimes a nesting doll represented a whole family with numerous children and household members.

The fashionable Russian style led to the appearance of the historical matryoshka doll depicting boyars and noblewomen, representatives of the Russian nobility, epic heroes. The decoration of the nesting doll was also influenced by various memorable dates, for example, the centenary of the birth of N.V. Gogol, celebrated in 1909. For the anniversary, a series of nesting dolls was made based on the writer’s works (“Taras Bulba”, “Plyushkin”, “Governor”).

Matryoshka “Taras Bulba”

On the 100th anniversary of the War of 1812, nesting dolls depicting M.I. Kutuzov and Napoleon appeared, inside which figures of Russian and French military leaders were placed.

Very popular were nesting dolls painted based on fairy tales, legends and even fables: “Tsar Dodon” and “Swan Princess” from the fairy tales of A.S. Pushkin, “The Little Humpbacked Horse” from the fairy tale by P.P. Ershov, characters from I.A. Krylov’s fables. In Sergiev Posad they also made nesting dolls decorated with burning. Burning was usually done ornamental pattern all over the nesting doll, her clothes, face, hands, scarf and hair.

International recognition of the Russian nesting doll

The matryoshka doll receives international recognition: in 1905, a store was opened in Paris, which immediately received an order for the production of a batch of boyar dolls. In 1911, Sergiev Posad craftsmen completed orders from 14 countries. The price list of the Sergiev Zemstvo educational and demonstration workshop in 1911 listed twenty-one types of nesting dolls. They differed in painting, size, number of inserts. Sergiev Posad nesting dolls had from 2 to 24 inserts. In 1913, turner N. Bulychev made a 48-seater matryoshka doll especially for the toy exhibition held in St. Petersburg.

Sergiev Posad nesting dolls

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the turner played a rather important role in the creation of matryoshka dolls, turning figures with the thinnest walls. At this time, the carvers reasonably considered themselves the authors of the nesting dolls, and the painting of the nesting dolls played minor role. Professional artists who painted the first toys did not take this activity particularly seriously.

The largest Sergiev Posad nesting doll was carved by turner Mokeev in 1967. It consists of 60 (!) places. The matryoshka doll from Sergiev Posad is distinguished by its squat shape, the top smoothly transitioning into the expanding lower part of the figure, painted with gouache and varnished. The preferred proportion of the nesting doll is 1:2 - this is the ratio of the width of the nesting doll to its height.

Semyonovskaya matryoshka

The enormous popularity of the Sergiev Posad matryoshka doll has led to the emergence of competition. Craftsmen from other places could see the new product at fairs, especially at the largest one in the country, Nizhny Novgorod. Sergiev Posad nesting dolls attracted the attention of Nizhny Novgorod toy carvers. In the Nizhny Novgorod province, a large artisanal center for the production of nesting dolls appears - the city of Semyonov (after which the nesting doll is called Semenovskaya).

The traditions of painting Semyonovskaya nesting dolls originate from the hereditary toy makers Mayorovs from the village of Merinovo. The village is located near Semenov. In 1922, Arsenty Fedorovich Mayorov brought an unpainted Sergiev Posad matryoshka doll from Nizhny Novgorod. His eldest daughter Lyuba drew a design on the matryoshka doll with a quill pen and painted it with a brush with aniline paints. On her head she depicted a Russian kokoshnik, and in the center she placed a bright scarlet flower, similar to a daisy.

For almost 20 years, Merinovsky nesting doll makers took first place among the craftsmen of the Nizhny Novgorod region for 20 years.

Painting of the Semyonovskaya nesting doll, which is brighter and more decorative compared to the Sergiev Posad one. The painting of Semenov's nesting dolls originates in the folk traditions of “grass” ornament Ancient Rus'. The Semyonov craftsmen left more unpainted surfaces; they use more modern aniline paints, also varnished.

The basis of the composition in painting a Semenovskaya nesting doll is an apron on which a lush bouquet of flowers is depicted. Modern masters create paintings in three colors - red, blue and yellow. They change the color combination of the apron, sundress and scarf. Traditionally, the bouquet on the apron is written not in the center, but slightly shifted to the right. Semyonovsk turners came up with a special form of matryoshka dolls. She, unlike the Sergiev Posad one, is slimmer. Its upper part, relatively thin, abruptly turns into a thickened lower part.

The Semyonovskaya matryoshka differs from others in that it is multi-place and consists of 15-18 multi-colored figures. It was in Semyonov that the largest 72-seat nesting doll was carved. Its diameter is half a meter and its height is 1 meter.
Semyonov is considered the largest center for creating nesting dolls in Russia.

Matryoshka from Polkhovsky Maidan

In the southwest of the Nizhny Novgorod region there is another famous center for the production and painting of nesting dolls - the village of Polkhovsky Maidan.
This is an ancient artisanal center, whose residents specialized in wood carving and making wooden toys. The first Polkhov nesting dolls, made following the example of the Sergiev Posad dolls, were finished with burning. Later, local residents began to paint them using floral designs. The masters of Polkhovsky Maidan, as well as Semenov, paint with aniline paints. Color

The Polkhovsko-Maidanovskaya matryoshka doll is distinguished by an even brighter, sonorous color scheme and larger painting.

The style of the Polkhov-Maidan matryoshka belongs to the so-called. peasant primitiveness, its painting resembles a child’s drawing. The artists of Polkhovsky Maidan, like the masters of Semyonov, pay the main attention to floral painting on the apron, omitting all the everyday details of the costume.

The main motif of their painting is a multi-petal rose hip flower (“rose”). This flower has long been considered a symbol of femininity, love and motherhood. The image of a “rose” is necessarily present in any version of the painting created by the masters of the Polkhov Maidan.

Matryoshka inlaid with straws

The Vyatka nesting doll is the northernmost of all Russian nesting dolls. It gained special originality in the 60s of the twentieth century. Then they began to not only paint the nesting dolls, but also inlay them with straws. This is a very complex, painstaking work, including preparation special type straw and its use in decorating a wooden figurine. Straw inlay makes Vyatka products unique.

Author's doll

From the late 80s, early 90s of the 20th century begins new stage in the development of the art of matryoshka - the so-called period of the author's matryoshka. Political and economic changes known as Gorbachev’s “perestroika” aroused great interest in the world in Russian culture, its original, popular origin. Economic changes made it possible to open private workshops. The master craftsman was able to freely sell his products, as it was 100 years ago.

Among those who willingly began painting nesting dolls were professional artists. The standard, identical nesting dolls that emerged in Soviet times have been replaced by a new, original one. First of all, the nesting dolls returned the thematic diversity in painting that existed in the early Sergiev Posad period.

Modern matryoshka

A characteristic feature of the modern author's nesting doll is its extraordinary picturesqueness. Its design looks like a flowery fabric and creates a festive mood. One of the main themes of the painting is the surrounding world. Many artists turn to motifs from Russian history - from the campaign of Prince Igor to modern history. It turned out that the nesting doll contains enormous potential for conveying events unfolding in time and space. This movement appears before our eyes and can just as quickly be “rolled up and put away” in a matryoshka case. It is worth mentioning that for the inauguration of Bill Clinton in Russia, nesting dolls with images of the future US president and his closest associates were specially ordered.
You can often find matryoshka dolls painted with “Gzhel”, “Zhostovo”, “Khokhloma”, “Palekh”. In other words, the modern matryoshka seems to concentrate all the wealth artistic traditions Russian applied art.

The author's nesting doll can rightfully be considered a new form of art that has enriched the world artistic heritage and has become a coveted collector's item for museums and private collectors.
Matryoshka is a big phenomenon artistic value, this work is both sculptural and pictorial, it is the soul and image of Russia.

Matryoshka is the most famous and most popular of all Russian souvenirs. The traditional design of a nesting doll today is the image of a young Russian woman dressed in national costume and with a headscarf. In a classic nesting doll, all the dolls in the set look almost identical, and the number of dolls in the set varies from 5 to 30.

History of the name

In the provincial pre-revolutionary Russia The name Matryona was a very popular female name. It comes from the Latin word matrona - in Ancient Rome name of freeborn married woman, enjoying a good reputation and belonging to the upper class. Later in Russian the word matrona began to be used to mean a respected woman, mother of a family. From the term "matrona" comes the Christian female name Matrona, transformed in Russian into Matryona.

The name was associated with the image of the mother of a large family, who also had a portly figure. Subsequently, the name Matryona acquired symbolic meaning and was used specifically to describe brightly painted wooden dolls made so that one was inside the other. This is how a mother doll with numerous daughter dolls perfectly expresses ancient symbol human culture and is also considered a symbol of motherhood and fertility.

Using ancient technologies

Even before the idea of ​​making nesting dolls appeared, Russian artisans had considerable experience in the field of wood processing on lathes. Long before the matryoshka appeared, craftsmen made Easter eggs and apples nested inside one another.

The wood was dried under natural conditions in the open air for at least two years; only an experienced craftsman could decide when the material was ready for processing. Then the logs were sawn into blanks.

Manually making a doll on a lathe requires high qualifications and the ability to work with a limited set of tools. The smallest figures were made first. The next doll was then carved from it, and so on. The mold making operations did not involve any measurements; the master relied only on intuition and his skill.

Official history of origin

It is believed that the first Russian nesting doll was born in 1890 in the workshop of the Abramtsevo estate in new Moscow. The owner of the estate was Savva Mamontov, an industrialist and philanthropist.

Seven-seater nesting doll "Fukurama", Japan, ca. 1890

One Saturday evening, someone brought a funny Japanese doll of a bald old man, Fukurama, into the workshop. The doll consisted of seven figures nested one inside the other. The origin of this doll is unknown for certain; no one knows where it came from. However, there are various legends, the most popular of which says that the first doll of this type was made by a Russian monk on the island of Honshu in Japan. In fact, this type of product, when several objects are inserted into one another, has been known for a very long time. Using this technology, Russian artisans produced wooden Easter eggs and apples for several centuries. However, the very idea of ​​​​putting one product into another is quite ancient and goes back to the past of China, and which of the peoples inhabiting it is unknown, since it can be traced long before the unification of Chinese peoples.

One of the artists from the Mamontov workshop, Sergei Malyutin, was intrigued by Fukurama and decided to do something similar, but with Russian specifics. The doll must have a Russian spirit and represent Russian cultural and artistic traditions. So Sergei Malyutin made a sketch of the doll and asked Vasily Zvezdochkin to make a wooden mold based on it.

Old man

Hetman

Malyutin painted the dolls according to his own designs. The first Russian nesting doll consisted of eight dolls and described a peasant family - a mother and 7 daughters. This set and some other sets are now kept in the Sergiev Posad Toy Museum. There in the museum you can see other old nesting dolls: Old Man, Getman, “The Tale of a Turnip”.

Russian nesting doll style of Sergiev Posad

Until the end of the 90s of the 19th century, nesting dolls were made in the Moscow workshop, and after its closure, production moved to training and demonstration workshops in Sergiev Posad near Moscow. In fact, Sergiev Posad became the place where the first industrial prototype of the Russian nesting doll was made. This ancient city is located 73 kilometers from Moscow. The city grew up around the famous Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.

On a huge market square there was a market near the monastery. The square was always full of people, and it is not surprising that the first nesting dolls depicted just such a colorful life. Among the first images are young girls dressed in bright sundresses, Old Believers women in conservative clothes, brides and grooms, shepherds with pipes, old men with lush beards. In the early period of technology development, male images also appeared in nesting dolls.

Sometimes the nesting doll represented a whole family with numerous children and household members. Some nesting dolls were dedicated historical topics and depicted boyars with their wives, Russian nobles of the 17th century, as well as legendary Russian heroes. Sometimes nesting dolls were dedicated to book characters. For example, in 1909, for the centenary of Gogol, Sergiev Posad released a series of nesting dolls based on Gogol’s works: Taras Bulba, Plyushkin, Governor. In 1912, on the centenary Patriotic War against Napoleon, the nesting dolls depicted Kutuzov and some other commanders. Some nesting dolls were borrowed fairy tales, often themes were taken from folk heroic tales.

The faces of the early nesting dolls of Sergiev Posad were oval, with hard features. Because the top part The dolls were significantly enlarged, the faces dominated the body. The dolls looked primitive and had a strong disproportion, but they were very expressive. During this early period, painting dolls was considered a secondary matter. The skill of the turner, who was able to make workpieces with very thin sides, came first. The professional artists who painted the first dolls did it for their own pleasure and did not take their work seriously. That is why the first nesting dolls look very primitive.

A little later, the folk artistic tradition took over. Further development fine style Matryoshka dolls were contributed by icon painters from Sergiev Posad. Icon painters mainly focused on the human figure and his face. This ancient tradition came to ancient Russian art from Byzantium, and the combination of the early type of nesting dolls from Sergiev Posad with the tradition of the local icon-painting school is confirmed both stylistically and factually.

Sergiev Posad nesting dolls: from top to bottom - 1990 and 1998.

Matryoshka based on the fairy tale "Ruslan and Lyudmila", Sergiev Posad, 1998.

Initially, the types of nesting dolls were very different and depicted both male and female characters. Gradually female character became dominant.

Semyonovsky style matryoshka

Semenovo is one of the oldest craft centers. The first mention of this village dates back to approximately 1644. There is a legend that the village was founded by the merchant Semyon and the apostate monk from the Solovetsky Monastery. In 1779, during the time of Catherine the Great, about 3,000 people worked in Semenovo workshops. Since the village was surrounded by forests, people used the wood to make wood goods for themselves and for sale. Some craftsmen made wooden toys for children, which later became a profitable business.

The first nesting doll in Semenovo was made by Arsenty Mayorov, well known for his wooden utensils, rattles and apples. In 1924, he brought unpainted nesting dolls from a fair in Nizhny Novgorod. His eldest daughter Lyuba painted the blank using an ordinary quill pen and paints used by Semenovo artists to paint toys. In 1931, an artel was created in the village, which produced souvenirs, including nesting dolls.

Gradually, a unique style of Semenovskaya matryoshka developed, more decorative and symbolic than the style of Sergiev Posad. The Semyonov painting tradition uses aniline dyes; the artists leave a lot of unpainted space, and the dolls are varnished. Technologically, first the outlines of the face are drawn, blush is applied to the cheeks, then the skirt, apron, scarf and hands are drawn.

The apron is considered the main thing in Semenov’s painting. Usually a bright bouquet of flowers is drawn on it.

Semenovsky style

Currently, nesting dolls are produced at the Semenovskaya Painting factory and they continue the old traditions.

Polkhov-Maidan is located 240 kilometers southwest of Nizhny Novgorod. The first nesting doll was made here in the 1930s.

Polkhovsky style

Woodworking skills - old tradition Polkhova. A wide variety of products were made on lathes: samovars, birds, piggy banks, salt shakers and apples. Artists used aniline dyes. The nesting dolls were primed before painting and then varnished after painting. The color scheme of the Polkhovskaya nesting doll is much brighter and more expressive than that of the Semenovskaya one. Green, blue, yellow, purple and crimson colors are used to contrast with each other to make a bright and expressive design. Color saturation is achieved by applying one layer of paint to another.

The style of the drawing is primitive and reminiscent of children's drawings. The image is a typical village beauty; knitted eyebrows and a face framed by black curls.

Much more attention is paid to the floral design than to the face. In favor of the ornament, other details of the matryoshka costume are even ignored. At the same time, the main element of the ornament on the apron is a rose, as a symbol of femininity, love and motherhood.

Rose flowers are part of every composition by Polkhov masters.

The history of the Russian nesting doll can be divided into three periods:

• 1) 1890-1930s;
• 2) 1930s - early 1990s;
• 3) early 1990s. until now.

The first period gave the world the Russian nesting doll. Several types of dolls were developed and several styles emerged. The flourishing of art was interrupted by the construction of socialism in the USSR, because the Soviet government paid little attention to the development of handicraft production. The emphasis was on industrialization and industrial production; handicraft creativity did not fit into the concept of mass production of goods for the population. Although some types of nesting dolls were still produced.

Private production in the USSR was prohibited - artisans were obliged to work in state factories, make products according to a given template and not show initiative. Factory workers were not allowed to have lathes at home. Private production could be equated to the theft of socialist property and was punishable by a fairly long period of detention. The police and government controlled the roads and railway stations to prevent the possibility of transporting products to other regions for sale. Nevertheless, people produced their own crafts and exported them from to other republics of the Soviet Union, primarily to the north and Central Asia.

It was easier to work in state factories. At least toys produced at state-owned enterprises were exported to many countries around the world.

Since the early 1990s, artists have had complete freedom to express themselves, but the old economic system still prevents them from truly working. At some point, the smart people from the USSR State Planning Committee decided that it would be a good idea to sharply increase the production of nesting dolls so that every person on earth could have at least one doll. So nesting dolls began to be mass produced in Moldova, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Bashkiria, Karelia and many other places. Then no one even thought that woodworking tools were not transmitted along with high level skill. It turned out that the world was flooded with mediocre crafts that have no value. Without native traditions, the nesting doll lost its charm and turned into an ordinary wooden toy, very primitive and simple.

Modern matryoshka

Matryoshka is a doll that looks quite simple, but it has always been best incarnation time. Like the shape folk art The nesting doll has enormous potential; it conveys the deep meaning of events and develops in step with the times.

IN different time different nesting dolls were created. If the early matryoshka was stylistically primitive, then starting from the 20th century, artists tried to use the surface of the matryoshka to the fullest. Appeared new type nesting dolls, which was a picture within a picture. The basis of the image was still a young girl, only now on her apron they painted not flowers, but scenes from Russian fairy tales and landscapes, as well as historical places.

The complication of traditional matryoshka painting has led to a huge variety of styles and variations. The tendency to use decorative elements characteristic of traditional Russian centers folk culture, are becoming increasingly popular in painting matryoshka dolls of the early 20th century. Dolls painted like Gzhel, Zhostovo, and Khokhloma appear.

The so-called author's nesting doll appeared in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During this period, many artists, keeping up with market conditions, began to paint nesting dolls. We can say that perestroika gave the world the new kind art - the author's painting of a Russian nesting doll, which is now part of many Russian and Western art collections.

The “political” nesting doll has gained particular popularity. Exists whole line dolls depicting Russian tsars, Russian and foreign statesmen and politicians. The grotesque depiction of politicians is an old tradition that dates back a very long time. Almost all political figures of the late 1980s and early 1990s are represented in funny caricatures. The image of M. S. Gorbachev, who became a legendary political figure, became especially popular at that time, and his matryoshka incarnation became especially popular in Europe and America.

Matryoshka is a huge artistic event that requires comprehension. This is like sculpture and painting, the image and soul of Russia.

Tag: Fine arts

Describing a nesting doll will probably not cause any difficulties for anyone today, this toy is already so popular all over the world. It has a fascinating history, items are still produced in huge quantities today, and some cities even have museums dedicated to this unusual painted doll. In this article we will give a description of the nesting doll and tell you about it interesting origin. You will also learn what role it plays in the development of children.

Description of the nesting doll

It is a wooden painted doll, inside of which there are similar products, but only smaller in size. The number of dolls placed inside is from three or more. Russian matryoshka, as a rule, has the shape of an egg and consists of two parts - lower and upper. Thanks to the flat bottom, the toy can be placed in any suitable place. According to tradition, a woman in a scarf and a red sundress is painted on a wooden blank, although today you can find many different other options. There are many themes for painting: girls and families. Today, the Russian nesting doll with a portrait on it or a drawing of a parody nature is very popular. How did this doll appear and become so popular? We have reviewed the description of the nesting doll in general terms, now let’s plunge into the history, which will give a more specific idea of ​​this product.

Origin version

In the 90s of the 19th century, Russia experienced a period of rapid cultural and economic development. As society improved, it increasingly showed interest in its culture and art in general. As a result, it appeared artistic direction“Russian style”, which paid great attention to the creation of peasant toys. They even opened a “Children’s Education” workshop in Moscow. A variety of dolls were created in it in order to demonstrate national costumes and ethnographic features. It was in the depths of this workshop that the idea to create the wooden doll known today arose. This idea arose after Mamontov’s wife brought a detachable toy from Japan. Sergey Malyutin offered sketches. This is how the matryoshka appeared in Russia.

How did the doll get its name?

There are several versions on this matter. Some historians say that the name of the toy came from the name Masha, others are sure that it came from the nickname Matryona. The last variation seems more plausible, since the name Matryona means “mother.” Knowing the description of the nesting doll, which has similar smaller items inside, we can independently conclude which version is correct. A wooden doll is a symbol of fertility and motherhood.

How are nesting dolls made?

Today they are made in many workshops, as dolls are always in demand. First, soft wood is selected as the material: alder, linden or birch. Trees, as a rule, are cut down for these purposes in the spring, then the bark is removed from them, but not completely, so that cracks do not appear during the drying process. Then the craftsmen store the logs and keep them in well-ventilated areas for several years! After a certain time, the production of dolls begins. By the way, the smallest nesting doll, non-separable, is made first. When it is ready, proceed to the next one, into which the first one will fit. And so on. Each workpiece goes through dozens of operations. The number of dolls may be different, it depends on the imagination of the master or a specific order.

Why do children need a toy?

Any psychologist or teacher will say with confidence that not only the baby plays with toys, but also the products themselves are important for the full development of the child. It turns out that by assembling and disassembling such a unique structure, the baby learns the cyclical nature of existence and its infinity, the postulates of the universe and the image of motherhood. Thanks to the nesting doll, he understands the model of the emergence of new life. The doll is able to reveal creative inclinations, develop work skills, and an understanding of the world. For example, the much-loved and popular cubes, turrets, and pyramids can be diversified by the presence of a matryoshka doll in the general arsenal. The baby's hands will develop. As the child grows up, children's nesting dolls will help create interesting scenarios For puppet shows. Experts call this toy multifunctional and universal. They recognize all the advantages of the nesting doll and recommend it to all children as a toy, especially to those who are developmentally delayed.

Conclusion

It is worth mentioning that in 1900 the dolls “reached” all the way to Paris, where they were presented at an exhibition and received medals and world recognition. If we talk about records in this direction, then it must be said that in 1913 Nikolai Bulychev made a 48-seater nesting doll. We hope that as a result of reading this article, you will know more about this unique toy and will definitely purchase it if you don’t already have one in your home.

Friends of different heights
But they look alike
They all sit next to each other,
And just one toy.

In Russia, people are very fond of myths. Retell old ones and create new ones. Myths are different - traditions, legends, everyday tales, narratives about historical events, which over time acquired new details... not without embellishment on the part of the next storyteller. It often happened that people’s memories of real events over time acquired truly fantastic, intriguing details, reminiscent of a real detective story. The same thing happened with such a famous Russian toy as the nesting doll. One of the main images that arises when mentioning Russia is a matryoshka doll - a painted, turned wooden doll, considered almost the ideal embodiment of Russian culture and the “mysterious Russian soul.” However, how Russian is the nesting doll?

It turns out that the Russian nesting doll is quite young, it was born somewhere on the border of the 19th and 20th centuries. But with the rest of the details, not everything is clear and precise.

When and where did the nesting doll first appear, who invented it? Why is a wooden folding doll-toy called “matryoshka”? What does such a unique piece of folk art symbolize?

Despite its rather young age, the origin of the nesting doll is shrouded in mystery and surrounded by legends. According to one of the legends, the prototype of the nesting doll was the Japanese doll Daruma (Fig. 1), a traditional tumbler doll personifying Bodhidharma, the god who brings happiness.

Daruma is the Japanese version of the name Bodhidharma, which was the name of the Indian sage who came to China and founded the Shaolin Monastery. The “invention” of Chan Buddhism (or Zen in Japanese) was preceded by a long period of meditation. Daruma sat for nine years staring at the wall. According to legend, due to sitting for a long time, Bodhidharma’s legs became paralyzed. That is why most often the daruma is depicted as legless. While meditating at his wall, Daruma was repeatedly exposed to various temptations and one day he suddenly realized that instead of meditating, he had plunged into the dreams of sleep. Then he cut off the eyelids from his eyes with a knife and threw them to the ground. Now with constantly with open eyes Bodhidharma could stay awake, and from his discarded eyelids a wonderful plant appeared that drives away sleep - this is how tea grew. And non-Asian round eyes without eyelids became the second distinctive feature of Daruma’s images. According to tradition, Daruma is painted red to match the robes of a priest, but sometimes it is also painted yellow or green colors. An interesting feature is that Daruma does not have pupils, but the rest of his facial features are preserved (Fig. 2).

Currently, Daruma helps in making wishes come true - every year hundreds and thousands of Japanese participate in the New Year's ritual of making wishes: for this, Daruma has one eye painted over, and the owner's name is often written on the chin. After this, it is placed in a prominent place in the house, next to the home altar. If by the next New Year the wish comes true, then Daruma’s second eye is completed. If not, then the doll is taken to the temple, where it is burned and a new one is purchased. It is believed that a kami, materialized in a daruma in gratitude for shelter on earth, will try to fulfill the desire of its owner. Burning daruma in case of non-fulfillment of a wish is a rite of purification, informing the gods that the one who made the wish has not abandoned his goal, but is trying to achieve it in other ways. The shifted center of gravity and the inability to keep Daruma in a bowed position indicate the persistence of the person who made the wish and his determination to reach the end at all costs.

According to the second version, on Japanese island A fugitive Russian monk settled in Honshu, who combined Eastern philosophy with a children's toy. As a basis, he took a figurine of one of the seven Japanese gods– Fukurumu (or Fukurokuju, or Fukurokuju - in different transcriptions) (Fig. 3). Fukurokuju is the god of wealth, happiness, abundance, wisdom and longevity. To decipher the name of the deity Fukurokuju, one should turn to antiquity. The fact is that the name of God is composed using three hieroglyphs. The first of which – fuku – is translated from Chinese as “wealth”, “treasury”. The second character (roku) means “happiness”. And finally, the last one - ju symbolizes longevity. Fukurokuju is a real god, the ruler of the southern Pole Star. He lives in his own palace, surrounded by a fragrant garden. In this garden, among other things, the grass of immortality grows. The appearance of Fukurokuju differs from an ordinary hermit only in that his head is even more elongated. In addition to the usual staff, Fukurokuju is sometimes depicted with a fan in his hands. This implies the consonance of the words fan and good in Chinese. This fan can be used by God to drive out evil forces and to resurrect the dead. Fukurokuju is sometimes depicted as a shapeshifter - a huge celestial turtle - a symbol of wisdom and the Universe. The pear-shaped shape of the old man’s figurine really resembles the shape of the classic Russian nesting doll. Fukurokuju is one of the so-called “seven gods of happiness”, shichifukuzin. The composition of the shichifukujin was variable, but the overall number and unity of characters has been constant since at least the 16th century. The seven gods were indeed popular in Japan, for example, in the Tokugawa era there was a custom of going around the temples dedicated to the gods of Shichifukujin. Some adherents of the theory of “paternity” over the matryoshka doll of the elder Fukurokuju believe that the seven gods of happiness could be nested in each other, according to the principle of the modern matryoshka, and Fukurokuju was the main, largest detachable figurine (Fig. 4).

The third version is that the Japanese figurine was allegedly brought from the island of Honshu in 1890 to the Mamontovs’ estate in Abramtsevo near Moscow. “The Japanese toy had a secret: his whole family was hiding in the old man Fukurumu. One Wednesday, when the artistic elite came to the estate, the hostess showed everyone a funny figurine. The detachable toy interested the artist Sergei Malyutin, and on its basis he created a sketch of a peasant girl in a headscarf and with a black rooster under her arm. The next young lady had a sickle in her hand. Another one with a loaf of bread. What about the sisters without their brother - and he appeared in a painted shirt. A whole family, friendly and hardworking (Fig. 5).

He ordered the best turner of the Sergiev Posad educational and demonstration workshops, V. Zvezdochkin, to make his incredible work. The first nesting doll is now kept in the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad. Painted with gouache, it doesn’t look very festive. Here we are, all matryoshka and matryoshka... But this doll didn’t even have a name. And when the turner made it, and the artist painted it, the name came by itself - Matryona. They also say that at Abramtsevo evenings tea was served by a servant with that name. Try at least a thousand names - and not a single one will suit this wooden doll better.”

There is a variation to this version. The first nesting doll was made at the end of the nineteenth century by the artist Malyutin and turner Zvezdochkin in the workshop of Anatoly Mamontov “Children’s Education”. In his autobiography, Zvezdochkin writes that he began working in Sergiev Posad in 1905, which means that the nesting doll could not have been born there. Zvezdochkin also writes that he invented the nesting doll in 1900, but this probably happened a little earlier - this year the nesting doll was presented at the Paris World Exhibition, where the Mamontovs received a bronze medal for the toys. It is also interesting that in Zvezdochkin’s memoirs there is no mention of the artist Malyutin, who at that time collaborated with Mamontov, illustrating books. Perhaps the turner simply forgot and released this fact; after all, the biography was written fifty years after the creation of the nesting doll. Or maybe the artist really has nothing to do with it - there are no sketches of a matryoshka doll in his heritage. There is also no consensus on the question of how many nesting dolls there were in the very first set. If you believe Zvezdochkin, then at first he made two nesting dolls - a three- and a six-seater, but in the museum in Sergiev Posad there is an eight-seater doll, the same nesting doll in an apron and with a black rooster in his hand, and it is this one that is considered the first nesting doll.

The fourth version - there is also a wooden painted girl doll in Japan - kokeshi (kokeishi or kokeshi). A traditional wooden toy, consisting of a cylindrical body and a head separately attached to it, turned on a lathe (Fig. 6). Less commonly, the toy is made from a single piece of wood. A characteristic feature of kokeshi is the absence of arms and legs in the doll.

The material used is wood of various types of trees - cherry, dogwood, maple or birch. The coloring of kokeshi is dominated by floral, plant and other traditional motifs. Kokeshi are usually colored using red, black, yellow and purple. There are two main schools of kokeshi design: traditional (“dento”) and original (“shingata”). The shape of traditional kokeshi is simpler, with a narrow body and a round head. Traditional kokeshi has 11 types of shapes. The popular “naruko kokeshi” has a head that can be rotated, and the doll makes a sound reminiscent of crying, which is why this type of kokeshi is also called a “crying doll.” Traditional kokeshi always depict girls only. Each doll is hand painted and has the artist's signature on the bottom. The design of original kokeshi is more diverse; shapes, sizes, proportions and colors can be almost any (Fig. 7).

Kokeshi originates from the northeast of Japan, from the areas of forests and agriculture - Tohoku, the outskirts of the island of Honshu. Although the official date of the doll’s “birth” is the middle of the Edo period (1603–1867), experts believe that the doll is more than a thousand years old. Despite their brevity, kokeshi are very diverse in shape, proportions, and painting, and experts can use these features to determine in which prefecture the toy was made. In Japan, stable centers of folk arts and crafts have long been established, such as Kyoto, Nara, Kagoshima, which have preserved traditions in our time.

There is no clear explanation of how this type of toy came into being. According to one version, its prototype was shamanic figurines used in the ritual of summoning spirits - patrons of the mulberry craft. According to another, kokeshi were a kind of funeral dolls. They were placed in peasant houses when it was necessary to get rid of extra newborns, since the parents would not be able to feed them. This is associated with facts such as the interpretation of the word “kokeshi” - “crossed out, forgotten child”, and the fact that traditional kokeshi are always girls, who were much less desirable in peasant families than sons.

A more cheerful version is the story that in the 17th century, the wife of the shogun, the military ruler of the country, came to this region, famous for its hot springs, and suffered from infertility. Soon after this, her daughter was born, which gave local craftsmen the opportunity to capture this event in a doll.

In today's Japan, the popularity of kokeshi is so great that they have become one of the symbols of vitality and attractiveness. national culture, objects of aesthetic contemplation, as a cultural value of the distant past. Kokeshi is a popular souvenir these days.

According to another version, Terimen, a fabric sculpture in miniature, could have become the ancestor of the nesting doll (Fig. 8).

- An ancient Japanese handicraft that originated in the era of late Japanese feudalism. The essence of this decorative and applied art is the creation of toy figures from fabric. This is a purely female type of needlework; Japanese men are not supposed to do it. In the 17th century, one of the directions of “terimen” was the production of small decorative bags into which aromatic substances, herbs, pieces of wood were placed, carried with them (like perfume) or used to scent fresh linen (a kind of Sachet). Currently, terimen figurines are used as decorative elements in the interior of the house. To create terimen figures, you don’t need any special preparation; all you need is fabric, scissors and a lot of patience.

However, most likely, the idea of ​​a wooden toy, which consists of several figures inserted into one another, was inspired by Russian fairy tales to the master who created the nesting doll. Many, for example, know and remember the fairy tale about Koshchei, with whom Ivan Tsarevich fights. For example, the plot about the prince’s search for “Koshchey’s death” is heard by Afanasyev: “To accomplish such a feat, extraordinary efforts and labors are needed, because Koshchey’s death is hidden far away: on the sea on the ocean, on an island on Buyan there is green oak, under that oak tree there is an iron chest buried, in that chest there is a hare, in the hare there is a duck, in the duck there is an egg; you just have to crush the egg and Koschey dies instantly.”

The plot is gloomy in itself, because... associated with death. But here we are talking about symbolic meaning - where is the truth hidden? The fact is that this one is almost identical mythological story found not only in Russian fairy tales, but also in different options, but also among other nations. “It is obvious that in these epic expressions lies a mythical legend, an echo of the prehistoric era; otherwise how could they arise different nations such identical tales? Koschey (snake, giant, old sorcerer), following the usual technique of folk epic, conveys the secret of his death in the form of a riddle; to resolve it, you need to substitute metaphorical expressions with generally understandable ones.” This is our philosophical culture. And therefore, there is a high probability that the master who carved the nesting doll remembered and knew Russian fairy tales well - in Rus' the myth was often projected onto real life.

In other words, one thing is hidden in the other, enclosed - and in order to find the truth, it is necessary to get to the essence, opening, one after another, all the “slapped caps”. Perhaps this is precisely the true meaning of such a wonderful Russian toy as the nesting doll - a reminder to descendants of the historical memory of our people? And it is no coincidence that the wonderful Russian writer Mikhail Prishvin once wrote the following: “I thought that each of us had a life like the outer shell of a folding Easter egg; It seems that this red egg is so big, and it’s only a shell - you open it, and there’s a blue, smaller one, and again a shell, and then a green one, and at the very end for some reason a yellow egg always pops out, but it doesn’t open anymore, and that’s the most, the most ours.” So it turns out that the Russian nesting doll is not so simple - this integral part of our life.

But, be that as it may, the nesting doll quickly won love not only in its homeland, but also in other countries. It even got to the point where they began to counterfeit the matryoshka doll abroad. Given the great demand for nesting dolls, entrepreneurs in foreign countries also began to produce wooden doll toys in the “Russ” style. In 1890, the Russian consul reported from Germany to St. Petersburg that the Nuremberg company “Albert Gehr” and turner Johann Wilde were forging Russian nesting dolls. They tried to produce nesting dolls in France and other countries, but these toys did not catch on there.

In Sergiev Posad, where matryoshka dolls began to be made after the closure of the “Children’s Education” workshop, the range of dolls was gradually expanded. Together with the girls in sundresses with flowers, sickles, baskets and sheaves, they began to release shepherds, old men, brides and grooms in whom relatives were hiding, and many others. A series of nesting dolls were specially made for some memorable event: for the centenary of Gogol’s birth, nesting dolls with characters from the writer’s works were produced; For the centenary of the Patriotic War of 1812, they released a series of nesting dolls depicting Kutuzov and Napoleon, inside which members of their headquarters were placed. They also loved to make nesting dolls based on fairy tale themes: “The Little Humpbacked Horse,” “Turnip,” “Firebird” and others.

From Sergiev Posad, the matryoshka set off on a journey across Russia - they began to make it in other cities. There were attempts to change the shape of the doll, but matryoshka dolls in the shape of a cone or an ancient Russian helmet did not find demand, and their production was stopped. But, having retained its shape, the nesting doll gradually lost its true content - it ceased to be a toy. If the matryoshka dolls characters from the fairy tale “Turnip” could be used to play this very turnip, then modern dolls are not intended for games at all - they are souvenirs.

Modern artists who paint nesting dolls do not limit their imagination to anything. In addition to traditional Russian beauties in bright scarves and sundresses, you can meet matryoshka dolls-politicians, both Russian and foreign. You can find a matryoshka doll of Schumacher, Del Piero, Zidane, a doll doll of Madonna or Elvis Presley, and many others. In addition to real faces, characters from fairy tales sometimes appear on matryoshka dolls, but modern fairy tales, “Harry Potter” or “The Lord of the Rings”. In some workshops, for a fee, they will draw you and your family members on a matryoshka doll. And special doll connoisseurs can buy a designer nesting doll or a nesting doll from Armani or Dolce and Gabbana (Fig. 9, 10).

Ministry of General and Professional Education of the Russian Federation

Lipetsk State Pedagogical University.

Naturally Geographical Faculty.

Department of Botany.

Course work

on the topic of:

"The History of the Russian Matryoshka"

The work was completed by a student

3rd year EGO EHF:

Golovina Olga

The work was accepted by:

Solovyova N.Yu.

Lipetsk 2001.

Introduction. ……………………………………………………3

Chapter I . The appearance of the nesting doll in Rus'. ……………... 4

Chapter II . Types of Russian nesting dolls. …………………... 6

§1. Sergievskaya toy. …………………….. 6

§2.“Zagorsky” style of painting a nesting doll…. 12

§3. Semenovskaya and Merinovskaya nesting dolls.. 14

§4. Polkhovskaya matryoshka …………………….. 16

§5. Vyatka toy ………………………… 17

Chapter III . The second birth of the nesting doll. …………….. 18

Conclusion. ………………………………………………..22

Bibliography. ………………………………………23

Introduction.

The world of toys is surprisingly diverse. Here fairy tales and reality, modernity and tradition live side by side. With the help of a toy, a child discovers the world and comprehends the accumulated life experience adults. We meet toys in museums and exhibitions and value them as works of art, created by talented folk craftsmen, artists, sculptors, designers. Handmade products created by masters are dear to us today as carriers of eternal spiritual values, as guardians of the experience of the past in the present. They are captivated by the harmony of nature, labor and beauty, crafts and art, born from the life-giving source of folk art, historical memory people.

The toy reflected in its own way the social structure, life, morals and customs, achievements of crafts and folk art, technology and art.

Each nation created its own toys, conveying its own worldview in them. The toys of the peoples of different countries and continents are different and original, but they also contain common features. Many nations have toys of the same type, with the same type of similarity in their designs, shapes and decor. This similarity is explained by the common cultural folk traditions, one nature aesthetic feeling. Toys were born through labor, and everywhere folk craftsmen learned from one teacher - nature, and worked with the same natural materials. Kinship makes them generally understandable to everyone, and this is one of those threads that from childhood connect a person with the heritage of world culture.

Chapter I . The appearance of the nesting doll in Rus'.

Modern toys are diverse. It contains many new images and subjects, artistic and stylistic searches, and author's handwriting. And every toy, before becoming a standard, a role model, goes through long haul. Let's remember the familiar matryoshka doll. About her, as well as about folk heroes legends are made.

They say that in late XIX century, to the Mamontov family - famous Russian industrialists and philanthropists - either from Paris or from the island of Honshu, someone brought a Japanese chiseled figurine of the Buddhist saint Fukuruji (Fukuruma), which turned out to be a “surprise” - it was split into two parts. Hidden inside it was another, smaller one, which also consisted of two halves... There were five such dolls in total.

It was assumed that it was this figurine that prompted the Russians to create their own version of a detachable toy, embodied in the image of a peasant girl, who was soon christened by the people with the common name Matryoshka (Matryona).

Nowadays, they still refer to the legend about the Japanese origin of the nesting doll, but it has no documentary evidence.

The history of the development of the toy craft in Russia suggests that the creation of the Russian matryoshka was facilitated by the tradition of turning and painting wooden eggs for Easter.

In one of the albums, dedicated to creativity Russian artist S.V. Malyutin you can see an extraordinary illustration, left without comment - a sketch of a painting of a doll carved from wood. It was this famous artist, later an academician of painting, who at one time became the creator of the first Russian nesting doll. And the turning shape of the toy was proposed by V.P. Zvezdochkin, a native of the Voronovskaya volost of the Podolsk district of the Moscow province, has long been famous for its skillful turners.

The birthplace of the new original toy, which quickly gained fame as a national souvenir, was the workshop - the “Children's Education” store of A.I. Mamontov in Moscow, where turner V.P. worked since 1898. Zvezdochkin.

Therefore, from approximately this time we can count the age of the nesting doll, whose further fate had its ups and downs, glory and oblivion, wanderings and metamorphoses.

This toy has been the most famous in Russia for about a century, but to this day it is unknown what came first - a sketch by a professional artist or a successful embodiment of the creative search of a folk craftsman, noticed in time by an interested person.

It is curious that the sketch published in the album and the matryoshka doll with the stamp of the workshop-shop “Children’s Education” from the collection of the Art and Pedagogical Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad look like two sisters, but they cannot be called twins. This fact suggests that S.V. Malyutin made several options for painting the future toy.

Chapter II.

§1.Sergievskaya toy.

Despite its Moscow origin, the real birthplace of the nesting doll was Sergiev Posad near Moscow - the largest center of handicraft toy production in Russia, a kind of “toy capital”.

The fishery supposedly originated in XVII century and reached its peak at the turn of the 18th – 19th centuries. There is no exact information about the time of creation of the first toy in this town, but it is known that back in the 15th century, at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, there were special workshops in which monks were engaged in three-dimensional and relief wood carving.

The subject matter of Sergievsk handmade wooden toys was quite diverse, which was explained, first of all, by the favorable geographical location of the craft. The proximity of Moscow and the immediate vicinity of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which attracts great amount pilgrims had a great influence on the choice of subjects. The toy reflected many aspects of Russian life, events of that time, and the peculiarities of life of various segments of the population.

Simultaneously with the art of wood carving, the skills of sculpting, painting, decorating toys, and making motor and sound mechanisms were also improved in Sergievsky Posad.

Everyday themes occupied a strong place in the plots of Sergiev artisans. Gradually, the main themes of the dolls were formed, which became a kind of Sergius canon.

Since the early 80s of the last century, as a result of increased competition from private toy factories, a period of decline began in the industry. The Moscow provincial zemstvo drew attention to this. In the 1890s, the zemstvo assisted in maintaining the stable development of handicraft production, including toy production. Professional artists, teachers, and economists were invited to the fishery, who for the first time tried to disassemble new types of toys on a serious scientific basis. To improve the state of the fishery in Sergiev Posad, a training and demonstration workshop was opened in 1891 under the leadership of V.I. Borutsky.

Thus, by the time the detachable chiseled figurine appeared, the history of the Sergiev toy craft had already spanned about two centuries.

The masters reacted vividly to events taking place in the world and easily picked up original ideas and new technologies. Therefore, the figurine of a girl in a headscarf, reminiscent of many neighboring Mashas, ​​Parashas and Matryoshkas, aroused the interest of Sergiev toy makers due to the originality of the design and its folk character.

The appearance of the nesting doll in Russia at the very end of the last century was not accidental. It was during this period of time that among the Russian artistic intelligentsia they not only began to seriously engage in collecting works of folk art, but also tried to creatively comprehend the rich experience of national artistic traditions. In addition to zemstvo institutions, private art circles and workshops were organized at the expense of patrons, in which craftsmen were trained under the guidance of professional artists and a variety of household items and toys were created in the Russian style. As an example, we can name the workshops of N.D. Bartram near Kursk, Countess

N.D. Tenisheva in Talashkino.

Samples of products appeared, on the one hand, meeting new production and marketing requirements, and on the other, a return to the aesthetics of Russian art.

Most likely, the mass production of nesting dolls directly in Sergiev Posad began after the world exhibition in Paris in 1900 after the successful debut in Europe of a new Russian toy.

In 1904, the workshop - store “Children's Education” closed, and its entire assortment moved to the zemstvo educational and demonstration workshop in Sergiev Posad. In the same year, the workshop received an official order from Paris to produce a large batch of nesting dolls. The interest in the nesting doll is explained not only by the originality of its shape and the decorativeness of the painting, but also, probably, by a kind of tribute to the fashion for everything Russian, which spread at the beginning of the 20th century, largely thanks to the “Russian seasons” of S.P. Diaghilev in Paris.

The annual fairs in Leipzig also contributed to the massive export of Sergievskaya matryoshka dolls. Since 1909, the Russian nesting doll has also become a permanent participant in the Berlin exhibition and the annual bazaar. handicrafts, which took place at the beginning of the 20th century in London. And thanks traveling exhibition, organized by the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade, residents of the coastal cities of Greece, Turkey and the countries of the Middle East got acquainted with the Russian nesting doll.