Where did the first nesting doll appear? Japanese Fukuruma is a prototype of the Russian Matryoshka. International recognition of the Russian nesting doll

05.06.2017 18:56 4687

Who invented the nesting doll and why is it multi-seat?

The matryoshka has been considered a symbol of Russia for many years. It is a collapsible, multi-place painted doll. Surely some of you have such a souvenir at home. But who came up with this unusual toy? And why is it multi-seat?

There are several assumptions regarding the history of the origin of the nesting doll. According to one version, the very first nesting doll appeared in Russia at the end of the 19th century. At that time, it was an eight-person wooden doll that depicted a girl in a sundress, a white apron and a colorful scarf on her head. In her painted hands she held a black rooster.

This nesting doll was turned by turner V.P. Zvezdochkin in a Moscow workshop-shop called “Children’s Education.” The doll was painted by the famous artist S.V. Malyutin. And she was named by the name Matryona, popular at that time, or rather a playfully affectionate version of it. It is believed that the prototype of the nesting doll was the figurine of the Japanese saint Fukuruma, which was in the house of the owner of the workshop, Mamontov.

Another assumption about the origin of the nesting doll is connected with Japan. Or rather, it says that the Land of the Rising Sun (as Japan is called) is the birthplace of this world-famous toy.

There are many gods in this ancient country. And each of them was responsible for something: some for the harvest, some helped the righteous, and some were the patron of happiness or art. These gods are diverse and have many faces: cheerful, angry, wise... According to Japanese belief, a person has several bodies, each of which is protected by a god.

In this regard, sets of god figures were very popular in Japan. And the first such doll was the figurine of the Buddhist sage Fukuruma, a good-natured bald old man who was responsible for happiness, prosperity and wisdom.

“Perfect in perfect, similar in similar, one in all and all in one” - this is complete uniformity in which the Japanese see the highest meaning and beauty of existence. And this is precisely what the creation of figurines that fold one after another is based on.

And yet, the real birthplace of the Russian nesting doll is still recognized as the town of Sergiev Posad near Moscow - the largest center for the production of toys in Russia. The Trinity-Sergius Monastery, located in this city, was the center of artistic crafts of Moscow Rus'. As legends say, Sergius of Radonezh himself, the founder of the monastery, carved toys from wood and gave them to children.

The nesting doll was very popular not only in Russia, but also abroad. After it was presented at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, the workshop received many orders for it. As a result, it even got to the point where foreigners began to counterfeit the Russian doll.

Over time, the variety of nesting dolls in Sergiev Posad increased. In addition to the nesting dolls depicting girls in sundresses and scarves with baskets, knots, sickles, etc. They began to make dolls in a sheepskin coat with a shawl on their heads and felt boots in their hands, as well as in the form of shepherdesses with a pipe and even an old man with a thick beard and a large stick, and in many other images.

They also created nesting dolls in the form of characters from literary works and fairy tales. “Turnip”, “Golden Fish”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, “Ivan Tsarevich” - this is just a part of them all. In addition, the craftsmen even tried to change the shape of the nesting dolls; they began to produce figures in the form of an ancient Russian helmet, as well as cone-shaped ones. However, these toys did not find demand and their production was stopped. From that time until now, traditionally shaped nesting dolls have been produced.

It is worth noting that not all wooden figures are called nesting dolls, but only those that are nested inside each other. The most common were 3-, 8- and 12-seater pupae. And in 1913, turner N. Bulychev made a 48-seater nesting doll for a toy exhibition in St. Petersburg!

In 1918, the Toy Museum was created in Moscow, where a workshop was opened where toys were made, including nesting dolls. Gradually, the production of these dolls spread to many areas of Russia. In each region, the nesting doll was special and had its own unique appearance. For example, the Kirov matryoshka was finished with straw, and the matryoshka from Ufa was created in the Bashkir national style.

There are also historians who believe that the doll was invented and created by ancient Russian craftsmen. At first it was just a wooden block - a children's doll without a face. Then they started painting her - drawing her face and clothes.

And even later, in order to amuse children, they began to make insert figures for the doll. So the nesting doll became multi-place. Over time, the appearance of the doll changed, and so did the number of insert figures. Even nesting dolls appeared with images of generals, and in our time, presidents, etc.

There are many disputes about where and when the matryoshka originated. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the first Russian nesting doll saw the light at the end of the 19th century. There is only one question left: why, when painting a matryoshka doll, do they never draw its legs?

Drawing attention to this fact, some researchers again point out that this could be a sign that Japan could be the birthplace of the nesting doll. And that's why.

In Japanese culture there is one character - a saint named Daruma. Dolls with his image are also legless. Daruma is the Japanese version of the Indian name Bodhidharma. This was the name of the Indian sage who came to China and founded the Shaolin Monastery.

So, the Japanese legend says that Daruma meditated tirelessly for nine years, looking at the wall. At the same time, he was constantly exposed to various temptations, and one day he suddenly realized that instead of meditating, he fell into sleep.

Then Daruma cut off the eyelids from his eyes with a knife and threw them to the ground so that they would not interfere with him. Now, with his eyes constantly open, the saint could stay awake. And from his eyelids, which he threw to the ground, a wonderful plant appeared that drove away sleep - this is how real tea grew, according to legend.

However, this toy has one important difference from the matryoshka doll - it is not collapsible and does not accommodate other figures. Therefore, it is unlikely that Daruma could become a model for creating a nesting doll.

Collapsible figurines, both in Russia and in Japan, were popular even before the appearance of nesting dolls. For example, in Rus' “Pysanky” were popular - wooden painted Easter eggs. Sometimes they were made hollow (empty) inside, and then a smaller one was inserted into the larger figurine. This idea is also found in Russian folklore. Remember what the fairy tale says? - “a needle is in an egg, an egg is in a duck, a duck is in a hare...”.

So it turns out that it is impossible to determine exactly where the beloved doll-matryoshka doll was born...

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?

From the very first attempts, it turned out to be impossible to find clear answers - the information about the nesting doll turned out to be quite confusing. For example, there are “Matryoshka Museums”; you can read many interviews and articles on this topic in the media and on the Internet. But museums or exhibitions at museums, as well as numerous publications, as it turned out, are devoted mainly to various artistic examples of matryoshka dolls made in different regions of Russia and at different times. But little is said about the true origin of the nesting doll.

To begin with, let me remind you of the main versions of myths, regularly copied as carbon copies and wandering through the pages of various publications.

Frequently repeated common knowledge: The matryoshka appeared in Russia at the end of the 19th century, it was invented by the artist Malyutin, turned by the turner Zvezdochkin in Mamontov’s “Children’s Education” workshop, and served as the prototype of the Russian nesting doll. He's the same Fukurokuju, aka Fukurokuju(different sources indicate different transcriptions of the name).

Another version the appearance of the future nesting doll in Russia - supposedly the first to carve such a toy was a certain Russian Orthodox missionary monk who visited Japan and copied a composite toy from a Japanese one. Let’s make a reservation right away: there is no exact information about where the legend about the mythical monk came from, and there is no specific information in any source. Moreover, some strange monk turns out from the point of view of elementary logic: would a Christian copy an essentially pagan deity? For what? Did you like the toy? Doubtful, although from the point of view of borrowing and the desire to remake it in your own way, it is possible.

Japanese Fukuruma doll:

Russian doll:

Version three – the Japanese figurine was allegedly brought from the island in 1890 to the Mamontovs’ estate in Abramtsevo near Moscow.

« 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 he decided to do something similar. Japanese deity he, of course, did not repeat it, but made a sketch of a round-faced peasant young lady in a colorful headscarf. And to make her look more businesslike, he drew a black rooster in her hand. 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.
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.
But, firstly, the turner Zvezdochkin did not work in the Sergiev Posad workshops until 1905! This will be discussed below. Secondly, other sources say that “she (matryoshka - approx.) was born right here, in Leontyevsky Lane (in Moscow - approx.), in house No. 7, where the workshop-shop “Children's Education” used to be located, belonged to Anatoly Ivanovich Mamontov, brother of the famous Savva. Anatoly Ivanovich, like his brother, was fond of national art. In his workshop-shop, artists were constantly working on creating new toys for children. And one of the samples was made in the form of a wooden doll, which was turned on a lathe and depicted a peasant girl in a headscarf and apron. This doll opened, and there was another peasant girl, and there was another one in it...”

Now confusion has already arisen, according to the principle of “who, where and when was or was not.” Perhaps the most painstaking, thorough and balanced research was carried out by Irina Sotnikova - the article “Who Invented the Matryoshka Doll.” The arguments given by the author of the study most objectively reflect the real facts of the appearance of such an unusual toy as the matryoshka doll in Russia.

About the exact date of the appearance of the nesting doll, I. Sotnikova writes the following: “...sometimes the appearance of the nesting doll is dated back to 1893-1896, because These dates were established from the reports and reports of the Moscow provincial zemstvo government. In one of these reports for 1911, N.D. Bartram 1 writes that the nesting doll was born about 15 years ago, and in 1913, in the Bureau’s report to the handicraft council, he reports that the first nesting doll was created 20 years ago. That is, relying on such approximate reports is quite problematic, therefore, in order to avoid mistakes, the end of the 19th century is usually mentioned, although there is also a mention of 1900, when the nesting doll won recognition at the World Exhibition in Paris, and orders for its production appeared abroad.”

What follows is a very interesting remark about the artist Malyutin, about whether he was actually the author of the matryoshka sketch: “All researchers, without saying a word, call him the author of the matryoshka sketch. But the sketch itself is not in the artist’s heritage. There is no evidence that the artist ever made this sketch. Moreover, turner Zvezdochkin attributes the honor of inventing the nesting doll to himself, without mentioning Malyutin at all.”

As for the origin of our Russian nesting doll from the Japanese Fukuruma, Zvezdochkin does not mention anything here either. Now we should pay attention to an important detail, which for some reason eludes other researchers, although this is visible, as they say, with the naked eye - we are talking about a certain ethical moment. If we take as a basis the version of “the origin of the nesting doll from the sage Fukuruma”, a rather strange feeling arises - SHE and HE, i.e. The Russian nesting doll, they say, came from him, from the Japanese sage. A symbolic analogy with the Old Testament tale, where Eve was created from Adam’s rib (that is, she came from him, and not vice versa, as happens naturally in nature), suggests itself in a suspicious way.

Let’s return to Sotnikova’s research: “Here is how the turner Zvezdochkin describes the emergence of the matryoshka doll: “...In 1900 (!) I invent a three- and six-seater (!) doll and send it to an exhibition in Paris. I worked for Mamontov for 7 years. In 1905 V.I. Borutsky sends me to Sergiev Posad to the workshop of the Moscow provincial zemstvo as a master.” From the materials of the autobiography of V.P. Zvezdochkin, written in 1949, it is known that Zvezdochkin entered the “Children’s Education” workshop in 1898 (he was originally from the village of Shubino, Podolsk region). This means that the nesting doll could not have been born before 1898. Since the master’s memoirs were written almost 50 years later, it is still difficult to vouch for their accuracy, so the appearance of the nesting doll can be dated to approximately 1898-1900. As you know, the World Exhibition in Paris opened in April 1900, which means this toy was created a little earlier, perhaps in 1899. By the way, at the Paris exhibition the Mamontovs received a bronze medal for toys.”

Russian doll:

But what about the shape of the toy and did Zvezdochkin borrow the idea of ​​the future nesting doll or not? Or was it the artist Malyutin who created the original sketch of the figurine?

“E.N. managed to collect interesting facts. Shulgina, who in 1947 became interested in the history of the creation of the nesting doll. From conversations with Zvezdochkin, she learned that he once saw a “suitable block of wood” in a magazine and, based on its model, carved a figurine that had a “ridiculous appearance, seemed to resemble a nun” and was “deaf” (did not open). On the advice of masters Belov and Konovalov, he carved it differently, then they showed the toy to Mamontov, who approved the product and gave it to a group of artists working somewhere on the Arbat to paint. This toy was selected for an exhibition in Paris. Mamontov received an order for it, and then Borutsky bought samples and distributed them to the artisans.
We will probably never be able to find out for sure about the participation of S.V. Malyutin in the creation of matryoshka dolls. According to the memoirs of V.P. Zvezdochkina, it turns out that he came up with the shape of the nesting doll himself, but the master could have forgotten about painting the toy; many years passed, the events were not recorded: after all, then no one could have imagined that the matryoshka would become so famous. S.V. Malyutin at that time collaborated with the publishing house A.I. Mamontov, illustrated books, so he could easily paint the first matryoshka doll, and then other masters painted the toy based on his model.”

:
Now about the prototype of the nesting doll. Was there? Some doubt it, but why did this legend appear then, and is it even a legend? It seems that the wooden god is still kept in the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad. Perhaps this is also one of the legends. By the way, N.D. himself Bartram, director of the Toy Museum, doubted that the nesting doll “we borrowed from the Japanese. The Japanese are great masters in the field of turning toys. But their well-known “kokeshi”, in principle, are not similar to a matryoshka doll.”

Who is our mysterious Fukuruma, good-natured bald sage, where did he come from? ...According to tradition, they visit temples dedicated to the deities of luck and buy their small figurines there. May be, legendary Fukuruma contained within itself the six other deities of fortune? This is just our assumption (quite controversial).

V.P. Zvezdochkin does not mention Fukuruma at all - a figurine of a saint that would split into two parts, then another old man would appear, and so on. Note that in Russian folk crafts, detachable wooden products were also very popular, for example, the well-known Easter eggs. So there was Fukuruma, he wasn’t there, it’s difficult to find out, but it’s not that important. Who remembers him now? But the whole world knows and loves our nesting doll!”

Russian doll:

Why was the original wooden doll-toy called “matryoshka”? Almost unanimously, all researchers refer to the fact that this name comes from the female name Matryona, common in Russia: “The name Matryona comes from the Latin Matrona, which means “noble woman”, in the church it was written Matrona, among the diminutive names: Motya, Motrya, Matryosha, Matyusha, Tyusha, Matusya, Tusya, Musya. That is, theoretically, a matryoshka could also be called motka (or muska). It sounds strange, of course, but what’s worse, for example, “marfushka”? Also a good and common name is Martha. Or Agafya, by the way, popular painting on porcelain is called “agashka”. Although we agree that the name “matryoshka” is a very apt one, the doll has truly become “noble”.

The name Matrona itself actually means “noble woman” translated from Latin, and is included in the Orthodox Church calendar. But, regarding the assertion of many researchers that Matryona is a female name, very beloved and widespread among the peasantry in Russia, there are interesting facts here too. Some researchers simply forget that Russia is big. This means that the same name or the same image can contain both positive and negative, allegorical meaning.

So, for example, in “Tales and Legends of the Northern Territory”, collected by I.V. Karnaukhova, there is a fairy tale “Matryona”. Which tells the story of how a woman named Matryona almost tortured the devil. In the published text, a passerby potter rids the devil of a lazy and harmful woman and, accordingly, subsequently scares the devil with her.
In this context, Matryona is a kind of prototype of an evil wife, whom the devil himself is afraid of. Similar descriptions are found in Afanasyev. The plot of an evil wife, popular in the Russian North, was repeatedly recorded by GIIS expeditions in “classical” versions, in particular, from A.S. Krashaninnikova, 79 years old, from the village of Meshkarevo, Povenets district.

Russian doll:

At one of the forums on the topic of culture, in particular, deployed on the Internet, the following was literally said: “The prototype of the Russian nesting doll (also has Indian roots) - japanese wooden doll. For a sample. According to its origins, it is an image of the ancient Indian sage Daruma (Sanskrit: Bodhidharma) who moved to China in the 5th century. His teachings spread widely in Japan in the Middle Ages. called for the comprehension of truth through silent contemplation, and in one of the legends he is a cave recluse, plump from immobility. According to another legend, his legs were paralyzed from immobility (hence legless sculptures of Daruma):

Nevertheless, the nesting doll immediately gained unprecedented recognition as a symbol of Russian folk art.
There is a belief that if you put a note with a wish inside a nesting doll, it will certainly come true, and the more work put into the matryoshka, i.e. The more places there are and the better the quality of the matryoshka’s painting, the faster the wish will come true. Matryoshka is warmth and comfort in the home"


It’s hard to disagree with the latter - the more places there are in a matryoshka, i.e. The more internal figures there are, one smaller than the other, the more notes with wishes you can put there and wait for them to come true. This is a kind of game, and the matryoshka here acts as a very charming, sweet, homely symbol, a real work of art.

As for the eastern sage Daruma (this is another name of the “predecessor” of the nesting doll!) - frankly, plump from immobility, and even with weak legs, the “sage” is extremely poorly associated with the Russian toy, in which every person sees a positive, elegant symbolic image. And thanks to this beautiful image, our nesting doll is extremely famous and popular almost all over the world. We are not at all talking about “matryoshka dolls” in the form of male (!) political figures, with whose caricatured faces enterprising artisans flooded the entire Old Arbat in Moscow in the nineties. We are talking, first of all, about the continuation of the old traditions of different schools in the painting of Russian nesting dolls, about the creation of nesting dolls of different numbers (the so-called “locality”).

In the process of working on this material, it became necessary to use related sources, not only those devoted to the topic of Russian folk toys. We should not forget that in ancient times, and not only in Rus', various jewelry (women's and men's), household items, as well as toys carved from wood or made from clay, played the role of not just objects that brightened up everyday life - but were also carriers of certain symbolism, had some meaning. And the very concept of symbolism was closely intertwined with mythology.

Thus, in a surprising way, the name Matrona, which migrated (according to the generally accepted version) from Latin to Russian, coincided with ancient Indian images:
MOTHER (Old Indian “mother”), the emphasis is on the first syllable - in Hindu mythology, divine mothers, personifying the creative and destructive forces of nature. The idea of ​​an active feminine principle has become widely recognized in Hinduism in connection with the spread of the cult of Shakti. Matri were considered as female personifications of the creative energy of the great gods: Brahma, Shiva, Skanda, Vishnu, Indra, etc. The number of Matri ranged from seven to sixteen; some texts referred to them as "a great multitude."

Does this remind you of anything? Matryoshka is aka “mother”, which symbolizes, in fact, a FAMILY, and even consisting of a different number of figures that symbolize children of different ages. This is no longer just a coincidence, but proof of common, Indo-European roots, which is directly related to the Slavs.

From here we can draw the following conclusion: figuratively speaking, if the symbolic “journey” of an unusual wooden figurine begins in India, then continues in China, from there the figurine ends up in Japan, and only then “unexpectedly” finds its place in Russia - a statement that that ours is untenable. If only because the figurine of a certain oriental sage itself is not originally Japanese. Probably, the hypothesis about the extensive settlement of the Slavs and the spread of their culture, which subsequently influenced the cultures of other peoples, including manifesting itself both in the language and in the divine pantheon, has a common basis for Indo-European civilization.

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 his eyes constantly open, 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. 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 purification rite, 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 any cost.

According to the second version, a fugitive Russian monk settled on the Japanese island of Honshu, who combined Eastern philosophy with a children's toy. As a basis, he took a figurine of one of the seven Japanese gods - Fukuruma (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 the vitality and attractiveness of the 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 story 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 a green oak tree, under that oak tree it is buried an iron chest, 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 almost identical mythological plot is found not only in Russian fairy tales, and even in different versions, but also among other peoples. “It is obvious that in these epic expressions lies a mythical legend, an echo of the prehistoric era; Otherwise, how could such identical legends arise among different peoples? 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 started counterfeiting 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).

An inexperienced, and even a sophisticated foreign tourist, first of all brings a nesting doll from Russia. It has long become a symbol of our country, along with vodka, the bear and similar clichés that have developed in the 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, railways are being built. 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. Since the 60s of the 19th century, a new branch of fine arts began to take shape, called the “Russian style”. In Soviet times, it was contemptuously called “pseudo-Russian” or even “rooster” style - after 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 by famous patrons of the arts: Savva Ivanovich Mamontov, the creator of the Abramtsevo art 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 folk art, including peasant toys. Savva Ivanovich’s brother, Anatoly Ivanovich Mamontov, was the owner of the “Children’s Education” shop-workshop.

A.I. Mamontov hired highly qualified toy artisans and demanded from them a non-standard approach when making toys. To expand the horizons of the craftsmen and develop their creative imagination, the workshop ordered samples of toys from different countries of the world. At this time, there was an increased interest in oriental, especially Japanese, art. The exhibition of Japanese art, held in St. Petersburg in the second half of the 90s, greatly contributed 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 the nesting doll 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 boyars, representatives of the Russian nobility, and 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. Typically, burning was used to create an ornamental pattern throughout the matryoshka, its 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, carvers reasonably considered themselves to be the authors of nesting dolls; painting of nesting dolls played a secondary 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 Semyonov's nesting dolls originates in the folk traditions of the “grass” ornament of 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, which includes preparing a special type of straw and using it to decorate a wooden figurine. Straw inlay makes Vyatka products unique.

Author's doll

From the late 80s and early 90s of the 20th century, a new stage in the development of the art of matryoshka began - 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 seems to appear before our eyes, and just before our eyes it can be “rolled up and put away” in a matryoshka case.

Let's say, the so-called political matryoshka represents a portrait gallery of Russian sovereigns, domestic and foreign statesmen. Matryoshka dolls depicting modern politicians are more like good caricatures - a tradition that comes from the early period of development of the doll. Known, for example, is a cartoon matryoshka doll painted by V.A. Serov. S.I. Mamontov, V.A. Serov himself, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov and other participants in Mamontov’s theatrical productions were presented in Turkish costumes.

“Subordination” in a political doll is expressed very clearly. It is worth mentioning that for the inauguration of Bill Clinton in Russia, nesting dolls depicting the future US president and his closest associates were specially ordered.

Very often, modern artists turn to traditional themes of matryoshka painting - “Family”, “Motherhood”. For the first time, a mother with a baby in her arms was depicted in their nesting dolls by craftsmen from the village of Krutets, Nizhny Novgorod region. We do not find such a tradition of painting in nesting dolls of the early Sergius type, but during the heyday of the author’s nesting dolls, this theme began to actively develop.

Inside which there are smaller dolls similar to her. The number of nested dolls is usually three or more. They are usually shaped like an egg with a flat bottom and consist of two parts: upper and lower. According to tradition, a woman is drawn in a red sundress and scarf. Nowadays, themes for painting are varied: fairy-tale characters, girls, and families. Matryoshka dolls of a parody nature depicting political figures have also become quite common. Relatively recently, a matryoshka doll with a portrait on it began to gain popularity - a portrait matryoshka doll.

Origin version

Russian wooden painted dolls appeared in Russia in the 90s of the 19th century, during a period of rapid economic and cultural development of the country. This was a time of rising national self-awareness, when society began to increasingly show interest in Russian culture in general and art in particular. In this regard, a whole artistic movement arose, known as the “Russian style”. Special attention was paid to the restoration and development of the traditions of folk peasant toys. For this purpose, the “Children’s Education” workshop was opened in Moscow. Initially, it created dolls that demonstrated the festive costumes of residents of different provinces and districts of Russia, and quite accurately conveyed the ethnographic features of women's folk clothing. In the depths of this workshop, the idea of ​​​​creating a Russian wooden doll was born, sketches for which were proposed by the professional artist Sergei Malyutin (1859-1937), one of the active creators and propagandists of the “Russian style” in art. The idea of ​​​​creating a detachable wooden doll was suggested to S.V. Malyutin by a Japanese toy brought from the island of Honshu by the wife of S.I. Mamontov. It was a figure of a good-natured bald old man, the sage Fukurama, in which there were several more figures nested one inside the other.

His nesting doll was a round-faced peasant girl in an embroidered shirt, sundress and apron, in a colorful scarf, holding a black rooster in her hands.

The Russian wooden doll was called matryoshka. This was not done by chance. In the pre-revolutionary province, the names Matryona and Matryosha were considered one of the most common female names, based on the word “mother”. These names were associated with the mother of a large family, who had good health and a portly figure. Subsequently, it became a household word and began to mean a turning, detachable, colorfully painted wooden product. But to this day, the nesting doll remains a symbol of motherhood and fertility, since the doll with its large doll family perfectly expresses the figurative basis of this ancient symbol of human culture.

The first Russian nesting doll, carved according to the sketches of S.V. Malyutin by the best toy maker from Sergiev Posad V. Zvezdochkin, was eight-seater. The girl with the black rooster was followed by a boy, then again by a girl. All the figures were different from each other, and the last, eighth, depicted a swaddled baby.

Russian craftsmen, who knew how to turn wooden objects nested inside each other (for example, Easter eggs), mastered the technology of making nesting dolls with ease. The principle of making a nesting doll remains unchanged to this day, preserving all the techniques of turning art of Russian craftsmen.

Matryoshka museums

There are nesting doll museums in several cities: in Moscow - in Leontyevsky Lane, in Nizhny Novgorod, in Nolinsk, Kalyazin, Voznesensky and in Sergiev Posad.

Making nesting dolls

Nowadays matryoshka dolls are made in various workshops.

First, select the appropriate type of wood. Because of its softness, linden is mainly chosen, less often alder or birch. Trees are usually cut down in early spring, the bark is removed, but not completely, so that the wood does not crack during drying. The logs are then stored and dried for several years in a well-ventilated place.

It is necessary to start processing wood when it is not dry, but not damp either. Each workpiece goes through more than a dozen operations. The smallest doll - one that cannot be disassembled - is made first.

When the nesting doll is ready, proceed to the next figurine, which will include the first one. The workpiece of the required height is processed and cut into upper and lower parts. The bottom part is done first. The wood is then removed from the inside of both parts of the second doll so that the smaller doll fits snugly inside. Then the process is repeated for a larger doll, which will include the two previous ones, etc. The number of dolls may vary.

At the end of the process, each doll is coated with oil varnish. After final drying and polishing, the artist begins painting. The paints used are watercolor, gouache, tempera, and less often oil paints. Despite the variety of colors, masters still prefer gouache.

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Notes

Links

• , Ekaterina Mavrikova, Timeout, November 1, 2005
• , Folk Arts and Crafts Foundation of the Russian Federation
• , Selskaya Nov No. 9, September 2004
• Lilya Palveleva. Radio Liberty, March 23, 2007
• , RIA “Vremya N”, June 11, 2014

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Excerpt characterizing Matryoshka

On the same day, the police chief came to Pierre with a proposal to send a trustee to the Faceted Chamber to receive the things that were now being distributed to the owners.
“This one too,” thought Pierre, looking into the police chief’s face, “what a nice, handsome officer and how kind!” Now he deals with such trifles. They also say that he is not honest and takes advantage of him. What nonsense! But why shouldn’t he use it? That's how he was raised. And everyone does it. And such a pleasant, kind face, and smiles, looking at me.”
Pierre went to dinner with Princess Marya.
Driving through the streets between the burned-out houses, he was amazed at the beauty of these ruins. The chimneys of houses and fallen walls, picturesquely reminiscent of the Rhine and the Colosseum, stretched, hiding each other, along the burnt blocks. The cab drivers and riders we met, the carpenters who cut the log houses, the traders and shopkeepers, all with cheerful, beaming faces, looked at Pierre and said as if: “Ah, here he is! Let's see what comes out of this."
Upon entering the house of Princess Marya, Pierre was filled with doubt as to the justice of the fact that he was here yesterday, saw Natasha and spoke with her. “Maybe I made it up. Maybe I’ll walk in and not see anyone.” But before he had time to enter the room, in his entire being, after the instant deprivation of his freedom, he felt her presence. She was wearing the same black dress with soft folds and the same hairstyle as yesterday, but she was completely different. If she had been like this yesterday when he entered the room, he could not have failed to recognize her for a moment.
She was the same as he had known her almost as a child and then as the bride of Prince Andrei. A cheerful, questioning gleam shone in her eyes; there was a gentle and strangely playful expression on her face.
Pierre had dinner and would have sat there all evening; but Princess Marya was going to the all-night vigil, and Pierre left with them.
The next day Pierre arrived early, had dinner and sat there all evening. Despite the fact that Princess Marya and Natasha were obviously pleased with the guest; despite the fact that the whole interest of Pierre’s life was now concentrated in this house, by the evening they had talked everything over, and the conversation constantly moved from one insignificant subject to another and was often interrupted. Pierre stayed up so late that evening that Princess Marya and Natasha looked at each other, obviously waiting to see if he would leave soon. Pierre saw this and could not leave. He felt heavy and awkward, but he kept sitting because he couldn’t get up and leave.
Princess Marya, not foreseeing an end to this, was the first to get up and, complaining of a migraine, began to say goodbye.
– So you’re going to St. Petersburg tomorrow? – said oka.
“No, I’m not going,” Pierre said hastily, with surprise and as if offended. - No, to St. Petersburg? Tomorrow; I just don't say goodbye. “I’ll come for the commissions,” he said, standing in front of Princess Marya, blushing and not leaving.
Natasha gave him her hand and left. Princess Marya, on the contrary, instead of leaving, sank into a chair and looked sternly and carefully at Pierre with her radiant, deep gaze. The fatigue she had obviously shown before was now completely gone. She took a deep, long breath, as if preparing for a long conversation.
All of Pierre's embarrassment and awkwardness, when Natasha was removed, instantly disappeared and was replaced by excited animation. He quickly moved the chair very close to Princess Marya.
“Yes, that’s what I wanted to tell you,” he said, answering her glance as if in words. - Princess, help me. What should I do? Can I hope? Princess, my friend, listen to me. I know everything. I know I'm not worthy of her; I know it's impossible to talk about it now. But I want to be her brother. No, I don't want to... I can't...
He stopped and rubbed his face and eyes with his hands.
“Well, here,” he continued, apparently making an effort on himself to speak coherently. “I don’t know since when I love her.” But I have loved only her, only one, all my life and love her so much that I cannot imagine life without her. Now I don’t dare ask her hand; but the thought that maybe she could be mine and that I would miss this opportunity... opportunity... is terrible. Tell me, can I have hope? Tell me what should I do? “Dear princess,” he said, after being silent for a while and touching her hand, since she did not answer.
“I’m thinking about what you told me,” answered Princess Marya. - I'll tell you what. You’re right, what should I tell her about love now... - The princess stopped. She wanted to say: it is now impossible to talk to her about love; but she stopped because for the third day she saw from Natasha’s sudden change that not only would Natasha not be offended if Pierre expressed his love to her, but that this was all she wanted.
“It’s impossible to tell her now...,” Princess Marya still said.
- But what should I do?
“Entrust this to me,” said Princess Marya. - I know…
Pierre looked into Princess Marya's eyes.
“Well, well...” he said.
“I know that she loves... will love you,” Princess Marya corrected herself.
Before she had time to say these words, Pierre jumped up and, with a frightened face, grabbed Princess Marya by the hand.
- Why do you think so? Do you think I can hope? You think?!
“Yes, I think so,” said Princess Marya, smiling. - Write to your parents. And instruct me. I'll tell her when it's possible. I wish this. And my heart feels that this will happen.
- No, this cannot be! How happy I am! But this cannot be... How happy I am! No, it can not be! - Pierre said, kissing the hands of Princess Marya.
– You go to St. Petersburg; it is better. “And I’ll write to you,” she said.
- To St. Petersburg? Drive? Okay, yes, let's go. But can I come to you tomorrow?
The next day Pierre came to say goodbye. Natasha was less animated than in previous days; but on this day, sometimes looking into her eyes, Pierre felt that he was disappearing, that neither he nor she was any more, but there was only a feeling of happiness. “Really? No, it can’t be,” he said to himself with every look, gesture, and word that filled his soul with joy.