Матрёшка

Russian matryoshka is the most popular Russian national souvenir. You can buy it at all fairs and festivals not only in our country but in different countries of the world too.

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It seems that the matryoshka has come to us from ancient times from the world of legends and fairy tales. Actually, this doll is about 100 years old.

The first Russian matryoshka was made in 1890
in the Children’s Education workshop
near the Abramtsevo estate.
The owner was Sava Mamontov
industrialist and a patron
of the arts.

The end of the 19th century in Russia was a time of
great economic and cultural development.
Mamontov was one of the first patrons
who created a new Russian style.

Why Russian matryoshka is the most popular national souvenir?

In old Russia, the name Matryona or Matryosha was a popular female name
among peasants. It has a Latin root and means “ mother". This name is
associated with the image of a mother of a big family who was very healthy
and had a big figure.

There are different types of matryoshka: the Sergiev Posad type, Semionovo type and another.
Matryoshkas depict different characters and classes: peasants, merchants and noblemen.

Sergiev Posad is a place where the first stacking doll was made by the artist Sergei Maliutin.
These dolls are disproportional but they are very expressive.
They are painted with gouach and have a varnish surface.
They portraye whole family with children.
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Semionovo is a large, old center of wooden handicrafts.The first matryoshka was made by Arsenty Mayorov. It was more decorative and symbolic than the Sergiev Posad matryoshka.
An apron is considered to be
the main part of the
Semionovo painting.
This doll has a thin top widens
sharply into a thick bottom.