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The History of Matrioshka Dolls
Famous the world over, the Russian nesting Matrioshka Dolls are a favorite of young and old alike. The first four characters of Matrioshka word - "Matr" come from the Russian word for "Mother". The idea is that Matrioshka dolls represent the motherhood. This is why traditionally the dolls were painted like women and every one is like a mother that has a baby inside. The first dolls were made in the town Sergiev-Posad, former Zagorsk, which is not far from Moscow, and is exposed in the local museum.
There are practically hundreds of villages where Matrioshka dolls have been made for generations. There are a number of villages that are known for their traditional designs. Here are some of them: Maiden, Kirov, Brest, and Semionov.
Every set is hand-carved and hand-painted. Most of the dolls are made out of birch, although some are made of lime tree or other special wood, depending on the technique the artist has in mind (wood burning, watercolor, etc.). The whole set has to be made out of the same chunk of wood. That condition is a must and insures that every piece will react in the same fashion to changing temperature and climate conditions.
Beside the traditional designs, the collectible Matrioshka dolls depict scenes from the Russian fairy tales, Russian churches an architecture of the Russian cities and towns, life scenes of the Russian people, political leaders, sport, animals, other Russian arts.
