Russia has a fascinating culture and tradition and arts and crafts play a large part of that. One of the most popular exports from the country is Russian Dolls. These are popular all over the world and people are very familiar with the nesting dolls that stack inside each other. The Russian name for them is matryoshka and they are sometimes referred to as Babushka dolls, which means old woman in the Russian language. Traditionally, they are made from wood and contain six or more dolls, all colorfully painted. The designs are often intricate and require a lot of skill.
A typical design is for the outside layer to be a peasant woman dressed in traditional folk costume and holding a rooster. The interior dolls are of either gender and the final one is often a baby. Modern versions deviate from this and there are many different designs, often following a theme. Various regions have their own distinct styles. Russian Dolls are thought of as steeped in history but only go back to 1890 when the first ones were created as imitations of traditional Japanese dolls. The rest of the world was made aware of the dolls when they were shown at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris, winning a Bronze Award.
The dolls make splendid gifts and are sometimes given as wedding presents to guests or presented as corporate gifts in the business community. A modern interpretation on Russian Dolls is seen in the form of celebrities or satirical depictions of politicians. Other themes include children and royalty. Animals are popular too with designs based on pandas, frogs, penguins, cats, elephants and horses. There is something to appeal to all tastes, whether contemporary or traditional.
In Russia, they are often used to pay tribute to famous soldiers, sportsmen or poets. Folklore and fairy tales also feature. One of the most celebrated versions of Russian Dolls is that of Soviet leaders. This contains Mikhail Gorbachev, Leonid Brezhnev, Nikita Khrushchev, Josef Stalin and Vladmir Lenin.
Christmas time has inspired many dolls' series, including a Father Christmas, Snowman, Nativity Scene and Madonna and Child themes. There are also doll and storybook gift sets, including Father Christmas dolls with a Polar Express book. The religious theme is continued in a set that shows images from the life of Christ, beginning with the Nativity. The other Russian Dolls show Christ's baptism, the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ carrying the cross and the Ascension.
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