Matryoshka is a painted wooden doll with smaller dolls inside. This toy is rightfully considered the most popular Russian souvenir. The history of the creation of the nesting doll is very interesting and still raises questions.

   The matryoshka appeared only in 1890. This has been established reliably. We even know the name of the master who carved the first nesting doll: his name was Vasily Petrovich Zvezdochkin. Zvezdochkin, Belov and Konovalov are the inventors of the nesting doll.

   

   In the photo with Vasily Zvezdochkin, presumably his fellow countrymen Belov and Konovalov. This opinion was expressed in the book by G. L. Dine “The Capital of Russian Toys.”

   Let us remember what Zvezdochkin himself said about this:

“Once I saw a suitable piece of wood in a magazine and, based on its model, I carved a figurine that had a ridiculous appearance, seemed to resemble a nun and was “deaf.” On the advice of masters Belov and Konovalov, he carved it differently, then the product was given to a group of artists working somewhere on the Arbat to paint.”

“Deaf” - that is, it was not empty inside, that is, it did not open up.

There is no confirmation that this is really Belov and Konovalov.

In the photo, turner Vasily Zvezdochkin is at work.

   Soon the production of the first nesting dolls was moved to the small town of Sergiev Posad near Moscow. The head of the workshop invited Vasily Zvezdochkin to work there.

   Sergiev Posad is the birthplace of the Russian nesting doll. It was here, more than a hundred years ago, that the artist Sergei Malyutin supposedly painted the first of them (this information has not been confirmed). Since then, the recognized doll has become the hallmark of the city, and of all of Russia!

  In the photo is Sergey Malyutin. Supposedly the first Russian artist of matryoshka dolls.

   The doll, which was originally called “Matryona,” was in the form of a round-faced peasant girl in an embroidered shirt, sundress and apron. The girl's head was covered with a colorful scarf, and in her hands was a black rooster. Inside the main toy there were 7 more figures, and they all differed not only in size, but also in appearance. The 5th figurine had particular differences - it depicted a boy, as well as the 8th - in the form of a swaddled child.

   From that time on, the toy began to be called “Matryoshka”. The matryoshka got its name from the name Matryona, which was popular at that time, since the toy most often depicted a simple pious Russian girl. And the nesting doll became the personification of the mother of a large family, who had good health, which is indicated by her blush, and curvaceous figures.

   The nesting doll also expresses a certain spiritual truth about humanity and God: everything is in One, and One is in all. Each matryoshka doll from the set seems to be integral, but when separated from the rest it loses its meaning.

Craftsmen from Sergiev Posad began making nesting dolls. They not only improved the technique of making it, but also began to mass produce it as toys and souvenirs.

   Basically, nesting dolls were made of 3, 8 or 12 elements, which depicted girls in traditional outfits with scarves on their heads. Also, the figurines often depicted the activities of Russian girls of that time. For example, young ladies were depicted with a sickle or with baskets filled with fruit. Over time, in addition to household items, other objects began to be depicted.

   Fairy-tale characters were especially popular among children. But for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, dolls “Kutuzov” and “Napoleon” were created. Interesting series were also released dedicated to the anniversary of the writer Nikolai Gogol, which included characters from his works.

The world first saw the nesting doll in 1900, when the outlandish toy was sent to the Paris International Exhibition. There, the Russian toy entered the top three and bypassed all the largest craft exhibitions in Europe. The spread of the popularity of the nesting doll abroad was facilitated by the theater and artistic figure Sergei Diaghilev, who popularized everything Russian through the organization of the “Russian Seasons” in Paris. Until now, the nesting doll is the most popular and desired souvenir for everyone who comes to Russia.

      And although Vasily Zvezdochkin claims that he has never seen such toys before, the very idea of ​​​​putting one product into another has its origins in China and Japan of the 17th - 18th centuries, and some historians believe that even earlier - more than 1000 years ago. In Japan, such toys are called Fukuruma. They also consist of several dolls of different sizes, but they do not depict a young lady, but the holy sage Fukuruma, who is considered the god of luck. Another difference is the shape of the figurine itself: the matryoshka doll has a transition from the head to the body, but Fukuruma has no bends.

   About the form  of  matryoshka

    A similar form has long been known in Rus'. It was called a capsule. From an aquatic plant, widespread in Rus' along the banks of lakes and slow-flowing rivers, which is often called water lily.

    The shape was used in ceramic dishes; money was often stored in it (thanks to this shape, the pots could easily withstand high pressure; they could be buried in the ground or covered with stones without fear of accidentally breaking). And in architecture, first in wood, then in stone. The shapes of the porch pillars were called egg pods. For example: decorated pillars with pods of the Trinity Cathedral of the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma (rebuilt in 1652), famous for the rite of calling to the kingdom of the Romanov dynasty; Tsar's Tower in the Moscow Kremlin (1680); house in Leontyevsky Lane, where the nesting doll appeared (the porch was added in 1911).

   At the XV World Russian People's Council, the main Russian values ​​were named: faith, justice, peace, freedom, unity, morality, dignity, honesty, patriotism, solidarity, mercy, family, cultures and national traditions, the good of man. , hard work, self-restraint and sacrifice.

   Now look which of these meanings are present in the image of the matryoshka doll. Yes, almost everything. Can the same be said about the balalaika, samovar, bear, vodka, etc.? No, you can not. They are not as versatile.

The most important thing is that the nesting doll represents Good. And this makes it unique. Compare with the examples above from other countries.

Matryoshka, like Russian culture, brings light, goodness, spirituality, conscientiousness, sincerity - what is called the Russian soul. It is universal, cosmic. And that is why it has gained recognition all over the world.

   The cultural content of consciousness, individual and national, develops over time, but the soul remains unchanged. This means that the modern Russian people have not only the same blood, but also the same soul as our ancestors thousands of years ago. Consciousness and culture have changed since those times, but the soul is still the same.

Matryoshka is the soul of Russia. And it looks to the future.