Matryoshka Nesting Doll

Matryoshka is a painted wooden detachable doll with smaller dolls inside. This toy is rightfully considered the most famous and popular Russian souvenir. The history of the creation of the matryoshka is very interesting and still raises questions. There is a version according to which the Russian master created a figurine of a matryoshka after seeing a similar figurine brought from Japan. The Japanese doll, in which several more dolls were put, symbolized the local gods of happiness.

Detachable pupae have also existed in other cultures, such as India and China. The true origin of the matryoshka is still a mystery. However, most likely, the Russian master created the famous toy, inspired by Slavic images. Vasily Zvezdochkin, a craftsman from Podolsk near Moscow, invented the matryoshka shape in the 1890s, claiming that he had never seen Japanese wooden toys before. The origin of the famous toy requires further study.