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Some samples:
Russian Folk Art.
Some samples of Nesting Dolls:
Size: approx. 6.4' Metric: 16 cm Consists of: 5 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 7-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation PRODUCT DETAILS: The 'Girls' nesting doll before you is an exquisite example of Russian beauty and purity reflected in a unique matryoshka doll by Tatyana Telpis, an artist that works exclusively for Russian Legacy. Each nesting doll set is made to order and the whole set takes the artist 5 to 8 business days to paint and 2-3 more days to coat it with 5-7 layers of lacquer. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: RUSSIAN SERGIEV POSAD MATRYOSHKA In provincial Russia before the revolution the name Matryona or Matriyosha was a very popular female name. It was derived from the Latin root 'mater' which means 'mother'. This name was associated with the image of a mother of a big family who was very healthy and had a portly figure. Subsequently, it became a symbolic name and was used specially to describe brightly painted wooden dolls made in such a way that they could be taken apart to reveal smaller dolls fitting inside on another. The first nesting dolls of Sergiev Posad portrayed this special beauty: young girls dressed in Russian sarafans carrying baskets, scythes, bunches of flowers or dressed in winter short fur coats and scarves. This particular matryoshka is an exclusive example of a Sergiev Posad style married with a highly professional portrait painting.
Size: 6 4/5 inches Metric: 17 cm Consists of: 5 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 10-20 business days Origin: Russian Federation PRODUCT DETAILS: The 'Forest Fairies' nesting doll before you is a great example of an exclusive quality matryoshka by Tatyana Remizova. Each nesting doll set is made to order and the whole set takes the artist 7 to 12 business days to paint and 2-3 more days to coat it with 5-7 layers of lacquer. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: RUSSIAN BEAUTY What is a typical old Russian conception of woman's beauty? The ideal of a beautiful woman was considered to be a tall, strong and stately woman with red cheeks, blue eyes and blonde hair. Such women were well-represented by the renowned Russian painter, Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev. Such woman's beauty was also taken as a starting point for original matryoshka making. In provincial Russia before the revolution the name Matryona or Matriyosha was a very popular female name. It was derived from the Latin root 'mater' which means 'mother'. This name was associated with the image of a mother of a big family who was very healthy and had a portly figure. Subsequently, it became a symbolic name and was used specially to describe brightly painted wooden dolls made in such a way that they could be taken apart to reveal smaller dolls fitting inside on another. The first nesting dolls of Sergiev Posad portrayed this special beauty: young girls dressed in Russian sarafans carrying baskets, scythes, bunches of flowers or dressed in winter short fur coats and scarves. The nesting doll before you is a great example of Russian beauty reflected in a matryoshka doll.
- $ 582.17 Size: approx. 8.7' Metric: 22 cm Consists of: 30 pieces Finish: matte Availability: ships within 12-17 business days Origin: Russian Federation Product Details As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. The whole set has a gentle matte finish. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: RUSSIAN BEAUTY What is a typical old Russian conception of woman's beauty? The ideal of a beautiful woman was considered to be a tall, strong and stately woman with red cheeks, blue eyes and blonde hair. Such women were well-represented by the renowned Russian painter, Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev. Such woman's beauty was also taken as a starting point for original matryoshka making. In provincial Russia before the revolution the name Matryona or Matriyosha was a very popular female name. It was derived from the Latin root 'mater' which means 'mother'. This name was associated with the image of a mother of a big family who was very healthy and had a portly figure. Subsequently, it became a symbolic name and was used specially to describe brightly painted wooden dolls made in such a way that they could be taken apart to reveal smaller dolls fitting inside on another. The first nesting dolls of Sergiev Posad portrayed this special beauty: young girls dressed in Russian sarafans carrying baskets, scythes, bunches of flowers or dressed in winter short fur coats and scarves. The nesting doll before you is another great example of Russian beauty reflected in a matryoshka doll.
- $ 544.49 Height: 30 cm (approx. 12') Diameter: 15 cm (approx. 6') Consists of: 20 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 12-17 business days Origin: Russian Federation PRODUCT DETAILS: This is an exclusive quality nesting doll (detailed painting coupled with multi-layer lacquer coating) handcrafted and handpainted in the heart Russia. It was first handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 7-9 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the largest one is signed by artist. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: TWENTY RUSSIAN FAIRY TALES Each doll in this set stands for a separate fairy tale. The full list of tales (starting from the largest piece and going through the smallest) may be found below. Fairy tales written by particular Russian writers and/or poets have appropriate notes next to their titles (e.g.: 'by Pushkin'). Others are folk fairy tales. Humpbacked Little Pony - by Yershov Swan Princess (Tale of Tsar Saltan) - by Pushkin Golden Cockerel - by Pushkin Geese & Swans Golden Fish - by Pushkin Scarlet Flower Frog Princess Dead Princess & Seven Bogatyrs - by Pushkin Ruslan & Ludmila - by Pushkin Snowmaiden Hostess of the Copper Mountain - by Bazhov Prince Ivan and the Gray Wolf By Pike's Wish Father Frost (Morozko) Sister Alyonushka & Brother Ivanushka Masha & the Bear Vasilisa the Beautiful Turnip Fire Bird Kolobok. The nesting doll before you has been handmade by a Russian artist that loves fairy tales and has pictured scenes from twenty different ones on this gorgeous 20 pc matryoshka.
Size: approx. 6.5'' Metric: 16.25 cm Consists of: 5 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation PRODUCT DETAILS: As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: RUSSIAN FAIRY TALES From happy endings and underdog heroes to helpful talking animals and ''Cinderella stories,'' contemporary popular culture testifies to the enduring influence of the fairy tale. Russian fairy tales occupy a prominent place in the world's fairy tale treasury. The importance of Russian fairy tales should never be underestimated. Many of them were written by such literary giant as Alexander Pushkin, while others - being folk tales with no definite ''creation date'' - have been told and retold from generation to generations both in Russia and all over the world. The nesting doll before you has been handmade by a Russian artist that loves fairy tales and has pictured scenes from different ones on this gorgeous 5 piece matryoshka.
Size: approx. 6.5'' Metric: 16.25 cm Consists of: 5 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation PRODUCT DETAILS: As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: RUSSIAN FAIRY TALES From happy endings and underdog heroes to helpful talking animals and ''Cinderella stories,'' contemporary popular culture testifies to the enduring influence of the fairy tale. Russian fairy tales occupy a prominent place in the world's fairy tale treasury. The importance of Russian fairy tales should never be underestimated. Many of them were written by such literary giant as Alexander Pushkin, while others - being folk tales with no definite ''creation date'' - have been told and retold from generation to generations both in Russia and all over the world. The nesting doll before you has been handmade by a Russian artist that loves fairy tales and has pictured scenes from different ones on this gorgeous 5 piece matryoshka.
Size: approx. 4'' Metric: 10 cm Consists of: 3 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation PRODUCT DETAILS: As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer. The tallest doll is signed by the artist. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: RUSSIAN BEAUTY What is a typical old Russian conception of woman's beauty? The ideal of a beautiful woman was considered to be a tall, strong and stately woman with red cheeks, blue eyes and blonde hair. Such women were well-represented by the renowned Russian painter, Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev. Such woman's beauty was also taken as a starting point for original matryoshka making. In provincial Russia before the revolution the name Matryona or Matriyosha was a very popular female name. It was derived from the Latin root 'mater' which means 'mother'. This name was associated with the image of a mother of a big family who was very healthy and had a portly figure. Subsequently, it became a symbolic name and was used specially to describe brightly painted wooden dolls made in such a way that they could be taken apart to reveal smaller dolls fitting inside on another. The first nesting dolls of Sergiev Posad portrayed this special beauty: young girls dressed in Russian sarafans carrying baskets, scythes, bunches of flowers or dressed in winter short fur coats and scarves. The nesting doll before you is a great example of Russian beauty reflected in a matryoshka doll.
Size: approx. 8' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation PRODUCT DETAILS: As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: PETS ON NESTING DOLLS The tradition of painting pets, birds and poultry on nesting dolls is, actually, as old as the nesting doll itself. The first Russian nesting doll turned by Vassily Zviozdochkin and painted by Sergey Maliutin contained 8 pieces: a girl with a black rooster was followed by a boy and then by a girl again and so on. All figurines were different from each other, the last one was a figurine of a baby wrapped in diaper. Ever since then roosters and other poultry have been often pictured on matryoshka dolls. It is important to emphasize that poultry has always been treated a 'pets' by both village and town children. Chicks and ducklings are often pictured in the hands of children being in the same nesting doll set with children holding kittens and puppies. The matryoshka doll before you is an excellent example of a 'pets nesting doll'. It will make a wonderful gift to any kid, especially a growing one as it may be used as both a toy and a teaching tool.
Size: approx. 6.5'' Metric: 16.25 cm Consists of: 5 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation PRODUCT DETAILS: As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the largest one is signed by artist. The doll displays gorgeous cathedrals of Moscow, Sergiev Posad, Vladimir, Suzdal, Rostov Veliky and other cities of ''The Golden Ring'' of Russia. Both the architectural miniatures on the dolls' bellies and the scarves of each doll in this set are painted in a style pointing to a ''golden'' season of Russia - Autumn. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: ''THE GOLDEN RING'' OF RUSSIA ''The Golden Ring'' of Russia is the name of the north-eastern part of what used to be the State of Muskovy which is famous for its historical monuments of old Russian architecture. Visiting Moscow, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Kostroma and other regions one sees splendid man-made monuments of the past which were there witnesses of historical events of Russia. The Golden Ring of Russia includes the following cities: Moscow [the current capital of Russia] Zagorsk (since 1930) or Sergiev Posad (renamed in 1991) [founded in 1345 by Sergius of Radonezh in the souhth of Smolensk-Moscow Hills] Vladimir [founded in 1108 on the left bank of the Klyazma River as a fortress by Vladimir Vsevoldovich Monomakh for defense of Rostov-Suzdal Rus] Suzdal [founded in the 9-10th century on the Kamenka River Valley] Rostov Veliky (or Rostov the Great) [first mentioned in chronicles in 862, located on the shore of Lake Nero] Yaroslavl [founded in 1010 on the Volga River by Yaroslav the Wise son of the Kievan Prince Vladimir] Kostroma [founded in the 12th century on the Volga River by Yury Dolgoruky] Pereslavl Zalessky [founded in 1152 on the river Trubezh] Uglich [founded in 937 on the Upper Volga] Novgorod [first mentioned in 859, located in the Priilmenskaya Lowland, on the River Volkhov]
Size: approx. 8' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation PRODUCT DETAILS: As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: RUSSIAN CHURCHES & CATHEDRALS Orthodox Christianity was brought to Russia during the time of Vladimir, Grand Prince of Kiev, during the twelfth century. Vladimir sent representatives to distant lands to study the religions of other civilizations. They reported back to him saying: Then we went to Greece, and the Greeks led us to where they worship their God, and we knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are at a loss how to describe it. We only know that God dwells there among men. (The Russian Primary Chronicle) Bishops from Greece traveled to Russia to spread the faith, and Vladimir and many of his countrymen were converted to Christianity. The history of Russia was always characterized by invasions from foreign enemies, such as the Tartar Khans, in which the people sought to defend their homeland. By the 16th century the Khans suppressed the independence of the Russian lands, exacting monetary tribute, and prohibiting the unhindered practice of the Orthodox Christianity by the Russian peoples. It was primarily the desire for political and economic freedom, and the desire for the freedom to worship in the Orthodox Christian manner, which lead the Russian Czar Ivan Grozny to lead an army of 150,000 upon the Tartar stronghold at the city of Kazan in the summer of 1552. On the Orthodox Feast Day of the Protection of the Theotokos, called 'the Pokhrov' (October 1, 1552) the army marched on Kazan. The following day the city fell to the armies of Ivan. The victory was attributed to the intercessions of the Theotokos (the Mother of God) on behalf of the Russian people. Some 3 years later in 1555 the Czar ordered the beginning of the construction of the Pokhrovsky Cathedral in commemoration of this victory. The Cathedral of the Pokhrov, commonly called St. Basil's Cathedral, is one of the most prominent landmarks in Russia, and one of the most spectacular buildings in the world. It is recognized the world over as a symbol of Russia and of the Russian Orthodox Church. After Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453, Russia continued for several centuries to develop a national art that had grown out of the middle Byzantine period. During the 10th-15th centuries, Russian art had begun to show marked local variation from the Byzantine model, and after the fall of Constantinople it continued along these distinctive lines of development. This period of Russian art, which lasted until the adoption of western European culture in the 18th century, is also known as the Moscow or National period. During the Moscow period, churches in Russia began to develop a style all their own. The following brief essay describes well the changes in Russian architecture: After the hegemony in the world of Orthodox Christianity shifted to Muscovite Russia, Moscow, having become the new city of Constantine--the 'third Rome'--and aspiring to rival the older centres of culture, launched a building program commensurate with its international importance. The Kremlin and two of its important churches were rebuilt by Italian architects between 1475 and 1510. These churches, the Assumption (Uspensky) Cathedral and the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, were largely modeled after the churches of Vladimir. The Italians were required to incorporate the basic features of Byzantine planning and design into the new cathedrals; it was only in the exterior decoration of St. Michael the Archangel that they succeeded in introducing Italian decorative motifs. A third church, the modest Annunciation Cathedral (1484-89), with its warm beauty, was the work of Pskov architects. There the kokoshniki were introduced in the treatment of the roof. This element, similar in outline to the popular Russian bochka roof (pointed on top, with the sides forming a continuous double curve, concave above and convex below), foreshadowed a tendency to replace the forms of the Byzantine arch by more elongated silhouettes. Ecclesiastical architecture began to lose the special features associated with the Byzantine heritage, becoming more national in character and increasingly permeated with the taste and thought of the people. The most important change in Russian church design of the 16th century was the introduction of the tiered tower and the tent-shaped roof first developed in wood by Russia's carpenters. Next was the substitution of the bulb-shaped spire for the traditional Byzantine cupola. This affected the design of masonry architecture by transforming its proportions and decoration and even its structural methods. The buildings acquired a dynamic, exteriorized articulation and specifically Russian national characteristics. The boldest departures from Byzantine architecture were the churches of the Ascension at Kolomenskoye (1532) and the Decapitation of St. John the Baptist at Dyakovo (c. 1532) and, above all, the Cathedral of St. Basil (Vasily) the Blessed (or, the Pokrovsky Cathedral) in Moscow, 1554-60. In St. Basil the western academic architectural concepts, based on rational, manifest harmony, were ignored; the structure, with no easily readable design and a profusion of disparate colourful exterior decoration, is uniquely medieval Russian in content and form, in technique, decoration, and feeling. St. Basil, like its predecessors the churches at Kolomenskoye and Dyakovo, embodies the characteristic features of the wood churches of northern Russia, translated into masonry. An effective finishing touch was given to the ensemble of the Kremlin's Cathedral Square by the erection of the imposing Belfry of Ivan II the Great, begun in 1542. The colossal white stone 'column of fame,' with its golden cupola gleaming above the Kremlin hill, was the definite expression of an era, reflecting the tastes and grandiose political ambitions of the rising Russian state. (Russian Orthodox Church)
Size: approx. 6.5'' Metric: 16.25 cm Consists of: 5 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation PRODUCT DETAILS: As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, displaying beautiful sites of St. Petersburg, the magestic Northern Capital of Russia. The tallest doll is signed by the artist. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA Population: 5 mln Area: 606 sq. km Main street: Nevsky Avenue Main square: Palace Square St. Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703. For 200 years (1712-1917) St. Petersburg was the capital of the Russian Empire. It is a scientific, educational and cultural center of Russia. The greatest architects of the 18th and 19th centuries created magnificent ensembles in the city. The whole city itself is a wonderful monument, a museum; it is ''music fixed in stone''. This norther city on the Neva River is a city of a magic beauty, sung by poets and painted by artists, a city of marvelous ''white nights'', a city of broad, straight avenues, green parks and countless bridges and canals. There are 539 bridges in St. Petersburg and more than 80 museums. There are many places of interest in the city: the Winter Palace, the Russian Museum, the Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Isaac's Cathedral, Palace Square, ''The Bronze Horseman''. Many notable people lived and worked in the city: Pushkin and Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich, Vaganova and Komissarzhevskaya, Shalyapin and Fokin. St. Petersburg has always been the site of many political events: the Decembrists' Uprising, the Russian Revolutions in 1917. During the Second World War Leningrad withstood the terrible 900-day siege. The city was awarded the Order of Lenin and called a Heroic City. Today, St. Petersburg is the twin-city of many foreign towns in other countries: Manchester, Dresden, Le Havre, Gdansk and Turku. St. Petersburg is frequented by tourists from abroad. Did you know... The city was renamed several times: 1703-1914 - St. Petersburg 1914-1924 - Petrograd 1924-1991 - Leningrad 1991-nowadays - St. Petersburg
- $ 67.00 Officially licensed Raggedy Andy Russian nesting doll. 5 piece set, approximately 5 3/4 inches tall. Set includes Raggedy Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees. Copyright Simon & Schuster, Inc. Licensed by United Media. Raggedy Ann and Andy and associated characters are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.