Russian Dolls


Russian dolls are an emblem of Russian history and culture; nesting dolls are a symbol of the immense fame and popularity of Russian culture worldwide. The rich Russian culture has introduced many unique stories, ideas, cultural ethics, food and delicacies, art, music, literature & crafts to the entire world. Amongst these, Russian nesting dolls also contribute to Russian culture. That is why these handmade crafts get so much international recognition. Referred to in a variety of different names, Russian nesting dolls are also called stacking dolls matryoshka, babushka or babushka dolls, matrioshka, babooshka, matroshka, matreshka, stackable dolls (in order of popular usage).

The art of creating these famous Russian nesting dolls was developed from an already mastered craft of Russian artisans in creating Easter eggs stacked one within another. These Russian dolls are made out of wood that majorly consists of lime wood. Other than lime, birch, alder and aspen were also utilized. The tree barks are cut leaving a few rings of wood behind so that the parent tree does not get cracked. The logs are usually cut at the onset of spring, usually when the sap secretion is the maximum. The logs are then stored away for two years leaving sufficient space below for aeration.

The stage at which the doll should be carved can only be detected by true professional artisans who have gained immense expertise in making Russian dolls. After the log is ready, it is cut into multiple pieces and placed on a turning lathe. To make a doll while in rotating motion requires high skills and attention to detail. No measurements are used while making stacking dolls. The intuition of the artisan is his measuring scale that gives us the perfect end products that have currently become a symbol of Russian culture. The tools used to carve the upper and lower pieces of the nesting doll structures are quite simple and consists of a knife and a chisel. The last and the smallest piece that cannot be detached are made first followed by a sequence of making the lower and upper parts of consecutive nesting dolls.

The stacked dolls are then sent to get hand-painted and most hand-painting jobs have the same images on all dolls hence accuracy is practiced on these too where the painter carefully marks the outlines and paints a perfect and accurate multiple pictures in all the successive counterparts of the stacking dolls. The images to be painted can also be varied in terms of depicting a famous Russian tale, or the images of famous personalities from Russian politics, history or entertainment. These dolls make exceptional Russian gifts to people of all cultures since they are both elegant looking and set themselves apart from any other doll-type in the market.
More information, please visit : http://www.russiancraftswholesale.com/
Russiancraftswholesale sell original, handmade ethnic crafts and jewelry.
Started as small local business in 2004, now we offer wide variety of ethnic handmade products from several countries.
Now we are one of leading exporters of the jewelry and handicrafts of different types. We offer world-known matryoshka dolls from Russia, tagua carvings and jewelry from Ecuador, alpaca jewelry from Peru, stone jewelry from Tibet, and many other products.