Who is this matryoshka. The sacred meaning of toys

An inexperienced, and even a sophisticated foreign tourist, first of all, carries a matryoshka doll from Russia. It has long become a symbol of our country, along with vodka, a bear and similar clichés that have developed in the mass consciousness. On the other hand, the Russian matryoshka is a brilliant example of folk talent, weakly influenced by mass culture.

History of Russian matryoshka

The most surprising thing is that until the end of the 19th century, there were no nesting dolls in Russia at all. In the second half of the century, the Great Reform of Alexander II was bearing fruit: industry was developing rapidly, railways were being built. At the same time, the level of national self-consciousness is growing, there is an interest in national history and culture, and folk crafts are being revived. From the 60s of the 19th century, a new branch of fine arts began to form, called the "Russian style". In Soviet times, it was contemptuously called “pseudo-Russian” or even “rooster” style - after the carved and embroidered “roosters” - a favorite motif of the artist and architect I.P. Ropet. Many famous artists, including V.M. Vasnetsova, K.A. Somova, M.A. Vrubel, V.A. Serov, F.A. They were supported by well-known patrons: Savva Ivanovich Mamontov, the creator of the Abramtsevo art circle, who invited these painters to his Abramtsevo estate near Moscow. At Mamontov's, the artists discussed the ways of developing Russian art and created it right there, on the spot. The Mamontovs also tried to revive old folk crafts, collected items folk art, including peasant toys. Savva Ivanovich's brother, Anatoly Ivanovich Mamontov, was the owner of the Children's Education shop-workshop.

A.I. Mamontov hired highly qualified toy artisans and demanded from them a non-standard approach in the manufacture of toys. To expand the horizons of the craftsmen and develop their creative imagination, samples of toys from different countries of the world were ordered in the workshop. At this time, there is an increased interest in oriental, especially Japanese art. The exhibition of Japanese art, held in St. Petersburg in the second half of the 90s, contributed a lot to the emergence and development of the fashion for “everything Japanese”. Among the exhibits at this exhibition was a figurine of the Buddhist sage Fukurumu, a good-natured bald old man, in which several more wooden figurines were invested. The figurine Fukurumu was brought from the island of Honshu, according to Japanese tradition, the first such figurine was carved by a certain Russian monk, who came to Japan by unknown means. It is believed that the Fukurumu figurine became the prototype of the Russian nesting doll.

Author of Russian matryoshka

The author of the first Russian nesting doll is unknown, but its appearance was predetermined by the wide interest in national art in all spheres of society, the desire of the owner and craftsmen of the Children's Education shop-workshop to interest the public, to create something new and unusual in the Russian spirit. Finally, the appearance of the Fukurumu figurine at the exhibition of Japanese art was a kind of precise crystallization of this idea.

The first Russian matryoshka was carved in the workshop of A.I. Mamontov. It has a stamp on it: "Children's upbringing." It was carved by hereditary toy master Vasily Petrovich Zvezdochkin, and painted by S.V. Malyutin, who collaborated with A.I. Mamontov, illustrating children's books.

Why is the matryoshka so called

The name “matryoshka” for a wooden detachable painted figurine turned out to be just right. In the old Russian province, the name Matryona was one of the most common and beloved female names. This name comes from the Latin "mater", which means "mother". The name Matryona evokes the image of a real Russian woman, the mother of numerous children, with real peasant health and a typical portly figure.

Vasily Zvezdochkin carved the first Russian matryoshka. Sergey Malyutin painted it. It consisted of 8 places: a girl with a black rooster, then a boy, followed by a girl again, etc. The artist painted all the figures differently, and the last one depicted a swaddled baby.

What is a Russian nesting doll made of?

Matryoshka is usually cut from linden, birch, alder and aspen. Harder and more durable conifers are not used for such “pampering”. The best material for making nesting dolls is linden. The tree from which nesting dolls will be cut is harvested in the spring, usually in April, when the wood is in the juice. The tree is cleaned of bark, be sure to leave bark rings on the trunk, otherwise it will crack when dried. The logs are stacked, leaving a gap between them for air. The wood is aged outdoors for two years or more. Only an experienced carver can determine the degree of readiness of the material. The turner performs up to 15 operations with a lime chock before it becomes a finished nesting doll.

The very first carve a small one-piece figure. For drop-down nesting dolls, first grind the lower part - the bottom. After turning, the wooden doll is carefully cleaned, primed with a paste, achieving a perfectly smooth surface. After priming, the matryoshka is ready for painting.
The workshop "Children's Education" became the first-born in the manufacture of nesting dolls, and after its closure, this craft was mastered in Sergiev Posad. The local craftsmen created their own type of matryoshka, which to this day is called Sergiev Posad.

Russian matryoshka painting

In 1900, the Russian nesting doll was presented at the World Exhibition in Paris, where it received a medal and world fame. At the same time, international orders were sent, which could only be fulfilled by highly qualified craftsmen from Sergiev Posad. V. Zvezdochkin also came to work in the workshop of this city.

The first Russian nesting dolls were very diverse both in shape and in painting. Among the early Sergiev Posad samples, in addition to girls in Russian sundresses with baskets, sickles, bunches of flowers, or in winter coats with a shawl on their heads, there are often male characters: the bride and groom holding wedding candles in their hands, the shepherd with a flute, the old man with the beard. Sometimes the matryoshka was a whole family with numerous children and households.

The fashionable Russian style led to the appearance of a historical nesting doll depicting boyars and boyars, representatives of the Russian nobility, epic heroes. Various memorable dates also influenced the decoration of the matryoshka, for example, the centenary of the birth of N.V. Gogol, celebrated in 1909. For the anniversary, a series of nesting dolls based on the works of the writer (“Taras Bulba”, “Plyushkin”, “Mayor”) was made.

By the 100th anniversary of the war of 1812, matryoshka dolls depicting M.I. Kutuzov and Napoleon appeared, inside which were placed figures of Russian and French military leaders.

Very popular were nesting dolls painted based on fairy tales, legends and even fables: “King Dodon” and “The Swan Princess” from the fairy tales of A.S. Pushkin, "Humpbacked Horse" from P.P. Ershov's fairy tale, characters of I.A. Krylov's fables. In Sergiev Posad, they also made nesting dolls decorated with pyrography. Usually, an ornamental pattern was made all over the matryoshka, her clothes, face, hands, scarf and hair by burning.

International recognition of Russian nesting dolls

Matryoshka receives international recognition: in 1905, a store was opened in Paris, where an order was immediately received to make a batch of boyar nesting dolls. In 1911 Sergiev Posad craftsmen completed orders from 14 countries. In the price list of the Sergiev Zemstvo educational and demonstration workshop in 1911, twenty-one types of nesting dolls were listed. They differed in painting, size, number of inserts. Sergiev Posad nesting dolls had from 2 to 24 inserts. In 1913, the turner N. Bulychev carved a 48-seat matryoshka specially for the toy exhibition held in St. Petersburg.

Sergiev Posad nesting dolls

At the beginning of the 20th century, the turner played a rather important role in the creation of nesting dolls, turning figures with the thinnest walls. At that time, the carvers reasonably considered themselves the authors of nesting dolls, the painting of nesting dolls played a secondary role. Professional artists who painted the first toys did not take this activity very seriously.

The largest Sergiev Posad nesting doll was carved by the turner Mokeev in 1967. It consists of 60 (!) seats. Matryoshka from Sergiev Posad is distinguished by a squat shape, the top, smoothly turning into the expanding lower part of the figurine, gouache painting, varnished. The preferred proportion of nesting dolls - 1: 2 - is the ratio of the width of the nesting doll to its height.

Semyonovskaya matryoshka

The huge popularity of the Sergiev Posad matryoshka has led to the emergence of competition. Masters from other places could see the novelty at fairs, especially at the country's largest Nizhny Novgorod fair. Sergiev Posad nesting dolls attracted the attention of Nizhny Novgorod toy carvers. In the Nizhny Novgorod province, a large handicraft center for the production of matryoshka appears - the city of Semyonov (the nesting doll is called Semyonov after it).

The traditions of painting the Semyonov nesting dolls originate from the hereditary toy masters Mayorovs from the village of Merinovo. The village is located near Semyonov. In 1922, Arsenty Fedorovich Mayorov brought an unpainted Sergiev Posad nesting doll from Nizhny Novgorod. His eldest daughter, Lyuba, drew a drawing on the matryoshka with a goose quill and painted it with aniline paints with a brush. She depicted a Russian kokoshnik on her head, and in the center she placed a bright scarlet flower, similar to a chamomile.

For almost 20 years, Merinovsky nesting dolls have been ranked first among the masters of the Nizhny Novgorod region for 20 years.

The painting of the Semyonov matryoshka, which is brighter and more decorative than the Sergiev Posad one. The painting of Semenov nesting dolls originates in the folk traditions of the "grass" ornament of Ancient Rus'. The Semyonov masters left more unpainted surfaces, they use more modern aniline paints, also varnished.

The basis of the composition in the painting of the Semyonov matryoshka is an apron, which depicts a lush bouquet of flowers. Modern masters create painting in three colors - red, blue and yellow. They change the combination of colors of the apron, sundress and scarf. The bouquet on the apron is traditionally written not in the center, but slightly shifted to the right. Semenov turners came up with a special form of matryoshka. She, unlike the Sergiev Posad, is more slender. Its upper part is relatively thin and sharply passes into a thickened lower one.

The Semyonov matryoshka differs from others in that it is multi-seated and consists of 15-18 multi-colored figures. It was in Semyonov that the largest 72-seat matryoshka was carved. Its diameter is half a meter, and its height is 1 meter.
Semyonov is considered the largest center for the creation of matryoshka dolls in Russia.

Matryoshka from Polkhovsky Maidan

In the south-west of the Nizhny Novgorod region there is another famous center for the manufacture and painting of nesting dolls - this is the village of Polkhovsky Maidan.
This is an old handicraft center, the inhabitants of which specialized in woodcarving and the manufacture of wooden toys. The first Polkhov nesting dolls, made following the example of the Sergiev Posad ones, were trimmed with burning. Later, local residents began to paint them using floral ornaments. The masters of Polkhovsky Maidan, as well as Semyonov, paint with aniline paints. coloring

The Polkhovo-Maidanovskaya matryoshka is distinguished by an even brighter, sonorous color scheme and a larger painting.

The style of the Polkhovo-Maidanovskaya matryoshka belongs to the so-called. peasant primitive, its painting resembles a child's drawing. The artists of Polkhovsky Maidan, like the masters of Semyonov, pay the main attention to the flower painting on the apron, omitting all the everyday details of the costume.

The main motif of their painting is a multi-petal rosehip flower (“rose”). This flower has long been considered a symbol of the feminine, love and motherhood. The image of a “rose” is necessarily present in any version of the painting created by the masters of Polkhovsky Maidan.

Matryoshka inlaid with straws

Vyatka matryoshka is the northernmost of all Russian nesting dolls. She received a special originality in the 60s of the twentieth century. Then the matryoshka was not only painted, but also inlaid with straws. This is a very complex, painstaking work, which includes the preparation of a special type of straw and its use in decorating a wooden figurine. Straw inlay makes Vyatka products unique.

Author's matryoshka

Since the late 80s, early 90s of the 20th century, a new stage in the development of the art of nesting dolls begins - the so-called period of author's nesting dolls. The political and economic changes known as Gorbachev's "perestroika" aroused great interest in the world in Russian culture, its original, folk origin. Economic changes allowed the opening of private workshops. The master craftsman got the opportunity to freely sell his products, as it was 100 years ago.

Among those who willingly took up painting matryoshkas were professional artists. In place of the standard identical matryoshka doll, which developed in Soviet times, a new, author's one has come. First of all, nesting dolls brought back the thematic variety in the painting that existed in the early Sergiev Posad period.

Modern matryoshka

A characteristic feature of the modern author's matryoshka is its extraordinary picturesqueness. Her pattern is similar to a flowery fabric and creates a festive mood. One of the main themes of the painting is the world around. Many artists turn to motifs from Russian history, from the campaign of Prince Igor to modern history. It turned out that the matryoshka has a huge potential for conveying events unfolded in time and space. This movement seems to arise before our eyes and just as before our eyes can be “rolled up and put away” in a matryoshka case. It is worth mentioning that for the inauguration of Bill Clinton in Russia, nesting dolls with the image of the future US president and his closest associates were specially ordered.
You can often find nesting dolls painted under "Gzhel", "Zhostovo", "Khokhloma", "Palekh". In other words, the modern nesting doll, as it were, concentrates all the richness of the artistic traditions of Russian applied art.

The author's matryoshka can rightly be considered a new type of art that has enriched the world's artistic heritage and has become a desirable collector's item for museums and private collectors.
Matryoshka is a phenomenon of great artistic significance, this work is both sculptural and pictorial, it is the soul and image of Russia.

Matryoshka is the most famous and most popular of all Russian souvenirs. The traditional design of nesting dolls is still the image of a young Russian woman dressed in a national costume and with a scarf on her head. In the classic matryoshka, all the dolls in the set look almost identical, and the number of dolls in the set varies from 5 to 30.

Name history

In provincial pre-revolutionary Russia, the name Matryona was a very popular female name. It comes from the Latin word matrona - in ancient Rome the name of a free-born married woman who enjoys a good reputation and belongs to the upper class. Later, in Russian, the word matron began to be used in the sense of a respected woman, mother of the family. From the term "matron" came the Christian female name Matrona, which was transformed in Russian into Matryona.

The name was associated with the image of the mother of a large family, who also had a portly figure. Subsequently, the name Matryona acquired a symbolic meaning and was used specifically to describe brightly colored wooden dolls, made in such a way that one was inside the other. So the mother-doll with numerous daughter-dolls perfectly expresses the most ancient symbol of human culture and is also considered a symbol of motherhood and fertility.

With old technology

Even before the idea of ​​making nesting dolls appeared, Russian artisans had considerable experience in working wood on lathes. Long before the appearance of nesting dolls, craftsmen made Easter eggs and apples nested one inside the other.

Drying of the tree took place in natural conditions in the open air and for at least two years; only an experienced craftsman could decide when the material would be ready for processing. Then the logs were sawn into blanks.

Hand making a doll on a lathe requires high qualifications, the ability to work with a limited set of tools. The smallest figures were made first. Then the next doll was carved on it, and so on. The mold-making operations did not involve any measurement whatsoever; the master relied only on intuition and his skill.

Official history of occurrence

It is believed that the first Russian nesting doll was born in 1890 in the workshop of the Abramtsevo estate in new Moscow. The owner of the estate was Savva Mamontov, an industrialist and philanthropist.

Nesting doll "Fukurama", Japan, ca. 1890

One Saturday evening, someone brought a funny Japanese doll of the bald old man Fukurama into the workshop. The doll consisted of seven figures nested one inside the other. The origin of this doll is not known for certain; no one knows where it came from. However, there are various legends, the most popular of which says that the first doll of this type was made by a Russian monk on the island of Honshu in Japan. In fact, this type of product, when several items are inserted one into the other, has been known for a very long time. Using this technology, Russian artisans have been producing wooden Easter eggs and apples for several centuries. However, the very idea of ​​putting one product into another is quite ancient and goes back to the past of China, and it is not known which of the peoples inhabiting it, since it can be traced long before the unification of the Chinese peoples.

One of the artists of the Mamontov workshop, Sergei Malyutin, was intrigued by Fukurama and decided to do something similar, but with Russian specifics. The doll must have a Russian spirit and represent Russian cultural and artistic traditions. So Sergey Malyutin made a sketch of the doll and asked Vasily Zvezdochkin to make a wooden form of it.

Old man

Hetman

Malyutin painted the dolls according to his own design. The first Russian nesting doll consisted of eight dolls and described a peasant family - a mother and 7 daughters. This set and some other sets are now kept in the Sergiev Posad Toy Museum. In the same place in the museum you can see other old nesting dolls: the Old Man, the Hetman, "The Tale of the Turnip".

Sergiev Posad Russian matryoshka style

Until the end of the 90s of the 19th century, nesting dolls were made in the Moscow workshop, and after its closure, production moved to the training and demonstration workshops of Sergiev Posad near Moscow. In fact, Sergiev Posad became the place where the first industrial model of the Russian matryoshka was made. This ancient city is located 73 kilometers from Moscow. The city grew up around the famous Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

There was a market in the huge market square near the monastery. The square was always full of people, and it is not surprising that the first nesting dolls depicted just such a colorful life. Among the first images are young girls dressed in bright sundresses, Old Believer women in conservative clothes, brides and grooms, shepherds with pipes, old men with lush beards. In the early period of the development of technology, male images also appeared in nesting dolls.

Sometimes the matryoshka represented a whole family with numerous children and households. Some nesting dolls were devoted to historical themes and depicted boyars with their wives, Russian nobles of the 17th century, as well as legendary Russian heroes. Sometimes nesting dolls were dedicated to book characters. For example, in 1909, on the centenary of Gogol, Sergiev Posad released a series of nesting dolls based on Gogol's works: Taras Bulba, Plyushkin, Governor. In 1912, on the centenary of the Patriotic War against Napoleon, the dolls depicted Kutuzov and some other generals. Some nesting dolls borrowed fairy tales, often themes were taken from folk heroic tales.

The faces of the early matryoshka dolls of Sergiev Posad were oval, with hard features. Since the top of the dolls was greatly enlarged, the faces dominated the body. The dolls looked primitive and had a strong disproportion, but they were very expressive. In this early period, painting dolls was considered a secondary matter. In the first place came the skill of a turner, capable of making blanks with very thin sides. Professional artists who painted the first dolls did it for their own pleasure and did not take their work seriously. That is why the first nesting dolls look very primitive.

A little later, the folk art tradition took over. Icon painters from Sergiev Posad contributed to the further development of the pictorial style of the matryoshka. Icon painters mainly focused on the figure of a person and his face. This ancient tradition came to ancient Russian art from Byzantium, and the combination of the early type of nesting dolls from Sergiev Posad with the tradition of the local icon painting school is confirmed both stylistically and factually.

Sergiev Posad nesting dolls: from top to bottom - 1990 and 1998.

Matryoshka based on the fairy tale "Ruslan and Lyudmila", Sergiev Posad, 1998.

Initially, the types of nesting dolls were very different and depicted both male and female characters. Gradually the female character became dominant.

Semyonov style matryoshka

Semenovo is one of the oldest craft centers. The first mention of this village dates back to around 1644. There is a legend that the settlement was founded by the merchant Semyon and an apostate monk from the Solovetsky Monastery. In 1779, during the time of Catherine the Great, about 3,000 people worked in the workshops of Semenovo. Since the village was surrounded by forests, people used the wood to produce wood products for themselves and for sale. Some craftsmen made wooden toys for children, which later became a profitable business.

The first matryoshka in Semenovo was made by Arsenty Mayorov, well known for his wooden dishes, rattles and apples. In 1924, he brought unpainted nesting dolls from a fair in Nizhny Novgorod. His eldest daughter, Lyuba, painted the blank with the help of an ordinary goose quill and paints used by Semenovo artists for painting toys. In 1931, an artel was created in the village, which made souvenirs, including nesting dolls.

Gradually, a unique style of the Semyonov nesting doll developed, more decorative and symbolic than the style of Sergiev Posad. The Semyonovskaya tradition of painting uses aniline dyes; the artists leave a lot of unpainted space, and the dolls varnish. Technologically, the outlines of the face are first drawn, blush is applied to the cheeks, then the skirt, apron, handkerchief and hands are drawn.

The apron is considered the main thing in Semenov's painting. Usually a bright bouquet of flowers is drawn on it.

Semenov style

Currently nesting dolls are produced at the factory "Semyonov painting" and they continue the old traditions.

Polkhov-Maidan is located 240 kilometers southwest of Nizhny Novgorod. The first matryoshka doll was made here in the 1930s.

Polkhov style

Woodworking craftsmanship is an old tradition in Polkhov. A variety of products were made on lathes: samovars, birds, piggy banks, salt shakers and apples. The artists used aniline dyes. Matryoshkas were primed before painting, and after painting they were varnished. The color scheme of the Polkhovskaya matryoshka is much brighter and more expressive than that of the Semenovskaya. Green, blue, yellow, purple and crimson colors are used to contrast with each other to make a bright and expressive ornament. Color saturation is achieved by applying one layer of paint to another.

The drawing style is primitive and resembles children's drawings. The image is a typical village beauty; knitted eyebrows and a face framed in black curls.

Much more attention is paid to the floral ornament than to the face. In favor of the ornament, other details of the matryoshka costume are even ignored. At the same time, the main element of the ornament on the apron is a rose, as a symbol of femininity, love and motherhood.

Rose flowers are part of every composition by the Polkhov masters.

The history of Russian nesting dolls can be divided into three periods:

• 1) 1890-1930s;
• 2) 1930s - early 1990s;
• 3) early 1990s. until now.

The first period gave the world a Russian nesting doll. Several types of dolls were developed, several styles emerged. The flowering of art was interrupted by the construction of socialism in the USSR, because the Soviet government paid little attention to the development of handicraft production. The emphasis was on industrialization and industrial production; handicraft creativity did not fit into the concept of mass production of goods for the population. Although some types of nesting dolls were still produced.

Private production in the USSR was prohibited - artisans were obliged to work in state factories, make products according to a given pattern and not show initiative. Factory workers were not allowed to have lathes at home. Private production could be equated with theft of socialist property and was punishable by a rather long period of detention. The police and the government controlled roads and railway stations to prevent the products from being transported to other regions for sale. Nevertheless, people produced their own crafts and exported them to other republics of the Soviet Union, primarily to the north and Central Asia.

It was easier to work in state factories. At the very least, toys produced at state-owned enterprises were exported to many countries of the world.

Since the early 1990s, artists have been given complete freedom of expression, but the old economic system is still preventing them from truly working. At some point, smart people from the USSR State Planning Committee decided that it would be nice to dramatically increase the production of nesting dolls so that every person on earth could have at least one doll. So nesting dolls began to be mass-produced in Moldova, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Bashkiria, Karelia and many other places. Then no one even thought that a high level of craftsmanship was not transmitted along with woodworking tools. It turned out that the world was flooded with mediocre crafts that have no value. Without native traditions, the matryoshka lost its charm and turned into an ordinary wooden toy, very primitive and simple.

Modern matryoshka

Matryoshka is a doll that looks quite simple, but it has always been the best embodiment of time. As a form of folk art, the matryoshka has great potential; it conveys the deep meaning of events and develops in step with the times.

At different times, different matryoshkas were created. If the early matryoshka was stylistically primitive, then starting from the 20th century, artists tried to use the surface of the nesting doll to the fullest. A new type of nesting doll appeared, which was a picture in a picture. The basis of the image was still a young girl, only now on her apron they painted not flowers, but plots of Russian fairy tales and landscapes, as well as historical places.

The complication of traditional matryoshka painting has led to a huge variety of styles and variations. The tendency to use decorative elements typical of the traditional centers of Russian folk culture is becoming more and more popular in the painting of matryoshka dolls of the early 20th century. Dolls painted to look like Gzhel, Zhostovo, Khokhloma appear.

The so-called author's matryoshka appeared in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During this period, many artists, in step with market conditions, began to paint nesting dolls. We can say that perestroika gave the world a new kind of art - the author's painting of Russian nesting dolls, which is now part of many Russian and Western art collections.

The "political" matryoshka has gained particular popularity. There are a number of dolls depicting Russian tsars, Russian and foreign statesmen and politicians. The grotesque depiction of politicians is an old tradition that arose a very long time ago. Almost all political figures of the late 1980s and early 1990s are represented in funny cartoons. Especially popular at that time was the image of M. S. Gorbachev, who became a legendary political figure, and his matryoshka incarnation became especially popular in Europe and America.

Matryoshka is a huge artistic event that requires reflection. It's like sculpture and painting, the image and soul of Russia.

Tag: art

Bag from the House of Chanel in the form of a Russian nesting doll

Designer nesting dolls created for the anniversary of VOGUE magazine, intended for sale at auction, with an initial value of 5,000 euros. Each nesting doll is dedicated to the work of one Fashion House. (charity auction)

Semyonovskaya matryoshka - having heard the name of this work of art, everyone remembers the homeland of Khokhloma painting, craftsmen-shrubs, craftsmen of woodcarving. At first, the matryoshka was not the first thing the masters did, but it has forever taken root in the folk crafts of the city of Semenov, Nizhny Novgorod region. The toy is distinguished by its beauty and unique coloring.

The Semenov matryoshka is one of the unique and most recognizable symbols of Russia. It appeared at the end of the 19th century, when a lot of things changed radically in the history of the country, changing the culture of the Russian people. At this time, the era of the "Slavic style" flourished. Increasing interest is aroused by new fine arts, at the same time ancient crafts are being revived.

What is a matryoshka?

If you try to define this toy, then it is something like this: a nesting doll is a Russian wooden doll, inside of which are nested dolls similar to it, differing from each other in size and painting, the same nesting dolls.

The first such wooden toy was presented to the people in the form of eight alternations of girls - boys, who held black roosters and small chickens in their hands, and the last, the smallest, was made in the form of a swaddled baby. All eight dolls were painted with bright colors using folk motifs. This first matryoshka doll was carved by the toy master V.P. Zvezdochkin, and painted by the artist S.V. Malyutin.

History of creation

Creating works of art in the "folk style", famous artists, cabinetmakers, and often hired artisans took toys from other nations as a model. There is a fashion for everything Japanese, because oriental examples of art are of the greatest interest at that time. It was then that the progenitor of the Russian matryoshka was brought to our land.

From the Japanese city of Honshu, a figurine of a Buddhist sage, Fukurumu, was brought, inside of which several of the same, only smaller, were enclosed. The most interesting thing is that this work of art was first carved by a Russian monk who miraculously ended up on the islands of Japan.

According to historians, the Semyonov matryoshka doll, whose history begins in the 19th century, was created in the image of Fukurum, and it was his figurine that became the model for the Russian toy.

Symbolism

Semyonov matryoshka is a symbol of motherhood, a strong and healthy woman. The doll, which carries the whole family, is also a symbol of fertility.

The woman is a parent, the Mother had to work hard, look after the children, take care of their food, for this you needed strong hands and health, which is why the Semenov nesting doll looks so plump and blooming.

The nested dolls symbolize a strong family, mutual assistance and spiritual closeness.

Where did the name "matryoshka" come from?

You can explain the name of the Russian toy by analyzing all the facts listed below. Matryoshka, Matryona, Matryoshka - the root of the word is of Latin origin. Mater literally translates from Latin as "mother", it is interesting that the word has no other meanings.

Matryoshka is a derivative of the names Masha, Manya, Maria. This is a widely used name among the Slavs at all times.

Matryoshka is the name of the Buddhist goddess Matri.

Forever in history

At the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, the Russian matryoshka won universal recognition, after which its production went uphill, as demand increased several times. So in Semyonov - the city of wooden products - they began to make new souvenirs. Semyonovskaya matryoshka, the history of which was just beginning, has become the most popular, as local craftsmen easily adopted the experience, improved the technology, used bright colors for painting.

At first, the craftsmen turned and then painted dolls at home, then in workshops, and later they began to work in factories, fulfilling large orders.

Semyonov was called the "capital of spoons" of Russia, and nesting dolls were not in the first place in the production of wooden products. They were made from waste from made spoons. Over time, having adopted the experience of making Russian nesting dolls from the Moscow region craftsmen, local craftsmen introduced their own characteristic features into the design of the Semenov nesting doll. The image of a bright toy is becoming recognizable, gaining popularity not only in Russia, but also abroad.

Birth of a toy

The first Semenov matryoshka was born, the history of which is described in the article, in the Semenovsky district in the village of the Old Believers - Merinovo, Nizhny Novgorod region. Many residents of Merinovo then earned money by selling detachable caskets of various shapes, made outlandish turning toys for trade, and then nesting dolls.

Already in 1929 nesting dolls were made in the strict Semenov style - with a special painting, with a certain form, in the Trans-Volga style of wooden art. The first toy makers who created these dolls were Vagins, the oldest Merino craftsmen. Their first dolls were made on the model of the same toys from Nizhny Novgorod - bearded old men and mustachioed men.

Another Merino master, the toy maker Maiorov, brought home the same doll from Nizhny Novgorod, only it was a dummy, both inside and out. The eldest daughter of the master painted the doll in her own way, dressing her up with bright red flowers on her apron, "putting" a bright kokoshnik on her head. This is how Merino-painted nesting dolls appeared, and along with the Merino painting, a special form of this toy appeared. This is how the phenomenon of the Semyonov matryoshka was born.

Together with them, a large number of other wooden amusements were carved in Semenov. The artists painted them all in the same style of Khokhloma painting. The drawings on the surface of wooden products were unpretentious at first, but over time, the ornament was saturated with bright colors, more complex elements, and more floral patterns were added. The Semenov wooden matryoshka has become very picturesque and colorful.

How nesting dolls are made

Matryoshka is a doll hollow inside. This alone makes one think about the great skill of the craftsmen who make it. Matryoshka business is very difficult, it requires great skill and patience. Not every type of wood is suitable for manufacturing, so the master takes the choice of wood very seriously. Often used species such as birch, linden, aspen, sometimes alder. The tree is cut down in late winter or early spring. They choose a trunk that is even, without knots, which is then sawn into several logs, after which the bark is removed, and so that the tree does not crack when it dries, the edges are smeared with clay. After storing wood in a well-ventilated area, it is dried for a long time, but not overdried. “The tree is ringing - this is what you need!” - says the master, and even checks it for smell. With precise and skillful movements, he carves out the desired shape of the product, making the smallest one with the very first matryoshka. The finished carved figure is ground, primed and polished. Only after that they begin to paint the surface using gouache, watercolor, acrylic or oil paints.

Marvelous beauty painting

The painting of Semenov nesting dolls is done in the famous Semenov Khokhloma style, pictorial elements and motifs of Ancient Rus' are used. It is the external, decorative elements that play an important role in the manufacture of a souvenir.

The first dolls were made for peasant children, so they were painted with unpretentious patterns. With the help of a sharpened goose quill, the artists applied the contours of the face and clothes, then all the elements were painted with aniline paints of bright shades of scarlet, crimson, blue, green and lilac. The basis of the Semenov matryoshka painting is large bright flowers crowned with mountain ash, circles, bows, small flowers. A layer of wax was applied over the painted matryoshka, later they began to use varnish.

This applies to traditional Semyonov nesting dolls, while over time souvenir dolls in the fashionable “Russian style” began to appear, the silhouettes of which are filled with historical figures (“Taras Bulba”, “Napoleon”, “Kutuzov”). Often famous personalities, the families of tsars (“The Romanov Family”), boyars, writers (“Gogol”, “Pushkin”, “Krylov”) and the heroes of their stories and fairy tales (“Turnip”, “Kolobok”) often became the face of the matryoshka.

Folk heritage of the country

For many Semenovites, matryoshka art has become a hereditary affair. Semenov workshops, toy circles and artels united into one factory. In 1954, the joint artel "Toy" appeared, which in 1960 was reorganized into a factory. From this moment on, the production of multi-seated nesting dolls has been going on, dolls are made from 18, 25 nesting dolls. Multi-seated nesting dolls were made for the most famous events and big dates.

Semyonov masters painted 1600 nesting dolls

The unique painting of the Semenov matryoshka is observed to this day. The original souvenirs of the factory "Semenov painting" surprise with their assortment. Recently, Semenov's masters have painted 1600 matryoshka dolls, but they do not stop there. As a souvenir, this toy has always been and will be an excellent gift both on the territory of our country and abroad. This testifies to the international popularity of the Russian matryoshka.

How do legends come about? Not out of nowhere, of course. There is always some kind of starting point, but ... Here is an inaccuracy, there is an amendment. And embellishment - where do without it? This is how the truth is distorted before everyone's eyes, and a hundred-mouthed rumor spreads fiction throughout the wide world. And now she is already dressed in formal clothes, and even if you are a witness at least three times, you will not dare to challenge the ingrained opinion. It also happens differently. In a series of days and worries, it is difficult to notice seemingly insignificant facts, so everyday and frivolous. And as the years go by (the big is seen from a distance), people's memories intersect so bizarrely and strangely (or even do not intersect at all) that it is no longer possible to determine who is right and who is not.

At first glance, everything in the history of nesting dolls seems to be simple and clear. It appeared at the end of the 19th century, it was invented by the artist Malyutin, turned by the turner Zvezdochkin in the workshop "Children's Education" Mamontov, the Japanese sage Fukuruma served as a prototype. But do not flatter yourself, lovers of Russian folk art, any of the above facts can be disputed. Are you surprised? It also seems strange to me, because not so much time has passed.
But let's start in order. Emergence. Nobody knows the exact date, sometimes the appearance of the matryoshka is dated 1893-1896, because these dates were established according to the reports and reports of the Moscow provincial zemstvo council. In one of these reports for 1911, N.D. Bartram writes that the matryoshka was born about 15 years ago, and in 1913, in the report of the Bureau to the handicraft council, he reports that the first nesting doll was created 20 years ago. That is, it is rather problematic to rely on such approximate reports, therefore, in order to avoid mistakes, the end of the 19th century is usually called, although there is also a mention of 1900, when the matryoshka won recognition at the World Exhibition in Paris, and orders for its manufacture appeared abroad.
Now about the artist Malyutin. All researchers, without saying a word, call him the author of the nesting doll sketch. But the sketch itself is not in the artist's legacy. There is no evidence that the artist ever made this sketch. Moreover, the turner Zvezdochkin attributes the honor of inventing the matryoshka to himself, without mentioning Malyutin at all. About turner Zvezdochkin: this is perhaps the only undeniable character who took part in this confusing story. Undeniable, you say? Eh, no, recently in a reputable magazine I was surprised to read about the turner Zvezdochetov (!), As if he had carved a nesting doll. But let's take it as a curiosity. Now the workshop "Children's education". Sometimes it is called a store owned by M.A. Mamontova or A.I. Mamontov, or S.I. Mamontov. And finally, Fukuruma. Zvezdochkin does not mention him, but only talks about what he once saw in a magazine "a suitable chock". Where did the wooden folding god Fukurum come from then, allegedly brought either from Japan or from Paris by no one knows who (there are a lot of options)? Yes, our dear matryoshka is not so simple, she, like a real beautiful lady, is full of mysteries. Let's try to figure them out.

Matryoshka was born in the workshop-shop "Children's Education", which belonged to the spouses M.A. and A.I. Mamontov. Anatoly Ivanovich, brother of the famous philanthropist S.I. Mamontov, was directly involved in its creation: he demanded from the masters more and more new models of toys. The main occupation of A.I. Mamontov had a book publishing activity, the store "Children's Education" was originally a book store, apparently, only later a workshop was opened with him, in which toys were made.
Here is how the turner Zvezdochkin describes the appearance of the matryoshka: " ... In 1900 (!) I invent a three- and six-seat (!) matryoshka and send it to an exhibition in Paris. Worked for Mamontov for 7 years. In 1905, V.I. Borutsky sent me to Sergiev Posad to the workshop of the Moscow Provincial Zemstvo as a master."From the materials of V.P. Zvezdochkin's autobiography, written in 1949 (an excerpt from which is quoted above), it is known that Zvezdochkin entered the "Children's Education" workshop in 1898 (he was from the village of Shubino, Podolsky district). So the matryoshka is not could have been born earlier than 1898. Since the master's memoirs were written almost 50 years later, it is still difficult to vouch for their accuracy, so the appearance of the matryoshka can be dated approximately 1898-1900.As you know, the World Exhibition in Paris opened in April 1900 , so this toy was created a little earlier, perhaps in 1899. By the way, at the Paris exhibition, the Mamontovs received a bronze medal for toys.
Interesting facts were collected by E.N. Shulgina, who in 1947 became interested in the history of the creation of nesting dolls. From conversations with Zvezdochkin, she learned that he once saw a “suitable chock” in a magazine and carved a figurine based on her model, which had a “ridiculous look, seemed to resemble a nun” and was “deaf” (did not open). On the advice of masters Belov and Konovalov, he carved it differently, then they showed the toy to Mamontov, who approved the product and gave it to a group of artists who worked somewhere on the Arbat to paint. This toy was selected for an exhibition in Paris. Mamontov received an order for it, and then Borutsky bought samples and distributed them to handicraftsmen.
Probably, we will never be able to find out exactly about the participation of S.V. Malyutin in the creation of the matryoshka. According to the memoirs of V.P. Zvezdochkin, it turns out that he himself invented the shape of the nesting doll, but the master could forget about painting the toy, many years passed, the events were not recorded: after all, then no one could have imagined that the nesting doll would become so famous. S.V. Malyutin at that time collaborated with the publishing house of A.I. Mamontov, illustrated books, so he could well paint the first matryoshka, and then other masters painted the toy according to his model.
Where did the name "matryoshka" come from? Everyone knows that Matrena is a female name, beloved among the peasantry. But still there are quite a lot of popular peasant names, why was this chosen? Perhaps the toy resembled a certain girl Matryosha in its appearance, which is why it got its name (as the famous Oscar, similar to someone's uncle Oscar). It is unlikely that the truth will ever be found out. By the way, the name Matryona comes from the Latin Matrona, which means "noble woman", Matron was written in the church, among the diminutive names: Motya, Motrya, Matresh, Matyusha, Tyusha, Matusya, Tusya, Musya. That is, theoretically, a matryoshka could also be called a motka (or muska). It sounds, of course, strange, although what is worse, for example, "marfushka"? Also a good and common name is Martha. Or Agafya, by the way, the popular painting on porcelain is called "agashka". Although we agree that the name "matryoshka" is very successful, the doll has really become "noble".
There is also no agreement on the number of nesting dolls in one set. Turner Zvezdochkin claimed that he originally made two matryoshka dolls: a three-piece and a six-piece. The Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad has an eight-seat nesting doll, which is considered the first, the same chubby girl in a sundress, apron, flowered scarf, who holds a black rooster in her hand. She is followed by three sisters, a brother, two more sisters and a baby. It is often stated that there were not eight, but seven dolls, they also say that girls and boys alternated. For the set kept in the Museum, this is not the case.
Now about the prototype matryoshka. Was there Fukuruma? Some doubt, although why then did this legend appear, and is it a legend? It seems that the wooden god is still kept in the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad. Perhaps this is also one of the legends. By the way, N.D. Bartram himself, the director of the Museum of Toys, doubted that the nesting doll "we borrowed from the Japanese. The Japanese are great masters in the field of turning toys. But their well-known "kokeshi" in principle of their construction are not similar to a nested doll."
Who is our mysterious Fukurum, a good-natured bald sage, where did he come from? Apparently, this saint is one of the seven gods of luck, the god of learning and wisdom Fukurokuju. His head has an unusual shape: his forehead is excessively high, as befits a man of remarkable intelligence, he holds a staff and a scroll in his hands. According to tradition, the Japanese visit temples dedicated to the deities of good luck on New Year's Eve and purchase their small figurines there. Could it be that the legendary Fukuruma contained the other six good fortune deities within it? This is only our assumption (rather controversial).
V.P. Zvezdochkin does not mention Fukuruma at all - a figurine of a saint, which was decomposed into two parts, then another old man appeared, and so on. Note that in Russian folk crafts, detachable wooden products were also very popular, for example, the well-known Easter eggs. So there was Fukuruma, there wasn’t him, it’s difficult to find out, but it’s not so important. Who remembers him now? But our matryoshka is known and loved by the whole world!

Note:
N. D. Bartram (1873-1931) - founder and director of the Toy Museum, artist, scientist.
V.I. Borutsky (1880 - after 1940) - entrepreneur, organizer of handicraft production.

References:
Dine G.L. Toy craftsman. - M .: Education, 1994.
Mozhaeva E., Kheifits A. Matryoshka. — M.: Soviet Russia, 1969.
Bartram N.D. Selected articles. Memories of an artist. - M .: Soviet artist, 1979.
Popova O.S., Kaplan N.I. Russian art crafts. — M.: Knowledge, 1984.
Baradulin V.A. etc. Fundamentals of artistic craft. - M .: Education, 1979.
Bardina R.A. Products of national art crafts and souvenirs. - M .: Higher school, 1986.
Blinov G.M. Wonder horses, wonder birds. Stories about Russian folk toys. - M .: Children's literature, 1977.
Orlovsky E.I. Products of folk art crafts. - L .: Lenizdat, 1974.
Kaplan N.I., Mitlyanskaya T.B. Folk arts and crafts. - M .: Higher School, 1980.
Directory of personal names of the peoples of the RSFSR. - M .: Russian language, 1979.

With full or partial use of materials, an active link to the site "Russian thimbles" is required.