Message about matryoshka for children. History of Matryoshka

13.08.2019

Russian matryoshka is one of the most famous characters Russia. This is a toy whose popularity has gone far beyond the borders of the state itself. The birthplace of the Russian nesting doll is Sergiev Posad. It was there that the wooden young lady was first invented, from which similar toys appeared when opened. different sizes.

Unlike many folk crafts, the popularity of which was lost due to the emergence of new techniques and materials, the Russian nesting doll is still very popular all over the world.

History of the emergence of the fishery

(Turner Vasily Petrovich Zvezdochkin, creator of the first Russian nesting doll)

The appearance of the first Russian nesting doll dates back to 1898 - 1900. It was at this time that the famous turner, Vasily Petrovich Zvezdochkin, was engaged in the manufacture wooden toys, at the request of Sergei Malyutin, he made a blank from wood, into which the same opening blanks were inserted, but of different sizes. The subject for painting the very first toy was the everyday activities that Russian beauties did. The matryoshka consisted of eight wooden dolls.

(Classic matryoshka)

Later, various variations of nesting dolls appeared, the number of dolls in which was different. So, at the beginning of the 20th century, products consisted of 24 elements, and the famous turner Nikita Bulychev created a doll consisting of 48 wooden young ladies. Matryoshka dolls began to be produced on a mass scale in Mamontov’s artel in Sergiev Posad.

A few years after its production, the Russian nesting doll was presented at an exhibition in Paris. Foreigners liked the toy so much that Russian craftsmen received orders for it not only from the vastness of the Motherland, but also from other countries. Less than a dozen years have passed since the first precedents for making counterfeit nesting dolls appeared in other countries.

Elements of fishing

Russian nesting dolls differed not only in the number of dolls that were included in one product. The depicted subjects and painting techniques were different.

(Matryoshka family of 8 dolls)

The most common were dolls consisting of 3, 8 and 12 elements. Masters also produced matryoshka dolls of 21, 24, 30 and 42 dolls.

Traditional subjects for depictions on matryoshka dolls were everyday themes. Most often, the occupations of Russian young ladies of one period or another were reflected. The girls were depicted in traditional dresses with scarves on their heads. In their hands they could hold sickles for the harvest, jugs of milk, baskets of berries, etc. A little later, other subjects began to be depicted on matryoshka dolls, for example, characters from fairy tales and fables, heroes of stories by famous writers.

Also, instead of young ladies, generals, politicians and other prominent figures could be depicted.

(Old ends XIX beginning XX centuries and modern nesting dolls of the XX-XXI centuries)

At some point in time, even the shape of the nesting dolls changed, for example, cone-shaped dolls appeared, inserted into one another. Such forms did not gain popularity among the common people, and quickly fell into oblivion.

Traditional nesting dolls also differed in their painting style. Today there are:

Zagorsk style with bright and rich colors and many small, clearly drawn elements;
Merinovo matryoshka doll with painting of large flowers;
Semenov style with strict symmetrical painting;
Polkhovskaya with the obligatory image of a rose hip flower;
Vyatka doll depicting a northern young lady, modest and shy.

(Types of nesting dolls from different regions of Russia, as well as Ukraine)

The traditional material for making nesting dolls is deciduous tree species, since they are the easiest to process. Most often, craftsmen use linden; colored gouache, ink, and aniline paints are used as paints for painting. The finished product is protected by wood wax or clear oil-based varnish.

Execution technique

A turner is traditionally involved in making matryoshka dolls. It is his task to prepare linden blanks. Only mature and thoroughly dried tree samples are taken for cutting.

(Making nesting dolls)

First, the craftsman grinds out the smallest solid figurine. After that, he moves on to the next largest figurine and makes only its lower part. After processing, this element is well dried, and only then the upper part of the figurine is adjusted. According to this scheme, all the components of the nesting doll are prepared.

Dried parts must be treated with starch glue. It is applied as a primer layer and serves as the basis for painting. After the primer has thoroughly dried, the craftsmen begin painting the nesting dolls. For this, goose feathers, brushes, sponges, etc. are used.

(Painting the finished matryoshka doll)

The painting techniques used today are different, but the traditional images are very simple, since the doll was originally intended for children to play with. Masters draw a simple face. The doll's head is necessarily depicted covered with a scarf, which is painted in traditional Russian patterns. The type of clothing most often depicted is a sundress; sometimes it can be complemented by an apron. The figurine is decorated with floral ornaments.

After the paint has dried, a finishing layer is applied, which protects the nesting doll from moisture and chips.

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

History of the name

In the 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 freeborn married woman of good reputation and belonging to the upper class. Later in Russian the word matrona began to be used to mean a respected woman, mother of a family. From the term "matrona" comes the Christian female name Matrona, 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 symbolic meaning and was used specifically to describe brightly painted wooden dolls, made so that one was inside the other. Thus, a mother doll with numerous doll daughters perfectly expresses the most ancient symbol of human culture and is also considered a symbol of motherhood and fertility.

Using ancient technologies

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

Drying of the wood took place under natural conditions on outdoors and 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.

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

Official history of origin

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.

Seven-seater nesting doll "Fukurama", Japan, ca. 1890

One Saturday evening someone brought a funny Japanese doll bald old man Fukurama. The doll consisted of seven figures nested one inside the other. The origin of this doll is unknown for certain; no one knows where it came from. However, there are different 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 objects are inserted into one another, has been known for a very long time. Using this technology, Russian artisans produced 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 which of the peoples inhabiting it is unknown, since it can be traced long before the unification of Chinese peoples.

One of the artists from 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 Sergei Malyutin made a sketch of the doll and asked Vasily Zvezdochkin to make a wooden mold based on it.

Old man

Hetman

Malyutin painted the dolls in accordance with 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. There in the museum you can see other old nesting dolls: Old Man, Getman, “The Tale of a Turnip”.

Russian nesting doll style of Sergiev Posad

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 training and demonstration workshops in Sergiev Posad near Moscow. In fact, Sergiev Posad became the place where the first industrial prototype of the Russian nesting doll was made. This ancient city is located 73 kilometers from Moscow. The city grew up around the famous Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.

There was a market on 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 Believers women in conservative clothes, brides and grooms, shepherds with pipes, old men with lush beards. IN early period development of technology in nesting dolls appeared and men's images Same.

Sometimes the nesting doll represented a whole family with numerous children and household members. Some nesting dolls were dedicated historical topics 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, for 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 Patriotic War against Napoleon, the nesting dolls depicted Kutuzov and some other commanders. Some nesting dolls were borrowed fairy tales, often themes were taken from folk heroic tales.

The faces of the early nesting dolls of Sergiev Posad were oval, with hard features. Because 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. During this early period, painting dolls was considered a secondary matter. The skill of the turner, who was able to make workpieces with very thin sides, came first. The 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 artistic tradition took over. Further development fine style The matryoshka dolls were contributed by icon painters from Sergiev Posad. Icon painters mainly focused on the human figure 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 female character became dominant.

Semyonovsky style matryoshka

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

The first nesting doll in Semenovo was made by Arsenty Mayorov, well known for his wooden utensils, rattles and apples. In 1924, he brought unpainted nesting dolls from a fair in Nizhny Novgorod. His eldest daughter Lyuba painted the blank using a regular quill pen and paints used by Semenovo artists to paint toys. In 1931, an artel was created in the village, which produced souvenirs, including nesting dolls.

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

Semenovsky style

Currently, nesting dolls are produced at the Semenovskaya Painting factory and they continue the old traditions.

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

Polkhovsky style

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

The style of the drawing is primitive and reminiscent of children's drawings. The image is a typical village beauty; knitted eyebrows and a face framed by black curls.

Much more attention is paid to the floral design 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 Polkhov masters.

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

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

The first period gave the world the Russian nesting doll. Several types of dolls were developed and several styles emerged. The flourishing 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 placed 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 template and not show initiative. Factory workers were not allowed to have lathes at home. Private production could be equated to the theft of socialist property and was punishable by a fairly long period of detention. The police and government controlled roads and railway stations to prevent the transport of products to other regions for sale. Nevertheless, people produced their own crafts and exported them from to other republics Soviet Union, primarily to the north and Central Asia.

It was easier to work in state factories. At least toys made in state enterprises, were exported to many countries around the world.

Since the early 1990s, artists have been given complete freedom of expression, but the old economic system. At some point, the smart people from the USSR State Planning Committee decided that it would be a good idea to sharply 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 woodworking tools were not transmitted along with high level skill. It turned out that the world was flooded with mediocre crafts that have no value. Without native traditions, the nesting doll 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 best incarnation time. Like the shape folk art The nesting doll has enormous potential; she conveys deep meaning events and develops with the times.

IN different time different nesting dolls were created. If the early matryoshka was stylistically primitive, then starting from the 20th century, artists tried to use the surface of the matryoshka to the fullest. Appeared new type nesting dolls, which was a picture within a picture. The basis of the image was still a young girl, only now on her apron they painted not flowers, but scenes from 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 trend of using decorative elements characteristic of traditional centers Russian folk culture, are becoming increasingly popular in painting matryoshka dolls of the early 20th century. Dolls painted like Gzhel, Zhostovo, and Khokhloma appear.

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

The “political” nesting doll has gained particular popularity. There is a whole range of dolls depicting Russian tsars, Russian and foreign statesmen and politicians. The grotesque depiction of politicians is an old tradition that dates back a very long time. Almost all politicians the late 1980s and early 1990s are presented in funny cartoons. The image of M. S. Gorbachev, who became a legendary political figure, became especially popular at that time, and his matryoshka incarnation became especially popular in Europe and America.

Matryoshka is huge art event, which requires comprehension. This is like sculpture and painting, the image and soul of Russia.

Tag: Fine arts

The folk costume of our ancestors was amazingly beautiful. Every detail of it was evidence of the way of life of this or that volost. Clothing, both festive and everyday, corresponded to the lifestyle, well-being and marital status. The color scheme was varied - combinations of red, blue, yellow and green flowers, with bright flora, embroidered on aprons, scarves, on the sleeves and hem of shirts. All this gave a festive look to any woman, even on a gloomy winter day. Once visiting a Russian landowner foreign traveler, looking out the window, I saw an extraordinary sight: “What is this?” - That was all he could say. The landowner exclaimed somewhat in bewilderment: “But these are the women from my village going to church for Sunday service.” The foreign guest was amazed at the colorful spectacle of festively dressed peasant women. He had never seen a simple woman dressed so smartly.

So the famous Russian nesting doll apparently borrowed these outfits from Russian beauties and craftsmen - craftsmen who fantasized and painted with pleasure different patterns wooden dolls.

The history of the creation of the Russian nesting doll

Where is the homeland of this beloved wooden toy, which has become one of the best souvenirs from Russia? It is the Moscow district that is the birthplace of the famous Russian nesting doll. Although, in more detail, at the end of the 19th century Alexandra Mamontova brought “ Children's education"A figurine of the Japanese old sage Fukuruma. The toy was interesting because it contained several figures that were nested one inside the other, smaller and smaller in size, until the very last one turned out to be very small. So local craftsmen decided to repeat this fun for their children. Vasily Zvezdochkin carved the toy, which consisted of eight figures, and the artist Sergei Malyutin painted the figures. But the first toy consisted not only of Russian beauties. It alternated images of a Russian beauty, dressed in a sundress, an apron and a scarf, with images of stately young men, and the smallest was a baby - a baby.

They called the doll “Matryoshka” - the female name Matryona (Matrona) was very popular at that time. In 1900, production moved to the provincial town of Sergiev Posad.

Sergievsky district, named so under Catherine II, was located in dense forests, and the wooden toy industry has long flourished in all villages. Matryoshka dolls were carved from aspen, birch, linden, alder and painted bright colors their outfits: cheap dolls - with glue paints, and expensive ones - with enamels and watercolors. People loved these bright beauties and bought them not only for children, but also for their collections. Is there a family of nesting dolls in your collection of dolls, or at least one of them?

Bag from the House of Chanel in the shape of a Russian doll

Designer nesting dolls created for the anniversary of VOGUE magazine, intended for sale at auction, with a starting price of 5,000 euros. Each nesting doll is dedicated to the creativity of one fashion house. (charity auction)

Russian matryoshka - the history of the toy

History of the name

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 freeborn married woman of good reputation and belonging to the upper class. Later in Russian the word matrona began to be used to mean a respected woman, mother of a family. From the term “matrona” comes 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 painted wooden dolls, made in such a way that one was inside the other. Thus, a mother doll with numerous doll daughters perfectly expresses the most ancient symbol of human culture and is also considered a symbol of motherhood and fertility.

Using ancient technologies

The wood was dried under natural conditions in the open air 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.

Official history of origin

Seven-seater nesting doll "Fukurama", Japan, ca. 1890

One Saturday evening, someone brought a funny Japanese doll of a bald old man, Fukurama, into the workshop. The doll consisted of seven figures nested one inside the other. The origin of this doll is unknown 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 objects are inserted into one another, has been known for a very long time. Using this technology, Russian artisans produced 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 which of the peoples inhabiting it is unknown, since it can be traced long before the unification of Chinese peoples.

Old man

Hetman

Malyutin painted the dolls according to his own designs. 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. There in the museum you can see other old nesting dolls: Old Man, Getman, “The Tale of a Turnip”.

Russian nesting doll style of Sergiev Posad

There was a market on 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 Believers women in conservative clothes, brides and grooms, shepherds with pipes, old men with lush beards. In the early period of technology development, male images also appeared in nesting dolls.

Sometimes the nesting doll represented a whole family with numerous children and household members. Some nesting dolls were dedicated 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, for the centenary of Gogol, Sergiev Posad released a series of nesting dolls based on Gogol’s works: Taras Bulba, Plyushkin, Governor. In 1912, to mark the centenary of the Patriotic War against Napoleon, nesting dolls depicted Kutuzov and some other commanders. Some nesting dolls borrowed fairy tale themes, often the themes were taken from folk heroic tales.

A little later, the folk artistic tradition took over. Icon painters from Sergiev Posad contributed to the further development of the artistic style of the nesting doll. Icon painters mainly focused on the human figure 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.

Semyonovsky style matryoshka

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

The first nesting doll in Semenovo was made by Arsenty Mayorov, well known for his wooden utensils, rattles and apples. In 1924, he brought unpainted nesting dolls from a fair in Nizhny Novgorod. His eldest daughter Lyuba painted the blank using an ordinary quill pen and paints used by Semenovo artists to paint toys. In 1931, an artel was created in the village, which produced souvenirs, including nesting dolls.

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

Semenovsky style

Currently, nesting dolls are produced at the Semenovskaya Painting factory and they continue the old traditions.

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

Polkhovsky style

The style of the drawing is primitive and reminiscent of children's drawings. The image is a typical village beauty; knitted eyebrows and a face framed by black curls.

Rose flowers are part of every composition by Polkhov masters.

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

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

The first period gave the world the Russian nesting doll. Several types of dolls were developed and several styles emerged. The flourishing 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 template and not show initiative. Factory workers were not allowed to have lathes at home. Private production could be equated to the theft of socialist property and was punishable by a fairly long period of detention. The police and government controlled roads and railway stations to prevent the transport of products to other regions for sale. Nevertheless, people produced their own crafts and exported them from to other republics of the Soviet Union, primarily to the north and Central Asia.

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

Since the early 1990s, artists have had complete freedom to express themselves, but the old economic system still prevents them from truly working. At some point, the smart people from the USSR State Planning Committee decided that it would be a good idea to sharply 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. Back 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 nesting doll 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 nesting doll has enormous potential; it conveys the deep meaning of events and develops in step with the times.

Different nesting dolls were created at different times. If the early matryoshka was stylistically primitive, then starting from the 20th century, artists tried to use the surface of the matryoshka to the fullest. A new type of matryoshka appeared, which was a picture within a picture. The basis of the image was still a young girl, only now on her apron they painted not flowers, but scenes from 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 trend of using decorative elements characteristic of traditional centers of Russian folk culture is becoming increasingly popular in the painting of nesting dolls of the early 20th century. Dolls painted like Gzhel, Zhostovo, and Khokhloma appear.

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

The “political” nesting doll has gained particular popularity. There is a whole range of dolls depicting Russian tsars, Russian and foreign statesmen and politicians. The grotesque depiction of politicians is an old tradition that dates back a very long time. Almost all political figures of the late 1980s and early 1990s are represented in funny caricatures. The image of M. S. Gorbachev, who became a legendary political figure, became especially popular at that time, and his matryoshka incarnation became especially popular in Europe and America.

Matryoshka is a huge artistic event that requires comprehension. This is like sculpture and painting, the image and soul of Russia.

Inexperienced, but also experienced foreign tourist First of all, he brings matryoshka dolls from Russia. It has long become a symbol of our country, along with vodka, the bear and similar clichés that have developed in the mass consciousness. On the other hand, the Russian nesting doll is a brilliant example of folk talent, weakly susceptible to the influence of mass culture.

History of the Russian nesting doll

The most amazing thing is that before late XIX centuries there were no nesting dolls in Russia at all. In the second half of the century Great Reform Alexander II is bearing fruit: industry is booming, construction is underway railways. At the same time the level increases national identity, there is interest in national history and culture, folk crafts are being revived. Since the 60s of the 19th century, a new branch of fine arts began to take shape, called the “Russian style”. IN Soviet time 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. Malyavin, K.A. Korovin, S.V. Malyutin, E.D. Polenov most actively participated in the creation of the Russian style in art. They were supported by famous patrons of the arts: 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 ancient folk crafts and collected 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 when making toys. To broaden the horizons of masters and develop them creative imagination in the workshop they ordered samples of toys from different countries peace. At this time, there was an increased interest in oriental, especially Japanese, art. Exhibition Japanese art, which took place in St. Petersburg in the second half of the 90s, contributed greatly 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, into which several more wooden figurines were inserted. The Fukurumu figurine was brought from the island of Honshu; according to Japanese legend, such a figurine was first carved by a certain Russian monk who came to Japan through unknown means. It is believed that the Fukurumu figurine became the prototype of the Russian nesting doll.

Author of the Russian nesting doll

The author of the first Russian nesting doll is unknown, but its appearance was predetermined by widespread interest in national art in all spheres of social life, the desire of the owner and masters of the “Children’s Education” store-workshop to interest the public, to create something new and unusual in the Russian spirit. Finally, the appearance of the Fukurumu figurine at an exhibition of Japanese art became a kind of precise crystallization of this idea.

The first Russian nesting doll was carved in the workshop of A.I. Mamontov. There is a stamp on it: “Children’s education.” It was carved by the hereditary toy maker Vasily Petrovich Zvezdochkin, and painted by S.V. Malyutin, who collaborated with A.I. Mamontov, illustrating children's books.

Why is the nesting doll called that?

The name “matryoshka” for the 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.

The first Russian nesting doll looked something like this.

Vasily Zvezdochkin carved the first Russian nesting doll. It was painted by Sergei Malyutin. 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 the Russian nesting doll made of?

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

The very first thing to carve is a small one-piece figure. For opening nesting dolls, the lower part, the bottom, is first carved out. After turning, the wooden doll is thoroughly cleaned and primed with paste, achieving a perfectly smooth surface. After priming, the matryoshka is ready for painting.
The first-born in the production of nesting dolls was the “Children’s Education” workshop, and after its closure this craft was mastered in Sergiev Posad. The local craftsmen created their own type of nesting doll, which to this day is called Sergiev Posad.

Russian doll painting

In 1900, the Russian matryoshka was presented at World's Fair in Paris, where she received a medal, and world fame. At the same time, international orders came in, which only highly qualified craftsmen from Sergiev Posad could complete. V. Zvezdochkin also came to work in the workshop of this city.

The first Russian nesting dolls were very diverse in both shape and painting. Among the early Sergiev Posad samples, in addition to girls in Russian sundresses with baskets, sickles, bouquets of flowers, or in winter sheepskin coats with a shawl on their heads, there are also often male characters: the bride and groom holding wedding candles in their hands, a shepherd boy with a pipe, an old man with a thick beard. Sometimes a nesting doll represented a whole family with numerous children and household members.

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

Matryoshka “Taras Bulba”

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

Very popular were nesting dolls painted based on fairy tales, legends and even fables: “Tsar Dodon” and “Swan Princess” from the fairy tales of A.S. Pushkin, “The Little Humpbacked Horse” from the fairy tale by P.P. Ershov, characters from I.A. Krylov’s fables. In Sergiev Posad they also made nesting dolls decorated with burning. Typically, burning was used to create an ornamental pattern throughout the matryoshka, its clothes, face, hands, scarf and hair.

International recognition of the Russian nesting doll

The matryoshka doll receives international recognition: in 1905, a store was opened in Paris, which immediately received an order for the production of a batch of boyar dolls. In 1911, Sergiev Posad craftsmen completed orders from 14 countries. The price list of the Sergiev Zemstvo educational and demonstration workshop in 1911 listed twenty-one types of nesting dolls. They differed in painting, size, number of inserts. Sergiev Posad nesting dolls had from 2 to 24 inserts. In 1913, turner N. Bulychev made a 48-seater matryoshka doll specifically 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 matryoshka dolls, turning figures with the thinnest walls. At this time, the carvers reasonably considered themselves the authors of the nesting dolls, and the painting of the nesting dolls played minor role. Professional artists who painted the first toys did not take this activity particularly seriously.

The largest Sergiev Posad nesting doll was carved by turner Mokeev in 1967. It consists of 60 (!) places. The matryoshka doll from Sergiev Posad is distinguished by its squat shape, the top smoothly transitioning into the expanding lower part of the figure, painted with gouache and varnished. The preferred proportion of the nesting doll is 1:2 - this is the ratio of the width of the nesting doll to its height.

Semyonovskaya matryoshka

The enormous popularity of the Sergiev Posad matryoshka doll has led to the emergence of competition. Craftsmen from other places could see the new product at fairs, especially at the largest one in the country, Nizhny Novgorod. Sergiev Posad nesting dolls attracted the attention of Nizhny Novgorod toy carvers. In the Nizhny Novgorod province, a large artisanal center for the production of nesting dolls appears - the city of Semyonov (after which the nesting doll is called Semenovskaya).

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

For almost 20 years, Merinovsky nesting doll makers took first place among the craftsmen of the Nizhny Novgorod region for 20 years.

Painting of the Semyonovskaya nesting doll, which is brighter and more decorative compared to the Sergiev Posad one. The painting of Semenov's nesting dolls originates in folk traditions"herbal" ornament Ancient Rus'. The Semyonov craftsmen left more unpainted surfaces; they use more modern aniline paints, also varnished.

The basis of the composition in painting a Semenovskaya nesting doll is an apron on which a lush bouquet of flowers is depicted. Modern masters create a painting in three colors - red, blue and yellow. They change the color combination of the apron, sundress and scarf. Traditionally, the bouquet on the apron is written not in the center, but slightly shifted to the right. Semyonovsk turners came up with a special form of matryoshka dolls. She, unlike the Sergiev Posad one, is slimmer. Its upper part, relatively thin, abruptly turns into a thickened lower part.

The Semyonovskaya matryoshka differs from others in that it is multi-place and consists of 15-18 multi-colored figures. It was in Semyonov that the largest 72-seat nesting doll was carved. Its diameter is half a meter and its height is 1 meter.
Semyonov is considered largest center on creating nesting dolls in Russia.

Matryoshka from Polkhovsky Maidan

In the southwest of the Nizhny Novgorod region there is another famous center for the production and painting of nesting dolls - the village of Polkhovsky Maidan.
This is an ancient artisanal center, whose residents specialized in wood carving and making wooden toys. The first Polkhov nesting dolls, made following the example of the Sergiev Posad dolls, were finished with burning. Later local residents began to paint them using floral ornament. The masters of Polkhovsky Maidan, as well as Semenov, paint with aniline paints. Color

The Polkhov-Maidan matryoshka doll is even more vibrant and sonorous color scheme and larger painting.

The style of the Polkhov-Maidan matryoshka belongs to the so-called. peasant primitiveness, its painting resembles children's drawing., The artists of Polkhovsky Maidan, like the masters of Semenov, pay the main attention to floral painting on the apron, omitting all the everyday details of the costume.

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

Matryoshka inlaid with straws

The Vyatka nesting doll is the northernmost of all Russian nesting dolls. It gained special originality in the 60s of the twentieth century. Then they began to not only paint the nesting dolls, but also inlay them with straws. This is a very complex, painstaking work, including preparation special type straw and its use in decorating a wooden figurine. Straw inlay makes Vyatka products unique.

Author's doll

From the late 80s, early 90s of the 20th century begins new stage in the development of the art of matryoshka - the so-called period of the author's matryoshka. Political and economic changes known as Gorbachev’s “perestroika” aroused great interest in the world in Russian culture, its original, popular origin. Economic changes made it possible to open private workshops. The master craftsman was able to freely sell his products, as it was 100 years ago.

Among those who willingly began painting nesting dolls were professional artists. The standard, identical nesting dolls that emerged in Soviet times have been replaced by a new, original one. First of all, the nesting dolls returned the thematic diversity in painting that existed in the early Sergiev Posad period.

Modern matryoshka

A characteristic feature of the modern author's nesting doll is its extraordinary picturesqueness. Its design looks like a flowery fabric and creates a festive mood. One of the main themes of the painting is the surrounding world. Many artists turn to motifs from Russian history - from the campaign of Prince Igor to modern history. It turned out that the nesting doll contained huge potential to convey events unfolding in time and space. This movement appears before our eyes and can just as quickly 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 images of the future US president and his closest associates were specially ordered.

Sometimes only one fairy tale is illustrated on one doll, sometimes on each of the inserted dolls we will see heroes different fairy tales, folk or author's - Pushkin, Ershov, Aksakov, Tolstoy, etc. What is not a wonderful book of fairy tales, the plot of which is suggested by illustrations, the logical sequence of which is gradually revealed on each of the figures? And, as in the book, the artist-author’s plan can be traced; in contrast, the scope of children’s imagination opens up.

Russian doll. Architectural painting

Very often, artists paint architectural monuments on matryoshka aprons. Such a nesting doll is the best souvenir; it will remind you of visiting a particular place. The ensemble of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, architectural monuments of Moscow, Vladimir, Suzdal, Novgorod and many other Russian cities are often found in the matryoshka ornament.

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