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One of a kind matrioshka nesting dolls - this section contains better quality nesting dolls with more complicate painting and with unusual subjects. Often these nesting dolls are articles for collectors of nesting dolls. I dare to say that more often these nesting dolls are bought as gifts for children and for adult people as well.

Genre nesting dolls - there is a huge variety of matryoshkas (matroyshka - this is how it sounds in Russian) with many different subjects. Everything what artists see around can be reflected in painting on matryoshkas nesting dolls. Often these matryoshkas reflects Russian life and traditions, they are just pieces of Russian life.

Flowers theme of painting on Russian nesting dolls are very popular and these matryoshkas are most common. Flower type nesting dolls usually are painted in Sergiev Posad - this is old center of Russian crafts, the first nesting doll was painted in Sergiev Posad. Artists use bright tempera paints to paint nesting dolls but often artists use so called burning technique - instead of paint an artist uses hot needle to make drawing.

Animals - this is nice to see your pets painted at nesting doll! Cats and dogs, owls and frogs, monkeys and lions- these animals can be found painted on nesting dolls. These nesting dolls are object of collecting but they often are bought as gifts for children. One time old lady bought a hedgehog nesting dolls for her hedgehog!

Santa theme nesting dolls are quite popular before Christmas and this is natural. Different Santa nesting dolls can be a nice gift for Christmas. Painting of Santa (actually Russian artists paint not exactly Santa Clause but Russian Father Frost) goes from Russian tradition to put a Father Frost figurine beneath the Christmas tree.

Tiny nesting dolls are about 1" high. Can you imagine that? Nice things for gifts, especially for kids. Good articles for collectors. This is very hard to make such small nesting dolls, to turn wooden form. As well this is hard to paint on such small forms of nesting dolls - the smallest piece is just a few milimeters tall. The tiny nesting dolls are perfect gifts for children although this is not recommended to give them for small children.

Cartoons and Disney films matryoshkas nesting dolls - children want to see their favorite characters at nesting dolls. Here they are! The most popular cartoon movies are - Winnie-the-Pooh, Cinderella, Snow white, Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, Bamby, 101 Dalmatians, The Sponge Bob, Batman, Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Lion King and, of course, modern films.

Tales - this is really good idea to see illustration of favorite fairy tales on nesting dolls. Artist use a form of a nesting doll to make an illustration to most popular Russian tales. The most popular nesting dolls with tales are Snowmaiden, Tale about Wild Geese, Tale about little hut, Princess Frog, Firebird, tales of Pushkin.

Sport nesting dolls describe most popular sport teams with favorite sportsmen and with winners in recent games. Baseball, basketball, football, golf, hockey and other sport nesting doll are popular among those who collect such things. These nesting dolls can enrich and expand collection of sport memorabilias. Nesting dolls with football, basketball, baseball, hockey teams and players might be interesting items for collectors, such nesting dolls can be perfect gifts for funs.

History maybe you want to get to know more about history of Russian nesting dolls.

Pins - five tiny hand painted lacquer dolls hang from a safety pin style brooch - flowers, families, Disney characters, animals - as illustrated above

Russian nesting doll (as well called matrioshka, matryoshkas, babushka dolls, babushka's doll, matroyshka, matryushka, and stacking dolls) or matryoshkas as it sounds in Russian - probably, the most popular Russian national souvenir. The wide fame was won by Russian matryoshka (nesting doll) far abroad. At all large exhibitions, fairs, the festivals held in different counties of the world, amusing cheerful nesting dolls were most fascinating exhibits. Also it seems, that matroyshka nesting doll has come to us from a gray-haired antiquity, from the world of legends and fairy tales. Actually this wooden doll is about hundred years.

The first Russian nesting doll (matryoshka) was born in 1890 in the workshop "Children's Education" situated in Abramtsevo estate new Moscow. Russian wooden dolls within smaller dolls were called matryoshka. In old Russian among peasants the name Matryona or Matriosha was a very popular female name. Scholars says this name has a Latin root "mater" and means "Mother". This name was associated with the image of of a mother of a big peasant family who was very healthy and had a portly figure

Here is a collection of nesting dolls that are the most popular among nesting dolls collectors and among matroyshka lovers. It is far from completeness but the inventory of nesting dolls is often changed so from time to time you can find more and more new matryoshka nesting dolls. Take your chance and read about history of Russian nesting dolls. Make your choice.