The Matryoshka or babushka doll as it is fondly known is a wooden doll that, when opened, contains several wooden dolls of decreasing sizes within it. The Matryoshka doll set is a Russian tradition, which is also a popular conversation starter and a tourist fancy.

Who Created The First Matryoshka Doll?

The original Matryoshka doll set was created in 1890 by Vasily Zvyozdochkin. A folk crafts painter called Sergey Malyutin, who worked in the Abramtsevo estate Savva Mamontov, a Russian industrialist and arts patron, created the basic design for the first Matryoshka doll set.

The crafts master Sergey Malyutin painted the doll set himself, once Vasily Zvyozdochkin had crafted them finely out of wood. The original set painted by Malyutin created eight dolls nested beautifully one within the other. The outermost doll depicted a girl holding a rooster. The eight inner dolls comprised of 6 girls, 1 boy and a little baby at the end.

How Did Matryoshka Dolls Become Popular?

Impressed with the design genius of Vasily Zvyozdochkin and the intriguing paintwork and decoration of the estate artist Sergey Malyutin, Savva Mamontov's wife presented the nested dolls to the public in 1900. It was then, in 1900 at the World Exhibition in Paris that the Matryoshka dolls saw their first public appreciation outside of Russia, when people marveled the ingenuity and the cleverness of the design. Needless to say, the Matryoshka dolls won a bronze medal at the World Exhibition. After this win, Matryoshka dolls were created in several places in Russia by different crafts people. Slowly they became a collector’s item, with some wealthy families owning the first originals created by the master craftspersons themselves.

What Themes Are Matryoshka Dolls Based On?

Historically, Matryoshka dolls were designed to represent women, especially rural or tribal women and their families. Over time, various themes have been explored such as Russian fairy tales, peasant girls in traditional dress, Soviet leaders and their growth phases, and even world leaders! As the dolls become more and more modern in expression in keeping with tourist expectations, a bit of the old Russia is fading while newer, more global themes are being used to create these dolls.

What Does The Word Matryoshka Mean?

The word "Matryoshka" means “little matron" or “little mother”. The dolls are an indirect salute to womanhood and motherhood and as such, offer a sentimental value to women and families.