Product Description
Father Frost (Santa Claus) Nesting Doll. Christmas nesting dolls before 1991 were uncommon (one guess as to why) and this one from Brest was, at the time, one of the only sets available. Painted in primary colors, it had Santa holding a letter addressed to him. Vintage Brest matryoshka with a red and black "Made in the USSR" export paper label on the bottom of the first doll. Excellent condition. 4 nest, 4½" to 2". Mid to late 1980s. 1 only, as shown.
Refer to Collector's Guide to Nesting Dolls by Michele Lefkovitz. She has a section on dolls from the Brest region with many pictures. This one is pictured on p. 37.
Dolls from Brest were made in Belarus (Byelorussia, or Belarus), which up to 1991 was part of the Soviet empire. Brest (formerly Brest-Litovsk) is a city in Belarus at the border of Poland. For a long time, the Brest Matryoshka factory was a prolific production center for unusual nesting dolls. Their dolls were made from birch wood.