Santa Claus Nesting Doll. Santa nesting dolls prior to 1991 were scarce and this one from Brest was one of the only ones available. Painted in primary colors, it even had a 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". Late 1980's. 1 only, as shown.

Refer to Collector's Guide to Nesting Dolls by Michele Lefkovitz, p. 24. 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.