Product Description
Bogatyrs and the Heiress to the Throne (Богатыри и наследница престола). Vintage matryoshka from Kalinin (today Tver). Paint, woodburning, lacquer. "Made in USSR" red/black paper label. Circa mid-1980s or earlier. 4 nest, 6" to 1½". Like new condition. 1 only, as shown.
The last piece is a Tsarina, implying that the three bogatyrs are protecting her. The bogatyr is an ancient hero or warrior akin to a Western European knight errant. Many of the stories about them revolve around the court of Vladimir I of Kiev (958–1015). The most prominent bogatyrs were the trio of Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets, each distinguished by a character trait: Alyosha Popovich for his wits, Dobrynya Nikitich for his courage, and Ilya Muromets for his physical and spiritual power and integrity, and for his dedication to the protection of his homeland and people.