Matryoshka NEW ARRIVALS

Semenov Matryoshka 7-nest

Semenov Matryoshka (Россияночка).  A traditional Semenov matryoshka that goes by the name of Rossiyanochka (Россияночка) or Mashenka (Машенька), which are interchangeable and endearing terms.  This is the 7-piece version and is 6¾" in...

Russian Lubok Matryoshka [1993]

Russian Lubok (Русский Лубок). Hand painted matryoshka in the Lubok graphic style. "Lubok" (лубо́к, лубо́чная картинка) is a popular print with simple text that explains the story of the picture. Basically a late 17th-early 18th century comic scene...

Ukrainian Nesting Doll [Vintage]

Ukrainian Nesting Doll. Colorful vintage set from Ukraine, but unfamiliar to us. Perhaps Mirgorod, but that's an educated guess. Appears to be scarce. 5 nest, 4¾" down to short of 1". 1 only, as shown. Small paint chip top of 3rd piece,...

Viatka "White Flowers" Matryoshka [Vintage]

Viatka "White Flowers" Enhanced (Вятка "Белые Цветы" Улучшенная). Why enhanced? We invite you to learn more about it below. Of the several (over 800) hundred 7 nested sets that passed through our shop, we can remember only one that had, not one, but two...

Viatka "Shawl" Matryoshka [Vintage]

Viatka "Shawl" Enhanced (Вятка "Шаль" Улучшенная). Why enhanced? We invite you to learn more about it below. Of the several (over 800) hundred 7 nested sets that passed through our shop, we can remember only one that had, not one, but two pieces, that...

Tale of the Priest and Balda [Pushkin]

"The Tale of the Priest and of his Workman Balda" ("Сказка о попе и о работнике его Балде") is a fairy tale in verse by Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837). The Priest hires Balda on the cheap to collect a fabricated debt from the sea devils. Balda causes the...

Churches of Bogorodsk [7nest, 7"]

Churches of Bogorodsk. Detailed woodburnt designs go to the last tiny doll. Artistic painting and enhancements include "potal", which is gold and silver foil decoration (the foil is called potal) that imitates gilding and silvering. The centers of each...

Silver Church Maidens [Vintage]

Silver Church Maidens.  The churches in the center of each piece are abstract images of the monastery at Sergiev Posad. The faces are nicely painted with large black eyelashes and ruby lips. An attractive doll from the golden age of Russian-made...

Bath Time Family Matryoshka [1990]

Bath Time (Время для купания). Family nesting dolls are very popular. Here we have a family of redheads ready to get all cleaned up. The father hoists a wooden bucket with steaming water, the mother combs her long hair, and the children bring their toys...

Viatka Nolinsk 8pc [Vintage 1970s]

Vyatka Nolinsk Matryoshka [Vintage 8pc]. This is a rarely encountered, in our experience, monochromatic doll with yellow tops (shawls) and purple bottoms (dresses) on the first five, then polka-dots and blank wood. The only piece that stands out is the...

Zagorsk Nesting Doll [Vintage 3pcs]

Zagorsk Matryoshka [1980s]. This cute matryoshka doll probably was made in the mid-1980s. The colors are still vibrant and the condition is very good, with some small scuffs/chips at the top of 2nd doll, paint loss on the flower on 1st, and usual wear at...

Zagorsk Nesting Doll (Vintage 4pc)

Zagorsk Matryoshka (Загорская Матрешка). Vintage 4-nest from early 1970s. Strong primary colors common in dolls from this period. In good condition with usual flaking and chipping that plagues Zagorks dolls. No retouching has been done. Purple backstamp...

Russian Boy [Semenov 1967]

Russian Boy (Русский Паренек). Uncommon mid-1960s Semenov boy box. Nicely crafted. On the bottom is a detailed paper label in Russian (see below). In near fine condition with very little wear. Probably originally purchased from a Beriozka shop around...

Warrior Box [Vintage Moldova]

Warrior Box. Moldavia USSR (today Moldova). Unusual hand made and painted warrior (воиничел) box with factory label on the bottom that identifies it as from 1973 and made in the Tiraspol Factory of Souvenirs ("Тираспольская фабрика сувениров"). As...

Icons Nesting Doll

Icons (Иконы). This nesting doll exemplifies changes that were occuring under the Mikhail Gorbachev regime, which emphasized glasnost' and perestroika (openess and reform). Icons held by the nuns include the angel from the Trinity, John the Baptist,...

Sergiev Posad "Flower" Miniature [Vintage]

Sergiev Posad Miniature "Flowers" Matryoshka. Elegant vintage doll with lots of detail in a small space. Wood burnt outlines, blue-turquoise and gold potal details (gold foil that imitates gilding) and paints. The top of the first doll is enhanced with...

Polkhovsky Maidan "Coquette" Matryoshka [Vintage]

Polkhovsky Maidan "Coquette" Matryoshka (Полховский Майдан «Кокетка» Матрешка). In our experience, among almost all of the classic Polkhovsky Maidan dolls we've encountered, a matryoshka with a flirtatious head tilt like this one, is uncommon...

Works of Borisov-Musatov Art Matryoshka

The Paintings of Victor Borisov-Musatov (Картины Виктора Борисова-Мусатова). A one-of-a-kind art doll that was painted and signed by the artist (O. Shepel) of Rostov on the Don and dated 1993. Each doll is illustrated "in the round" to show each painting...

The Works of Gauguin Russian Art Matryoshka

The Paintings of Paul Gauguin (Картины Гогена). A one-of-a-kind jewel masterpiece art doll that was painted and signed by the artist (I. Shepel) of Rostov on the Don. Each piece has a copy of a painting by Gauguin and a black border running vertically on...

Polkh Maidan 4nest 1970s

Polkhov Maidan/Krutets Matryoshka.  Krutets is a village in the Vladimir region and is a neighbor to Polkhovsky Maidan, which is its bigger sister. The styles of the two villages, are similar. This set exhibits the inherent childlike naivete. ...