Nesting Dolls (Matryoshka) - Traditional - 7 doll sets - Folk Art
Russian Gifts

'Cathedrals' $75.14 Size: approx. 8'' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. RUSSIAN CHURCHES & CATHEDRALS Orthodox Christianity was brought to Russia during the time of Vladimir, Grand Prince of Kiev, during the twelfth century. Vladimir sent representatives to distant lands to study the religions of other civilizations. They reported back to him saying: Then we went to Greece, and the Greeks led us to where they worship their God, and we knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are at a loss how to describe it. We only know that God dwells there among men. (The Russian Primary Chronicle) Bishops from Greece traveled to Russia to spread the faith, and Vladimir and many of his countrymen were converted to Christianity. The history of Russia was always characterized by invasions from foreign enemies, such as the Tartar Khans, in which the people sought to defend their homeland. By the 16th century the Khans suppressed the independence of the Russian lands, exacting monetary tribute, and prohibiting the unhindered practice of the Orthodox Christianity by the Russian peoples. It was primarily the desire for political and economic freedom, and the desire for the freedom to worship in the Orthodox Christian manner, which lead the Russian Czar Ivan Grozny to lead an army of 150,000 upon the Tartar stronghold at the city of Kazan in the summer of 1552. On the Orthodox Feast Day of the Protection of the Theotokos, called ''the Pokhrov'' (October 1, 1552) the army marched on Kazan. The following day the city fell to the armies of Ivan. The victory was attributed to the intercessions of the Theotokos (the Mother of God) on behalf of the Russian people. Some 3 years later in 1555 the Czar ordered the beginning of the construction of the Pokhrovsky Cathedral in commemoration of this victory. The Cathedral of the Pokhrov, commonly called St. Basil's Cathedral, is one of the most prominent landmarks in Russia, and one of the most spectacular buildings in the world. It is recognized the world over as a symbol of Russia and of the Russian Orthodox Church. After Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453, Russia continued for several centuries to develop a national art that had grown out of the middle Byzantine period. During the 10th-15th centuries, Russian art had begun to show marked local variation from the Byzantine model, and after the fall of Constantinople it continued along these distinctive lines of development. This period of Russian art, which lasted until the adoption of western European culture in the 18th century, is also known as the Moscow or National period. During the Moscow period, churches in Russia began to develop a style all their own. The following brief essay describes well the changes in Russian architecture: After the hegemony in the world of Orthodox Christianity shifted to Muscovite Russia, Moscow, having become the new city of Constantine--the ''third Rome''--and aspiring to rival the older centres of culture, launched a building program commensurate with its international importance. The Kremlin and two of its important churches were rebuilt by Italian architects between 1475 and 1510. These churches, the Assumption (Uspensky) Cathedral and the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, were largely modeled after the churches of Vladimir. The Italians were required to incorporate the basic features of Byzantine planning and design into the new cathedrals; it was only in the exterior decoration of St. Michael the Archangel that they succeeded in introducing Italian decorative motifs. A third church, the modest Annunciation Cathedral (1484-89), with its warm beauty, was the work of Pskov architects. There the kokoshniki were introduced in the treatment of the roof. This element, similar in outline to the popular Russian bochka roof (pointed on top, with the sides forming a continuous double curve, concave above and convex below), foreshadowed a tendency to replace the forms of the Byzantine arch by more elongated silhouettes. Ecclesiastical architecture began to lose the special features associated with the Byzantine heritage, becoming more national in character and increasingly permeated with the taste and thought of the people. The most important change in Russian church design of the 16th century was the introduction of the tiered tower and the tent-shaped roof first developed in wood by Russia's carpenters. Next was the substitution of the bulb-shaped spire for the traditional Byzantine cupola. This affected the design of masonry architecture by transforming its proportions and decoration and even its structural methods. The buildings acquired a dynamic, exteriorized articulation and specifically Russian national characteristics. The boldest departures from Byzantine architecture were the churches of the Ascension at Kolomenskoye (1532) and the Decapitation of St. John the Baptist at Dyakovo (c. 1532) and, above all, the Cathedral of St. Basil (Vasily) the Blessed (or, the Pokrovsky Cathedral) in Moscow, 1554-60. In St. Basil the western academic architectural concepts, based on rational, manifest harmony, were ignored; the structure, with no easily readable design and a profusion of disparate colourful exterior decoration, is uniquely medieval Russian in content and form, in technique, decoration, and feeling. St. Basil, like its predecessors the churches at Kolomenskoye and Dyakovo, embodies the characteristic features of the wood churches of northern Russia, translated into masonry. An effective finishing touch was given to the ensemble of the Kremlin's Cathedral Square by the erection of the imposing Belfry of Ivan II the Great, begun in 1542. The colossal white stone ''column of fame,'' with its golden cupola gleaming above the Kremlin hill, was the definite expression of an era, reflecting the tastes and grandiose political ambitions of the rising Russian state. (Russian Orthodox Church)

'Christmas / Nativity' $72.89 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. RUSSIAN CHRISTMAS Christmas is celebrated in Russia according to Russian Orthodox Church calendar - on 7 January. During this time people send warm greetings to each other, wishing good health, happiness and great successes. Unlike it is the case in Western countries, Russia does not celebrate Christmas as widely as they do the New Year's Day. In Russia, New Year's Day is a national holiday. Children do not go to school because they have winter holidays at that time. People do not work on that day. Many people celebrate New Year's Eve at home; they organize a party for members of the family or for their friends. A Christmas tree stands in every house at Christmas and sometimes Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden visit people's homes. Do you know that the first Christmas tree went on public display in 1852 at the Ekaterinhoff Concert Hall in St. Petersburg. the Russian are convinced that Grandfather Frost lives in a well-built wooden cottage (Russia izba) in the woods. it is also thought that he travels in a sleigh troika together with the Snow Maiden. the Snow Maiden is a beautiful girl with a long blond braid and she is dressed in a sparkling snow-patterned sarafan trimmed with polar fox. Her head is crowned by a stellar snow flake. Father Frost is dressed in a warm sheepskin coat, felt boots and has big gloves on his hands. people decorate trees in any way they wish. New Year is celebrated with the family. people like the costumed festivities. Children in different costumes dance around the Christmas tree, recite poetry, sing for gifts. children like to help with the holiday preparations; they make multi-colored toys from paper, cover nuts in gold wrappers

'Daisies' $67.95 Size: approx. 6.8' Metric: 17 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. The whole set is made using a woodburning-imitation technique in combination with a beautiful golden metal incrustation. Each doll has a splendid glossy finish. RUSSIAN BEAUTY What is a typical old Russian conception of woman's beauty? The ideal of a beautiful woman was considered to be a tall, strong and stately woman with red cheeks, blue eyes and blonde hair. Such women were well-represented by the renowned Russian painter, Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev. Such woman's beauty was also taken as a starting point for original matryoshka making. In provincial Russia before the revolution the name Matryona or Matriyosha was a very popular female name. It was derived from the Latin root 'mater' which means 'mother'. This name was associated with the image of a mother of a big family who was very healthy and had a portly figure. Subsequently, it became a symbolic name and was used specially to describe brightly painted wooden dolls made in such a way that they could be taken apart to reveal smaller dolls fitting inside on another. The first nesting dolls of Sergiev Posad portrayed this special beauty: young girls dressed in Russian sarafans carrying baskets, scythes, bunches of flowers or dressed in winter short fur coats and scarves. The nesting doll before you is a great example of Russian beauty reflected in a matryoshka doll.

'Daisies Girl' $60.11 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. &

'Dunya' $48.95 Size: approx. 6.8' Metric: 17 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. The whole set is made using a woodburning-imitation technique in combination with a beautiful golden metal incrustation. Each doll has a splendid glossy finish. MORE INFO / RELATED STORY: &

'Family' (set 1) $52.6 Size: approx. 4.4'' Metric: 11 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation Product Details As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer. The tallest doll is signed by the artist. The set displays a typical Russian (rural Russia) family, hospitable and welcoming. RUSSIAN HOSPITALITY Should you be lucky enough to be invited to a Russian home for dinner be assured that you will get the best of what's on hand and plenty of it. Russians are famed for their hospitality and love to invite people over in order to thoroughly stuff them. It is expected that a guest will accept all that is offered and your host may be offended should you decline. Be prepared for staunch arguments on the part of your host as to why you should eat the lump of raw pork fat or drink the glass of home-made sweet elderberry wine stuck in front of you. When invited to a Russian's apartment for a dinner party it is considered de rigueur to bring something along, usually alcohol and perhaps flowers for the hostess. People often dress up as if they were going out to a fancy restaurant, and women take nice shoes with them in a bag in order to avoid the ridiculous situation of being in their finest evening dress and sliding around in tapochki. Drinks are usually preceeed by toasts (sometimes taking the form of long speeches) and much glass clinking. Often the revelry lasts well into the night and can include singing and dancing until people pass-out or go home... Copyright ''1 VIP Dating''

'Family' (set 2) $59.95 Size: a approx. 4.8 inches Metric: a 12 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer. The tallest doll is signed by the artist. The set displays a typical Russian (rural Russia) family, hospitable and welcoming.

'Family' (set 3) $52.6 Size: approx. 4.4'' Metric: 11 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation Product Details As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer. The tallest doll is signed by the artist. The set displays a typical Russian (rural Russia) family, hospitable and welcoming.

'Favourite Family Pets' $195.4 Size: approx. 7.6'' Metric: 19 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: matte Availability: ships within 7-12 business days Origin: Russian Federation Product Details As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. The whole set has a gentle matte finish. PETS ON NESTING DOLLS The tradition of painting pets, birds and poultry on nesting dolls is, actually, as old as the nesting doll itself. The first Russian nesting doll turned by Vassily Zviozdochkin and painted by Sergey Maliutin contained 8 pieces: a girl with a black rooster was followed by a boy and then by a girl again and so on. All figurines were different from each other, the last one was a figurine of a baby wrapped in diaper. Ever since then roosters and other poultry have been often pictured on matryoshka dolls. It is important to emphasize that poultry has always been treated a ''pets'' by both village and town children. Chicks and ducklings are often pictured in the hands of children being in the same nesting doll set with children holding kittens and puppies. The matryoshka doll before you is an excellent example of a ''pets nesting doll''. It will make a wonderful gift to any kid, especially a growing one as it may be used as both a toy and a teaching tool.

'Fire Bird' Fairy Tale (set 1) $74.49 Size: approx. 8 inch (20 cm). Consists of: 7 pieces. Finish: glossy (lacquer). Availability: ships within 5-10 business days. Origin: Russian Federation. As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist.

'Fire Bird' Fairy Tale (set 2) $79.95 Size: approx. 8' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, displaying beautiful paintings based on the 'Fire Bird' fairy tale. The full name of the fairy tale is, of course, 'Ivan Tsarevich, the Fire Bird and Gray Wolf' and you may read the whole tale below. IVAN TSAREVICH, THE FIRE BIRD & GRAY WOLF (Russian Fairy-Tale) In a far away land a thief was stealing golden apples which had the power of bestowing youth and beauty from Tsar Berendey's magic Garden. The guards of the Tsar were unable to stop this, for as hard as they tried, the thief always got away. None of the guards could even see this thief. The Tsar was frustrated for he needed the golden apples for himself, as he was married to a very beautiful young Queen. The only person who spotted the thief was the Tsar's son, Prince Ivan Tsarevich. As the night came upon the Garden, the young Tsarevich hid under a water bucket and listened closely to every sound around him. At dawn, the Prince almost fell asleep, but the silence was broken by a magical being. The Prince pulled the water bucket up slightly so he could just see through the thin opening. And there it was; The Fire Bird. In the depth of night the Fire Bird would fly into the garden with its feathers blazing with a silvery of golden sheen. Its eyes were shining like crystals and would light the place as brightly as a thousand burning fires. The Tsarevich crawled up to the unsuspecting bird, and rushed to grab it by the tail. The next day Prince Ivan told his father the old Tsar, about the Fire Bird. He showed his father the only feather he had managed to get from the Bird's tail. As the Bird was too smart and flew away. From that day on the Tsar was obsessed with the idea of capturing the Fire Bird for himself. In order to find the Bird he sent his three sons on a journey to another Kingdom. Ivan Tsarevich's adventure begins when after a long day's ride he falls asleep, only to awake in the morning and find his horse gone. Wondering through the woods he meets a gray wolf who confesses that he ate the horse. Grateful that Ivan had spared his life, Gray Wolf offers to let Ivan ride on his back. Grey Wolf takes Ivan to Tsar Afron's kingdom, where the Fire Bird is kept in a golden cage inside the Tsar's walled garden. The Prince warned by the Gray Wolf to take only the bird, and not the cage, takes the cage as well and triggers an alarm. Captured by Tsar Afron, he is told that in order to have the Fire Bird he must pay for it with the Horse of the Golden Mane, which is in possession of Tsar Kusman. The Gray Wolf carries Ivan to Kusman's palace and advises him to acquire the horse but not the bridle. Once again the Prince is tempted by the gold and diamonds in the bridle, so he ignores the advice. He again becomes captured by Kusman, who now says he will only give him the horse in exchange for the fair Princess Elena, who was residing with Tsar Dalmat. This time the wolf does the work himself and seizes Elena. He brings her back to Ivan and the Prince falls in love with her. The wolf offers to trick Kusman by assuming Elena's shape and also to trick Afron too by assuming the form of the horse. Ivan returns, with Elena, the horse and the Fire Bird, however when the wolf leaves him he is ambushed and killed by his brothers. The wolf then returns and revives him with the Waters of Life and Death, the brothers are banished, and Ivan Tsarevich meets Tsar Berendey to tell his tragic story. When the Tsar's grief fades, the Prince marries Elena the Fair and they lived happily ever after.

'Fruits' $67.63 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. &

'Girl Bringing Water' $52.6 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the largest one is signed by artist. BYELORUSSIA Official website of the President of the Republic of Belarus reads: The Republic of Belarus is situated in the centre of Europe. Within its territory are laid the shortest transport communications connecting the CIS countries with the states of West Europe. Belarus shares common frontier with Poland, the Baltic States, Russia and Ukraine. The territory of Belarus is 207, 000 sq. km., population - about 10 millions and 70% of them lives in cities. The population of Minsk city, the capital of Belarus is about one fifth of the country population. In accordance with the political division Belarus consists of six regions (oblast). The state languages are Belarusian and Russian The state power exercised on the basis of its division on legislative, executive and judicial. Belarus is a presidential republic. The President of the Republic of Belarus is a head of state, a guarantor of the Constitution, of peoples' rights and freedoms. In accordance with the Constitution the legislative body is the Parliament consisting of two branches. The executive power in the republic is been exercised by the Government - the Council of Ministers being the central body of state administration. Belarus is one of economically developed countries of the CIS. In its economic share of industry is nearly one third of national product's volume. The most developing branches of industry are motor-car construction, machine-tool construction and bearing production, electrical industry, oil mining and processing, production of synthesized fiber, fertilizers, pharmaceutical industry, production of building materials, light and food industries. Historically, Byelorussia has been one of the closest neighbours of Russia. This particular matryoshka nesting doll depicts a girl in a traditional Byelorussian dress, carrying water in wooden buckets.

'Girl in Traditional Dress' $60.11 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the largest one is signed by artist. The set displays Russian girls in traditional national dress. CLOTHES IN OLD RUSSIA Clothes can tell us about the people who wear them: about their class, their rank, their job, their country. Now one can see traditional Russian costumes in museums or during Russian village holidays.  Costumes were worn during important holidays: during Easter, during the Trinity day festivities and during weddings. Sewn over hundred years ago, the costumes have been kept as family heirlooms by a number of generations of villagers. The costume showed the differentiation between people of different social positions. Their costumes reveal their conception of the world and their way of life. The Russian costume is richly decorated and specific cloth and colors were used. Each region had its own kind of costume. The men's costumes include: a shirt with a slanted cut to the collar, narrow pants, belts, hats and boots. The women's costume include: a long-sleeved shirt, a sarafan, a short jacket (called 'dushegreya'), a kokoshnik (head-dress) and short boots. These costumes reveal their conception of the world and the beauty of morals. The costumes reflect the villagers' own taste in ornamentation, favorite colors, and particular way of wearing specific articles. There is a typical old Russian conception of beauty. The ideal of a beautiful woman was considered to be a tall, strong and stately woman with red cheeks, blue eyes and blonde hair. Wearing the village's costume, a woman reveals the social status and her age. Young married women wore mainly clothes with bright colors, and their costumes were adorned with a great number of beads, buttons and necklaces. Old women wore black, white and brown colors. Married women wore the scarf in such a way that completely covered the hair. People believed that a woman with uncovered hair can bring misfortune to her family. The young, unmarried women wore their scarves in such a way as to reveal the hair and braid. But every social class wore specific clothes. Rich people tried to show their wealth and prosperity through their clothes. Russian Clothes Vocabulary Kokoshnik - woman's head-dress in old Russia Shuba - a fur coat Sarafan - a long woman's dress covering feet and having the form of a high skirt with straps or sleeveless chemise worn over one with sleeves Sermyaga - a kind of rough woolen cloth used for peasant clothing Kosovorotka - a shirt with a narrow stand up collar and an off-center slit or button closure shifted to the left or the right Onuchi - long narrow strips of cloth (up to two meters in length) over which lapti (bastshows) were worn Ponyova - a kind of skirt made of three lengths of cloth and ornamented with embroidery, lace, spangles and beads Perednik - an apron that served to keep the clothes clean; on holidays it was used as a decoration Valenki - felt boots Kaftan - garment Tulup - sheepskin

'Golden Fish' Fairy Tale $75.14 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. THE GOLDEN FISH (Russian Fairy-Tale) Once upon a time, in a land far-far away lived a very poor couple in a shack not far from the edge of the sea. Their only means of food was the fish that the old man caught in the sea. One morning, as was his usual routine, the fisherman took his fishing net down to the sea. But on this day something unusual happened, on this day the fisherman caught the Golden Fish. The Golden Fish begged for the fisherman to spare his life, and offered in return to grant the fisherman any wish he would like. But the kindhearted fisherman asked for nothing, and returned the Golden Fish to the sea. However, the fisherman's wife was not so kindhearted, she became irate when he related the story to her, and sent him back to the sea to catch the Golden Fish and to wish for a loaf of bread. The fisherman did as he was told, he caught the fish and wished for a loaf of bread. When he returned home he found a fresh baked loaf of bread on the table. The fisherman's wife then decided that she wanted more than just a loaf of bread. The next morning she sent her husband to ask for a new. He returned home to find his wife with a new washtub, but she still wasn't satisfied. The following day the husband was sent to the sea to find the magic fish and to wish for a new house. This wish was, like the ones before it, granted to the fisherman. But the fisherman was sent back again the next day to wish that his wife would become governor. This time he returned home to find his wife dressed in riches and ordering about servants. But the woman was still unhappy, and demanded to become Queen of all the land. Eventually, even being Queen of all the land did not satisfy the wife, and so she sent her husband once last time to the sea to catch the Golden Fish and to wish that she would be ruler of the sea and of all creatures who live in it. The fisherman caught the fish, and made the wish. However, when he returned home his wife was dressed in her old rags, standing by her old broken washtub, inside the old shack, with not even a loaf of bread to eat.

'Golden Ring of Russia' (set 1) $61.56 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a matte Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. The whole set is made using a woodburning technique in combination with a beautiful golden metal incrustation. The doll displays gorgeous cathedrals of Moscow, Sergiev Posad, Vladimir, Suzdal, Rostov Veliky and other cities of 'The Golden Ring' of Russia. 'THE GOLDEN RING' OF RUSSIA 'The Golden Ring' of Russia is the name of the north-eastern part of what used to be the State of Muskovy which is famous for its historical monuments of old Russian architecture. Visiting Moscow, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Kostroma and other regions one sees splendid man-made monuments of the past which were there witnesses of historical events of Russia. The Golden Ring of Russia includes the following cities: Moscow [the current capital of Russia] Zagorsk (since 1930) or Sergiev Posad (renamed in 1991) [founded in 1345 by Sergius of Radonezh in the souhth of Smolensk-Moscow Hills] Vladimir [founded in 1108 on the left bank of the Klyazma River as a fortress by Vladimir Vsevoldovich Monomakh for defense of Rostov-Suzdal Rus] Suzdal [founded in the 9-10th century on the Kamenka River Valley] Rostov Veliky (or Rostov the Great) [first mentioned in chronicles in 862, located on the shore of Lake Nero] Yaroslavl [founded in 1010 on the Volga River by Yaroslav the Wise son of the Kievan Prince Vladimir] Kostroma [founded in the 12th century on the Volga River by Yury Dolgoruky] Pereslavl Zalessky [founded in 1152 on the river Trubezh] Uglich [founded in 937 on the Upper Volga] Novgorod [first mentioned in 859, located in the Priilmenskaya Lowland, on the River Volkhov]

'Golden Ring of Russia' (set 2) $57.86 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a matte Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. The whole set is made using a woodburning technique in combination with a beautiful golden metal incrustation. The doll displays gorgeous cathedrals of Moscow, Sergiev Posad, Vladimir, Suzdal, Rostov Veliky and other cities of 'The Golden Ring' of Russia.

'Hostess of the Copper Mountain' $47.34 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. Each piece in the set displays paintings bades on the famous Russian fairy tale by Bazhov 'Hostess of the Copper Mountain'. 'HOSTESS OF THE COPPER MOUNTAIN' by Bazhov This is a story from the mysterious Ural Mountains. It comes from a time when the spirits of forests and mountains still moved among humans, watching them, searching for those who could be taught their secrets before such ancient wisdom was lost forever. One such spirit was especially revered for her magic and great beauty. Some people knew her as an ancient mountain goddess; others called her the Mistress of the Copper Mountain, or the Malachite Lady, a name taken from the lovely green stone so often found in areas rich in copper... Once upon a time, a wandering boy was adopted by a lonely stonecutter named Prokopitch. Since Prokopitch had grown too old to care for his small flock of sheep and goats, taking in the orphan allowed Prokopitch to stay at home and carve while the boy drove the flock each day into their pasture above the village. The boy, Danila, loved animals and didn't mind being a shepherd, especially since he now had enough food and a warm bed at night. Each dawn, Prokopitch would prepare a lunch of thick bread and goat's cheese for the boy and Danila would set off into the mountains. Each evening, the boy would return. After dinner Danila would watch as the old man worked into the night, carving stone boxes and small animals by candlelight. They spoke little--the old man was unaccustomed to human companionship, and the boy was quiet by nature. One day, Danila forgot to take his lunch. Busy polishing a malachite box for an important client, Prokopitch never noticed. But as the noonday sun shone through the cottage windows, rays of light spilled over the boy's birchen basket and attracted the stonecutter's attention. The old man looked up. 'Eh? What's that? Poor boy, he'll need his lunch. He's thin enough as it is. I'll bring it up to him--the walk will do me good.' The old man found his walking stick and set off. As the stonecutter neared the high pastures, he heard the sweet notes of a flute. Touched by the lovely music, he slowed his pace. Imagine his surprise when he went around a bend and saw that the piper was Danila! The boy sat on a large rock completely lost in his music while the herd grazed peacefully around him. On a smaller rock directly across from Danila, a lizard was sunning itself, its bright eyes fixed intently upon the boy. 'Danila!' the man called in amazement. The startled boy spun around at the sound. The stonecutter went on, 'Even the birds are jealous of you--where did you learn to play like that?' It's not m-m-me,' the boy stammered. 'When I carved the p-p-pipe, I heard the music inside the wood.' The old man reached for the wooden flute and examined it with a craftsman's eye. It was crude in places, and not well polished, but clearly the boy had a gift. 'Hmmm, hmm,' he grunted, too wise to argue with the boy. 'Yes, yes, I see. It was inside the wood.' After that, he often joined Danila for lunch. At first he came to listen to the music in the clear mountain air. But slowly he also began teaching the boy to carve wooden animals. Danila had nimble fingers and learned quickly. Prokopitch was pleased. Soon he taught Danila to carve more difficult figures, first in wood, then in stone. The old man was amused to see that the bright-eyed lizard often watched their lessons from a nearby rock. 'So you want to be an artist too, eh?' he chuckled. The lizard paid no attention. Years passed and Danila grew from childhood to young manhood. One early spring day, Prokopitch discovered that someone besides the mountain lizard watched Danila. It was Katya, the young daughter of a neighbor. She was lying in the grass, her tender gaze fixed upon Danila's face as he played his flute. The old man smiled to himself and turned around before either of them noticed. The boy's becoming a man, he thought. Katya hadn't heard the old stonecutter approach that day. She heard only the music. As she watched Danila, she remembered when she had first fallen in love with him. She had been a little girl then. It was she who had first seen him wandering through the village streets, ragged, cold, and hungry. Something about his defiant stare touched her heart. 'What's your name?' she asked. 'Danila,' he replied. 'Danila, Danila,' she murmured, loving its sound. 'Mine's Katya. Where do you live?' He looked away from her. 'Nowhere.' The little girl had drawn her brows tightly together and shut her eyes. The face of the old stonecutter flickered behind her eyes. She opened her eyes and pointed up a mountain path to Prokopitch's cottage. 'Go there,' she said. The boy stared for a moment and then obeyed. After Prokopitch gave him a home, she sometimes joined the boy in the pasture where they played together with the goats. It was Katya who found the piece of wood that he carved into a flute. 'Will you play for me?' she asked when it was finished. 'I don't know how yet,' he replied. But when she joined him the next day, she discovered he'd already mastered the little flute. A lizard watched him with bright eyes -- and Katya felt a stab of jealousy because it was the lizard, not her, who first heard his music. She glared at the lizard but it ignored her. When Master Prokopitch began to join Danila, Katya came less frequently so that she wouldn't interfere with their lessons. But once she hid in the trees, watching them. She saw how Danila's eyes lit up when he was carving. She wondered if his eyes would ever light up that way when he looked at her. Now, as she lay in the grass watching him, listening to the otherworldly music, she wondered again if he would ever feel for her what she had long felt for him. Danila laid down the pipe and smiled at her. Then he reached for a small malachite lizard he was carving and Katya, disappointed, knew she had already become invisible to him. If it wasn't his music, it was his carving -- how could she compete? Sighing, she got to her feet and started back to the village. He never even looked up. Katya decided to stop visiting Danila after that, hoping he might miss her and call at her home. Weeks passed. Her mother noticed that Katya had become sad and pensive. 'What's wrong, little one?' she asked. 'Nothing,' Katya said. From outside she heard her name being called by a group of village maidens. 'Katya, Katya! -- we're going up to the forest! -- come with us!' Grateful for a diversion, Katya accompanied them up to the birch forests on the far side of the village pastures. Being with her friends lightened Katya's spirits. The maidens filled the forest with laughter as they garlanded one another's heads with flowers and braids of birch leaves, and then roamed, singing, among the shining white trunks of the forest. Katya wandered off from the others. She was humming to herself, dreaming, when she saw a large, elegant white flower growing in the shade of a clump of tall birches. Awed, she drew in her breath. A thin sound floated through the birch grove, a sound like the wind, and suddenly she recognized it as the sound of Danila's flute. She was startled. Usually he pastured his flock at some distance from this place. She listened again, and slowly smiled. Hardly aware of what she was doing, Katya plucked the flower and walked towards the music. Danila sensed Katya's presence even before she left the shadows of the trees. He stopped piping and turned to face her. He had missed her very much. She saw his eyes light up and her heart skipped a beat. Finally! she thought, finally! Smiling, without a word, she held out the flower. Then, suddenly shy, she fled back into the birch trees and vanished. Danila was transfixed by the flower's beauty. He had never seen such a blossom before. He ran his fingers over the pale, smooth petals, feeling their coolness, their clean lines. If only I could carve something like this in stone! he thought. That evening Danila worked like one possessed, determined to find a way to capture the flower's beauty in stone. He memorized every vein and curve of the petals, their lilt and slope. When Katya returned to the pasture a few days later, hoping again to see the light in his eyes, he was nowhere to be found. Instead, a young neighbor's boy watched the flock. 'Where's Danila?' she asked. 'Working,' the child said. She went to Prokopitch's cottage, peering through the window, and saw Danila attacking a piece of stone with his chisels, sending stone chips flying in every direction. Nearby in a pitcher of water stood the flower she had given him. 'What have I done?' she wondered miserably, and turned away. For many weeks Danila worked on his stone flower. Summer came and went and he continued to work. He thought of nothing else. Prokopitch tried to reason with him but Danila paid no attention. Autumn arrived and Katya wandered alone up in the pastures and along the streams. Once she thought she saw the lizard watching her, only it suddenly turned into a dark, shimmering woman who laughed at her and then vanished into the falling golden leaves. Katya shook her head, fearful that her heartbreak might lead to madness. In the early winter Danila finally finished the stone flower. The whole village agreed that it was beautiful. No one had ever seen a better one. But Danila was dissatisfied. The work was cleverly crafted, but lifeless. It looked like stone, not like living petals. He fell into a deep depression. Alarmed, Prokopitch sent for Katya and begged her to help. She called on Danila the following day and was relieved that at least a glimmer of light entered his eyes when he saw her. She sat across from him at the worktable. 'We must talk,' she said, 'but first will you play your pipe for me?' He protested but she insisted and finally he gave in. The music caught his spirit anew and he felt gently brushed by its joy for the first time in many months. He looked at Katya across the table, his eyes filling with tears. Never had she looked so beautiful to him. How could he not have known he was in love with her! How could he have wasted his time trying to carve something in stone that belonged only in frail tissues of life? He hated himself for his blindness, his foolishness. How fortunate that Katya was still patient with him! He put down his flute. 'Will you marry me, Katya?' he whispered. Fresh snow fell gently on the day of their wedding and the whole village was there to celebrate. After the solemnities, there was feasting and dancing lasting far into the evening. Katya glowed with happiness, but a curious restlessness began growing in Danila. He moved around the room and finally joined a small group of men seated around the village elder. This withered old man was telling stories about the Mistress of Copper Mountain, whose underground kingdom, he said, was filled with jewels and shining flowers made of stone. Danila stared at the man's ancient face. 'I never heard of her before -- where is she to be found?' he finally asked. 'High up in the mountains,' the man said, looking at Danila with a strange half-smile, 'where no one ever goes. It's just a story, of course.' The other men laughed, emptied their glasses, called for more, and no one noticed when Danila slipped out of the house. He went back to Prokopitch's cottage and stared at his stone flower in the moonlight on his worktable. It seemed to taunt him, mocking him for his lack of skill. Danila picked up a mallet and smashed the flower into tiny pieces. Then, determined to find the Malachite Lady or perish in the attempt, he ran out into the snowy night and headed for the mountains. He walked for days. At first he felt neither hunger nor cold. Once, hearing a rustling in the pines behind him, he glanced back and thought he glimpsed a dark-haired woman in rainbow robes following him. He blinked in surprise -- and she vanished. When the pines rustled again, his sharp eyes caught sight of a lizard jumping from one bough to another. My eyes are playing tricks on me, he thought -- first a beautiful woman, then a summer lizard! After many days Danila found himself in a high mountain pass facing a towering expanse of solid rock. Cold, hunger, and exhaustion swept through him. He couldn't go forward, nor did he have the strength to go back. Despairing, he sank to the ground and put his head in his hands. 'I've been a fool,' he muttered. 'And now I've lost everything -- Katya, my life, my work. I've lost it all.' A sound like the tinkling of crystal bells came to his ears. I'm dying, he thought, and buried his head more deeply in his hands. The tinkling continued, growing louder, then turned into laughter. Startled, Danila looked up and again saw the dark-haired woman in rainbow robes. 'You!' he breathed in awe. Lost childhood memories unexpectedly flooded into his mind and Danila realized he had been dreaming of her ever since he was a little boy. 'Yes, I've always been near you,' she was laughing again, the sound of tiny temple bells blowing in the wind. 'I've been waiting for you for a long time.' She seemed to blur for a moment, turning into a woman as tall as the pines, watching him serenely, her embroidered garments as green as malachite. Shapeshifting again, she became human sized, dressed in flowing garments the color of rubies and carnelians. Her face changed, darkened, and the robes were lapis lazuli, amethyst, shimmering, then fading, until Danila was amazed to see nothing but a small lizard, staring boldly, while tinkling laughter rang all around them. He reached out to touch the tiny creature, but it vanished in a flash, leaving the dark-haired woman in robes of many hues. In her hand was a birch wand, new green leaves sprouting from its tip. She waved it towards the wall of solid rock and the wall began to move, one side sliding out from another, revealing steps cut into the rock, leading down into the depths of the mountain. 'Come,' she ordered. Heart pounding, Danila followed. The mountain-goddess guided him through caverns, each one more beautiful than the last. Their walls shone with outcroppings of gems, and more jewels covered the ground. One cavern had a ceiling so low that Danila could barely stand upright -- the amethyst walls were lit from by an unseen light source and he felt as if he and the Mistress of Copper Mountain were held for a moment in the jewel's heart. She touched his brow briefly, and rivers of fire wakened throughout his body. Then she moved on, calling him to follow her into a cavern whose ceiling stretched so far up into the shadows that he could not even see where it ended. She sat on a stone bench and gestured for him to join her. Scooping up a handful of precious gems from the floor, she tempted him with them. 'All these can be yours,' she smiled. 'No,' he said firmly. 'I'm not looking for wealth.' Again she touched his brow. 'What then?' she asked. 'The Stone Flower,' he replied. 'I want you to teach me how to carve the stone into something so wondrous that it seems like living tissue.' She rose to her feet. 'Come then,' she said, pleased. It seemed to Danila that they walked forever through caves of dazzling light before they finally reached one filled with stone flowers, small and large, of many colors, blossoming from the walls and ground. He had never seen anything so beautiful. Shall I ever be able to master this art? he wondered. 'Not even I can answer that,' she murmured, reading his thoughts. They went down more steps and finally entered a cave with a great uncut piece of translucent green stone thrusting straight up out of the ground to a height twice Danila's own size. Danila stared in wonder. 'This is your Stone Flower,' she said quietly. 'It's been waiting for you for a very long time. Your tools are there at its foot.' She turned to leave. 'B-b-ut,' he stammered. 'I don't yet know the secret. Forgive me, Holy Lady, but I'd hoped you'd teach me this.' She laughed, her form blurring and shifting until she stood as tall as a great pine. 'You've always known the secret, Danila. Listen to the music inside the stone just as you listened to it inside the wood when you carved your flute. Don't force it to become what you want. Listen to what the stone wants.' Then she vanished. With a mixture of fear and exhilaration, Danila went to the great stone and leaned his cheek against it, rubbing his hands over it in a caress. He heard nothing. He sat down with his back against the stone, trying to breathe its patterns into his own body. Exhausted, he finally curled up beside it and slept. When he awoke, he discovered warm bread, fresh berries, and a flask of mountain water standing nearby. Ravenous, he ate and drank, then slept again. Finally, rested, he again leaned his face against the stone, embracing it with his arms, staying in that position for hours, listening, listening, and, slowly, hearing. Only after many days did he finally begin carving, only when the stone's music had melted into him, becoming part of him. Only then did he truly know that the stone was inviting him to carve it into the flower that had long sung, invisibly, deep within the mineral's heart. In the outside world, winter had turned to spring, then summer, and finally autumn while Katya grieved for her husband. Her parents and friends all urged her to forget Danila and marry someone else, but she refused. At last, to get away from their nagging voices, she went to stay with Prokopitch, helping him polish his stone boxes, selling them for him in the village market, and preparing his meals. The old man rarely spoke, and this suited Katya's own sorrowful mood. She never went up to the pastures anymore. A neighbor's child tended the old man's sheep and goats, but the child had his meals with his own family and Katya rarely saw him. One evening, while Prokopitch was carving, Katya was brushing her hair in front of a mirror. She stared dreamily into the mirror, mesmerized by the movement of her golden hair in the candlelight. Suddenly, the surface of the mirror trembled and clouded over. Startled, Katya leaned closer and watched as Danila appeared before her eyes! She saw him in a cavern with jewels glistening from the walls, but these were nothing compared with the beauty of the translucent green flower he was carving. 'Danila!' she cried, and it almost seemed as if he heard her, for he dropped his chisel, and looked around. She reached out to touch him, but her fingers met only her mirror. Then a second figure appeared -- the dark woman she thought she had seen turn into a lizard when she had wandered heartbroken through the upper pastures a year earlier. The woman reached out for Danila and he moved willingly into her arms. 'No!' Katya sobbed, 'no.' The vision vanished. Katya went the next day to seek the advice of the village elder, a wise man, older than anyone in living memory. He listened with half shut eyes. 'It's Her,' he said at last. 'That's who you saw. Danila asked about Her the night of your wedding. I told him it was only a story but he must have guessed the truth.' 'Her? Who do you mean, 'her'?' Katya demanded. When she learned what the elder knew, little though it was, she decided to follow Danila into the high mountains. Goddess or not, she determined, she and Danila belonged together and she wanted him back. The first snows were starting to fall when Katya kissed Prokopitch goodbye, told him not to worry, and set off. She was warmly dressed and carried enough food to last for several days, or longer, if she were careful. The elder hadn't known how long she might have to walk and she wanted to be prepared. The storm worsened as she climbed higher. Trees reached out to catch at her clothing, roots sprang up to trip her, the wind tore at her braids, tangling them in the branches, and a tree uprooted itself before her eyes and nearly crushed her. Several times she thought she heard tiny bells and someone laughing at her, and once she glimpsed the dark lizard-woman, but a moment later there was nothing. 'Maybe she's watching me, maybe she's not,' Katya muttered aloud. 'I don't care. She can't stop me.' Katya had great courage. She trusted that even her otherworldly rival would be unable to defeat the strength of Katya's love for Danila. The dangers she might have to face on the way were small compared to treasure she sought. Danila's work on the Stone Flower was nearing completion. He was awed that the stone had allowed him to shape its music into such beauty. The petals seemed to breathe, lit by an inner radiance. The stone has given me the secret of giving form to its soul, he thought. Sometimes he wondered if the stone's soul and his own weren't the same, so closely were they intertwined. He stepped back now, gazing upwards at the luminous petals. The goddess suddenly appeared at his side, her silken green robes swirling around her. Danila barely glanced at her. Frowning, she read his thoughts. He's restless, she thought, and irritable. He thinks he's accomplished what he came for but he's wrong. I've been able to awaken his soul but not his human heart. Without both, one day he'll abuse what now still has the power to awe him. He's flawed, like a jewel with no warmth. It's better that he die here. Unless... She blurred her form into a wind, leaving the caverns far behind, and a moment later she was swirling high above the pines, searching for a hungry, exhausted woman lost in the mountains. Katya couldn't permit herself to recognize that she was hopelessly lost, starving, her feet swollen, her clothes torn, her body frozen and numb. It would be so good, she thought, just to sit and rest for a moment, to lie in the snow, to fall asleep, and never wake. 'No,' she muttered grimly. 'Never. I'll keep searching as long as I have any strength left.' She closed her eyes tightly and tried to summon the visions that had once came to her so readily. But nothing happened. She opened them and stumbled on. 'Danila, Danila,' she murmured, finding strength in his name. Hours later, not knowing nor caring how she got there, Katya found herself in a mountain pass facing a towering expanse of rock. It looked impassable, yet scattered birch leaves marked a path towards something glowing at the base of the dark rock, inviting her to draw nearer. When she did, she discovered a secret entrance -- and steps leading down into a cavern shining with light. Cautiously, she entered. It was warm inside. She found a steaming, hissing pool of mineral waters where she knelt and drank. She felt the warmth coursing through her body, restoring her. Beyond the pool was a tunnel leading into larger caverns. 'Danila!' she called as the path drew her downwards. * * * The Malachite Lady stood at Danila's side and reached out to touch his cheek. He pulled away. 'No,' he said shortly. 'Not now -- forgive me, Holy Lady, but the stone flower is finished now. I need to leave -- I need to show others what I can do. I miss the pastures, the forests. I miss --' and his voice caught in a half-sob, 'I miss Katya. I've been down here too long.' As he turned, she reached out to hold him back but he tore away and rushed toward one of the tunnels leading out of the cavern. Abruptly, a sheet of rock fell into place, sealing it off. Frightened, Danila ran towards another opening, trying to hurtle through it before she could act. But another sheet of rock was already crashing into place. Her tinkling laughter rang through the air. 'You see, you can't leave me if I don't wish it.' From a distance Danila heard someone calling his name and he froze, dazed, as the name echoed through the vast network of caves. Slowly, the voice came nearer until finally he recognized it. 'Katya!' he cried, springing towards the last opening. 'Katya! Katya!' He leaped through the passage and into the next cavern, still shouting, rushing over the uneven ground. Katya, guided by his voice, now suddenly appeared at the other end of the same cavern and ran towards him as if her feet were winged. They met for a moment in a tearful, joyous embrace. Then Danila broke free. 'Come,' he whispered urgently, 'I must get you out of here before it's too late!' The laughter of a thousand tiny bells filled the cavern and the Mistress of Copper Mountain towered above them. 'Quick!' Danila said, 'get behind me.' He tried to pull her to safety, but Katya was too fast. She stepped forward, boldly confronting the goddess. 'You've kept him long enough,' she shouted. 'Now it's my turn! -- I want him back!' The towering figure blurred and coiled itself into a woman in rainbow robes who was now only slightly taller than Katya herself. Katya stared into her dark, fathomless eyes. 'I know you've cared well for him,' she said more gently, 'but no one could love him as much as I do -- please, please, Holy Lady, let him go.' The goddess shifted her gaze to Danila. 'And you, Danila?' she asked softly. 'What is in your heart?' Danila couldn't speak. He moved forward, placing one arm protectively around Katya. Tears streamed down his face as he felt his heart bursting within him. The Malachite Lady read his heart. Yes, she thought, we've succeeded at last. Turning back to Katya, she reached into her flowing sleeves and pulled out a malachite box. 'I entrust it to you, Katya. I've already given Danila the secret of the Stone Flower, but to you, I give of my own essence.' Katya opened the box and gasped. It was filled with pebbles and jewels in all the colors of the rainbow. She picked up a plain stone of polished granite and saw the goddess blur into a spirit of grey mists and fog with a laughter as rich as summer thunder. Then a piece of amber, and the mists swirled downward and turned into a small woman in golden robes embroidered with pine needles. A ruby, and the goddess grew tall, dressed in snapping flames. Lapis Luzuli, and she turned into a cosmic mother whose robes were the night sky scattered with stars. She smiled at Katya. 'Back in your world, you'll no longer see me as you just have, but the power remains coiled in each stone, responsive to a heart wise enough to understand.' Then she vanished. The ending is simply told: Katya and Danila found their way back into the world, where it was springtime. The villagers welcomed them with joy. Danila soon became famous for his wonderful stone flowers and people came from as far away as the Czar's court to admire them. Katya and Danila had many children and Danila patiently taught them the secrets of his craft. But Katya taught them the most important thing of all -- respect for the inner wealth and unseen powers lying in the trees, lizards, rocks, and streams all around them.

'In Banya/Sauna' $111.51 Size: a approx. 4.8' Metric: a 12 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a matte Availability: a ships within 7-12 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll has a gentle matte finish. This unique RussianLegacy.com 7 piece 'In Banya/Sauna' nesting doll depicts a large Russian family in a banya. RUSSIAN SAUNA / BANYA A trip to the Russian baths (banya) can be a memorable experience. The banya begins in the dressing and undressing room, where everyone strips down (public banyas are segregated by sex). Towels in the form of large white sheets are available and most people grab one or two. Warm up in the Finnish-style dry sauna (heated to between 100? and 120? C). Take a small break to cool down and then check out the steam room (parilka), where you can be beaten about the body with dried branches (vennik), usually birch, oak or juniper. Half the people in the parilka will claim there's not enough heat and start calling for someone to throw more water on the hot rocks, while the other half feebly croak 'too much, too much' - the guys who want more steam usually win. This combination of heat, steam, and physical abuse purges your body of impurities and gives you a clean unattainable by mere showers or baths.

'Ivan Tsarevich & Grey Wolf' $105.21 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 7-12 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, displaying beautiful paintings based on the 'Ivan Tsarevich, the Fire Bird and Gray Wolf' fairy tale, which you may read below. The tallest doll in this set is signed by the artist. IVAN TSAREVICH, THE FIRE BIRD & GRAY WOLF (Russian Fairy-Tale) In a far away land a thief was stealing golden apples which had the power of bestowing youth and beauty from Tsar Berendey's magic Garden. The guards of the Tsar were unable to stop this, for as hard as they tried, the thief always got away. None of the guards could even see this thief. The Tsar was frustrated for he needed the golden apples for himself, as he was married to a very beautiful young Queen. The only person who spotted the thief was the Tsar's son, Prince Ivan Tsarevich. As the night came upon the Garden, the young Tsarevich hid under a water bucket and listened closely to every sound around him. At dawn, the Prince almost fell asleep, but the silence was broken by a magical being. The Prince pulled the water bucket up slightly so he could just see through the thin opening. And there it was; The Fire Bird. In the depth of night the Fire Bird would fly into the garden with its feathers blazing with a silvery of golden sheen. Its eyes were shining like crystals and would light the place as brightly as a thousand burning fires. The Tsarevich crawled up to the unsuspecting bird, and rushed to grab it by the tail. The next day Prince Ivan told his father the old Tsar, about the Fire Bird. He showed his father the only feather he had managed to get from the Bird's tail. As the Bird was too smart and flew away. From that day on the Tsar was obsessed with the idea of capturing the Fire Bird for himself. In order to find the Bird he sent his three sons on a journey to another Kingdom. Ivan Tsarevich's adventure begins when after a long day's ride he falls asleep, only to awake in the morning and find his horse gone. Wondering through the woods he meets a gray wolf who confesses that he ate the horse. Grateful that Ivan had spared his life, Gray Wolf offers to let Ivan ride on his back. Grey Wolf takes Ivan to Tsar Afron's kingdom, where the Fire Bird is kept in a golden cage inside the Tsar's walled garden. The Prince warned by the Gray Wolf to take only the bird, and not the cage, takes the cage as well and triggers an alarm. Captured by Tsar Afron, he is told that in order to have the Fire Bird he must pay for it with the Horse of the Golden Mane, which is in possession of Tsar Kusman. The Gray Wolf carries Ivan to Kusman's palace and advises him to acquire the horse but not the bridle. Once again the Prince is tempted by the gold and diamonds in the bridle, so he ignores the advice. He again becomes captured by Kusman, who now says he will only give him the horse in exchange for the fair Princess Elena, who was residing with Tsar Dalmat. This time the wolf does the work himself and seizes Elena. He brings her back to Ivan and the Prince falls in love with her. The wolf offers to trick Kusman by assuming Elena's shape and also to trick Afron too by assuming the form of the horse. Ivan returns, with Elena, the horse and the Fire Bird, however when the wolf leaves him he is ambushed and killed by his brothers. The wolf then returns and revives him with the Waters of Life and Death, the brothers are banished, and Ivan Tsarevich meets Tsar Berendey to tell his tragic story. When the Tsar's grief fades, the Prince marries Elena the Fair and they lived happily ever after.

'Jewish Motifs in Chagall's Paintings' $69.95 Size: approx. 8' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, displaying the following Jewish scenes from the paintings of the world-famous Russian/French painter Marc Chagall (Mark Zakharovich Shagal): Doll 1 - ''The Pinch of Snuff'' (1912) Doll 2 - ''Green Violinist'' (1923-24) Doll 3 - ''Solitude'' (1933) Doll 4 - ''The Praying Jew'' (1923) Doll 5 - man with scrolls Doll 6 - ''Moses & the Burning Bush'' Doll 7 - violin Images of the original paintings may be viewed below. MARK ZAKHAROVICH SHAGAL (1887-1985) 'Marc Chagall: Russian-born French painter. Born to a humble Jewish family in the ghetto of a large town in White Russia, Chagall passed a childhood steeped in Hasidic culture. Very early in life he was encouraged by his mother to follow his vocation and she managed to get him into a St Petersburg art school. Returning to Vitebsk, he became engaged to Bella Rosenfeld (whom he married twelve years later), then, in 1910, set off for Paris, 'the Mecca of art'. He was a tenant at La Ruche, where he had Modigliani and Soutine for neighbours. His Slav Expressionism was tinged with the influence of Daumier, Jean-Francois Millet, the Nabis and the Fauves. He was also influenced by Cubism. Essentially a colourist, Chagall was interested in the Simultaneist vision of Robert Delaunay and the Luminists of the Section d'Or. 'Chagall returned to Vitebsk in 1914, where he was caught by the outbreak of the First World War. He married Bella there in 1915. He was appointed provincial Commissar for Fine Art in 1917 and became involved in ambitious projects for a local academy, but he left after two and a half years in order to escape the revolutionary dictates of Malevich. After a stay in Moscow, where he worked in the Jewish theatre, then in Berlin, where he studied the technique of engraving, he returned to Paris in 1923. For the publisher Vollard he illustrated Gogol's Dead Souls, La Fontaine's Fables and the Bible. Breton, who admired the 'total lyric explosion' of his pre-war painting, tried to claim him for Surrealism but Chagall only flirted with it briefly during his exile in New York (1941-48). His emblematic irrationality shook off all outside influences: colour governed his compositions, calling up chimerical processions of memory where reality and the imaginary are woven into a single legend, born in Vitebsk and dreamed in Paris. Back in France, Chagall discovered ceramics, sculpture and stained glass. He settled in the south of France, first at Vence (1950), then in Saint-Paul-de-Vence (1966). Commissions poured in: for the Assy baptistery in 1957, the cathedrals of Metz (1960) and Rheims (1974), the Hebrew University Medical Centre synagogue in Jerusalem (1960), the Paris Opera (1963). The Musee Chagall in Nice dedicated to the 'Biblical Message' set the seal on his fame in July 1973. A painter-poet celebrated by Apollinaire and Cendrars, Chagall brought back the forgotten dimension of metaphor into French formalism.' Text from: 'Art20, The Thames and Hudson Multimedia Dictionary of Modern Art'

'Monastery Style' $32.6 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH The Russian Orthodox Church has a history that is is more that one thousand years old. St. Anthony of the Caves founded the famous Monastery of the Caves in Kiev, which was to become the center of religious life in Old Russia. The monasteries in Russia were the major centers of education; they recorded all the main historical events in the life of Russia. Freedom of worship is one of the keystones of the modern Russian constitution. Around 11,000 places of worship are registered in Russia, according to the Ministry of Justice (1994). They belong to the following world religions, denominations of Christianity and other faiths: - Russian Orthodox Church - 5,494 - Islam - 3,264 - Evangelical Christian - Baptists - 550 - Pentecostals - 192 - Adventists - 156 - Old Believers - 141 - Roman Catholic - 138 - Evangelical Protestants - 109 There are also dozens of other places of worship for other faiths, including Buddhist, Jewish, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Jehovah's Witnesses, Methodists and Hare-Krishna. There are 132 inter-denominational churches. The Eastern Church calls itself the Orthodox Church, which means the 'right teaching', because it claims to keep much closer to the teachings of the Apostles than the Roman Church does. Christianity helped unite Russian people and promote the development of a written language, and also helped introduce Byzantine culture to Russia.

'Morozko' Fairy Tale $79.95 Size: approx. 8' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. Each piece in the set displays paintings based on the famous Russian fairy tale 'Morozko'. MOROZKO (FATHER FROST) (Russian Fairy Tale) Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a husband with his second wife. From each of their first marriages they each had a daughter. The wife's daughter was spoiled and mean, whereas the husband's daughter was very gentle and kind. The wife only loved her daughter, and made the other girl work very hard. The poor girl cleaned and cooked for the wife, and was often beaten as the wife's hatred for her grew. One day, in the middle of a terrible winter, the wife decided that the girl should be taken deep into the woods and left there to die. The husband of course did not want to agree to this, but he himself was also afraid of the woman. So he reluctantly took his daughter into the forest where he left her. The girl sat helpless and alone under a tree. Soon she heard the breaking and snapping of twigs and branches, and then a voice spoke. 'Are you warm my child?' it said. The girl recognized the ominous voice as that of Father Frost and replied, 'Yes Father Frost, I'm quite warm.' Father Frost repeated his question several times, each time coming closer to the girl. The girl always answered that she was warm, and then thanked him. Feeling pity for the poor creature, Father Frost wrapped her in a beautiful coat, showered her with gifts, and kept her warm throughout the night. Returning the next day to retrieve his daughter's body, the husband was happily surprised to find her not only alive, but dressed warmly and covered with riches. Upon their return home, the jealous wife then insisted that her own daughter be left in the forest overnight, hoping that she too would return wealthy. Again the husband drove deep into the woods, this time leaving his stepdaughter there. As the night grew long she too heard the voice of Father Frost. 'Are you warm my child?' he asked. The girl was annoyed with his question and replied, 'Of course not, now leave me alone!' Father Frost was enraged with her reply and sent the coldest frost that there had ever been. When the husband drove into the woods the next day, he returned not with the girl showered in riches, but with her cold frozen body instead. Upon his return home he took his daughter and left his evil wife. The husband and his daughter lived happily ever after.

'Princess Frog' Fairy Tale $79.95 Size: approx. 8' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. Each piece in the set displays paintings based on the famous Russian folk fairy tale 'Princess Frog'. 'PRINCESS FROG' (Russian Folk Fairy Tale) Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, the Tsar decided that it was time for his three sons to get married. He called them together, telling them each to shoot their arrows, and whatever maiden their arrows should land by would be their bride. The eldest son drew back his bow, and shot his arrow, which hit next to a nobleman's daughter. The middle son then drew his bow, and shot his arrow, which landed by a merchant's daughter. Then came the turn of the youngest son, Ivan Tsarevich. Ivan drew back his bow and shot his arrow. But Ivan's arrow didn't find a maiden, it flew off into a swamp. To Ivan's great surprise, his arrow had landed next to a frog. His two older brothers laughed at him, and Ivan begged the Tsar not to make him marry the frog. But the Tsar understood the fate of young Ivan, and Ivan and the frog were married. Soon after his sons were married, the Tsar called them together once more. He had decided to set their wives to certain tasks to see which one could perform them the best. The first task was for them to bake a loaf of bread. Ivan went home and told his frog about baking the bread. The frog replied for him not to worry, and sent Ivan to bed. After Ivan was sleeping, the frog removed her skin and turned into Vasilisa the Beautiful. She stood in the doorway, clapped her hands, and her servants came running to her aid. When Ivan awoke the next morning the frog handed a loaf of white bread to him. After tasting the bread of all three wives, the Tsar declared that the bread of Ivan's wife was by far the best. The second task was to weave a beautiful carpet. Once again the frog sent Ivan to bed, shed her skin, summoned her servants, and wove a magnificent carpet. The Tsar once again chose the work of Ivan's wife over the others. The third task was to see which wife could dance the best at the royal ball. The frog told Ivan to arrive at the ball alone, and she would follow an hour later. And so Ivan arrived alone, and an hour later his wife, Vasilisa the Beautiful, arrived. She shamed the other wives by using her magic powers to dance and create a lake of swans. Ivan was so enchanted with her, that he destroyed her frog skin. Vasilisa screamed at him to stop, but it was to late. As soon as her skin was destroyed, Vasilisa turned into a swan and flew away to where she was obliged to be the prisoner of Koschei the Deathless. Ivan had to embark upon a long and magical journey to find his wife. He had to inquire from the evil witch Baba Yaga to learn of the magical feats that he must accomplish to free his wife. Baba Yaga tells him that he must travel to the Island of Buyan, and that Koschei's death is on the point of a needle, which is in an egg, inside a duck, which is in a hare, contained in a chest buried underneath a large oak tree. Ivan travels to the island, finds the tree, and with the help of several animals that he has befriended, he is able to break the egg to kill Koschei, and to snap the needle which frees Vasilisa. They return to their home and live happily ever after.

'Roosters' $67.63 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. PETS ON NESTING DOLLS The tradition of painting pets, birds and poultry on nesting dolls is, actually, as old as the nesting doll itself. The first Russian nesting doll turned by Vassily Zviozdochkin and painted by Sergey Maliutin contained 8 pieces: a girl with a black rooster was followed by a boy and then by a girl again and so on. All figurines were different from each other, the last one was a figurine of a baby wrapped in diaper. Ever since then roosters and other poultry have been often pictured on matryoshka dolls. It is important to emphasize that poultry has always been treated a 'pets' by both village and town children. Chicks and ducklings are often pictured in the hands of children being in the same nesting doll set with children holding kittens and puppies. The matryoshka doll before you is an excellent example of a 'pets nesting doll'. It will make a wonderful gift to any kid, especially a growing one as it may be used as both a toy and a teaching tool.

'Ruslan & Ludmila' $75.14 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the largest one is signed by artist. The whole set displays minuatures painted according to the famous Pushkin's fairy tale 'Ruslan and Ludmila'. RUSLAN & LUDMILA (Short Summary) A favorite among Russian tales, Ruslan and Ludmila was written in poetic form by Russia's most beloved writer, Alexander Pushkin. It was later the basis of Glinka's most successful opera. Here is a brief synopsis of the story, below which is a translation of the full text. Once upon a time, in a land far away there was a great feast celebrating the marriage of the land's greatest warrior, Ruslan, to the land's most beautiful maiden, Ludmila. But tragedy happened upon the feast when the bride was kidnapped by the dwarf magician Chernomor. Enraged, Ludmila's father declared that only the warrior who rescues his daughter would be her husband. Ruslan and his rivals Farlaf, Ratmir, and Rogdai prepared to rescue the beautiful girl. Only Ruslan understood that he would have to overcome great feats and magical powers to rescue his bride. Rogdai killed Ratmir and then attacked Ruslan. But Ruslan won the fight, and threw Rogdai into the River Dnieper. Ruslan wandered further into the unknown where he entered a thick fog and came upon a giant magic head. Underneath the head was a knife, which he knew he must retrieve. Ruslan defeated the head and took the knife. He then was able to defeat Chernomor. He used this knife to cut off the dwarf's beard, thus having diminished the dwarf's magical powers. Having defeated Chernomor, Ruslan found his bride in a magical garden, he rescued Ludmila and took her back to the feast where they were finally married.

'Russian Cathedrals' (set 1) $67.63 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. RUSSIAN CHURCHES & CATHEDRALS Orthodox Christianity was brought to Russia during the time of Vladimir, Grand Prince of Kiev, during the twelfth century. Vladimir sent representatives to distant lands to study the religions of other civilizations. They reported back to him saying: Then we went to Greece, and the Greeks led us to where they worship their God, and we knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are at a loss how to describe it. We only know that God dwells there among men. (The Russian Primary Chronicle) Bishops from Greece traveled to Russia to spread the faith, and Vladimir and many of his countrymen were converted to Christianity. The history of Russia was always characterized by invasions from foreign enemies, such as the Tartar Khans, in which the people sought to defend their homeland. By the 16th century the Khans suppressed the independence of the Russian lands, exacting monetary tribute, and prohibiting the unhindered practice of the Orthodox Christianity by the Russian peoples. It was primarily the desire for political and economic freedom, and the desire for the freedom to worship in the Orthodox Christian manner, which lead the Russian Czar Ivan Grozny to lead an army of 150,000 upon the Tartar stronghold at the city of Kazan in the summer of 1552. On the Orthodox Feast Day of the Protection of the Theotokos, called 'the Pokhrov' (October 1, 1552) the army marched on Kazan. The following day the city fell to the armies of Ivan. The victory was attributed to the intercessions of the Theotokos (the Mother of God) on behalf of the Russian people. Some 3 years later in 1555 the Czar ordered the beginning of the construction of the Pokhrovsky Cathedral in commemoration of this victory. The Cathedral of the Pokhrov, commonly called St. Basil's Cathedral, is one of the most prominent landmarks in Russia, and one of the most spectacular buildings in the world. It is recognized the world over as a symbol of Russia and of the Russian Orthodox Church. After Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453, Russia continued for several centuries to develop a national art that had grown out of the middle Byzantine period. During the 10th-15th centuries, Russian art had begun to show marked local variation from the Byzantine model, and after the fall of Constantinople it continued along these distinctive lines of development. This period of Russian art, which lasted until the adoption of western European culture in the 18th century, is also known as the Moscow or National period. During the Moscow period, churches in Russia began to develop a style all their own. The following brief essay describes well the changes in Russian architecture: After the hegemony in the world of Orthodox Christianity shifted to Muscovite Russia, Moscow, having become the new city of Constantine--the 'third Rome'--and aspiring to rival the older centres of culture, launched a building program commensurate with its international importance. The Kremlin and two of its important churches were rebuilt by Italian architects between 1475 and 1510. These churches, the Assumption (Uspensky) Cathedral and the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, were largely modeled after the churches of Vladimir. The Italians were required to incorporate the basic features of Byzantine planning and design into the new cathedrals; it was only in the exterior decoration of St. Michael the Archangel that they succeeded in introducing Italian decorative motifs. A third church, the modest Annunciation Cathedral (1484-89), with its warm beauty, was the work of Pskov architects. There the kokoshniki were introduced in the treatment of the roof. This element, similar in outline to the popular Russian bochka roof (pointed on top, with the sides forming a continuous double curve, concave above and convex below), foreshadowed a tendency to replace the forms of the Byzantine arch by more elongated silhouettes. Ecclesiastical architecture began to lose the special features associated with the Byzantine heritage, becoming more national in character and increasingly permeated with the taste and thought of the people. The most important change in Russian church design of the 16th century was the introduction of the tiered tower and the tent-shaped roof first developed in wood by Russia's carpenters. Next was the substitution of the bulb-shaped spire for the traditional Byzantine cupola. This affected the design of masonry architecture by transforming its proportions and decoration and even its structural methods. The buildings acquired a dynamic, exteriorized articulation and specifically Russian national characteristics. The boldest departures from Byzantine architecture were the churches of the Ascension at Kolomenskoye (1532) and the Decapitation of St. John the Baptist at Dyakovo (c. 1532) and, above all, the Cathedral of St. Basil (Vasily) the Blessed (or, the Pokrovsky Cathedral) in Moscow, 1554-60. In St. Basil the western academic architectural concepts, based on rational, manifest harmony, were ignored; the structure, with no easily readable design and a profusion of disparate colourful exterior decoration, is uniquely medieval Russian in content and form, in technique, decoration, and feeling. St. Basil, like its predecessors the churches at Kolomenskoye and Dyakovo, embodies the characteristic features of the wood churches of northern Russia, translated into masonry. An effective finishing touch was given to the ensemble of the Kremlin's Cathedral Square by the erection of the imposing Belfry of Ivan II the Great, begun in 1542. The colossal white stone 'column of fame,' with its golden cupola gleaming above the Kremlin hill, was the definite expression of an era, reflecting the tastes and grandiose political ambitions of the rising Russian state. (Russian Orthodox Church)

'Russian Cathedrals' (set 2) $67.63 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist.

'Russian Fairy Tale' $90.18 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. RUSSIAN FAIRY TALES From happy endings and underdog heroes to helpful talking animals and 'Cinderella stories,' contemporary popular culture testifies to the enduring influence of the fairy tale. Russian fairy tales occupy a prominent place in the world's fairy tale treasury. The importance of Russian fairy tales should never be underestimated. Many of them were written by such literary giant as Alexander Pushkin, while others - being folk tales with no definite 'creation date' - have been told and retold from generation to generations both in Russia and all over the world. The nesting doll before you has been handmade by a Russian artist that loves fairy tales and has pictured scenes from different ones on this gorgeous 7 piece matryoshka.

'Russian Fairy Tales' $60.11 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist.

'Russian Wedding' $105.21 Size: approx. 8'' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. Doll 1 - Bride and groom are sitting at the table. On the back of the doll one may see a stained glass and the sun. Doll 2 - Groom's parents are dancing. The back of the doll shows a curtain that was used to divide a large room into several parts (smaller rooms). When a larger room was needed the curtain was opened. When a smaller size room was sufficient, the curtain was used to hide something behind it. Doll 3 - Bride's girlfriends are dancing. On the back of the doll the bride is pictured re-dressed as a housewife (it was imperative to wear an apron that symbolized her as a skilled housewife). Doll 4 - Bride's sister is dancing, while a young man is playing a balalaika. Doll 5 - Guests are dancing. Doll 6 - House where the wedding is taking place. Doll 7 - Russian forest where the house (in which the wedding is happening) is located. RUSSIAN WEDDING In pre-Revolution Russia weddings were usually held in autumn (in October) and in winter before Lent, up to Shrovetide. The whole ritual of the Russian Wedding can be divided into three parts: the period before the wedding, the wedding, and the period after the wedding. The main rites of the traditional Russian wedding: the bridegroom sent a match-maker to the bride's parents the parents of the bridegroom visit the parents of the bride and have a talk the bride-show, where the bride shows what she has made before getting engaged ''sgovor'' (the reaching of an agreement about future wedding) the pre-wedding period usually ended in a devichnik (a girl-friend's party) or the bridegroom's party. The participants of the party were: Druzhka (a man who knew the ritual of the wedding ceremony well); tysyatsky (an honored member of the bridegroom's family or Godfather), the boyars (noblemen) - other relatives) the bridegroom will not get the bride unless he pays ransom for her the newly-weds have to kiss in public when their guests propose a toast and cry ''Gorko!'' (''Bitter!''). This means that they would like the newly-weds to kiss, and they pretend they can't drink the wine without sweetening it with the kiss. Other interesting facts about the Russian wedding: According to the Russian tradition, the bride must cry (before and at the wedding ceremony) even if she loves her bridegroom. Russian wedding laments are very poetic. After the wedding, the bride could no longer wear her hair uncovered. The Russians have a lot of ritual wedding songs. The bride and bridegroom ride to church in separate carriages. After the marriage ceremony in church, the newly-weds go home in one carriage. The parents of the newly-weds meet them at home with bread and salt and an icon, and they bless the newly-weds. Nowadays Russian weddings follow new sets of wedding rituals. There are a lot of ''Wedding Palaces'' (Dvortsy brakosochetaniya) in the country. The newly-weds are congratulated by the city administration, then they visit the places of interest of their city, pay their tribute to those who perished in war, visiting the Eternal Fire. Some of the newly-weds have a marriage ceremony in church, which, however, is not obligatory (but rather optional) for official marriage registration. Not many of the above-quoted traditional Russian wedding rites are followed nowadays.

'Russian Winter Scenes' $79.95 Size: approx. 8' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It was handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist in the old City of Vladimir. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, displaying beautiful scenes of traditional Russian winter. The tallest doll is signed by the artist. RUSSIAN CLIMATE & VISITING RUSSIA Most of Russia has a continental climate ù the winters are bone chilling and the summers can be boiling. The swings are most extreme in southern and central Siberia, but even in Moscow temperatures can range from -30 to 30 Celsius (-20 to 100 Fahrenheit). The Black Sea coast and its resort communities tend to have the least swing. Late spring, early summer and the fall are good times to visit. During the hot summer months of July and August cities shut down as locals head to the countryside to live off the land at their dachas. In the beginning of September the ballets and the operas start back up and the cities come to life again. (The performing arts season runs from about September to May, although there are occasional shows in the summer, especially during St. Petersburg's White Nights Festival in June.) The first real cold hits Moscow and St. Petersburg sometime in November and there's usually snow on the ground from December through April. If you're prepared for the cold, Russia is often at its most beautiful under a blanket of snow. Winter is also the peak of the theater season and generally has fewer tourists. Steer clear of the mud and slush that covers the country during the spring thaw (April to May) and late fall. ® Copyright 'The MoscowTimes'

'Semenov' 07 pc Matryoshka $31.49 - reduced price $21.49 Size: approx. 6' Metric: 15 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-7 business days Origin: Russian Federation Product Details As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia.

'Ships' $42.07 Size: a approx. 6.8' Metric: a 17 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a matte Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. The whole set is made using a woodburning technique. Each doll has a gentle matte finish. RUSSIAN NAVY The Russian Navy had celebrated its tri-centennial in 1996. Fathered by Peter the Great, the first of the tsars to emphasize sea power, Russian Navy is today one of the most powerful in the world. This matryoshka doll pictures both large and small vessels of the 18th century Russian Navy.

'Snow Maiden' (7 pc set) $49.95 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. RUSSIAN CHRISTMAS Christmas is celebrated in Russia according to Russian Orthodox Church calendar - on 7 January. During this time people send warm greetings to each other, wishing good health, happiness and great successes. Unlike it is the case in Western countries, Russia does not celebrate Christmas as widely as they do the New Year's Day. In Russia, New Year's Day is a national holiday. Children do not go to school because they have winter holidays at that time. People do not work on that day. Many people celebrate New Year's Eve at home; they organize a party for members of the family or for their friends. A Christmas tree stands in every house at Christmas and sometimes Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden visit people's homes. Do you know that the first Christmas tree went on public display in 1852 at the Ekaterinhoff Concert Hall in St. Petersburg. the Russian are convinced that Grandfather Frost lives in a well-built wooden cottage (Russia izba) in the woods. it is also thought that he travels in a sleigh troika together with the Snow Maiden. the Snow Maiden is a beautiful girl with a long blond braid and she is dressed in a sparkling snow-patterned sarafan trimmed with polar fox. Her head is crowned by a stellar snow flake. Father Frost is dressed in a warm sheepskin coat, felt boots and has big gloves on his hands. people decorate trees in any way they wish. New Year is celebrated with the family. people like the costumed festivities. Children in different costumes dance around the Christmas tree, recite poetry, sing for gifts. children like to help with the holiday preparations; they make multi-colored toys from paper, cover nuts in gold wrappers

'Summer Girl' $52.6 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. &

'The Ugly Duckling' $78.39 Hans Christian Andersen's heart-warming tale of the Ugly Duckling, who grows up to be a beautiful swan, is brought to life in this gorgeous nesting / stacking doll based on the fairy tale. The set is of superb quality, and would make a wonderful gift to any child or nesting dolls collector. Size: approx. 8 inches (20 cm). Consists of: 7 pieces. Finish: glossy (lacquer). Availability: ships within 7-10 business days. Origin: Russian Federation. As all of our nesting dolls, this set is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist.

'Troika, Seasons' $85.99 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the tallest one is signed by artist. RUSSIAN TROIKA 'Troika' (Russian for 'three') is a traditional Russian vehicle drawn by a specially trained team of three horses abreast. Up to 1860, 'troika' was the main means of transportation in Russia. 'Troika' is also one of the most famous symbols of Russia and the Russian soul. Why is Russian troika so symbolic of Russian soul, Russian freedom? A troika is essentially three horses harnessed to a light sled. The horses arch their necks and beat the ground impatiently with their hoofs so that the coachman can hardly keep them in check. The horses take off at a gallop and seem to fly like birds. The bells jingle away merrily. You will see the Russian troikas racing along the broad paths in some of the Russian parks. Each of the sleighs is drawn by a team of three horses abreast, and their sleigh bells ring out in the clear winter air Did you what Gogol said about Troika? '...And what Russian is there who doesn't love fast driving? How should his soul that yearns to go off into a whirl, to go off on a fling, to say on occasion, 'Devil take it all!' How should his soul fail to love it? Is it not a thing to be loved, when one can sense in it something exaltedly wondrous? Some unseen power has caught you up on its wing and you are flying yourself, and all things are flying; some merchants are flying towards you, perched on the front seats of their covered carts. The forest flies on both sides of the road with its dark rows of firs and pines, echoing with the ring of axes and the cawing of crows. The whole road is flying, no one knows where into the unseen distance. There is something fearsome hidden in the objects that are flashing by, so rapid that there is no time for each one to become defined before it disappears; only the sky in the infinity above, the light clouds and the moon breaking through these clouds seem motionless. Eh, thou troika, thou that art a bird! Who conceived thee? Methinks only among a spirited folk that thou could have come into being. In the land that is not fond of doing things by halves, but has evenly and smoothly spread itself out over half the world. Therefore try and count its milestones until they turn to spots before the eyes! Far from cunningly contrived is the vehicle the troika draws; held together with no screws of iron art thou, but hastily, with a slam and a bang, wert thou put together and fitted by some handy Muzhik of Yaroslav, with nothing but an ax and a chisel. No fancy Hessian jack boots does the driver wear. He spots a beard, great gauntlets, and only the devil knows what he sits on for a cushion. Let him rise in his seat, swing his whip back, and strike up a long-drawn song while his steeds are off like a whirlwind. The spokes of each wheel has blended into one unbroken disk; the road merely quivers, and a pedestrian, stopping short, cries out in fright, and the troika is soaring, soaring away! ...Now all one can see, already far in the distance, is something raising the dust and swirling through the air. Thou art not my Russia, soaring along even like a spirited never to be outdistanced troika? The road actually smokes under thee, the bridges thunder; everything falls back and is left behind thee! The witness of thy passing comes to a deep stop, dumbfounded by this God's wonder! Is it not a streak of lightning cast down from heaven? What signifies this onrush that inspires terror? And what unknown power is contained in these steeds, whose like is not known in this world? Ah, these steeds, these steeds, what steeds they are! Are there whirlwinds perched upon your manes? Is there a sensitive ear, alert as a flame, in your every fiber? You have caught the familiar song coming down to you from above. All as one and all at the same instant, you have strained your brazen chests and almost without touching earth with your hoofs, you have become transformed into straight lines cleaving the air. The troika tears along, inspired by God! Where art thou soaring away to, Russia? Give me the answer! But Russia gives none. With a wondrous ring does the jingle bell trill; the air rent to shreds thunders and turns to the wind. All things on earth fly past, eyeing the troika and all the other peoples and nations stand aside giving it the right of way.'

'Tsar Saltan' Fairy Tale $79.95 Size: approx. 8' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, and the largest one is signed by artist. Each doll in this set displays miniature-scenes based on the famous 'Tsar Saltan' fairy tale. 'TSAR SALTAN' (Russian Fairy-Tale) Once upon a time in a far away land Tsar Saltan sat listening to the future plans of three sisters. One of these sisters said that she wanted to give birth to a great warrior, and employ the other two sisters in her charge. Tsar Saltan decided to marry this sister, making the other two sisters become very jealous. These two women decided to do everything they could to make the married sister's life unhappy Tsar Saltan soon went away to war. During his absence his queen gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Gvidon. It looked as if her dream of the future were beginning to be fulfilled, but her evil sisters wrote to the Tsar and convinced him that his son was an evil monster. Believing their ridiculous story, the Tsar then ordered that his wife and son be sealed in a barrel and cast into the sea. The barrel drifted for many years, finally washing ashore after Prince Gvidon had already grown into a man. On this shore Prince Gvidon performed his first great task; he rescued a swan being attacked by an evil magician. Having been saved, the swan then turned into an enchanting princess who promised to help Gvidon find his father. The Prince then became ruler of the land that he had washed ashore upon, and his kingdom became famous throughout the world. One day a merchant ship en route to Tsar Saltan's country passed through Prince Gvidon's magnificent land. On arrival to Tsar Saltan's country the merchant told the Tsar about his son's great land. Tsar Saltan made plans to travel there, but the evil sisters talked him out of it. The next time the merchant passed through the kingdom of Prince Gvidon he saw the Magic Squirrel which lived in a crystal cage that Prince Gvidon had built for it. Again the merchant arrived home to tell Tsar Saltan of his son's magical land, but again the evil sisters interfered. They told the Tsar that he should instead go to the land where one can see 33 warriors and Chernomor rise from the ocean. The Princess Swan explained to Prince Gvidon that these warriors were her brothers, so when the merchant passed through the land a third time this feat was performed for him. Having heard this story the wicked sisters dissuaded the Tsar once more from traveling to his son by telling him that it would be more worth his while to find the Magic Princess with the Sea Star above her head. Prince Gvidon was sad when he discovered once more that his father would not come to see him. Little did he know that the Swan Princess and the Magic Princess were one in the same! The merchant then returned home a fourth time to inform the Tsar that his son had married the Magic Princess. The Tsar then immediately set sail for Gvidon's kingdom where the family was reunited. They lived there happily ever after.

'Winter Amusements' $69.95 Size: approx. 8' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 7-12 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. This particular one is made in the city of Vladimir. It is first handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, displaying beautiful scenes of traditional Russian winter. RUSSIAN CLIMATE & VISITING RUSSIA Most of Russia has a continental climate ù the winters are bone chilling and the summers can be boiling. The swings are most extreme in southern and central Siberia, but even in Moscow temperatures can range from -30 to 30 Celsius (-20 to 100 Fahrenheit). The Black Sea coast and its resort communities tend to have the least swing. Late spring, early summer and the fall are good times to visit. During the hot summer months of July and August cities shut down as locals head to the countryside to live off the land at their dachas. In the beginning of September the ballets and the operas start back up and the cities come to life again. (The performing arts season runs from about September to May, although there are occasional shows in the summer, especially during St. Petersburg's White Nights Festival in June.) The first real cold hits Moscow and St. Petersburg sometime in November and there's usually snow on the ground from December through April. If you're prepared for the cold, Russia is often at its most beautiful under a blanket of snow. Winter is also the peak of the theater season and generally has fewer tourists. Steer clear of the mud and slush that covers the country during the spring thaw (April to May) and late fall. ® Copyright 'The MoscowTimes'

'Winter Girl' $52.6 Size: approx. 8'' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer. The tallest doll is signed by the artist.

'Winter Scenes' $135.27 Size: a approx. 8' Metric: a 20 cm Consists of: a 7 pieces Finish: a glossy (lacquer) Availability: a ships within 5-10 business days Origin: a Russian Federation Product Details a As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It is handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, displaying beautiful scenes of traditional Russian winter. The tallest doll is signed by the artist.

'Winter-Time in Russia' $79.95 Size: approx. 8' Metric: 20 cm Consists of: 7 pieces Finish: glossy (lacquer) Availability: ships within 5-10 business days Origin: Russian Federation As all of our nesting dolls, this one is handcrafted in the heart Russia. It was handturned from linden wood and then handpainted by a professional nesting doll artist in the old City of Vladimir. It is a typical nesting doll, and each smaller piece of the set fits into the next larger one. Each doll is coated with 3-5 layers of crystal clear lacquer, displaying beautiful scenes of traditional Russian winter. The tallest doll is signed by the artist.

First Russian Gifts Page     Previous Page     Next Page     Last Russian Gifts Page Prices correct at time of writing - subject to change