Matryoshka AKA Russian Nesting Dolls

            The other day I decided it was time to pack up my Russian Nesting Dolls (Matryoshka).  Eventually they will live in my bonus room (a room above the garage), which I am calling my collection's room.

I have always liked to collect things. At a garage sale when I was young I got a book of stamps and casually collected stamps. When I was older I turned my attention primarily to coin collecting (more on those when I get around to packing them) and Russian Nesting Dolls. In a few years my collection has grown very nicely.

             The Russian Nesting Doll is very simple. They are made from wood and each doll fits inside the others. I believe the first Russian Nesting doll was made in 1890 and was a set depicting a family. Traditionally there are five dolls in each set with the most basic being a set of Russian peasant girls. However there are sets that can have dozens of dolls (I don’t have any of those . . . . . . .yet). Also some sets are themed, like the sports dolls or the set I have of Czar Nicholas's family. The first set I ever had was a round set that consisted of the moon, sun, and planets.

A few of my sets:

This is a church set with each doll featuring different church designs. The center design is done by burning the wood rather than painting it.

The set of dolls with the blue hood is my most recent addition. I found them at a street fair in St. James, NY. What first got my attention was the baby (smallest doll). It is the smallest one I have and still painted with detail, an amazing talent. Here is also a close up of the three smallest dolls with a penny.

The set in this picture is one of my favorites. I bought it in Brighton Beach (Brooklyn, NY) a couple of years ago. Unfortunately I was told that the store I bought it at was damaged when hurricane Sandy blew her way through NY.

And finally this is a fun set that my Mom got me for Christmas last year. It is a set of five. The largest doll is a clown who can hold the two smallest dolls on his hands.