Matryoshka ~ Soul of Russia

Author: Linda DeLaine
Website: RL Online
Department:
Page: 3   ( 3) pages

Summary: Part III - Today and tomorrow

After the fall of the Soviet Union, religion and art began to flourish anew. Iconography, once banned, gained renewed interest. Creative freedom has been reflected in the contemporary matryoshkas, as well. Many craftsmen are reviving the style of Sergiev Posad and the influence of the old icon painters. Still others are painting characters and views of their native villages, drawing together the past and present and hope for the future. Many modern matryoshka artists refer to photos and other descriptions of the original matryoshkas in order to incorporate many of the old decorative styles. The face is, again, the focal point of the dolls as the artist endeavors to recapture the culture of his ancestors.

Iconography tells the story of faith and history of the Church. Matryoshka, similarly, tells the story of a people. Peasants, saints, national heros, tsars, composers, politicians; none have escaped the artist's hand. Modern matryoshka painters borrow from the Semionov style by using the doll's apron as a canvas for various themes. Most commonly, Russia's wonderful architectural monuments; monasteries, cathedrals, etc.; are found on matryoshka's apron. This is also a place for depicting popular Russian folk tales or articles of daily life, such as a samovar. Such matryoshka make very appealing souvenirs.

Today's matryoshka are bright and full of energy. Different styles are used, ranging from the traditional to palekh, khokhloma and zhostovo. They represent the treasures of the past and are certain to continue to be treasures of Russian life and culture in the future. Matryoshka is much more than wood working and painting. These dolls are a reflection of the soul of Russia.

Variations on a theme . . .

Another popular form of matryoshka is the Babushka doll. Babushka means grandmother, in Russian. The outer most doll is opened to reveal three more dolls of equal size. Each of these dolls typically holds three more dolls and so on. The Babushka represents the grandmother's generations to come.

Many artists have extended the nesting doll concept to eggs. Nesting eggs are unique and a clever way to tell a story. In these two examples, the folktale, Winter Troika, and a selection of Pushkin's fairytales are told through the series of eggs. The smallest piece is about the size of a chicken egg with the largest being roughly seven inches tall. The bottom of the eggs are flat so that each piece can stand on its own.

Russian Nested Dolls
A Punch-Out toy
A. G. Smith

Paperback
Dover Publications, Inc.
October 1994