The first Russian nesting doll with a rooster. Japanese Fukurum - the prototype of the Russian Matryoshka

How do legends come about? Not out of nowhere, of course. Some a starting point there is always, but ... There is an inaccuracy, there is an amendment. And embellishment - where do without it? This is how the truth is distorted before everyone's eyes, and a hundred-mouthed rumor spreads fiction throughout the wide world. And now she is already dressed in formal clothes, and even if you are a witness at least three times, you will not dare to challenge the ingrained opinion. It also happens differently. In a series of days and worries, it is difficult to notice seemingly insignificant facts, so everyday and frivolous. And as the years go by (the big is seen from a distance), people's memories intersect so bizarrely and strangely (or even do not intersect at all) that it is no longer possible to determine who is right and who is not.

At first glance, everything in the history of nesting dolls seems to be simple and clear. It appeared at the end of the 19th century, it was invented by the artist Malyutin, turned by the turner Zvezdochkin in the workshop " child education"Mamontov, the Japanese sage Fukurum served as a prototype. But do not flatter yourself, lovers of Russian folk art, any of the above facts can be challenged. Are you surprised? It also seems strange to me, because not so much time has passed.
But let's start in order. Emergence. Nobody knows the exact date, sometimes the appearance of the matryoshka is dated 1893-1896, because these dates were established according to the reports and reports of the Moscow provincial zemstvo council. In one of these reports for 1911, N.D. Bartram writes that the matryoshka was born about 15 years ago, and in 1913, in the report of the Bureau to the handicraft council, he reports that the first nesting doll was created 20 years ago. That is, it is rather problematic to rely on such approximate reports, therefore, in order to avoid mistakes, the end of the 19th century is usually called, although there is also a mention of 1900, when the matryoshka won recognition at the World Exhibition in Paris, and orders for its manufacture appeared abroad.
Now about the artist Malyutin. All researchers, without saying a word, call him the author of the nesting doll sketch. But the sketch itself is not in the artist's legacy. There is no evidence that the artist ever made this sketch. Moreover, the turner Zvezdochkin attributes the honor of inventing the matryoshka to himself, without mentioning Malyutin at all. About turner Zvezdochkin: this is perhaps the only undeniable character who took part in this confusing story. Undeniable, you say? Eh, no, recently in a reputable magazine I was surprised to read about the turner Zvezdochetov (!), As if he had carved a nesting doll. But let's take it as a curiosity. Now the workshop "Children's education". Sometimes it is called a store owned by M.A. Mamontova or A.I. Mamontov, or S.I. Mamontov. And finally, Fukuruma. Zvezdochkin does not mention him, but only talks about what he once saw in a magazine "a suitable chock". Where did the wooden folding god Fukurum come from then, allegedly brought either from Japan or from Paris by no one knows who (there are a lot of options)? Yes, our dear matryoshka is not so simple, she, like a real beautiful lady, is full of mysteries. Let's try to figure them out.

Matryoshka was born in the workshop-shop "Children's Education", which belonged to the spouses M.A. and A.I. Mamontov. Anatoly Ivanovich, brother of the famous philanthropist S.I. Mamontov, was directly involved in its creation: he demanded from the masters more and more new models of toys. The main occupation of A.I. Mamontov had a book publishing activity, the store "Children's Education" was originally a book store, apparently, only later a workshop was opened with him, in which toys were made.
Here is how the turner Zvezdochkin describes the appearance of the matryoshka: " ... In 1900 (!) I invent a three- and six-seat (!) matryoshka and send it to an exhibition in Paris. Worked for Mamontov for 7 years. In 1905, V.I. Borutsky sent me to Sergiev Posad to the workshop of the Moscow Provincial Zemstvo as a master."From the materials of V.P. Zvezdochkin's autobiography, written in 1949 (an excerpt from which is quoted above), it is known that Zvezdochkin entered the "Children's Education" workshop in 1898 (he was from the village of Shubino, Podolsky district). So the matryoshka is not could have been born earlier than 1898. Since the master's memoirs were written almost 50 years later, it is still difficult to vouch for their accuracy, so the appearance of the matryoshka can be dated approximately 1898-1900.As you know, the World Exhibition in Paris opened in April 1900 , so this toy was created a little earlier, perhaps in 1899. By the way, at the Paris exhibition, the Mamontovs received a bronze medal for toys.
Interesting Facts managed to assemble E.N. Shulgina, who in 1947 became interested in the history of the creation of nesting dolls. From conversations with Zvezdochkin, she learned that he once saw a “suitable chock” in a magazine and carved a figurine based on her model, which had a “ridiculous look, seemed to resemble a nun” and was “deaf” (did not open). On the advice of masters Belov and Konovalov, he carved it differently, then they showed the toy to Mamontov, who approved the product and gave it to a group of artists who worked somewhere on the Arbat to paint. This toy was selected for an exhibition in Paris. Mamontov received an order for it, and then Borutsky bought samples and distributed them to handicraftsmen.
Probably, we will never be able to find out exactly about the participation of S.V. Malyutin in the creation of the matryoshka. According to the memoirs of V.P. Zvezdochkin, it turns out that he himself invented the shape of the nesting doll, but the master could forget about painting the toy, many years passed, the events were not recorded: after all, then no one could have imagined that the nesting doll would become so famous. S.V. Malyutin at that time collaborated with the publishing house of A.I. Mamontov, illustrated books, so he could well paint the first matryoshka, and then other masters painted the toy according to his model.
Where did the name "matryoshka" come from? Everyone knows that Matryona is female name beloved among the peasantry. But still there are quite a lot of popular peasant names, why was this chosen? Perhaps the toy resembled a certain girl Matryosha in its appearance, which is why it got its name (as the famous Oscar, similar to someone's uncle Oscar). It is unlikely that the truth will ever be found out. By the way, the name Matryona comes from the Latin Matrona, which means "noble woman", Matron was written in the church, among the diminutive names: Motya, Motrya, Matresh, Matyusha, Tyusha, Matusya, Tusya, Musya. That is, theoretically, a matryoshka could also be called a motka (or muska). It sounds, of course, strange, although what is worse, for example, "marfushka"? Also a good and common name is Martha. Or Agafya, by the way, the popular painting on porcelain is called "agashka". Although we agree that the name "matryoshka" is very successful, the doll has really become "noble".
There is also no agreement on the number of nesting dolls in one set. Turner Zvezdochkin claimed that he originally made two matryoshka dolls: a three-piece and a six-piece. The Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad has an eight-seat nesting doll, which is considered the first, the same chubby girl in a sundress, apron, flowered scarf, who holds a black rooster in her hand. She is followed by three sisters, a brother, two more sisters and a baby. It is often stated that there were not eight, but seven dolls, they also say that girls and boys alternated. For the set kept in the Museum, this is not the case.
Now about the prototype matryoshka. Was there Fukuruma? Some doubt, although why then did this legend appear, and is it a legend? It seems that the wooden god is still kept in the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad. Perhaps this is also one of the legends. By the way, N.D. Bartram himself, the director of the Museum of Toys, doubted that the nesting doll "we borrowed from the Japanese. The Japanese are great masters in the field of turning toys. But their well-known "kokeshi" in principle of their construction are not similar to a nested doll."
Who is our mysterious Fukurum, a good-natured bald sage, where did he come from? Apparently, this saint is one of the seven gods of luck, the god of learning and wisdom Fukurokuju. His head has unusual shape: the forehead is excessively high, as befits a person remarkable mind, in his hands he holds a staff and a scroll. Traditionally, the Japanese New Year visit temples dedicated to the deities of fortune and acquire their small figurines there. Could it be that the legendary Fukuruma contained the other six good fortune deities within it? This is only our assumption (rather controversial).
V.P. Zvezdochkin does not mention Fukuruma at all - a figurine of a saint, which was decomposed into two parts, then another old man appeared, and so on. Note that in Russian folk crafts detachable wooden crafts were also very popular, for example, the well-known Easter eggs. So there was Fukuruma, there wasn’t him, it’s difficult to find out, but it’s not so important. Who remembers him now? But our matryoshka is known and loved by the whole world!

Note:
N. D. Bartram (1873-1931) - founder and director of the Toy Museum, artist, scientist.
V.I. Borutsky (1880 - after 1940) - entrepreneur, organizer of handicraft production.

References:
Dine G.L. Toy craftsman. - M .: Education, 1994.
Mozhaeva E., Kheifits A. Matryoshka. — M.: Soviet Russia, 1969.
Bartram N.D. Selected articles. Memories of an artist. - M .: Soviet artist, 1979.
Popova O.S., Kaplan N.I. Russian art crafts. — M.: Knowledge, 1984.
Baradulin V.A. etc. Fundamentals of artistic craft. - M .: Education, 1979.
Bardina R.A. Products of national art crafts and souvenirs. - M .: Higher school, 1986.
Blinov G.M. Wonder horses, wonder birds. Tales of a Russian folk toy. - M .: Children's literature, 1977.
Orlovsky E.I. Products of folk art crafts. - L .: Lenizdat, 1974.
Kaplan N.I., Mitlyanskaya T.B. Folk arts and crafts. - M .: Higher School, 1980.
Directory of personal names of the peoples of the RSFSR. - M .: Russian language, 1979.

With full or partial use of materials, an active link to the site "Russian thimbles" is required.

The folk costume of our ancestors was amazingly beautiful. Each of its details was evidence of the way of life, one or another volost. Clothing, both festive and everyday, corresponded to the lifestyle, well-being and marital status. The color scheme was varied - combinations of red, blue, yellow and green colors, with a bright flora, embroidered on aprons, scarves, sleeves and shirt hem. All this gave a festive look to any woman, even on a gloomy winter day. Once a foreign traveler visiting a Russian landowner, looking out the window, saw an unusual sight: “What is this?” was all he could say. The landowner exclaimed somewhat in bewilderment: “Yes, it’s the women from my village who go to church on Sunday service.” The foreign guest was amazed by the colorful spectacle of festively dressed peasant women. He had never seen before simple woman she was so well dressed.

So the famous Russian matryoshka apparently borrowed these outfits from Russian beauties and craftsmen - craftsmen who were happy to fantasize and paint wooden dolls with different patterns.

The history of the creation of Russian nesting dolls

And where is the birthplace of this beloved wooden toy, which has become one of the best souvenirs from Russia. It is the Moscow district that is the birthplace of the famous Russian nesting dolls. Although, in more detail, late nineteenth century, Alexandra Mamontova brought to the Moscow factory "Children's Education" a figurine of the Japanese old sage Fukuruma. The toy was interesting in that it had several figures that were nested one into the other, smaller and smaller in size, until the very last one turned out to be quite small. So the local craftsmen decided to repeat this fun for their children. Vasily Zvezdochkin carved a toy, which consisted of eight figures, and the artist Sergey Malyutin painted the figures. But the first toy did not consist of only Russian beauties. It alternated images of a Russian beauty, dressed in a sundress, an apron and a scarf, with images of stately fellows, and the smallest was a baby - a baby.

They called the doll "Matryoshka" - a female name was very popular then - Matryona (Matrona). In 1900, production moved to the county town of Sergiev Posad.

Sergievsky district, named so under Catherine II, was located in dense forests, and fishing has long flourished in all villages wooden toys. Matryoshka dolls were cut out of aspen, birch, linden, alder, their outfits were painted with bright colors: cheap dolls - with glue paints, and expensive ones - with enamels, watercolors. The people loved these bright beauties and bought them not only for children, but also for their collections. Is there a family of nesting dolls in your collection of dolls, or at least one of them?

Bag from the House of Chanel in the form of a Russian nesting doll

Designer nesting dolls created for the anniversary of VOGUE magazine, intended for sale at auction, with an initial value of 5,000 euros. Each nesting doll is dedicated to the work of one Fashion House. (charity auction)

The famous Russian nesting doll, known far beyond the borders of Russia, has almost centennial history. For this relatively small historical period matryoshka has become one of the all-encompassing images of Russia, a symbol of the Russian folk art. Currently, there are several centers for the manufacture and painting of nesting dolls. These are Sergiev Posad near Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod centers in the city of Semenov, in the villages of Polkhovsky Maidan and Krutets. Vyatka, Tver, Mari, Mordovian painted nesting dolls are known. The art of painting matryoshka stepped outside of Russia, centers for painting it appeared in Ukraine and Belarus. Russian wooden painted matryoshka appeared in Russia in the 90s of the XIX century during the period of rapid economic and cultural development of the country. It was rise time national identity, when society began to show more and more persistent interest in Russian culture in general and in the matryoshka in particular. As a result, a whole artistic direction, known as "Russian style". To this day, the matryoshka remains a symbol of motherhood, fertility, since the nesting doll with a large matryoshka family perfectly expresses the figurative basis of this ancient symbol human culture. The first Russian nesting doll, carved according to the sketches of S.V. Malyutin, by the best nesting doll from Sergiev Posad, V. Zvezdochkin, was eight-seat. A boy followed a girl with a black rooster, then another girl. All nesting dolls differed from each other, and the last, eighth, depicted a swaddled baby. The idea of ​​creating a detachable wooden nesting doll was suggested to S.V. Malyutin by a Japanese toy brought from the island of Honshu by the wife of S.I. Mamontov. It was the figure of a good-natured bald old man, the sage Fukurumu, in which there were several more figures nested one inside the other. The Japanese, by the way, claim that a Russian monk was the first to carve a similar nesting doll on the island of Honshu. Matryoshka manufacturing technology Russian masters who knew how to carve wooden objects that are nested in each other (for example, Easter eggs), mastered with ease. As a rule, such tree species as linden and birch serve as material for nesting dolls. Trees intended for making nesting dolls are usually cut down in early spring, cleaned of bark, leaving bark rings in several places so that the wood does not crack during drying. The logs prepared in this way are stacked in piles so that there is a gap between them for the passage of air. Usually harvested wood is kept outdoors for several years in order to bring it to a certain condition, avoiding overdrying or underdrying. In order to turn a nesting doll on a lathe, a turner needs extraordinary skill, the ability to use a relatively small set of seemingly simple tools - a knife and chisels of various lengths and configurations. At present, the Russian nesting doll is experiencing a kind of renaissance, apparently associated with the huge interest in the world in Russia, the changes that have begun in it in the economic, social and cultural life. The revival of economic life made it possible for the unhindered existence of various small private workshops for the manufacture and painting of Russian wooden nesting dolls. Especially many such workshops appeared in Moscow and its environs, where there is an extensive market for nesting dolls. Of greatest interest was the nesting doll, made not in one or another traditional style, but the author's nesting doll, made by an individual artist, professional or amateur. Appeared various options Russian matryoshka, dressed in folk clothes, in the appearance of which the features of the first Russian nesting doll by S.V. Malyutin are guessed. The fantasies of contemporary artists have no limits. The traditional type of Sergiev Posad matryoshka, holding some object in her hands, has now been supplemented by numerous variants of nesting dolls for girls, women, sometimes even elderly ones, with baskets full of fruits, samovars, baskets, various ladles and jugs. The items that nesting dolls hold in their hands turn into a kind of still life. revived and classic pattern nesting dolls with a large family. At the same time, the main nesting doll is often the image of a man, the head of the family, represented with his offspring. Having lost the seriousness and representativeness of the early Sergiev Posad "family" nesting dolls, the modern type of nesting doll-family, presented by the artist with a certain amount of humor, at the same time acquired a warm and cozy atmosphere of a large friendly family. As before, colorful characters remain the most popular - gypsies, representatives of various nationalities, and clergymen. big love used by connoisseurs of Russian folk art historical type matryoshkas: boyars and hawthorns, representatives of the nobility and merchants of pre-revolutionary Russia. Lush, decoratively rich clothes of historical characters enable artists to diversify decorative solutions for painting matryoshkas. These may be nesting dolls in an old Russian sarafan, carefully painted by the artist with strict observance of the ethnographic details of folk clothes. New for the art of Russian matryoshka was the appeal to the traditions of icon painting. As a rule, in solving images of the Mother of God, Jesus Christ, the apostles and saints, artists use the icon-painting technique. Considering the matryoshka as a kind of pictorial surface, they strive to write an icon on it, and not dress the nesting doll in the clothes of this or that depicted saint. Characteristic art of the modern author's matryoshka - its picturesqueness. To use the matryoshka as a surface on which the artist would place this or that image, be it a fairy tale or a landscape, was tried at the turn of the century, during the formation of the art of the Russian nesting doll. According to the type of painting of the apron, several varieties of nesting dolls are distinguished. The first among them can be called nesting dolls, on the apron of which monuments of architecture are depicted. Such a matryoshka doll is a memorable souvenir, which may be associated with a visit to one or another historical place. Famous paintings by Russian landscape painters are often used: A.K. Savrasov, V.D. Polenov, I.I. Shishkin, V.M. Vasnetsov. For painting nesting dolls, artists choose landscapes and subjects related to the national identity of Russia. Matryoshka dolls, on the aprons of which plots from Russian folk tales are depicted, are becoming more widespread. Artists with sufficient technical skill reproduce these scenes in the technique of lacquer miniature painting of decorative Palekh or realistic Fedoskin. The tendency to use decorative motifs characteristic of the traditional centers of Russian culture is becoming more noticeable. folk culture. Some craftsmen from Semyonov use the techniques of traditional Khokhloma painting in painting nesting dolls. Increasingly, you can find nesting dolls “under Gzhel”, nesting dolls “under Zhostovo”, nesting dolls “under Palekh”. The Russian woman remains the favorite character of the author's matryoshka. At first glance, it may seem that it is difficult to add anything to this traditional image. But the modern artist extracts an unexpected freshness from it, surrendering to the play of the imagination. A completely new phenomenon in the painting of Russian nesting dolls is the so-called political nesting doll, which is a whole gallery of Russian tsars, Russian and foreign statesmen, public figures. The painting of nesting dolls depicting modern politicians is somewhat caricatured. The type of political nesting dolls can be attributed to nesting dolls that reproduce samples of popular artists, athletes. The painting of nesting dolls, as it were, absorbs everything bright, fresh, relevant, associated with the renewal and revival of society taking place in Russia at the end of the 20th century.

An inexperienced, and even a sophisticated foreign tourist, first of all, carries a matryoshka doll from Russia. It has long become a symbol of our country, along with vodka, a bear and similar clichés that have developed in the mass consciousness. On the other hand, the Russian matryoshka is a brilliant example of folk talent, weakly influenced by mass culture.

History of Russian matryoshka

The most surprising thing is that until the end of the 19th century, there were no nesting dolls in Russia at all. In the second half of the century, the Great Reform of Alexander II was bearing fruit: industry was rapidly developing, railways. At the same time, the level of national self-consciousness is growing, there is an interest in national history and culture, folk crafts are being revived. From the 60s of the 19th century, a new branch began to form fine arts, called "Russian style". IN Soviet time it was contemptuously called “pseudo-Russian” or even “rooster” style - after the carved and embroidered “roosters” - a favorite motif of the artist and architect I.P. Ropet. Many famous artists, including V.M. Vasnetsova, K.A. Somova, M.A. Vrubel, V.A. Serov, F.A. They were supported by well-known patrons: Savva Ivanovich Mamontov, the creator of the Abramtsevo art circle, who invited these painters to his Abramtsevo estate near Moscow. At Mamontov's, the artists discussed the ways of developing Russian art and created it right there, on the spot. The Mamontovs also tried to revive ancient folk crafts, collected folk art, including peasant toys. Savva Ivanovich's brother, Anatoly Ivanovich Mamontov, was the owner of the Children's Education shop-workshop.

A.I. Mamontov hired highly qualified toy artisans and demanded from them a non-standard approach in the manufacture of toys. To expand the horizons of the masters and develop their creative imagination, samples of toys were ordered from different countries peace. At this time, there is an increased interest in oriental, especially Japanese art. The exhibition of Japanese art, held in St. Petersburg in the second half of the 90s, contributed a lot to the emergence and development of the fashion for “everything Japanese”. Among the exhibits at this exhibition was a figurine of the Buddhist sage Fukurumu, a good-natured bald old man, in which several more wooden figurines were invested. The figurine Fukurumu was brought from the island of Honshu, according to Japanese tradition, the first such figurine was carved by a certain Russian monk, who came to Japan by unknown means. It is believed that the Fukurumu figurine became the prototype of the Russian nesting doll.

Author of Russian matryoshka

The author of the first Russian nesting doll is unknown, but its appearance was predetermined by the wide interest in national art in all spheres of society, the desire of the owner and masters of the shop-workshop "Children's Education" to interest the public, to create something new and unusual in the Russian spirit. Finally, the appearance of the Fukurumu figurine at the exhibition of Japanese art was a kind of precise crystallization of this idea.

The first Russian matryoshka was carved in the workshop of A.I. Mamontov. It has a stamp on it: "Children's upbringing." It was carved by hereditary toy master Vasily Petrovich Zvezdochkin, and painted by S.V. Malyutin, who collaborated with A.I. Mamontov, illustrating children's books.

Why is the matryoshka so called

The name “matryoshka” for a wooden detachable painted figurine turned out to be just right. In the old Russian province, the name Matryona was one of the most common and beloved female names. This name comes from the Latin "mater", which means "mother". The name Matryona evokes the image of a real Russian woman, the mother of numerous children, with real peasant health and a typical portly figure.

The first Russian nesting doll looked something like this.

Vasily Zvezdochkin carved the first Russian matryoshka. Sergey Malyutin painted it. It consisted of 8 places: a girl with a black rooster, then a boy, followed by a girl again, etc. The artist painted all the figures differently, and the last one depicted a swaddled baby.

What is a Russian nesting doll made of?

Matryoshka is usually cut from linden, birch, alder and aspen. Harder and more durable conifers are not used for such “pampering”. The best material for making nesting dolls is linden. The tree from which nesting dolls will be cut is harvested in the spring, usually in April, when the wood is in the juice. The tree is cleaned of bark, be sure to leave bark rings on the trunk, otherwise it will crack when dried. The logs are stacked, leaving a gap between them for air. The wood is aged outdoors for two years or more. Only an experienced carver can determine the degree of readiness of the material. The turner performs up to 15 operations with a lime chock before it becomes a finished nesting doll.

The very first carve a small one-piece figure. For drop-down nesting dolls, first grind the lower part - the bottom. After turning, the wooden doll is carefully cleaned, primed with a paste, achieving a perfectly smooth surface. After priming, the matryoshka is ready for painting.
The workshop "Children's Education" became the first-born in the manufacture of nesting dolls, and after its closure, this craft was mastered in Sergiev Posad. The local craftsmen created their own type of matryoshka, which to this day is called Sergiev Posad.

Russian matryoshka painting

In 1900, the Russian nesting doll was presented at the World Exhibition in Paris, where she received a medal, and world fame. At the same time, international orders were sent, which could only be fulfilled by highly qualified craftsmen from Sergiev Posad. V. Zvezdochkin also came to work in the workshop of this city.

The first Russian nesting dolls were very diverse both in shape and in painting. Among the early Sergiev Posad samples, in addition to girls in Russian sundresses with baskets, sickles, bunches of flowers, or in winter coats with a shawl on their heads, there are often male characters: the bride and groom holding wedding candles in their hands, a shepherd boy with a flute, an old man with a bushy beard. Sometimes the matryoshka was a whole family with numerous children and households.

The fashionable Russian style led to the appearance of a historical nesting doll depicting boyars and boyars, representatives of the Russian nobility, epic heroes. The decoration of nesting dolls was also influenced by various memorable dates, for example, the centenary of the birth of N.V. Gogol, celebrated in 1909. For the anniversary, a series of nesting dolls based on the works of the writer (“Taras Bulba”, “Plyushkin”, “Mayor”) was made.

Matryoshka “Taras Bulba”

By the 100th anniversary of the war of 1812, matryoshka dolls depicting M.I. Kutuzov and Napoleon appeared, inside which were placed figures of Russian and French military leaders.

Very popular were nesting dolls painted based on fairy tales, legends and even fables: “King Dodon” and “The Swan Princess” from the fairy tales of A.S. Pushkin, "Humpbacked Horse" from P.P. Ershov's fairy tale, characters of I.A. Krylov's fables. In Sergiev Posad, they also made nesting dolls decorated with pyrography. Usually, an ornamental pattern was made all over the matryoshka, her clothes, face, hands, scarf and hair by burning.

International recognition of Russian nesting dolls

Matryoshka receives international recognition: in 1905, a store was opened in Paris, where an order was immediately received for the manufacture of a batch of boyar nesting dolls. In 1911 Sergiev Posad craftsmen completed orders from 14 countries. In the price list of the Sergiev Zemstvo educational and demonstration workshop in 1911, twenty-one types of nesting dolls were listed. They differed in painting, size, number of inserts. Sergiev Posad nesting dolls had from 2 to 24 inserts. In 1913, the turner N. Bulychev carved a 48-seat matryoshka specially for the toy exhibition held in St. Petersburg.

Sergiev Posad nesting dolls

At the beginning of the 20th century, the turner played a rather important role in the creation of nesting dolls, turning figures with the thinnest walls. At that time, the carvers reasonably considered themselves the authors of nesting dolls, the painting of nesting dolls played a secondary role. Professional artists who painted the first toys did not take this activity very seriously.

The largest Sergiev Posad nesting doll was carved by the turner Mokeev in 1967. It consists of 60 (!) places. Matryoshka from Sergiev Posad is distinguished by a squat shape, the top, smoothly turning into the expanding lower part of the figurine, gouache painting, varnished. The preferred proportion of nesting dolls - 1: 2 - is the ratio of the width of the nesting doll to its height.

Semyonovskaya matryoshka

The huge popularity of the Sergiev Posad matryoshka has led to the emergence of competition. Masters from other places could see the novelty at fairs, especially at the country's largest Nizhny Novgorod fair. Sergiev Posad nesting dolls attracted the attention of Nizhny Novgorod toy carvers. In the Nizhny Novgorod province, a large handicraft center for the production of matryoshka appears - the city of Semyonov (the nesting doll is called Semyonov after it).

The traditions of painting the Semyonov nesting dolls originate from the hereditary toy masters Mayorovs from the village of Merinovo. The village is located near Semyonov. In 1922, Arsenty Fedorovich Mayorov brought from Nizhny Novgorod unpainted Sergiev Posad matryoshka. His eldest daughter Lyuba drew a drawing on the matryoshka with a goose quill and painted it with aniline paints with a brush. She depicted a Russian kokoshnik on her head, and in the center she placed a bright scarlet flower, similar to a chamomile.

For almost 20 years, Merinovsky nesting dolls have been ranked first among the masters of the Nizhny Novgorod region for 20 years.

The painting of the Semyonov matryoshka, which is brighter and more decorative than the Sergiev Posad one. The painting of Semyonov nesting dolls originates in folk traditions"grass" ornament Ancient Rus'. The Semyonov masters left more unpainted surfaces, they use more modern aniline paints, also varnished.

The basis of the composition in the painting of the Semyonov matryoshka is an apron, which depicts a lush bouquet of flowers. Modern masters create a painting in three colors - red, blue and yellow. They change the combination of colors of the apron, sundress and scarf. The bouquet on the apron is traditionally written not in the center, but slightly shifted to the right. Semenov turners came up with a special form of matryoshka. She, unlike the Sergiev Posad, is more slender. Its upper part is relatively thin and sharply passes into a thickened lower one.

The Semyonov matryoshka differs from others in that it is multi-seated and consists of 15-18 multi-colored figures. It was in Semyonov that the largest 72-seat matryoshka was carved. Its diameter is half a meter, and its height is 1 meter.
Semyonov is considered largest center to create nesting dolls in Russia.

Matryoshka from Polkhovsky Maidan

In the south-west of the Nizhny Novgorod region there is another famous center for the manufacture and painting of nesting dolls - this is the village of Polkhovsky Maidan.
This is an old handicraft center, the inhabitants of which specialized in woodcarving and the manufacture of wooden toys. The first Polkhov nesting dolls, made following the example of the Sergiev Posad ones, were trimmed with burning. Later locals they began to paint them using floral ornaments. The masters of Polkhovsky Maidan, as well as Semyonov, paint with aniline paints. coloring

The Polkhovo-Maidanovskaya matryoshka is distinguished by an even brighter, sonorous color scheme and a larger painting.

The style of the Polkhovo-Maidanovskaya matryoshka belongs to the so-called. peasant primitive, its painting resembles children's drawing., The artists of Polkhovsky Maidan, like the masters of Semyonov, pay the main attention to the flower painting on the apron, omitting all the everyday details of the costume.

The main motif of their painting is a multi-petal rosehip flower (“rose”). This flower has long been considered a symbol feminine, love and motherhood. The image of a “rose” is necessarily present in any version of the painting created by the masters of Polkhovsky Maidan.

Matryoshka inlaid with straws

Vyatka matryoshka is the northernmost of all Russian nesting dolls. She received a special originality in the 60s of the twentieth century. Then the matryoshka was not only painted, but also inlaid with straws. It's very complicated painstaking work which includes training special kind straw and its use in decorating a wooden figurine. Straw inlay makes Vyatka products unique.

Author's matryoshka

Since the late 80s, early 90s of the 20th century, a new stage in the development of the art of nesting dolls begins - the so-called period of author's nesting dolls. The political and economic changes known as Gorbachev's "perestroika" aroused great interest in the world in Russian culture, its original, people's beginning. Economic changes allowed the opening of private workshops. The master craftsman got the opportunity to freely sell his products, as it was 100 years ago.

Among those who willingly took up painting matryoshkas were professional artists. In place of the standard identical matryoshka doll, which developed in Soviet times, a new, author's one has come. First of all, nesting dolls brought back the thematic variety in the painting that existed in the early Sergiev Posad period.

Modern matryoshka

A characteristic feature of the modern author's matryoshka is its extraordinary picturesqueness. Her pattern is similar to a flowery fabric and creates a festive mood. One of the main themes of painting is the world. Many artists turn to motifs from Russian history - from the campaign of Prince Igor to modern history. It turned out that the matryoshka has a huge potential for conveying events unfolded in time and space. This movement, as it were, appears before our eyes, and just before our eyes it can be “rolled up and put away” in a matryoshka case.

For example, the so-called political matryoshka represents a portrait gallery of Russian sovereigns, domestic and foreign statesmen. Matryoshka dolls depicting modern politicians are more like good caricatures - a tradition that comes from early period matryoshka development. Known, for example, is a caricature nesting doll painted by V.A. Serov. S.I. Mamontov, V.A. Serov himself, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov and other participants in Mammoth theatrical productions were presented in Turkish costumes.

“Subordination” in the matryoshka of a political nature is expressed very clearly. It is worth mentioning that for the inauguration of Bill Clinton in Russia, nesting dolls with the image of the future US president and his closest associates were specially ordered.

Often contemporary artists turn to traditional themes mural paintings - "Family", "Motherhood". For the first time, a mother with a baby in her arms was depicted in their nesting dolls by craftsmen from the village of Krutets, Nizhny Novgorod Region. We do not find a similar tradition of painting in nesting dolls of the early Sergius type, but during the heyday of the author’s nesting dolls, this topic began to develop actively.

A traditional Russian souvenir, a symbol of our country, the nesting doll is a very young toy: it appeared only a little over a hundred years ago, in the 90s of the XIX century. However, already in 1900, at the World Exhibition in Paris, nesting dolls received gold medal as an example of "national art".

There is still no consensus among researchers regarding the exact age and origin of the matryoshka. According to the most common version, the first Russian matryoshka was born in the Moscow workshop-shop "Children's Education", which belonged to the family of the publisher and printer Anatoly Ivanovich Mamontov, brother of the famous industrialist and philanthropist Savva Mamontov. According to legend, the wife of Anatoly Ivanovich brought from Japan, from the island of Honshu, a chiseled figurine of the Japanese god Fukurokoju. In Russia, she is known as Fukurum, but in Japan there is no such word at all, and this name is most likely the result of the fact that someone at one time did not hear well or did not remember the name that was outlandish for the Russian ear. The toy had a secret: it was divided into two parts, and inside it was the same figure, but smaller, also consisting of two halves ... This toy fell into the hands of the famous Russian Art Nouveau artist Sergei Malyutin and pointed him at interesting thought. He asked the turner, a hereditary toy maker, Vasily Petrovich Zvezdochkin, to carve a blank form from wood, and then painted it with his own hands. It was a round-faced plump girl in a simple Russian sundress with a rooster in her hands. From it, one after another, other peasant girls appeared: with a sickle for harvesting, a basket, a jug, a girl with her younger sister, younger brother, everything - little, little less. The last, eighth, depicted a swaddled baby. It is assumed that the matryoshka got its name spontaneously - this is how someone in the workshop called it during the production process (The name "Matryona" is a reinterpretation of the word "matron", meaning mother of the family, matushka, respectable woman). So the girl was called Matryona, or lovingly, affectionately - Matryoshka. The image of a colorful toy is deeply symbolic: from the very beginning, it has become the embodiment of motherhood and fertility.

However, there are many white spots in this legend. Firstly, the sketch of a matryoshka was not preserved in the legacy of the artist Malyutin. There is no evidence that Malyutin ever made this sketch. Moreover, the turner V. Zvezdochkin claimed that he invented new toy, seeing a suitable chock in some magazine. According to her model, he carved a figurine that had a “ridiculous appearance, seemed to resemble a nun” and was “deaf” (not opened), and gave the blank to paint a group of artists.

It is possible that the master, over the years, could have forgotten who exactly painted the first matryoshka. It could well be S. Malyutin - at that time he collaborated with the publishing house of A. I. Mamontov, illustrating children's books. Who invented the matryoshka ");"> *

First matryoshkas
Toy Museum, Sergiev Posad

Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the first Russian matryoshka saw the light in late XIX century (it is unlikely that it will be possible to establish the exact year). In Abramtsevo, in the artel of Mamontov, mass production of matryoshkas was established. The first nesting doll - a girl in a folk dress, painted with gouache, looks very modest. Over time, the painting of toys became more complicated - matryoshka dolls appeared with complex floral ornaments, picturesque scenes from fairy tales and epics. Their number in the set has also increased. At the beginning of the 20th century, 24-seat nesting dolls were already made. And in 1913, the turner Nikolai Bulychev contrived to create a 48-seat doll. In the 1900s, the "Children's Education" workshop was closed, but the production of nesting dolls began to continue in Sergiev Posad, which is 70 kilometers north of Moscow, in a training workshop.

The alleged prototype of the matryoshka - the Fukurokuju figurine depicts one of the seven gods of happiness, the god of a scientific career, wisdom and intuition. The very image of Fukurokuju testifies to great intelligence, generosity and wisdom: his head has an unusually elongated forehead, grotesque facial features, deep transverse wrinkles on his forehead, he usually holds a staff with a scroll in his hands.

The ancient sages of Japan believed that a person has seven bodies, each of which is patronized by one god: physical, ethereal, astral, mental, spiritual, cosmic and nirvana. Therefore, an unknown Japanese master decided to place several figurines symbolizing human bodies, one inside the other, and the first Fukuruma was seven-seat, that is, it consisted of seven figurines nested in each other.

Some researchers associate the origin of the Russian nesting doll with another doll, also Japanese - the figurine of St. Daruma.

This toy embodies the image of a monk named Daruma. Daruma is the Japanese version of the name Bodhidharma. That was the name of the Indian sage who came to China and founded the Shaolin Monastery. By Japanese legend Daruma meditated tirelessly for nine years, staring at the wall. At the same time, Daruma was constantly subjected to various temptations, and one day he suddenly realized that instead of meditation he fell into a dream. Then he cut off the eyelids from his eyes with a knife and threw them to the ground. Now with constantly open eyes Bodhidharma could stay awake, and from his discarded eyelids appeared a wonderful plant that drove away sleep - this is how real tea grew. And later, from sitting for a long time, Daruma lost his arms and legs.

That is why the wooden doll depicting Daruma is depicted as legless and armless. She has large round eyes, but no pupils. This is connected with one interesting ritual that exists to this day.

A painted figurine of Daruma without pupils is bought at the temple and brought home. They make a wish on it, independently painting one eye on the toy. This ceremony is symbolic: opening the eye, a person asks Daruma for the fulfillment of a dream. All year Daruma stands in the house on the very place of honor, for example, next to a Buddhist altar. If during the year the wish comes true, then as a token of gratitude they "open", that is, they paint the second eye of Daruma. If Daruma was not honored to fulfill the desire of the owner, then on New Year's Eve the doll is brought back to the temple where it was bought. Bonfires are made near the temples, where they burn Darum, who did not ensure the fulfillment of desire. And instead of Darum, who failed to fulfill their desires, they buy new ones.

A similar belief exists about nesting dolls: it is believed that if you put a note with a desire inside a nesting doll, then it will certainly come true, and the more work is invested in the nesting doll, the faster the wish will come true.

The hypothesis of the origin of the matryoshka from Daruma does not take into account the fact that this doll is not collapsible at all. In fact, a daruma toy is ... a tumbler. The papier-mâché daruma has a weight, usually made of clay, placed at the base to prevent it from falling. There is even such a poem: “Look! Daruma is like a roly-poly! Thus, Daruma, most likely, is not the progenitor, but only a distant relative of both nested dolls and tumblers.

By the way, detachable figurines were popular even before the appearance of matryoshka dolls both in Japan and in Russia. So, in Rus', "pysanky" - wooden painted Easter eggs - were in circulation. Sometimes they were made hollow inside, and less was invested in more. This idea is also worked out in folklore: remember? - "a needle is in an egg, an egg is in a duck, a duck is in a hare ..."