Matryoshka doll

Matryoshka (Russian Матрёшка, in German also matryoshka or babushka doll also erroneously; Matryoshka English transcription ) are made ​​of wood and brightly painted, each other nestable, egg-shaped Russian dolls with Talisman character.

Overview

The turned from linden or birch wooden dolls that are enjoying a toy as a souvenir great popularity, go back to the Japanese Fukurokuju dolls that were introduced at the end of the 19th century Russia.

Since collapsible toy in Russia already enjoyed some popularity, built in 1890 Vasily Swjosdotschkin and Sergei Malyutin the first matryoshka dolls, which should represent a typical peasant woman in red Sarafan. The name " matryoshka " actually comes from the typical Russian female name " Matrona " (from the Latin matrona ).

In addition to fertility and motherhood (Russian матерь, mater) performing female and male but there were variants that represented mostly military prowess and strength.

The but now predominantly female figures are made beginning with the smallest doll. Adapted thereto, the respective next higher stilted. The real art lies in the painting. The higher the quality is a set of matryoshka dolls, the less the big dolls differ from the small. The most famous places of production are Nizhny Novgorod, the Moscow Oblast and Kirov. Originally there were the dolls only 3 -, 5 -, 7 - and 10-section, but now they are also in 13 -, 15 - and produced 20 -part (or even greater) version.

Since the late 1980s, there has also satirical Matrjoschkas. It provides, for example, the smallest doll Lenin or ( as in the picture ) Ivan the Terrible and the largest Yeltsin or Putin dar.

Erroneously, these dolls are sometimes referred to as " Babushka " (also in the equally wrong spelling " Babutschka " ), but in Russian, " grandma " or " grandmother " means and has no relation to the dolls. In the Austrian border with Hungary you also find the name Piroshka (Hungarian piroska ). Incorrectness is also the derivation of " Mamuschka " from " Mama". Other, created by a derogation or inaccurate transcription of the Russian name variants are: matryoshka, matryoshka, Matryoschka ( from the English transcription of " Matryoshka " ), Matruschka or Maroschka.