When and where did the nesting doll first appear, who invented it? Why is a wooden folding toy doll called "matryoshka"? What does such a unique work of folk art symbolize?

From the very first attempts to find intelligible answers, it turned out to be impossible - information about the matryoshka turned out to be rather confusing. So, for example, there are "Matryoshka Museums", in the media and on the Internet you can read a lot of interviews and articles on this topic. But museums or expositions at museums, as well as numerous publications, as it turned out, are mainly devoted to various artistic samples of nesting dolls made in different regions of Russia and at different times. But little is said about true origin nesting dolls.

To begin with, let me remind you of the main versions-myths, regularly copied as a carbon copy and wandering through the pages of various publications.

Frequently repeated well-known version: matryoshka appeared in Russia 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, and served as the prototype of the Russian nesting doll. He is Fukurokuju, he is Fukurokuju(Different sources give different transcriptions of the name).

Another version the appearance of the future nesting dolls in Russia - allegedly the first to carve a similar toy was a certain Russian Orthodox missionary monk who visited Japan and copied a composite toy from a Japanese one. Let's make a reservation right away: there is no exact information about where the legend of the mythical monk came from, and there is no specific information in any source. Moreover, some strange monk is obtained from the point of view of elementary logic: would a Christian copy a pagan, in fact, deity? What for? Did you like the toy? It is doubtful, although from the point of view of borrowing and the desire to remake it in your own way, it is possible.

Japanese Fukuruma doll:

Russian nesting doll:

Version three - the Japanese figurine was allegedly brought from the island in 1890 to the Mamontovs' estate near Moscow in Abramtsevo.

« Japanese toy was with a secret: his whole family was hiding in the old man Fukurumu. On one of the Wednesdays, when the artistic elite came to the estate, the hostess showed everyone a funny figurine. The detachable toy interested the artist Sergey Malyutin, and he decided to make something similar. Japanese deity he, of course, did not begin to repeat, he made a sketch of a chubby peasant young lady in a flowery headscarf. And to make her look more efficient, he added a black rooster to her hand. The next young lady was with a sickle in her hand. Another - with a loaf of bread. What about sisters without a brother - and he appeared in a painted shirt. The whole family, friendly and hardworking.
He ordered the best turner of the Sergiev Posad training and demonstration workshops, V. Zvezdochkin, to make his own fairy tale. The first matryoshka is now kept by the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad. Painted with gouache, it does not look very festive.
But, firstly, the turner Zvezdochkin did not work until 1905 in the Sergiev Posad workshops! This will be discussed below. Secondly, other sources say that “she (matryoshka - approx.) was born right here, in Leontievsky Lane (in Moscow - approx.), in house number 7, where the Children's Education workshop-shop used to be, owned by Anatoly Ivanovich Mamontov, brother of the famous Savva. Anatoly Ivanovich, like his brother, was fond of national art. In his workshop-shop, artists were constantly working on creating new toys for children. And one of the samples was made in the form of a wooden doll, which was carved on a lathe and depicted a peasant girl in a headscarf and an apron. This doll opened up, and there was another peasant girl, in it - another one ... "

Now confusion has already been created, according to the principle of "who, where and when was, or was not." Perhaps the most painstaking, thorough and balanced study was conducted by Irina Sotnikova - the article "Who Invented the Matryoshka". The arguments given by the author of the study most objectively reflect real facts the appearance of such an unusual toy as a nesting doll in Russia.

About the exact date of the appearance of the matryoshka, I. Sotnikova writes the following: 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 1 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, relying on such approximate reports is rather problematic, 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 abroad, there were orders for its manufacture.

This is followed by a very curious remark about the artist Malyutin, about whether he was actually the author of the nesting doll sketch: “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.

As for the origin of our Russian nesting dolls from the Japanese Fukuruma, Zvezdochkin does not mention anything here either. Now we should pay attention to an important detail, which for some reason eludes other researchers, although this can be seen, as they say, with the naked eye - we are talking about some kind of ethical moment. If we take as a basis the version of “the origin of the matryoshka from the sage Fukuruma”, a rather strange feeling arises - SHE and HE, i.e. the Russian matryoshka, they say, came from him, from the Japanese sage. Suspiciously, a symbolic analogy with the Old Testament fairy tale suggests itself, where Eve was created from Adam's rib (that is, she came from him, and not vice versa, as happens naturally in nature).

Let's return to Sotnikova's research: “This is how the turner Zvezdochkin describes the emergence 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 writes me to Sergiev Posad in the workshop of the Moscow Provincial Zemstvo as a master. From the materials of the autobiography of V.P. Zvezdochkin, written in 1949, it is known that Zvezdochkin entered the workshop "Children's Education" in 1898 (he was from the village of Shubino, Podolsky district). This means that the matryoshka could not have been born before 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 to approximately 1898-1900. As you know, the World Exhibition in Paris opened in April 1900, which means that 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.

Russian nesting doll:

But what about the shape of the toy and did Zvezdochkin borrow the idea of ​​the future matryoshka or not? Or did the artist Malyutin create the initial sketch of the figurine?

“Interesting facts were collected by 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 appearance, looked like 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 it. 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 nesting dolls. 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 the painting of 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 A.I. Mamontov, illustrated books, so he could well paint the first matryoshka, and then other masters painted the toy according to his model.

:
Now about the prototype matryoshka. Was it? 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, director of the Toy Museum, doubted that the matryoshka “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 nesting doll.

Who is our mysterious Fukuruma, good-natured bald sage, where did he come from? ... According to tradition, they visit temples dedicated to the deities of luck, and acquire their small figurines there. May be, the legendary Fukuruma contained within himself six other deities of luck? 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 products were also very popular, for example, the well-known Easter eggs. So what was Fukuruma, it was not, it is 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!”

Russian nesting doll:

Why was the original wooden toy doll called "matryoshka"? Almost unanimously, all researchers refer to the fact that this name comes from the female name Matryona, common in Russia: “The name Matryona comes from the Latin Matrona, which means “noble woman”, Matrona was written in the church, among the diminutive names: Motya, Motya, Matryosha, 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”.

The very name Matrona really means "noble woman" in Latin, and is included in the Orthodox church calendar. But, as for the assertion of many researchers that Matryona - woman's name, very beloved and widespread among the peasantry in Russia, then here there are curious facts. Some researchers simply forget that Russia is big. And this means that the same name, or the same image, can contain both positive and negative, allegorical meaning.

So, for example, in "Tales and Traditions of the Northern Territory", collected by I.V. Karnaukhova, there is a fairy tale "Matryona". Which tells about how a woman named Matryona almost tortured the devil. In the published text, a passer-by potter saves the devil from a lazy and mischievous woman and, accordingly, further scares the devil with her.
In this context, Matryona is a kind of prototype evil wife which the devil himself fears. Similar descriptions are also found in Afanasiev. The plot about the evil wife, popular in the Russian North, was repeatedly recorded by the GIIS expeditions in the "classic" versions, in particular, from A.S. Krashaninnikova, 79 years old, from the village of Meshkarevo, Povenets district.

Russian nesting doll:

At one of the forums on the topic of culture, in particular, deployed on the Internet, literally the following was said: “The prototype of the Russian nesting doll (it also has Indian roots) - Japanese wooden doll. For a sample. According to its origins, it is an image of the ancient Indian sage Daruma (Skt. Bodhidharma), who moved to China in the 5th century. His teachings spread widely in Japan in the Middle Ages. called to comprehend the truth through silent contemplation, and in one of the legends he is a cave recluse, plump from immobility. According to another legend, his legs were taken away from immobility (hence legless sculptures of Daruma):

Nevertheless, the matryoshka immediately gained unprecedented recognition as a symbol of the Russian folk art.
There is a belief that if you put a note with a desire inside a nesting doll, then it will certainly come true, moreover, the more labor is invested in the nesting doll, i.e. the more places in it and the better the painting of the nesting dolls, the faster the desire will come true. Matryoshka is warmth and comfort in the house"


It is difficult to disagree with the latter - the more places in the nesting doll, i.e. the more internal figures, one smaller than the other, the more you can put notes with desires there and wait for them to come true. This is a kind of game, and the matryoshka here acts as a very charming, sweet, domestic symbol, a real work of art.

As for the eastern sage Daruma (here is another name for the “predecessor” of the nesting doll!) - to be honest, having grown fat from immobility, and even with legs weary, the “sage” is extremely poorly associated with a Russian toy, in which every person sees a positive, elegant symbolic image. And because of this beautiful image, our matryoshka enjoys great fame and popularity almost all over the world. We are not talking at all about “matryoshkas” in the form of male (!) political figures, with caricature faces of which enterprising handicraftsmen flooded the entire Old Arbat in Moscow in the nineties. We are talking, first of all, about the continuation of the old traditions of different schools in the painting of Russian nesting dolls, about the creation of nesting dolls of different numbers (the so-called “locality”).

In the process of working on this material, it became necessary to use related sources, not only those devoted to the topic of Russian folk toys. Do not forget that in ancient times, and not only in Russia, various decorations(female and male), household items, as well as toys carved from wood or made from clay, played the role of not just objects that brighten up life - but were also carriers of certain symbols, had some meaning. And the very concept of symbolism was closely intertwined with mythology.

So, surprisingly, the coincidence of the name Matrona, which migrated (according to the generally accepted version) from Latin to Russian, with ancient Indian images, met:
MATRI (ancient Ind. "mother"), the emphasis is on the first syllable - in Hindu mythology, divine mothers, personifying the creative and destructive forces of nature. The idea of ​​an active feminine principle was widely recognized in Hinduism in connection with the spread of the shakti cult. Matri were considered as female personifications of the creative energy of the great gods: Brahma, Shiva, Skanda, Vishnu, Indra, etc. Matri's number ranged from seven to sixteen; some texts referred to them as "the great crowd".

Doesn't this remind you of anything? Matryoshka is also a “mother”, which symbolizes, in fact, a FAMILY, and even consisting of a different number of figures that symbolize children of different ages. This is no longer just a coincidence, but proof of common, Indo-European roots, which is directly related to the Slavs.

From this we can draw the following conclusion: figuratively speaking, if the symbolic "journey" of an unusual wooden figurine begins in India, then continues in China, from there the figurine ends up in Japan, and only then "unexpectedly" finds its place in Russia - the statement that that ours is untenable. If only because the very figurine of a certain oriental sage is not originally Japanese. Probably, the hypothesis about the extensive settlement of the Slavs and the spread of their culture, which later had its influence on the cultures of other peoples, including manifesting itself both in the language and in the divine pantheon, has a basis common to the Indo-European civilization.

Growth different girlfriends
But they look alike
They all sit next to each other
And just one toy.

In Russia, people are very fond of myths. Retelling old ones and creating new ones. Myths are different - legends, legends, household tales, narratives about historical events that acquired new details over time ... not without embellishment on the part of the next narrator. It often happened that people's memories of real events over time acquired truly fantastic, intriguing details, reminiscent of a real detective. The same thing happened with such a famous Russian toy as a matryoshka. One of the main images that arise at the mention of Russia is the nesting doll - a painted chiseled wooden doll, considered almost the perfect embodiment of Russian culture and the “mysterious Russian soul”. However, how Russian is a matryoshka?

It turns out that the Russian nesting doll is quite young, it was born somewhere on the border of the 19th and 20th centuries. But with the rest of the details, not everything is clear and clear.

When and where did the nesting doll first appear, who invented it? Why is a wooden folding toy doll called “matryoshka”? What does such a unique work of folk art symbolize?

Despite its rather young age, the origin of the matryoshka is shrouded in mystery and surrounded by legends. According to one of the legends, the Japanese Daruma doll (Fig. 1), a traditional tumbler doll, personifying Bodhidharma, the god who brings happiness, became the prototype of the nesting doll.

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. The “invention” of Chan Buddhism (or in Japanese Zen) was preceded by a long meditation. Daruma sat for nine years staring at the wall. According to legend, because of the long sitting, Bodhidharma lost his legs. That is why most often the daruma is depicted as legless. Meditating at his wall, Daruma was repeatedly subjected to various temptations, and one day he suddenly realized that instead of meditation, he had plunged into dreams of sleep. Then he cut off the eyelids from his eyes with a knife and threw them to the ground. Now, with his eyes constantly open, Bodhidharma could stay awake, and from his discarded eyelids appeared a wonderful plant that drove away sleep - this is how tea grew. And not in an Asian way, round eyes without eyelids became the second hallmark of Daruma images. According to tradition, Daruma is painted red - under the robes of a priest, but sometimes it is also painted in yellow or green. An interesting feature is that Daruma has no pupils, but the rest of the facial features are preserved (Fig. 2).

Currently, Daruma helps in the fulfillment of desires - every year hundreds and thousands of Japanese participate in the New Year's ritual of making wishes: for this, Daruma is painted over one eye, and the name of the owner is often written on the chin. After that, it is placed in a prominent place in the house, next to the home altar. If by the next new year the wish comes true, then the second eye is added to Daruma. If not, then the doll is taken to the temple, where it is burned and a new one is purchased. It is believed that a kami, materialized in a daruma in gratitude for shelter on earth, will try to fulfill the desire of its owner. Burning the daruma in case of non-fulfillment of a wish is a rite of purification, informing the gods that the one who made the wish has not abandoned his goal, but is trying to achieve it in other ways. The shifted center of gravity and the inability to keep Daruma in a bowed position indicate the perseverance of the one who made the wish and his determination to reach the end at all costs.

According to the second version, a fugitive Russian monk settled on the Japanese island of Honshu, who combined Eastern philosophy with a children's toy. As a basis, he took the figurine of one of the seven Japanese gods - Fukuruma (or Fukurokuju, or Fukurokuju - in different transcriptions) (Fig. 3). Fukurokuju is the god of wealth, happiness, abundance, wisdom and longevity. To decipher the name of the deity Fukurokuju, one should turn to antiquity. The fact is that the name of God is composed using three hieroglyphs. The first of which - fuku - is translated from Chinese as "wealth", "storehouse". The second hieroglyph (roku) means "happiness". And finally, the last - ju symbolizes longevity. Fukurokuju is a real god, the ruler of the southern Pole Star. He lives in his own palace, surrounded by a fragrant garden. In this garden, among other things, grows the grass of immortality. Appearance Fukurokuju differs from the usual hermit only in that his head is even more elongated. In addition to the usual staff, sometimes Fukurokuju is depicted with a fan in his hands. This implies the consonance of the words fan and goodness in Chinese. This fan can be used by God to expel evil forces and to resurrect the dead. Fukurokuju is sometimes depicted as a shifter - a huge celestial turtle - a symbol of wisdom and the universe. The pear-shaped shape of the old man's figurine really resembles the shape of a classic Russian nesting doll. Fukurokuju is one of the so-called "seven gods of happiness", Shichifukujin. The composition of the shichifukujin was inconsistent, but the total number and unity of the characters has been unchanged since at least the 16th century. The seven gods were indeed popular in Japan, for example, in the Tokugawa era, there was a custom to bypass temples dedicated to the gods of Shichifukujin. Some adherents of the theory of “paternity” over the matryoshka of the elder Fukurokuju believe that the seven gods of happiness could be invested in each other, according to the principle of a modern nesting doll, and Fukurokuju was the main, largest detachable figure (Fig. 4).

The third version - the Japanese figurine was allegedly brought from the island of Honshu in 1890 to the Mamontovs' estate near Moscow in Abramtsevo. “The Japanese toy had a secret: the whole family was hiding in the old Fukurumu. On one of the Wednesdays, when the artistic elite came to the estate, the hostess showed everyone a funny figurine. The detachable toy interested the artist Sergey Malyutin, and on its basis he created a sketch of a peasant girl in a headscarf and with a black rooster under her arm. The next young lady was with a sickle in her hand. Another - with a loaf of bread. What about sisters without a brother - and he appeared in a painted shirt. A whole family, friendly and hardworking (Fig. 5).

He ordered the best turner of the Sergiev Posad training and demonstration workshops, V. Zvezdochkin, to make his own fairy tale. The first matryoshka is now kept by the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad. Painted with gouache, it does not look very festive. Here we are all nesting dolls and nesting dolls ... But this doll didn’t even have a name. And when the turner made it, and the artist painted it, then the name came by itself - Matryona. They also say that at the Abramtsevo evenings tea was served by servants with that name. Go through at least a thousand names - and none is better for this wooden doll.

This version has a variation. The first nesting doll was made at the end of the nineteenth century by the artist Malyutin and the turner Zvezdochkin in the workshop of Anatoly Mamontov "Children's Education". In his autobiography, Zvezdochkin writes that he began working in Sergiev Posad in 1905, which means that the matryoshka could not have been born there. Zvezdochkin also writes that he invented the nesting doll in 1900, but it probably happened a little earlier - this year the nesting doll was presented at the World Exhibition in Paris, where the Mamontovs received a bronze medal for toys. It is also interesting that in the memoirs of Zvezdochkin there is no mention of the artist Malyutin, who at that time collaborated with Mamontov, illustrating books. Perhaps the turner simply forgot and released this fact, after all, the biography was written fifty years after the creation of the matryoshka. Or maybe the artist really has nothing to do with it - there are no sketches of nesting dolls in his legacy. There is also no consensus on the question of how many matryoshkas were in the very first set. According to Zvezdochkin, at first he made two nesting dolls - a three-piece and a six-piece one, but the museum in Sergiev Posad has an eight-piece doll, the same nesting doll in an apron and with a black rooster in its hand, and it is she who is considered the first nesting doll.

The fourth version - there is also a wooden painted girl doll - kokeshi (kokeshi or kokeshi) in Japan. A traditional wooden toy, consisting of a cylindrical body and a separately attached head, turned on a lathe (Fig. 6). Less commonly, a toy is made from a single piece of wood. A characteristic feature of kokeshi is the absence of arms and legs in the doll.

The material used is wood of various types of trees - cherry, dogwood, maple or birch. The coloring of kokeshi is dominated by floral, plant and other traditional motifs. Kokeshi are usually painted using red, black, yellow, and crimson. There are two main schools of kokeshi design - traditional ("dento") and author's ("shingata"). The shape of traditional kokeshi is simpler, with a narrow body and a round head. Traditional kokeshi have 11 types of shapes. The popular "naruko kokeshi" has a head that can turn and make the doll make a crying sound, which is why this type of kokeshi is also called a "crying doll". Traditional kokeshi always depict only girls. Each doll is hand-painted and has the artist's signature on the bottom. The design of author's kokeshi is more diverse, shapes, sizes, proportions and colors can be almost anything (Fig. 7).

Kokeshi originates from the northeast of Japan, from the areas of forests and agriculture - Tohoku, the outskirts of the island of Honshu. Although the official "birth" date of the doll is the middle of the Edo period (1603-1867), experts believe that the doll is over a thousand years old. Despite the brevity, kokeshi are very diverse in shape, proportions, paintings, and connoisseurs can determine from these features the slice in which prefecture the toy was made. In Japan, stable centers of folk arts and crafts such as Kyoto, Nara, Kagoshima have long been established, which have preserved traditions in our time.

There is no unequivocal explanation of how this type of toy developed. According to one version, its prototype was shaman figurines used in the rite of evocation of spirits - the patrons of the mulberry craft. According to another, kokeshi were a kind of funeral puppets. They were placed in peasant houses when they had to get rid of extra newborns, since their parents would not be able to feed them. This is associated with such facts as the interpretation of the word "kokeshi" - "crossed out, forgotten child", and the fact that traditional kokeshi are always girls who were much less desirable in peasant families than sons.

A more cheerful version is the story that in the 17th century, the wife of the shogun, the military ruler of the country, who suffered from infertility, arrived in these parts, famous for hot springs. Shortly thereafter, her daughter was born, which gave local craftsmen an opportunity to capture this event in a doll.

In today's Japan, the popularity of kokeshi is so great that they have become one of the symbols of vitality and attractiveness. national culture, objects of aesthetic contemplation, as cultural value distant past. Today, kokeshi is a popular souvenir product.

According to another version, Terimen, a fabric sculpture in miniature, could become the progenitor of the matryoshka (Fig. 8).

- an ancient Japanese needlework that originated in the era of late Japanese feudalism. The essence of this arts and crafts is the creation of toy figurines from fabric. It's pure feminine look needlework, Japanese men are not supposed to do it. In the 17th century, one of the directions of “terimen” was the manufacture of small decorative bags into which they put fragrant substances, herbs, pieces of wood, they were worn with them (like perfumes) or used to flavor fresh linen (a kind of sachet). Currently, terimen figurines are used as decorative elements in the interior of the house. To create terimen figurines, no special training is needed, it is enough to have fabric, scissors and a lot of patience.

However, most likely, the idea of ​​a wooden toy, which consists of several figures inserted into one another, was inspired by Russian fairy tales to the master who created the matryoshka. Many, for example, know and remember the tale of Koshchei, with whom Ivan Tsarevich is fighting. For example, the story about the search for the “koshcheev death” by the prince sounds from Afanasyev: “To accomplish such a feat, extraordinary efforts and labors are needed, because the death of Koshchei is hidden far away: on the sea on the ocean, on the island on Buyan there is a green oak, under that oak is buried an iron chest, in that chest a hare, in a hare a duck, in a duck an egg; one has only to crush the egg - and Koschey instantly dies.

The plot is gloomy in itself, because. associated with death. But here we are talking about a symbolic meaning - where is the truth hidden? The fact is that this almost identical mythological plot is found not only in Russian fairy tales, and even in different versions, but also among other peoples. “Obviously, in these epic expressions lies a mythical tradition, an echo of the prehistoric era; otherwise, how could such identical legends have arisen among different peoples? Koschey (serpent, giant, old sorcerer), following the usual method of the folk epic, tells the secret of his death in the form of a riddle; to resolve it, one must substitute metaphorical expressions for common understanding. This is our philosophical culture. And therefore, it is highly likely that the master who carved the matryoshka remembered and knew Russian fairy tales well - in Russia, a myth was often projected onto real life.

In other words, one is hidden in the other, enclosed - and in order to find the truth, it is necessary to get to the bottom, opening, one by one, all the “cloaked caps”. Perhaps this is precisely the true meaning of such a wonderful Russian toy as a matryoshka - a reminder to posterity of the historical memory of our people? And it is no coincidence that the remarkable Russian writer Mikhail Prishvin once wrote the following: “I thought that each of us has life, like the outer shell of a folding Easter egg; it seems that this red egg is so big, and this is only a shell - you open it, and there is a blue, smaller one, and again the shell, and then green, and for some reason, for some reason, a yellowish egg always pops out at the very end, but it no longer opens, and this the most, our most.” So it turns out that the Russian nesting doll is not so simple - this is an integral part of our life.

But be that as it may, the matryoshka quickly won love not only in its homeland, but also in other countries. It even got to the point that they began to fake the matryoshka abroad. Given the great demand for nesting dolls, entrepreneurs from foreign countries also began to produce wooden dolls-toys in the style of "Russ". In 1890, the Russian consul reported from Germany to St. Petersburg that the Nuremberg firm "Albert Ger" and the turner Johann Vilde were forging Russian nesting dolls. They tried to produce nesting dolls in France and other countries, but these toys did not take root there.

In Sergiev Posad, where nesting dolls began to be made after the closure of the Children's Education workshop, the assortment of dolls was gradually expanded. Together with the girls in sarafans with flowers, sickles, baskets and sheaves, they began to let out shepherds, old men, grooms with brides, in which relatives were hiding, and many others. A series of nesting dolls were specially made for some memorable event: on the centenary of the birth of Gogol, nesting dolls with characters from the writer's works were released; centenary Patriotic War 1812, a series of matryoshka dolls was produced, depicting Kutuzov and Napoleon, inside of which were placed members of their headquarters. They also liked to make nesting dolls on the themes of fairy tales: “Humpbacked Horse”, “Turnip”, “Firebird” and others.

From Sergiev Posad, the matryoshka went on a trip around Russia - they began to make it in other cities. There were attempts to change the shape of the doll, but nesting dolls in the form of a cone or an old Russian helmet did not find demand, and their production was stopped. But, having retained its shape, the matryoshka gradually lost its true content - it ceased to be a toy. If the matryoshka characters of the fairy tale “Turnip” could play this same turnip, then modern nesting dolls are not intended for games at all - they are souvenirs.

Modern artists who paint nesting dolls do not limit their imagination to anything. In addition to traditional Russian beauties in bright shawls and sundresses, you can meet nesting dolls-politicians, both Russian and foreign. You can find Schumacher matryoshka, Del Piero, Zidane, Madonna or Elvis Presley, and many others. In addition to real faces, characters from fairy tales sometimes appear on nesting dolls, but modern fairy tales, “Harry Potter” or “Lord of the Rings”. In some workshops, for a fee, you and your family members will be painted on the matryoshka. And special doll connoisseurs can buy an author's matryoshka or matryoshka from Armani or Dolce and Gabbana (Fig. 9, 10).

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 national consciousness, there is 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 times, 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. Exhibition Japanese art, which took place 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. It was painted by Sergey Malyutin. 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”. Most best material for the manufacture of nesting dolls - this 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 it 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: a bride and groom holding wedding candles in their hands, a shepherd boy with a flute, an old man with a shawl 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 to make 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 (!) seats. 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 Russia. 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 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 special form nesting dolls. 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 the largest center for the creation of matryoshka 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, local residents began to paint them using floral ornament. 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 flower painting on an apron, omitting all the household 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 of the 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. This is a very complex, painstaking work, which includes the preparation of a special type of straw and its use in decorating a wooden figurine. Straw inlay makes Vyatka products unique.

Author's matryoshka

From the end of the 80s, the beginning of the 90s of the 20th century, new stage in the development of the art of nesting dolls - the so-called period of the 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, folk origin. 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 diversity 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, arises before our eyes, and just before our eyes can be “rolled up and put away” in a matryoshka case. 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.
You can often find nesting dolls painted under "Gzhel", "Zhostovo", "Khokhloma", "Palekh". In other words, the modern nesting doll, as it were, concentrates all the richness of the artistic traditions of Russian applied art.

The author's matryoshka can rightfully be considered a new type of art that has enriched the world's artistic heritage and has become a desirable collector's item for museums and private collectors.
Matryoshka is a phenomenon of great artistic value, this work is both sculptural and pictorial, it is the soul and image of Russia.

Russian matryoshka is one of the most famous symbols of Russia. This is a toy whose popularity has stepped far beyond the borders of the state itself. Sergiev Posad is the birthplace of the Russian matryoshka. It was there that a wooden young lady was first invented, from which, when opened, similar toys of various sizes appeared.

Unlike many folk crafts, the popularity of which, due to the emergence of new techniques and materials, has been lost, the Russian matryoshka is still very popular all over the world.

The history of the appearance of the fishery

(Turner Vasily Petrovich Zvezdochkin, creator of the first Russian matryoshka)

The appearance of the first Russian nesting doll dates back to 1898-1900. It was at this time that the famous turner, Vasily Petrovich Zvezdochkin, who was engaged in the manufacture of wooden toys, at the request of Sergei Malyutin, made a blank from wood, into which the same drop-down blanks were inserted, but of different sizes. The plot for painting the very first toy was the daily activities that Russian beauties were engaged in. The nesting doll consisted of eight wooden dolls.

(Classic matryoshka)

Later, various variations of nesting dolls appeared, the number of dolls in which was different. So, at the beginning of the 20th century, products consisted of 24 elements, and the famous turner Nikita Bulychev created a doll consisting of 48 wooden young ladies. On a mass scale, nesting dolls began to be produced in the artel of Mamontov in Sergiev Posad.

A few years after its manufacture, the Russian matryoshka was presented at an exhibition in Paris. Foreigners liked the toy so much that Russian craftsmen received orders for it not only from the expanses of the Motherland, but also from other states. Not even ten years have passed since the first precedents for the manufacture of fake nesting dolls appeared in other countries.

Fishing elements

Russian nesting dolls differed not only in the number of dolls that were invested in one product. The depicted subjects and painting techniques were different.

(Matryoshka family of 8 dolls)

The most common were dolls consisting of 3, 8 and 12 elements. Masters also produced nesting dolls of 21, 24, 30 and 42 dolls.

Traditional plots for the image on nesting dolls were everyday topics. Most often, the occupations of Russian young ladies of one period or another were reflected. The girls were depicted in traditional dresses with scarves on their heads. In their hands they could hold sickles for harvesting, jugs of milk, baskets with berries, etc. A little later, other subjects began to be depicted on nesting dolls, for example, characters from fairy tales and fables, heroes of stories by famous writers.

Also, instead of young ladies, commanders, politicians and other prominent figures could be depicted.

(Old end XIX beginning XX centuries and modern nesting dolls of the XX-XXI centuries)

At some point in time, even the shape of nesting dolls was changed, for example, cone-shaped dolls appeared that were inserted one into the other. Such forms did not gain popularity among the common people, and quickly sunk into oblivion.

Traditional nesting dolls also differed from each other in the style of painting. To date, there are:

• Zagorsk style with bright and saturated colors and many small, clearly traced elements;
• Merino matryoshka doll with large flowers painting;
• Semenov style with strict symmetrical painting;
• Polkhovskaya with the obligatory image of a wild rose flower;
• Vyatka doll depicting a young northerner, modest and shy.

(Types of nesting dolls from different regions of Russia, as well as Ukraine)

Deciduous trees are the traditional material for making nesting dolls, since they are the easiest to process. Most often, masters use linden, as paints for painting they take colored gouache, ink, as well as aniline paints. Protects the finished product with wood wax or an oil-based clear varnish.

Execution technique

Matryoshka is traditionally made by a turner. It is his task to prepare blanks from linden. For turning, only seasoned and thoroughly dried samples of trees are taken.

(Matryoshka making)

First, the master carves out the smallest solid figure. After that, he moves on to the next largest figure and makes only the lower part of it. After processing, this element is well dried, and only then is the upper part of the figure adjusted. According to this scheme, all the components of the nesting dolls are prepared.

Dried parts are necessarily treated with starch glue. It is applied as a ground layer and serves as the basis for painting. After the primer dries thoroughly, the craftsmen begin to paint nesting dolls. To do this, use goose feathers, brushes, sponges, etc.

(Painting finished nesting dolls)

The painting techniques used today are different, but the traditional images are very simple, since the doll was originally intended to be played by children. Masters draw a simple face. The head of the doll is necessarily depicted covered with a scarf, which is painted in traditional Russian ornaments. Of the clothes, a sundress is most often depicted, sometimes it can be complemented by an apron. The figurine is decorated with floral ornaments.

After the paint dries, a finishing layer is applied, which protects the matryoshka from moisture and chips.

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 19th 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 nesting doll 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 under the name 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 famous artist Russian Art Nouveau Sergey Malyutin and led him to an interesting idea. 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 hand. 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 modified 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 it was he who came up with a new toy after 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 have been S. Malyutin - at that time he collaborated with the publishing house of A. I. Mamontov, illustrating children's books. Who invented the nesting doll ");"> *

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 figures, symbolizing the human body, one inside the other, and the first Fukurum was seven-seated, that is, it consisted of seven figures 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 his eyes constantly open, 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. Throughout the year, Daruma stands in the house in the most honorable place, for example, next to the 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 under New Year 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 the 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 Russia, "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 ..."