Matryoshkas Two-Tone Coffee Mug

AssetID: 78234156 / bilderlounge/Tips RF / Matryoshkas A matryoshka doll is a Russian nesting doll (Russian : Матрёшка ) which is a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other. The first Russian nested doll set was carved in 1890 by Vasily Zvyozdochkin from a design by Sergey Malyutin , who was a folk crafts painter at Abramtsevo . Traditionally the outer layer is a woman, dressed in a sarafan , a long and shapeless traditional Russian peasant jumper dress . The figures inside may be of either gender; the smallest, innermost doll is typically a baby lathed from a single piece of wood. Much of the artistry is in the painting of each doll, which can be very elaborate. The dolls often follow a theme, aside from the typical traditional peasant girls, the themes vary, from fairy tale characters to Soviet leaders. This page is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, anyone associated with the topic.