Since 1890, the process of making dolls from rough blocks of wood to a uniquely beautiful work of art has been recognized the world over. It is a very meticulous process, and greatly relies on the wood turning skills of Russian craftsmen. Made from oak or birch wooden blocks, the wood is turned about 15 times in the hands of a turner before becoming a finished doll. At that stage, the blank nesting dolls are hand-painted by specially trained artists with the brightest colors and the highest attention to detail. Due to the high amount of precision and the complexity of design that go into making babushka dolls, machines cannot be used at any stage of the process.


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Holy Family 6" Nesting Doll 7pc

Price: $110.95

Availability: In Stock
Item #: 131957 -

    This larger deluxe version of our ever-so-popular Baby Jesus Doll features Joseph, Mary, three wise men, a shepherd, and little baby Jesus. Unnest the doll to arrange your Nativity Scene. All outlines are wood burned into the doll, then the doll is hand-painted with a light coat of watercolours that allow the wood grain to show through. To give the doll a softer touch, we leave the doll unlacquered. The simplicity of this nativity doll has a fresh, natural feel that may help it fit into your...

    Holy Family 4" Nesting Doll 5pc

    Price: $39.95

    Availability: In Stock
    Item #: 131958 -

      Painted with bold bright colors are Joseph, Mary, a Wiseman, a shepherd, and Baby Jesus. Kids love this matryoshka as they re-create the nativity for themselves all season! They especially delight in finding the wee little baby as the smallest piece in the set. And not just children love this item – it's a great find for nativity set collectors. Plus it makes an excellent, inexpensive seasonal gift or stocking stuffer. Details • Made in Russia ...

      St. Nicholas 4" Nesting Doll Set of 5 from Russia

      Price: $49.95

      Availability: In Stock
      Item #: 121186 -

        The Dutch Saint Nicholas, or Sinterklaas (Sinter Klaas), is the immediate forebear of the North American Santa Claus. According to legend, Sinter Klaas makes his rounds on December 5th, St. Nicholas's Eve, dressed in a bishop's robes. He is accompanied by a figure named Black Peter, his aid and personal chimney sweep. Our nesting doll also features a pair of Dutch children, Hans and Katrina, who find sweets not in their stockings, but in their wooden shoes (5th doll). Fully handpainted in St....

        Guardian Angel Hand Painted Icon Eyeglass Case

        Price: $24.95

        Availability: In Stock
        Item #: 132627 -

          Guardian Angel - Lacquered Hard Eyeglass icon Case Box - Hand Painted Russia is long renowned for its famed miniature lacquer boxes decorated with icons, religious subjects and or their famous fairytales. This box has been specially construed of a sturdy resin (with the look of a finely made lacquered box) and lined to safely hold eyeglasses or any other use you think of. The boxes at the are either black or dark blue; the bottom and some sides have a random design in a coordinating color....

          Some babushkas, or grandmothers tell their children that both men (Zvyozdochkin and Malutin) were divinely inspired to create such an ecclesiastic and refined work of art. Zvyozdochkin and Malutin decided to design a doll that would convey the very core of the Russian dusha, or soul, which represents specific Russian cultural and artistic traditions to the world.

          Although the artistic design and popularity of Russian stacking dolls has greatly evolved through the decades, the methods that are used to produce them haven't changed at all since 1890. The process of making the dolls is very meticulous itself, and greatly relies on the wood turning skills of Russian craftsmen. Nesting dolls are usually made from oak or birch wooden blocks. Timber that is used to manufacture nesting dolls is cut down and stripped completely of its bark and stacked in piles in order to allow for air flow and proper conditioning of the wood. Once the craftsman determines that the wood is ready to be cut, the logs are then sawn into planks.

          The wood is then turned about 15 times in the hands of a turner before becoming a finished doll. At that stage, the blank nesting dolls are hand-painted by specially trained artists with the brightest colors and the highest attention to detail. Due to the high amount of precision and the complexity of design that go into making babushka dolls, machines cannot be used at any stage of the process. In fact, it is the hard work, craftsmanship, and effort of both the artist and the wood carver that, through a process of almost magical metamorphosis, for over 100 years have come together to turn rough blocks of wood into the uniquely beautiful works of art, recognized the world over.