History of toys. Matryoshka. Japanese Fukuruma - an eastern analogue of the Russian nesting doll

One of the main images that arises when mentioning Russia is matryoshka- a painted, turned wooden doll, considered (with a bit of irony or quite seriously) almost the ideal embodiment of Russian culture and the “mysterious Russian soul”, perceived either as the height of art or as creepy kitsch.

However, how Russian is the Russian nesting doll?

Like everyone else national symbol, the nesting doll has a legend of its appearance. And as in many legends, the truth is overgrown with speculation. Let's add our share too.

It turns out that the Russian nesting doll is quite young, it was born somewhere on the border of the 19th and 20th centuries. The legend names the place of its appearance, the names of the turner and the artist who first turned and painted the doll. But with the rest of the details, not everything is clear and precise.

Almost all sources say that the prototype of the first matryoshka was Japanese god. Indeed, in the 2nd half of the 19th century. In Europe and Russia, a fashion for everything Japanese appeared; there was an extraordinary demand for Japanese prints of any content and quality, exotic Asian figurines, etc. But there is no clarity with a specific prototype - the “father” of the nesting doll. The name most often heard is “Elder Fukuruma”.

Fukurokuju is one of the so-called "seven gods of happiness" Shichifukujin. The composition of the Shichifukujin was inconsistent, but total number and the unity of the characters is unchanged at least from the 16th century The seven gods were indeed popular in Japan, for example, in the Tokugawa era there was a custom of going around the temples dedicated to the gods of Shichifukujin.

Some adherents of the theory of “fatherhood” over the matryoshka doll of the elder Fukurokuju believe that the seven gods of happiness could be invested in each other, according to the principle of the modern matryoshka, and Fukurokuju was the main, largest detachable figurine.

According to another version, only the form was borrowed from Fukurokuju, and the turner filled it with recursive content already on Russian soil Vasily Zvezdochkin. Indeed, turned dishes and wooden detachable souvenirs, like Easter eggs, were, to put it mildly, not a novelty for Russian craftsmen, i.e., in technical terms, the nesting doll did not represent any particular novelty or complexity.

About nesting dolls built on the principle Easter eggs, and at the same time you can read about the deep symbolism of such a scheme from Prishvin:

...I thought that each of us has a life like the outer shell of a folding Easter egg: it seems so big this red egg, and this is just a shell - you open it, and there is a blue, smaller one, and again a shell, and then a green one, and at the very end, for some reason, a yellow egg always pops out, but it is no longer revealed, and this is the most, the most ours...
Mikhail Mikhailovich Prishvin. Kurymushka/Kashcheeva chain

Modern Daruma figurine

The second group of legends sees the relationship between the nesting doll and the founder of Zen Buddhism Darumas. Daruma (達磨) - Japanese variant of the name Bodhidharma, that was the name of the Indian sage who came to China and founded the monastery Shaolin. 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, due to sitting for a long time, Bodhidharma's legs became paralyzed. That is why most often the daruma is depicted as legless.

Interestingly, in addition to the nesting doll and Zen Buddhism, Daruma is credited with another useful contribution. While meditating at his wall, Daruma was repeatedly exposed to various temptations and one day he suddenly realized that instead of meditating, he had plunged into the dreams of sleep. Then he cut off the eyelids from his eyes with a knife and threw them to the ground. Now with constantly with open eyes Bodhidharma could stay awake, and from his discarded eyelids a wonderful plant appeared that drives away sleep - this is how tea grew. And non-Asian round eyes without eyelids became the second distinctive feature of Daruma’s images.

In Japan, Daruma tumbler figurines are used in New Year's ceremonies. A painted Daruma figurine without painted pupils is bought at the temple and brought home. A wish is made in front of Daruma and one pupil is drawn. Apparently, Daruma wants to get a second pupil so much that he will make every effort to make his wish come true. If the wish comes true, Daruma receives a second eye, but if not, he is taken to the temple and burned.

On the relationship of Russian nesting dolls Japanese culture and the “reverse” perception of the nesting doll by the Japanese, a joint Soviet-Japanese Feature Film 1966 Little Fugitive (小さい逃亡者). In the story, the main character is a ten-year-old Japanese boy- receives a gift from a Russian clown who toured in Japan Yuri Nikulin souvenir set of nesting dolls. In search of his father, the boy runs to the USSR and overcomes the path with Far East to Moscow and Leningrad, encountering a number of difficulties along the way. Main character subconsciously feels the “magic” of the figures and, when faced with each subsequent problem, makes a wish on one of the nesting dolls. Problems miraculously are resolved, and the “triggered” nesting doll is left behind by the boy.

There is a historically unconfirmed version of the birth of the Russian nesting doll - Japanese figurine as if they were brought from the island of Honshu in 1890 to the Mamontovs’ estate in Abramtsevo near Moscow.

“The Japanese toy had a secret: his whole family was hiding in the old man Fukurumu. One Wednesday, when the artistic elite came to the estate, the hostess showed everyone a funny figurine. The detachable toy interested the artist Sergei Malyutin, and he decided to do something similar. Japanese deity he, of course, did not repeat it, but made a sketch of a round-faced peasant young lady in a colorful headscarf. And to make her look more businesslike, he drew a black rooster in her hand. The next young lady had a sickle in her hand. Another one - with a loaf of bread. How could the sisters be without a brother - and he appeared in a painted shirt. A whole family, friendly and hardworking.

He ordered the best turner of the Sergiev Posad educational and demonstration workshops, V. Zvezdochkin, to make his incredible work. The first nesting doll is now kept in the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad. Painted with gouache, it doesn’t look very festive.
But, firstly, the turner Zvezdochkin did not work in the Sergiev Posad workshops until 1905! This will be discussed below. Secondly, other sources say that “she (matryoshka - approx.) was born right here, in Leontyevsky Lane (in Moscow - approx.), in house No. 7, where there used to be a workshop-shop" Child education", which belonged to 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 turned on a lathe and depicted a peasant girl in a headscarf and apron. This doll opened, and there was another peasant girl, and there was another one in it...”

Now confusion has already arisen, according to the principle of “who, where and when was or was not.” Perhaps the most painstaking, thorough and balanced research was carried out by Irina Sotnikova - the article “Who Invented the Matryoshka Doll.” The arguments given by the author of the study most objectively reflect real facts the appearance of such an unusual toy as the matryoshka doll in Russia.

Japanese Daruma doll:

ABOUT exact date appearance of the nesting doll I. Sotnikova writes the following: “...sometimes the appearance of the nesting doll is dated back to 1893-1896, because These dates were established from the reports and reports of the Moscow provincial zemstvo government. In one of these reports for 1911, N.D. Bartram 1 writes that the nesting doll was born about 15 years ago, and in 1913, in the Bureau’s report to the handicraft council, he reports that the first nesting doll was created 20 years ago. That is, relying on such approximate reports is quite problematic, therefore, in order to avoid mistakes, the end of the 19th century is usually mentioned, although there is also a mention of 1900, when the nesting doll won recognition at the World Exhibition in Paris, and orders for its production appeared abroad.”

What follows is a very interesting remark about the artist Malyutin, about whether he was actually the author of the matryoshka sketch: “All researchers, without saying a word, call him the author of the matryoshka sketch. But the sketch itself is not in the artist’s heritage. There is no evidence that the artist ever made this sketch. Moreover, turner Zvezdochkin attributes the honor of inventing the nesting doll to himself, without mentioning Malyutin at all.”

Japanese Daruma doll:

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

Let’s return to Sotnikova’s research: “Here is how the turner Zvezdochkin describes the emergence of the matryoshka doll: “...In 1900 (!) I invent a three- and six-seater (!) doll and send it to an exhibition in Paris. I worked for Mamontov for 7 years. In 1905 V.I. Borutsky sends me to Sergiev Posad to 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 “Children’s Education” workshop in 1898 (he was originally from the village of Shubino, Podolsk region). This means that the nesting doll 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 nesting doll can be dated to approximately 1898-1900. As you know, the World Exhibition in Paris opened in April 1900, which means 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 doll:

But what about the shape of the toy and did Zvezdochkin borrow the idea of ​​the future nesting doll or not? Or was it the artist Malyutin who created the original sketch of the figurine?

“E.N. managed to collect interesting facts. Shulgina, who in 1947 became interested in the history of the creation of the nesting doll. From conversations with Zvezdochkin, she learned that he once saw a “suitable block of wood” in a magazine and, based on its model, carved a figurine that had a “ridiculous appearance, 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 working 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 the artisans.
We will probably never be able to find out for sure about the participation of S.V. Malyutin in the creation of matryoshka dolls. According to the memoirs of V.P. Zvezdochkina, it turns out that he came up with the shape of the nesting doll himself, but the master could have forgotten about painting the toy; many years passed, the events were not recorded: after all, then no one could have imagined that the matryoshka would become so famous. S.V. Malyutin at that time collaborated with the publishing house A.I. Mamontov, illustrated books, so he could easily paint the first matryoshka doll, and then other masters painted the toy based on his model.”

Japanese Fukuruma doll:

Now about the prototype of the nesting doll. Was there Fukuruma? Some doubt it, but why did this legend appear then, and is it even 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. himself Bartram, director of the Toy Museum, 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, are not similar to a matryoshka doll.”

Who is our mysterious Fukuruma, the good-natured bald sage, where did he come from? ...By tradition, the Japanese New Year They visit temples dedicated to the deities of luck and buy small figurines of them there. Perhaps the legendary Fukuruma contained within itself the other six deities of fortune? This is just our assumption (quite controversial).

V.P. Zvezdochkin does not mention Fukuruma at all - a figurine of a saint that would split into two parts, then another old man would appear, and so on. Note that in Russian folk crafts, detachable wooden products were also very popular, for example, the well-known Easter eggs. So it’s difficult to find out whether Fukuruma was or wasn’t, but it’s not that important. Who remembers him now? But the whole world knows and loves our nesting doll!”

Why was the original wooden doll-toy called “matryoshka”? Almost unanimously, all researchers refer to the fact that this name comes from female name Matryona, common in Russia: “The name Matryona comes from the Latin Matrona, which means “noble woman”, in the church it was written Matrona, among the diminutive names: Motya, Motrya, Matryosha, Matyusha, Tyusha, Matusya, Tusya, Musya. That is, theoretically, a matryoshka could also be called motka (or muska). It sounds strange, of course, but what’s worse, for example, “marfushka”? Also a good and common name is Martha. Or Agafya, by the way, popular painting on porcelain is called “agashka”. Although we agree that the name “matryoshka” is a very apt one, the doll has really become “noble.” via

Thank you sen_sey15 behind

"Our everything" among toys. Elegant, picturesque, carrying more than one secret. Moreover, main secret always hidden in the tiniest nesting doll, one-piece. The nesting dolls do not give this secret to anyone: the secret of their origin.

Matryoshka “biographers” know exactly when these funny dolls appeared in Russia - at the end of the last century. For example, it is known for certain that in 1900 this beauty - six in one - made a splash in Europe: it received a bronze medal at the World Exhibition in Paris. But who invented them, and whether they have ancestors, remains a mystery.

The nesting doll was brought to Paris by M. Mamontova, the wife of Anatoly Ivanovich Mamontov, brother famous philanthropist Savva Mamontov and the owner of the "Children's Education" toy factory. Wood turner Vasily Zvezdochkin, who then worked in this workshop, carved similar figures from wood, which were also nested inside one another. According to his recollections, he saw a “suitable block of wood” in a magazine and, based on its sample, he carved a figurine that had a “ridiculous appearance, resembled a nun” and was “deaf” (did not open). On the advice of masters Belov and Konovalov, he carved it differently. There is not a word in his memories about what exactly the masters advised him, and who painted the first wooden doll.

Experts believe he did it famous artist, theater decorator, illustrator Sergei Malyutin. He was friends with the Mamontovs and collaborated with A.I. Mamontov in his publishing house. Moreover, the first doll was not a matryoshka doll at all - Matryona - Matrona - a noble beautiful lady, but a simple peasant girl. With a black rooster under his arm.

Lady with a rooster.

And not smaller copies were put into it, but simply girls and boys, obviously brothers and sisters, the last doll is a swaddled baby.

This whole story is very similar to the truth. Moreover, in Russia there were traditions of making detachable turned wooden souvenirs. Suffice it to recall Easter eggs, detachable, hollow and with a secret - a surprise inside. And this topic was developed with enthusiasm in Russian folklore. Kashchei's death in a needle, a needle in an egg, an egg in a duck...

But many believe that the family roots of the matryoshka should be sought further - in Japan. It was not a simple “magazine chock” that became the prototype of the famous toy, but the Japanese “egghead” - the sage Furukumu.

Late 19th century. The East is in big fashion in Russia. In Abramtsevo - country estate Mamontov - one of the guest artists brings a funny Japanese wooden toy - the long-headed Fukuruma (Fukurokuju 福禄寿) - the god of wealth, happiness, abundance, wisdom and longevity.

Fukurokuju is one of the so-called “seven gods of happiness.” Their composition was variable, but the general number and unity of characters has remained unchanged since at least the 16th century. All these seven gods should be hiding inside Furukuma.

The funny Japanese are a success and our answer to the Country is born Rising Sun- Lady with a rooster.

But the story doesn't end there. It is very possible that in Japan the nesting doll has another mysterious “relative”, another sage - Daruma. He has his own amazing story. Daruma - Japanese version of the name Bodhidharma, was the name of the Indian sage, the founder of Zen Buddhism, who came to China and created the monastery Shaolin. This was preceded by a long meditation. Daruma sat for nine years staring at the wall. According to legend, due to sitting for a long time, Bodhidharma's legs became paralyzed. That is why Daruma is most often depicted as legless. In addition, Daruma was repeatedly exposed to various temptations and one day he suddenly realized that instead of meditating, he was immersed in the 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 a wonderful plant appeared that drives away sleep - this is how tea grew. And non-Asian round eyes without eyelids became the second distinctive feature of Daruma’s images.

It is precisely these qualities - to become, and Daruma's round eyes - that Daruma apparently inherited from the matryoshka doll. Although, to be honest, he looks more like Vanka-Vstanka and a tumbler doll. Instead of a flat sole-stand, it has a round “bottom” and a downward center of gravity, which allows it to always maintain a vertical position. In Japan, Daruma tumbler figurines are used in New Year's ceremonies. A painted Daruma figurine without painted pupils is bought at the temple and brought home. A wish is made in front of Daruma and one pupil is drawn. Apparently, Daruma wants to get a second pupil so much that he will make every effort to make his wish come true. If the wish comes true, Daruma receives a second eye, but if not, he is taken to the temple and burned. But this does not mean that a person gives up his desire, but says that he will choose a different path to achieve his goals.

If Daruma is considered one of the progenitors of the nesting doll, then the search for the roots can move not only to China, but also to India. And if you remember that the ancient Egyptians loved to bury their pharaohs in several sarcophagi, nested one inside the other, then in Egypt.

But be that as it may, the Russian nesting doll became the most popular in this ancient and extensive clan. And let the secret of her birth remain a secret.

By the way, work on the matryoshka “set” begins with the main keeper of this secret, the smallest nesting doll. The material used is linden, less often alder or birch. Trees are usually cut down in early spring, the bark is removed, but not completely, so that the wood does not crack during drying. The logs are then stored and dried for several years in a well-ventilated place.

It is necessary to start processing wood when it is not dry, but not damp either. Each workpiece goes through more than a dozen operations.

Then each doll is coated with oil varnish. After final drying and polishing, painting begins.

There are several “matryoshka” schools in Russia. Each has its own signature “gadgets”.

In their painting, Semyonovsky masters follow the traditions of “grass” ornament Ancient Rus'. The Semyonov craftsmen leave more unpainted wood, paint the nesting dolls with aniline paints, and then varnish them. First, with a stroke of a thin brush, outline the contours of the face, eyes, lips, and apply blush. Then they draw a scarf on the head of the nesting doll, draw a skirt, an apron, and hands. The basis of the composition in painting a Semenovskaya nesting doll is considered to be an apron on which a bouquet of lush flowers is depicted. The manner of execution of this bouquet reveals the painting techniques of ancient Russian masters.

Matryoshka from Sergiev Posad has a row distinctive features: squat shape, top smoothly transitioning into the thickening lower part of the figure, gouache painting and varnish coating.

The Vyatka nesting doll is the most northern of all Russian nesting dolls. She portrays a northern girl with a soft, shy smile.

Lush roses, dahlias, bells, rosehip flowers, and berries decorate the Polkhov-Maidaniv matryoshka doll. She is slimmer than her friends: the shape of the nesting dolls is more elongated, her head is small and flattened.

Wikipedia materials were used.

The version is that the Japanese figurine was allegedly brought from the island of Honshu in 1890 to the Mamontovs’ estate in Abramtsevo near Moscow.

“The Japanese toy had a secret: his whole family was hiding in the old man Fukurumu. One Wednesday, when the artistic elite came to the estate, the hostess showed everyone a funny figurine. The detachable toy interested the artist Sergei Malyutin, and he decided to do something similar. He, of course, did not repeat the Japanese deity; he made a sketch of a round-faced peasant young lady in a colorful headscarf. And to make her look more businesslike, he drew a black rooster in her hand. The next young lady had a sickle in her hand. Another one - with a loaf of bread. How could the sisters be without a brother - and he appeared in a painted shirt. A whole family, friendly and hardworking.

He ordered the best turner of the Sergiev Posad educational and demonstration workshops, V. Zvezdochkin, to make his incredible work. The first nesting doll is now kept in the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad. Painted with gouache, it doesn’t look very festive.
But, firstly, the turner Zvezdochkin did not work in the Sergiev Posad workshops until 1905! This will be discussed below. Secondly, other sources say that “she (matryoshka - approx.) was born right here, in Leontyevsky Lane (in Moscow - approx.), in house No. 7, where the workshop-shop “Children's Education” used to be located,” belonged to 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 turned on a lathe and depicted a peasant girl in a headscarf and apron. This doll opened, and there was another peasant girl, and there was another one in it...”

Now confusion has already arisen, according to the principle of “who, where and when was or was not.” Perhaps the most painstaking, thorough and balanced research was carried out by Irina Sotnikova - the article “Who Invented the Matryoshka Doll.” The arguments given by the author of the study most objectively reflect the real facts of the appearance of such an unusual toy as the matryoshka doll in Russia.

Japanese Daruma doll:

About the exact date of the appearance of the nesting doll, I. Sotnikova writes the following: “...sometimes the appearance of the nesting doll is dated back to 1893-1896, because These dates were established from the reports and reports of the Moscow provincial zemstvo government. In one of these reports for 1911, N.D. Bartram 1 writes that the nesting doll was born about 15 years ago, and in 1913, in the Bureau’s report to the handicraft council, he reports that the first nesting doll was created 20 years ago. That is, relying on such approximate reports is quite problematic, therefore, in order to avoid mistakes, the end of the 19th century is usually mentioned, although there is also a mention of 1900, when the nesting doll won recognition at the World Exhibition in Paris, and orders for its production appeared abroad.”

What follows is a very interesting remark about the artist Malyutin, about whether he was actually the author of the matryoshka sketch: “All researchers, without saying a word, call him the author of the matryoshka sketch. But the sketch itself is not in the artist’s heritage. There is no evidence that the artist ever made this sketch. Moreover, turner Zvezdochkin attributes the honor of inventing the nesting doll to himself, without mentioning Malyutin at all.”

Japanese Daruma doll:

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

Let’s return to Sotnikova’s research: “Here is how the turner Zvezdochkin describes the emergence of the matryoshka doll: “...In 1900 (!) I invent a three- and six-seater (!) doll and send it to an exhibition in Paris. I worked for Mamontov for 7 years. In 1905 V.I. Borutsky sends me to Sergiev Posad to 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 “Children’s Education” workshop in 1898 (he was originally from the village of Shubino, Podolsk region). This means that the nesting doll 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 nesting doll can be dated to approximately 1898-1900. As you know, the World Exhibition in Paris opened in April 1900, which means 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 doll:

But what about the shape of the toy and did Zvezdochkin borrow the idea of ​​the future nesting doll or not? Or was it the artist Malyutin who created the original sketch of the figurine?

“E.N. managed to collect interesting facts. Shulgina, who in 1947 became interested in the history of the creation of the nesting doll. From conversations with Zvezdochkin, she learned that he once saw a “suitable block of wood” in a magazine and, based on its model, carved a figurine that had a “ridiculous appearance, 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 working 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 the artisans.
We will probably never be able to find out for sure about the participation of S.V. Malyutin in the creation of matryoshka dolls. According to the memoirs of V.P. Zvezdochkina, it turns out that he came up with the shape of the nesting doll himself, but the master could have forgotten about painting the toy; many years passed, the events were not recorded: after all, then no one could have imagined that the matryoshka would become so famous. S.V. Malyutin at that time collaborated with the publishing house A.I. Mamontov, illustrated books, so he could easily paint the first matryoshka doll, and then other masters painted the toy based on his model.”

Japanese Fukuruma doll:

Now about the prototype of the nesting doll. Was there Fukuruma? Some doubt it, but why did this legend appear then, and is it even 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. himself Bartram, director of the Toy Museum, 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, are not similar to a matryoshka doll.”

Who is our mysterious Fukuruma, the good-natured bald sage, where did he come from? ...According to tradition, the Japanese visit temples dedicated to the deities of good luck on New Year's Day and buy small figurines of them there. Perhaps the legendary Fukuruma contained within itself the other six deities of fortune? This is just our assumption (quite controversial).

V.P. Zvezdochkin does not mention Fukuruma at all - a figurine of a saint that would split into two parts, then another old man would appear, and so on. Note that in Russian folk crafts, detachable wooden products were also very popular, for example, the well-known Easter eggs. So it’s difficult to find out whether Fukuruma was or wasn’t, but it’s not that important. Who remembers him now? But the whole world knows and loves our nesting doll!”

Why was the original wooden doll-toy 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”, in the church it was written Matrona, among the diminutive names: Motya, Motrya, Matryosha, Matyusha, Tyusha, Matusya, Tusya, Musya. That is, theoretically, a matryoshka could also be called motka (or muska). It sounds strange, of course, but what’s worse, for example, “marfushka”? Also a good and common name is Martha. Or Agafya, by the way, popular painting on porcelain is called “agashka”. Although we agree that the name “matryoshka” is a very apt one, the doll has really become “noble.” via

The version is that the Japanese figurine was allegedly brought from the island of Honshu in 1890 to the Mamontovs’ estate in Abramtsevo near Moscow.

“The Japanese toy had a secret: his whole family was hiding in the old man Fukurumu. One Wednesday, when the artistic elite came to the estate, the hostess showed everyone a funny figurine. The detachable toy interested the artist Sergei Malyutin, and he decided to do something similar. He, of course, did not repeat the Japanese deity; he made a sketch of a round-faced peasant young lady in a colorful headscarf. And to make her look more businesslike, he drew a black rooster in her hand. The next young lady had a sickle in her hand. Another one - with a loaf of bread. How could the sisters be without a brother - and he appeared in a painted shirt. A whole family, friendly and hardworking.

He ordered the best turner of the Sergiev Posad educational and demonstration workshops, V. Zvezdochkin, to make his incredible work. The first nesting doll is now kept in the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad. Painted with gouache, it doesn’t look very festive.
But, firstly, the turner Zvezdochkin did not work in the Sergiev Posad workshops until 1905! This will be discussed below. Secondly, other sources say that “she (matryoshka - approx.) was born right here, in Leontyevsky Lane (in Moscow - approx.), in house No. 7, where the workshop-shop “Children's Education” used to be located,” belonged to 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 turned on a lathe and depicted a peasant girl in a headscarf and apron. This doll opened, and there was another peasant girl, and there was another one in it...”

Now confusion has already arisen, according to the principle of “who, where and when was or was not.” Perhaps the most painstaking, thorough and balanced research was carried out by Irina Sotnikova - the article “Who Invented the Matryoshka Doll.” The arguments given by the author of the study most objectively reflect the real facts of the appearance of such an unusual toy as the matryoshka doll in Russia.

Japanese Daruma doll:

About the exact date of the appearance of the nesting doll, I. Sotnikova writes the following: “...sometimes the appearance of the nesting doll is dated back to 1893-1896, because These dates were established from the reports and reports of the Moscow provincial zemstvo government. In one of these reports for 1911, N.D. Bartram 1 writes that the nesting doll was born about 15 years ago, and in 1913, in the Bureau’s report to the handicraft council, he reports that the first nesting doll was created 20 years ago. That is, relying on such approximate reports is quite problematic, therefore, in order to avoid mistakes, the end of the 19th century is usually mentioned, although there is also a mention of 1900, when the nesting doll won recognition at the World Exhibition in Paris, and orders for its production appeared abroad.”

What follows is a very interesting remark about the artist Malyutin, about whether he was actually the author of the matryoshka sketch: “All researchers, without saying a word, call him the author of the matryoshka sketch. But the sketch itself is not in the artist’s heritage. There is no evidence that the artist ever made this sketch. Moreover, turner Zvezdochkin attributes the honor of inventing the nesting doll to himself, without mentioning Malyutin at all.”

Japanese Daruma doll:

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

Let’s return to Sotnikova’s research: “Here is how the turner Zvezdochkin describes the emergence of the matryoshka doll: “...In 1900 (!) I invent a three- and six-seater (!) doll and send it to an exhibition in Paris. I worked for Mamontov for 7 years. In 1905 V.I. Borutsky sends me to Sergiev Posad to 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 “Children’s Education” workshop in 1898 (he was originally from the village of Shubino, Podolsk region). This means that the nesting doll 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 nesting doll can be dated to approximately 1898-1900. As you know, the World Exhibition in Paris opened in April 1900, which means 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 doll:

But what about the shape of the toy and did Zvezdochkin borrow the idea of ​​the future nesting doll or not? Or was it the artist Malyutin who created the original sketch of the figurine?

“E.N. managed to collect interesting facts. Shulgina, who in 1947 became interested in the history of the creation of the nesting doll. From conversations with Zvezdochkin, she learned that he once saw a “suitable block of wood” in a magazine and, based on its model, carved a figurine that had a “ridiculous appearance, 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 working 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 the artisans.
We will probably never be able to find out for sure about the participation of S.V. Malyutin in the creation of matryoshka dolls. According to the memoirs of V.P. Zvezdochkina, it turns out that he came up with the shape of the nesting doll himself, but the master could have forgotten about painting the toy; many years passed, the events were not recorded: after all, then no one could have imagined that the matryoshka would become so famous. S.V. Malyutin at that time collaborated with the publishing house A.I. Mamontov, illustrated books, so he could easily paint the first matryoshka doll, and then other masters painted the toy based on his model.”

Japanese Fukuruma doll:

Now about the prototype of the nesting doll. Was there Fukuruma? Some doubt it, but why did this legend appear then, and is it even 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. himself Bartram, director of the Toy Museum, 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, are not similar to a matryoshka doll.”

Who is our mysterious Fukuruma, the good-natured bald sage, where did he come from? ...According to tradition, the Japanese visit temples dedicated to the deities of good luck on New Year's Day and buy small figurines of them there. Perhaps the legendary Fukuruma contained within itself the other six deities of fortune? This is just our assumption (quite controversial).

V.P. Zvezdochkin does not mention Fukuruma at all - a figurine of a saint that would split into two parts, then another old man would appear, and so on. Note that in Russian folk crafts, detachable wooden products were also very popular, for example, the well-known Easter eggs. So it’s difficult to find out whether Fukuruma was or wasn’t, but it’s not that important. Who remembers him now? But the whole world knows and loves our nesting doll!”

Why was the original wooden doll-toy 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”, in the church it was written Matrona, among the diminutive names: Motya, Motrya, Matryosha, Matyusha, Tyusha, Matusya, Tusya, Musya. That is, theoretically, a matryoshka could also be called motka (or muska). It sounds strange, of course, but what’s worse, for example, “marfushka”? Also a good and common name is Martha. Or Agafya, by the way, popular painting on porcelain is called “agashka”. Although we agree that the name “matryoshka” is a very apt one, the doll has really become “noble.” via