Russian Stacking Dolls

I'm grateful that we're made in the image of a creative God. That aspect of our human nature displays itself in so many interesting ways.

And one form or creativity I especially enjoy is the humble stacking doll that originated in Russian folk art.

I've collected stacking dolls for over 40 years and would love to share my collection with you!

I bought this beautiful 12 piece doll (the smallest doll isn't shown) in Sergiev Posad, a town about 45 miles from Moscow where the nesting doll originated. In 1994, I bought the doll at an outside market from the artist who hand-painted it.

We were in Russia on a tour, and one purpose of our trip was to see our children who were attending a mission training school in Kiev at the time.

There are a wide variety of artistic skills and styles represented in my collection.

A friend brought me the large doll (in the center) when she and her husband went to Russia to pick up their son from an orphanage.


Left:
The doll to the left I bought on a street in Moscow from the woman who'd painted it. I think there is something especially sweet about the doll with her little handkerchief.

This is my finest doll which I bought in St. Petersburg, but it was also made in Sergiev Posad. It has 10 pieces.

Each doll has a different hand-painted country scene on her dress.

Sometimes scenes from Russian folk tales are depicted on nesting dolls.

And they are just as beautiful on the back. 




I love the baby even though I rarely display her for fear she'll fall and get sucked up in my vacuum.

Right: The bigger of these two dolls I purchased last fall in a Budapest thrift shop for $10. It has straw embossing. The doll was used and is scuffed in places, but it's still an interesting doll, and one I can let the older grandkids take apart and put together.

I also wanted to display 4 little pins I purchased in St. Petersburg.  As you can see from the back, they were very simply made with some kind of plaster, but they were so sweetly painted. 

I bought the one with the letter in her hand to represent the precious communication we had with our children at the time. This was before email was affordable/available everywhere, so I wrote my children in Ukraine long letters several times a week and sent an occasional fax. 

The dolls above highlight the way atheistic communism limited  creativity. All of these dolls were made before Communism fell. Before the wall came down, it was rare to find a doll that wasn't the typical pattern--white and red flower design. 

The colorful wood-burned doll (front left) was an unusual find during that time period. I bought her in East Berlin in 1980. Crossing from West to East Berlin at that time in history was like going from a color photo to a black and white photo. That contrast is similar to the difference I felt when I accepted Christ and went from spiritual death to spiritual LIFE!

For another interesting example of how atheistic Communism damages creativity, see Commie-Condos and God's Prevailing Beauty.

This is my little historic nesting doll with 3 Russian leaders: Yeltsin, Gorbachev, Lenin. When we were in Moscow, we saw Lenin's tomb where his body has been on display since his death in 1924.  I found it a bit creepy, especially knowing the evil form of government he promoted.

Thanks for letting me share my collection and my March mantle with you. Since you've already taken a look at my stacking dolls, please stay awhile and check out the rest of my blog, especially my home page which features one-minute devotions each weekday. I'd love to have you subscribe to these devotions. It's free and you can find out how HERE. 

If you liked this post, please take a look at my one-minute devotion about my collection:  What Stacking Dolls Have Taught Me.

Thanks,