Matryoshkas are those wooden dolls of Russian origin with various sizes and that are kept one inside the other, as if it were an infinite succession. The minimum number of matryoshkas that can be found one inside the other is five and up to a maximum of twenty, it will depend on how big the craftsman decides to make the first of the dolls, inside which all the others will go one inside. other.
It has always been thought that they come from Russia, but their origin would be in Japan and it would not be until 1890 when they arrived in Russia. They would have reached the country through an exhibition of figures or the Russians saw and imitated them, it is not very well known. Others say that a Japanese patron came to Russia and presented some figures that were his divinities and that a Russian craftsman decided to imitate one of those figures brought by the Oriental, giving rise to the famous peasant woman of the matryoshka.
The name is given because ‘Matriona’ (peasant) was the most common female name and comes from the Latin ‘mater’ which means mother, they adapted it and it stayed with matrioshka or matrioska.
They symbolize motherhood and fertility and that one is inside the other means that a mother gives birth to a daughter, the daughter another daughter and so on. At first only female dolls were made, but later they were also made male to complete the family. When they are found inside each other, there are those who say that in addition to meaning fraternity and motherhood, they make a lot of reference to the interior of people and that is why there is always one matryoshka inside another until there is no smaller size.
The history
The legend about the history of these dolls is linked to the book by Dimiter Inkiow, in which it is said that the carpenter Serghei went out to the forest every morning and on one of those cold Russian dawns he found a very beautiful piece of wood, he was thinking for a lot of time to carve and in the end he decided on a doll that he called Matrioska. She seemed so pretty to him that instead of selling her and making money, he kept her. Every day the carpenter talked to his doll, until on one occasion it answered him. After a few days, Serghei realized that his doll was sad and asked him why, Matryoshka replied that she felt lonely and that she wanted a daughter, the carpenter told him that he could carve it but that it would hurt a lot because he would have to open it. Matrioska told her to go ahead and that important things required sacrifices. Serghei created another doll and named it Trioska. With this second one, exactly the same thing happened to her and she carved Oska. Oska was also sad because he wanted a daughter, but there was almost no wood left in her to make more dolls. The carpenter then stalked Ka, made him mustache and told him that he was a man who could not have children. In this way he put Ka inside Oska, Oska inside Trioska and Trioska inside Matrioska.
Sale of matryoshkas
Matryoshkas began to be mass-produced to be sold to the West. Currently they are the typical souvenir that any tourist wants to bring back to their country after visiting Russia. Each artisan makes their own dolls, all different and turned into highly valuable designer pieces.
They are so important and famous that in 2001 the Matrioskas museum was opened in Moscow, the Russian capital, in which their history is told.
They represent the peasant women of Russia, but also workers, historical figures and enemies of the people and they do this with a cap and their arms crossed over their stomachs in protest against the regime.
Presents
Giving a matryoshka as a gift has great meaning for Russians. And it is that when someone gives it to you, you have to make a wish and when it has come true then and only then can you open it and see the other matryoshka that is inside and you will have to make a wish again. You will have to do this until you reach the last of the matryoshkas, which you must give to the descendant of the house, as a symbol that they fly from the nest. At first this was done only by women and those in charge of the homes, only they could make their wishes and then they would be the ones to give the last one to their son. For this reason, if someone gives you a matryoshka and also knows its meaning, they are giving you their affection and love in the form of a doll.
Tips for the history of matryoshkas, Russian dolls
If you are going to give a matryoshka as a gift, the best thing you can do is tell the recipient its history and the meaning of the gift, so they will appreciate the detail much more and know what to do with the last one.