History
The first Russian nesting doll (Matrioshka) was born in 1890 in the workshop "Children's Education" situated in the Abramtsevo estate of new Moscow. The owner of Abramtsevo was Sava Mamontov, an industrialist and a patron of the arts.
The end of the 19-century in Russia was a time of great economic and cultural development. Mamontov was one of the first who patronized the artists and who were possessed by the idea for the creation of a new Russian style. Many famous Russian artists worked along with folk craftsmen in the Mamontov workshops.
Once at a Saturday meeting somebody brought a funny Japanese figurine of a good-nature bold head old man "Fukuruma". The doll consisted of some other figurines nestled one in another. It had 7 figurines. Here was the beginning of the legend, the first doll of such type on the Island of Honshu where "Fukuruma" was brought from and was made by an unknown Russian monk.
Why it is called "Matrioshka"
Why is the doll called a "Matrioshka"? The name comes from Matryona, which was a very popular female name among peasants in old Russia. The name Matryona in turn is related to the Latin root "mater" and means "Mother." Thus, the name is closely connected with motherhood and in turn the doll has come to symbolize fertility - a mother doll with numerous offspring.
In old Russia these family dolls passed from generation to generation and each subsequent generation made the next doll bigger so the others could fit inside. The Matrioshka dolls symbolize good luck and peace in the family.
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