Ministry of General and vocational education R.F.

Lipetsk State Pedagogical University.

Naturally Geographical Faculty.

Department of Botany.

Course work

on the topic:

"History of Russian nesting dolls"

The work was done by a student

3rd course EGO EHF:

Olga Golovina

The work was accepted by:

Solovieva N.Yu.

Lipetsk 2001.

Introduction. ……………………………………………………3

Chapter I . The appearance of nesting dolls in Russia. …………… ... 4

Chapter II . Types of Russian nesting dolls. ………………… ... 6

§one. Sergievskaya toy. …………………… .. 6

§2."Zagorsk" style of painting nesting dolls…. 12

§3. Semyonovskaya and Merinovskaya nesting dolls .. 14

§4. Polkhov matryoshka …………………… .. 16

§five. Vyatka toy ………………………… 17

Chapter III . The second birth of the matryoshka. …………… .. 18

Conclusion. ………………………………………………..22

Bibliography. ………………………………………23

Introduction.

The world of toys is surprisingly diverse. Here, fairy tale and reality, modernity and tradition live side by side. With the help of a toy, the child discovers the world for himself and comprehends the accumulated life experience adults. We meet toys in museums and exhibitions, we appreciate them as works of art created by talented folk craftsmen, painters, sculptors, designers. Man-made products created by masters are dear to us today as carriers of unsuitable spiritual values, as keepers of the experience of the past in the present. They are conquered by the harmony of nature, labor and beauty, crafts and art, born of the life-giving source of folk art, the historical memory of the people.

The toy reflected in its own way the social order, way of life, manners and customs, the achievements of craft and folk art, technology and art.

Each nation created its own toys, conveying their attitude to them. Peoples toys different countries and continents are different and peculiar, but there are also common features... Many peoples have the same type of toys, with the same type of similarity in their designs, shapes and decor. This similarity is due to the common cultural folk traditions, the unified nature of the aesthetic feeling. Toys were born in labor, and everywhere folk craftsmen learned from one teacher - nature, worked with the same natural materials... Kinship makes them generally understandable for everyone, and this is one of those threads that from childhood connect a person with the heritage of world culture.

Chapter I ... The appearance of nesting dolls in Russia.

Diverse modern toy... It contains a lot of new images and plots, artistic and stylistic searches, author's handwriting. And each toy goes a long way before becoming a standard, a role model. Let's remember the familiar to all nesting dolls. About her, like about folk heroes make up legends.

They say that in late XIX century to the family of Mamontovs - famous Russian industrialists and patrons - either from Paris, or from the island of Honshu, someone brought a Japanese chiseled figurine of the Buddhist saint Fukuruji (Fukuruma), which turned out to be with a “surprise” - it was spread in two parts. Inside it is hidden another, smaller one, which also consisted of two halves ... There were five such pupae in total.

It was assumed that it was this figure that prompted the Russians to create their own version of a detachable toy, embodied in the image of a peasant girl, who was soon christened among the people by the common name Matryoshka (Matryona).

In our time, they still refer to the legend of the Japanese origin of the matryoshka, but it has no documentary confirmation.

The history of the development of the toy industry in Russia suggests that the tradition of turning and painting wooden eggs for Easter contributed to the creation of the Russian nesting dolls.

In one of the albums dedicated to creativity Russian artist S.V. Malyutin, you can see an extraordinary illustration that remained without comment - a sketch of a painting of a doll carved from wood. This particular famous artist, later an academician of painting and at one time became the creator of the first Russian nesting dolls. And the turning form of the toy was proposed by V.P. Zvezdochkin, a native of the Voronovskaya volost of the Podolsk district of the Moscow province, has long been famous for its skillful turners.

The birthplace of a new original toy, which quickly gained fame as a national souvenir, was a workshop - a shop “ Child upbringing”A.I. Mamontov in Moscow, where the turner V.P. Zvezdochkin.

Therefore, approximately from this time, the age of the matryoshka can be counted, in further destiny which had its ups and downs, glory and oblivion, wanderings and metamorphoses.

For about a century this toy, which is most famous in Russia, but to this day it is not known what came first - a sketch of a professional artist or a successful embodiment of creative searches folk master noticed by the interested person in time.

It is curious that the sketch and matryoshka published in the album with the stamp of the Children's Education workshop from the collection of the Art and Pedagogical Museum of toys in Sergiev Posad look like two sisters, but they cannot be called twins. This fact suggests that S.V. Malyutin made several options for painting the future toy.

Chapter II.

§1 Sergiev's toy.

Despite the Moscow origin, real homeland The nesting dolls nevertheless became Sergiev Posad near Moscow - the largest center of handicraft production of toys in Russia, a kind of "toy capital".

The fishery originated presumably in 17th century and reached its heyday at the turn of the XVIII - XIX centuries. There is no exact data on the time of the creation of the first toy in this town, but it is known that even in the 15th century, at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, there were special workshops in which monks were engaged in volumetric and relief woodcarving.

Sergievskaya handicraft theme wooden toy was quite diverse, which was explained, first of all, by the beneficial geographic location fishing. The proximity of Moscow and the immediate vicinity of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which attracts great amount pilgrims, had a great influence on the choice of plots. The toy reflected many aspects of Russian life, the events of that time, the peculiarities of the life of various segments of the population.

Simultaneously with the art of woodcarving in Sergievsky Posad, the skill of modeling, painting, decorating toys, making motor and sound mechanisms was also improved.

Household themes occupied a firm place in the subjects of Sergiev's handicraftsmen. Gradually, the main themes of the dolls were formed, which became a kind of Sergiev's canon.

Since the beginning of the 80s of the last century, as a result of increased competition from private toy factories in the field, a period of decline began. The Moscow provincial zemstvo drew attention to this. In the 1890s the zemstvo assisted in maintaining the stable development of handicraft production, including toys. Professional artists, teachers, economists were invited to the fishing industry, who for the first time tried to disassemble new models of toys on a serious scientific basis... To improve the state of fishing in Sergiev Posad in 1891, a demonstration workshop was opened under the leadership of V.I. Borutsky.

Thus, by the time of the appearance of the detachable chiseled figurine, the history of the Sergiev toy craft already totaled about two centuries.

The masters reacted vividly to the events taking place in the world, easily picked up original ideas and new technologies. Therefore, the figurine of a girl in a headscarf, reminiscent of many neighboring Mashakas, Parashekas and Matryoshkas, aroused the interest of Sergiev's toy makers due to the originality of the design and its folk character.

The appearance in Russia at the very end of the last century was not accidental. It was during this period of time that among the Russian artistic intelligentsia, they not only began to seriously engage in collecting works folk art, but also tried to creatively comprehend the rich experience of national artistic traditions. In addition to zemstvo institutions, private art circles and workshops in which, under the guidance professional artists masters were trained and a variety of household items and toys in the Russian style were created. An example is the workshops of N.D. Bartram near Kursk, countess

N. D. Tenisheva in Talashkino.

Samples of products appeared, on the one hand, meeting the new requirements of production and sales, and on the other, a return to the aesthetics of Russian art.

Most likely, the mass production of nesting dolls directly in Sergiev Posad began after the world exhibition in Paris in 1900, after the successful debut of a new Russian toy in Europe.

In 1904, the “Children's Education” workshop was closed, and its entire range was transferred to the Zemstvo educational and demonstration workshop in Sergiev Posad. In the same year, the workshop received an official order from Paris for the manufacture of a large batch of nesting dolls. Interest in the matryoshka is explained not only by the originality of its form and decorativeness of the painting, but also, probably, a kind of tribute to the fashion for everything Russian, which spread at the beginning of the 20th century largely thanks to the “Russian seasons” of S.P. Diaghilev in Paris.

The annual fairs in Leipzig also contributed to the massive export of the Sergievskaya nesting dolls. Since 1909, Russian nesting dolls have also become a permanent participant in the Berlin exhibition and the annual bazaar. handicrafts, which took place at the beginning of the XX century in London. And thanks to traveling exhibition, organized by the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade, residents of the coastal cities of Greece, Turkey and the Middle East got acquainted with the Russian nesting dolls.

In Russia, people are very fond of myths. Retell old ones and compose new ones. There are different myths - legends, legends, everyday tales, stories about historical events, which over time acquired new details ... not without embellishment on the part of the next storyteller. It often happened that people's memories of real events over time acquired truly fantastic, intriguing details, reminiscent of a real detective story. The same thing happened with such a famous Russian toy as the matryoshka.

Origin story

When and where did the matryoshka first appear, who invented it? Why is this wooden folding toy doll called "matryoshka"? What does such a unique work of folk art symbolize? Let's try to answer these and other questions.

From the very first attempts to find intelligible answers, it turned out to be impossible - the information about the matryoshka turned out to be rather confusing. For example, there are "Matryoshka Museums", in the media and on the Internet you can read many interviews and articles on this topic. But museums or expositions at museums, as well as numerous publications, as it turned out, are mainly devoted to various artistic samples of nesting dolls made in different regions of Russia and in different time... But little is said about true origins nesting dolls.

To begin with, let me remind you of the main versions, myths, regularly copied under a carbon copy and wandering through the pages of various publications.

A frequently repeated well-known version: the matryoshka appeared in Russia at the end of the 19th century, the artist Malyutin invented it, the turner Zvezdochkin was chiselled in the Mamontov's Children's Education workshop, and the prototype of the Russian matryoshka was a figurine of one of seven Japanese gods good luck - the god of learning and wisdom Fukuruma. He is Fukurokuju, he is Fukurokuju (in different sources different transcriptions of the name are indicated).

Another version of the appearance of the future nesting doll in Russia is that a Russian Orthodox missionary monk who visited Japan and copied a composite toy from the Japanese one was allegedly the first to carve such a toy. Let's make a reservation right away: there is no exact information where the legend about the mythical monk came from, and there is no specific information in any source. Moreover, some strange monk turns out from the point of view of elementary logic: would a Christian copy an essentially pagan deity? What for? Did you like the toy? It is doubtful, although from the point of view of borrowing and the desire to alter it in your own way, it is possible. This reminds of the legend about "Christian monks who fought with the enemies of Russia", but for some reason wore (after baptism!) pagan names Peresvet and Oslyabya.

Version three - japanese figurine allegedly brought from the island of Honshu in 1890 to the Mamontovs' estate near Moscow in Abramtsevo. “The Japanese toy had a secret: his whole family was hiding in the old man Fukurumu. One Wednesday, when the art 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. Of course, he did not repeat the Japanese deity, he made a sketch of a chubby peasant girl in a flowered kerchief. And to make her look more human, I drew a black rooster in her hand. The next young lady was with a sickle in her hand. Another - with a loaf of bread. What about sisters without a brother - and he appeared in a painted shirt. A whole family, friendly and hardworking.

He ordered V. Zvezdochkin, the best turner of the Sergiev Posad training and demonstration workshops, to make his own nevyvalinka. The first matryoshka is now kept by the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad. Painted with gouache, it does not look very festive.

The first Russian nesting doll, carved by Vasily Zvezdochkin and painted by Sergei Malyutin, was for eight: a girl with a black pertukh was followed by a boy, then a girl again, and so on. All the figures were different from each other, and the last, eighth, depicted a swaddled baby.

Here we are all matryoshka and matryoshka ... But this doll did not even have a name. And when the turner made it, and the artist painted it, then the name came by itself - Matryona. They also say that at Abramtsevo evenings tea was served by a servant with that name. Look through at least a thousand names - and none of them will match this wooden doll better. "

Let us dwell on this moment for now. Judging by the above passage, the first nesting doll was carved in Sergiev Posad. But, firstly, the turner Zvezdochkin did not work until 1905 in the Sergiev Posad workshops! This will be discussed below. Secondly, other sources say that “she was born (matryoshka - approx.) Exactly here, in Leontyevsky lane (in Moscow - approx.), In house number 7, where there used to be a workshop-shop“ Children's education ”, owned by Anatoly Ivanovich Mamontov, brother of the famous Savva. Anatoly Ivanovich, like his brother, was fond of national art... In his workshop-shop, artists constantly worked 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 scarf and an apron. This doll opened up, and there was another peasant girl, in her - another ... ".

Thirdly, it is doubtful that the matryoshka could have appeared in 1890 or 1891, which will be discussed in more detail below.

Confusion has already been created, according to the principle of "who, where and when was, or was not." Perhaps the most painstaking, thorough and balanced study was conducted by Irina Sotnikova, her article "Who invented the matryoshka" can be found on the Internet. 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 in Russia.

O exact date of the appearance of the matryoshka I. Sotnikova writes the following: “... sometimes the appearance of the matryoshka is dated 1893-1896, since it was possible to establish these dates from the reports and reports of the Moscow provincial zemstvo council. In one of these reports for 1911, N.D. Bartram 1 writes that the matryoshka was born about 15 years ago, and in 1913, in a report by the Bureau to the artisan council, he says that the first matryoshka was created 20 years ago. That is, relying on such approximate messages is rather problematic, therefore, in order to avoid mistakes, the end of the 19th century is usually called, although there is a mention of 1900, when the matryoshka won recognition at the World Exhibition in Paris, and orders for its production appeared abroad. "

This is followed by a very curious remark about the artist Malyutin, about whether he was in fact 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 legacy. There is no evidence that the artist ever made this sketch. Moreover, the turner Zvezdochkin ascribes the honor of inventing the matryoshka to himself, without mentioning Malyutin at all.

As for the origin of our Russian nesting doll from the Japanese Fukuruma, here Zvezdochkin does not mention anything about Fukuruma either. Now you should pay attention to an important detail that somehow escapes other researchers, although this, as they say, can be seen with the naked eye - we are talking about a certain ethical moment. If we take as a basis the version of "the origin of the matryoshka from the sage Fukuruma", a rather strange feeling arises - SHE and OH, that is. Russian nesting doll, they say, descended from him, from the Japanese sage. In a suspicious way, a symbolic analogy with the Old Testament tale suggests itself, where Eve was created from the rib of Adam (that is, she descended from him, and not vice versa, as it happens naturally in nature). A very strange impression is formed, but we will talk about the symbolism of the matryoshka below.

Let us return to Sotnikova's research: “Here is how turner Zvezdochkin describes the emergence of the matryoshka:“ ... In 1900 (!) I invent a three- and six-seat (!) Matryoshka and send it to an exhibition in Paris. He worked for Mamontov for 7 years. In 1905 V.I. Borutsky 2 writes me out to Sergiev Posad in 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 came from the village of Shubino, Podolsk district). This means that the matryoshka could not have been born earlier than 1898. Since the memoirs of the master were written almost 50 years later, it is still difficult to vouch for their accuracy, so the appearance of the matryoshka can be dated approximately 1898-1900 years. As you know, the World's Fair in Paris opened in April 1900, which means that this toy was created a little earlier, possibly in 1899. By the way, the Mamontovs received a bronze medal for toys at the Paris exhibition. "

But what about the shape of the toy and did Zvezdochkin borrow the idea of ​​a future nesting doll, or not? Or was the initial sketch of the figurine created by the artist Malyutin?

« Interesting Facts managed to collect E.N. Shulgina, who in 1947 became interested in the history of the matryoshka's creation. From conversations with Zvezdochkin, she learned that he had once seen in a magazine a "suitable chock" and, according to her model, carved a figurine that had a "ridiculous appearance, looked like a nun" and was "deaf" (did not open up). On the advice of the 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 who worked 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 artisans.

Probably, we will never be able to find out exactly about the participation of S.V. Malyutin in creating a nesting doll. According to the memoirs of V.P. It turns out that the shape of the matryoshka was invented by him himself, but the master could have forgotten about the painting of 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 well paint the first nesting doll, well, and then other masters painted the toy according to his model ”.

Let's return once again to the research of I. Sotnikova, where she writes that initially there was no agreement on the number of matryoshka dolls in one set either - unfortunately, there is confusion on this score in different sources:

V. Zvezdochkin

“Turner Zvezdochkin claimed that he originally made two nesting dolls: three and six. The Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad contains an eight-seat nesting doll, which is considered the first, the same chubby girl in a sarafan, an apron, a flowered kerchief holding a black rooster in her hand. She is followed by three sisters, a brother, two more sisters and a baby. It is very often stated that there were not eight, but seven dolls; they also say that girls and boys alternated. This is not the case for the kit stored in the Museum.

Now about the prototype of the matryoshka. Was there a Fukuruma? Some doubt it, although why did this legend appear then, and is it really 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. Bartram, director of the Toy Museum, doubted that the nesting doll “was borrowed by us from the Japanese. Japanese great masters in the field of turning toys. But their well-known "kokeshi" in principle of their construction do not look like a nesting doll. "

Who is our mysterious Fukuruma, good-natured bald sage, where did he come from? ... By tradition, the Japanese New Year visit temples dedicated to the deities of fortune, and acquire their small figurines there. Could it be that the legendary Fukuruma contained the other six fortune deities within him? This is just our assumption (rather controversial).

V.P. Zvezdochkin does not mention Fukuruma at all - a figurine of a saint that was decomposed into two parts, then another old man appeared, and so on. Note that in Russian folk crafts, detachable wooden products were also very popular, for example, the well-known Easter eggs. So there was Fukuruma, there was no him, it is difficult to recognize, but not so important. Who remembers him now? But the whole world knows and loves our matryoshka! "

Matryoshka name

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

The very name Matrona really means "noble woman" in translation from Latin, and is included in the Orthodox church calendar... But, as for the assertion of many researchers that Matryona - woman's name, very beloved and widespread among the peasantry in Russia, there are interesting facts here too. Some researchers simply forget that Russia is big. This means that the same name, or the same image can contain both positive and negative, allegorical meaning.

So, for example, in "Tales and Legends of the Northern Territory", collected by I.V. Karnaukhova, there is a fairy tale "Matryona". In which it tells how a woman named Matryona almost tortured the devil. In the published text, a passer-by-potter saves the devil from a lazy and harmful woman and, accordingly, further scares the devil with her.

In this context, Matryona is a kind of prototype of an evil wife, whom the devil himself is afraid of. Similar descriptions are found in Afanasyev. The plot about an evil wife, popular in the Russian North, was repeatedly recorded by GIIS expeditions in "classical" versions, in particular, from A.S. Krashaninnikova, 79 years old, from the village of Meshkarevo, Povenets district.

Matryoshka symbolism

Considering one of the versions about the origin of the matryoshka, I have already mentioned the "Japanese origin". But does the above-mentioned foreign version generally fit in its symbolic meaning to our nesting doll?

At one of the forums on the topic of culture, in particular, deployed on the Internet, the following was said literally: “The prototype of the Russian nesting doll (also has Indian roots) is a Japanese wooden doll. They took a Japanese toy as a model - daruma, a tumbler doll. According to its origins, it is an image of the ancient Indian sage Daruma (Skt. Bodhidharma) who moved to China in the 5th century. His teachings spread widely in Japan in the Middle Ages. Daruma called for the comprehension of the truth through silent contemplation, and in one of the legends he is a cave recluse, fat from immobility. According to another legend, his legs were taken away from immobility (hence the legless sculptural images of Daruma).

Nevertheless, the matryoshka immediately won unprecedented recognition as a symbol of Russian folk art.

There is a belief that if you put a note with a desire inside the matryoshka, it will certainly come true, and the more work is put into the matryoshka, i.e. the more places there are in it and the higher the quality of the matryoshka painting, the faster the wish will come true. Matryoshka means warmth and comfort in the house ”.

It is difficult to disagree with the latter - the more places there are in the nesting doll, i.e. the more internal figures, one smaller than the other, the more you can put notes with desires there and wait for them to be performed. This is a kind of game, and the nesting doll here plays the role of a very charming, cute, homely symbol, a real work of art.

As for the eastern sage Daruma (here is another name for the "predecessor" of the matryoshka!) - to be honest, the "sage" who has grown fat from immobility, and even with his legs taken away, is extremely poorly associated with a Russian toy, in which everyone sees a positive, elegant symbolic image. And because of this beautiful image our nesting doll is very famous and popular almost all over the world. We are not talking about "nesting dolls" in the form of male politicians (!) Old Arbat in Moscow. This is, first of all, about the continuation of the old traditions of different schools in the painting of Russian nesting dolls, about the creation of matryoshka dolls of different numbers (so-called "terrain").

In the process of working on this material, it became necessary to use related sources, not only devoted to the topic of Russian folk toys... Do not forget that in antiquity, and not only in Russia, various jewelry (for women and men), household items, as well as toys carved from wood or made of clay, played the role of not just objects that brighten up everyday life - but also carriers of certain symbols, had some meaning. And the very concept of symbolism was closely intertwined with mythology.

So, amazingly there was a coincidence of the name Matron, who migrated (according to the generally accepted version) from Latin to Russian, with ancient Indian images:

MATRI (Old Ind. "Mother"), the emphasis is on the first syllable - in Hindu mythology, divine mothers, personifying creative and destructive forces nature. The idea of ​​an active feminine principle was widely recognized in Hinduism in connection with the spread of the shakti cult. Matris were considered as female personifications of the creative energy of the great gods: Brahma, Shiva, Skanda, Vishnu, Indra, etc. The number of the Matri ranged from seven to sixteen; some texts have spoken of them as "the great crowd."

Doesn't this remind you of anything? Matryoshka - she is a "mother", which symbolizes, in fact, the FAMILY, and even consisting of different amounts figurines that symbolize children of different ages... This is no longer just a coincidence, but a proof of common, Indo-European roots, which is directly related to the Slavs.

From this we can draw the following conclusion: figuratively speaking, if the symbolic "journey" of an unusual wooden figurine begins in India, then gets its continuation in China, from there the figurine gets to Japan, and only then "unexpectedly" finds its place in Russia - the statement that that our Russian nesting doll was copied from the figurine of the Japanese sage is untenable. If only because the figurine of some oriental sage itself is not originally Japanese. Probably, the hypothesis about the extensive settlement of the Slavs and the spread of their culture, which subsequently influenced the cultures of other peoples, including the one that manifested itself both in language and in the divine pantheon, has a common basis for Indo-European civilization.

However, most likely, the idea of ​​a wooden toy, which consists of several figures inserted into one another, was inspired by Russian fairy tales to the master who created the matryoshka. Many, for example, know and remember the tale of Koschey, with whom Ivan Tsarevich is fighting. For example, the plot about the search by the prince " koshcheev's death"Sounds from Afanasyev:" To accomplish such a feat, extraordinary efforts and work are needed, because Koshchei's death is hidden far away: on the sea on the ocean, on an island on Buyan there is green oak an iron chest is buried under that oak, a hare in that chest, a duck in a hare, an egg in a duck; one has only to crush an egg - and Koschey instantly dies. "

I agree that the plot is dark in itself, because associated with death. But here we are talking about symbolic meaning- where is the truth hidden? The fact is that this, almost identical mythological plot found not only in Russian fairy tales, but also in different options, but also among other peoples! “It is obvious that in these epic expressions lies a mythical tradition, an echo of the prehistoric era; otherwise how could different nations so identical legends? Koschey (snake, giant, old sorcerer), following the usual technique folk epic, tells the secret of his death in the form of a riddle; to solve it, you need to substitute metaphorical expressions for common understanding. "

This is our philosophical culture. And therefore, there is a high probability that the master who carved the matryoshka remembered and knew Russian fairy tales well - in Russia the myth was often projected onto real life.

In other words, one is hidden in the other, enclosed - and in order to find the truth, it is necessary to get to the bottom, opening, one by one, all the "caps". Maybe this is exactly what it is. true meaning such a wonderful Russian toy as matryoshka - a reminder to descendants of historical memory our people?

And it is no coincidence that the remarkable Russian writer Mikhail Prishvin once wrote the following: “I thought that each of us had life like the outer shell of a folding easter egg; it seems that this red egg is so big, and this is only a shell - you open it, and there is a blue one, a smaller one, and again a shell, and then a green one, and at the very end, for some reason, always a yellow testicle will pop out, but this does not open anymore, and this the most, the most ours. "

So it turns out that the Russian nesting doll is not so simple - this component our life.

Matryoshka is a wooden, brightly painted doll in the form of a semi-oval figure, hollow inside, into which other smaller dolls of the same size are inserted.
(Dictionary of the Russian language. S. I. Ozhegov)

Matryoshka is cut from linden, birch, alder and aspen. Harder and more durable conifers are not used. Most best material for the manufacture of nesting dolls is a linden tree. The tree is harvested in the spring, usually in April, when the wood is in sap. The tree is cleaned of bark, be sure to leave bark rings on the trunk, otherwise it will crack when dried. The logs are stacked, leaving a gap for air between them. The wood is kept outdoors for two years or more. Only an experienced cutter can determine the readiness of the material. The turner performs up to 15 operations with the linden wood before it becomes a finished matryoshka.
The very first one grinds a small one-piece figure. For drop-down nesting dolls, first grind lower part- bottom. After turning, the wooden doll is thoroughly cleaned, primed with paste, achieving a perfectly smooth surface. After priming, the matryoshka is ready for painting.

Russian nesting dolls are very diverse in shape and painting, depending on their place of origin (region of Russia).

Sergiev Posad nesting dolls

The matryoshka from Sergiev Posad is distinguished by its squat shape, the top, which smoothly merges into the expanding lower part of the figure. The preferred proportion of nesting dolls is 1: 2 - this is the ratio of the matryoshka's width to its height.
The painting is done without preliminary drawing with gouache and only occasionally with watercolors and tempera, and the intensity of the color is achieved with the help of varnishing.

Semyonovskaya matryoshka

Semenovskaya nesting dolls are slimmer and more elongated.
The basis of the composition in the painting of the Semyonovskaya nesting doll is an apron, which depicts a lush bouquet of flowers.
Contemporary masters create a painting in three colors - red, blue and yellow. They change the color combination of the apron, sundress and shawl. By tradition, a bouquet on an apron is written not in the center, but slightly shifted to the right.
Semyonovskiye turners invented special form nesting dolls. Its upper part, relatively thin, abruptly passes into a thickened lower one.
The Semyonovskaya nesting doll differs from other nesting dolls in that it is multi-seat: it consists of 15-18 multi-colored figures. It was in Semyonov that the largest 72-seat matryoshka was carved. Its diameter is half a meter, and its height is 1 meter.
Semyonov is considered the largest Russian doll making center.

Vyatka matryoshka

Vyatka Matryoshka is the most northern of all Russian nesting dolls. She depicts a blue-eyed northerner girl with a soft, shy smile. The face of this nesting doll is cute and welcoming.
Matryoshka was painted with aniline dyes and covered with oil varnish.

Matryoshka from Polkhovsky Maidan

In its shape, the Polkhov nesting dolls noticeably differs from Sergiev's and Semyonov's nesting dolls: they are emphatically elongated vertically with a small, rigidly outlined head. There are also primitive one-place figurines-posts, similar to mushrooms.
The painting of Polkhov nesting dolls is based on a combination of raspberry-red, green and black colors along a contour previously applied with ink. "Flowers with a tip" is the most typical and beloved painting in the Polkhovsky Maidan, a motley decor is characteristic - decoration with the help of individual strokes, "pokes" and dots.

The masters of the Polkhovsky Maidan, like the Merinovsky and Semyonovsky neighbors, paint the matryoshka with aniline paints on the previously primed surface. Dyes are diluted with an alcohol solution.

Gzhel

Khokhloma painting

Mezen painting

Dymkovskaya

Today the brand "Matryoshka" is actively used all over the world. Designers from different countries offer various stylistic solutions, as well as the most unexpected options for using Russian nesting dolls.

A story about the origin story of nesting dolls for children

Children about a wooden doll - toy

Matryoshka as a symbol of Russian culture

Egorova Galina Vasilievna.
Position and place of work: homeschool teacher, KGBOU "Motyginskaya comprehensive school- boarding school ", settlement Motygino, Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Material description: IN this story the history of the origin of the Russian wooden doll - toy is briefly stated. This material can be useful and interesting for teachers primary grades, educators of senior groups of kindergartens. Information about the matryoshka can be used on themed classroom hours.
Target: Formation of the idea of ​​matryoshka through a story.
Tasks:
- educational: tell brief history about the origin of Russian wooden toys - nesting dolls;
- developing: develop attention, memory, imagination, curiosity;
- educational: develop an interest in history vintage toys, to Russian culture.
Content.
Probably, in every home you can find everyone's favorite wooden nesting dolls. This is a toy that embodies kindness, wealth, family well-being.

The first Russian nesting doll was eight-seater: a girl with a black rooster was followed by a boy, then a girl, and so on. All the figures were different from each other. The last, eighth, depicted a baby.

Initially, this doll did not even have a name. But when the turner made it, the artist painted it bright colors, then the name appeared - Matryona. Perhaps this is due to the fact that at different evenings tea was served by a servant with that name.
Why was everyone's favorite Russian toy doll called "matryoshka"? Many believe that this name comes from the female name Matryona, which was very popular at that time in Russia. Matryona's name translated from Latin means "noble woman". Looking at the matryoshka, the image of a burly noble person really arises.
Matryoshka won love and recognition as a symbol of Russian folk art.
There is such a belief - if you put a note with a wish inside this wooden doll, it will definitely come true. Matryoshka, from the very beginning of its origin, symbolizes warmth and comfort in the house.
The very idea of ​​creating such an unusual doll contains a deep philosophical meaning: to find the truth, you need to get to the point by opening, one by one, all the parts of the wooden doll. In other words, there are no easy ways to solve different problems. It is worth making a lot of effort to achieve a certain result.
Perhaps the idea of ​​a wooden toy, consisting of several figures inserted into one another, was submitted to the master who created the matryoshka by the content of Russian fairy tales. Take the tale of Koschey, with whom Ivan Tsarevich is fighting. Let us recall the plot about the search for "koshcheev's death": Koshchei's death is hidden far away: on the sea on the ocean, on an island on Buyan there is a green oak, under that oak there is an iron chest, in that chest there is a hare, a duck in a hare, an egg in a duck; one has only to crush an egg - and Koschey instantly dies.

In the image of a Russian nesting doll, the art of masters and endless love for folk culture... Nowadays, you can buy all kinds of souvenirs for every taste.

But all the same, when we hear "Matryoshka", the image of a cheerful Russian girl in a bright folk costume... Love for our beloved doll will be passed on, I think, from generation to generation. After all, the history of the origin of matryoshka is the history of our culture.

When and where did the matryoshka first appear, who invented it? Why is this wooden folding toy doll called "matryoshka"? What does such a unique work of folk art symbolize? Let's try to answer these and other questions.

From the very first attempts to find intelligible answers, it turned out to be impossible - the information about the matryoshka turned out to be rather confusing. For example, there are "Matryoshka Museums", in the media and on the Internet you can read many interviews and articles on this topic. But museums or museum expositions, as well as numerous publications, as it turned out, are mainly devoted to various artistic samples of nesting dolls made in different regions of Russia and at different times. But little is said about the true origin of the matryoshka.

To begin with, let me remind you of the main versions, myths, regularly copied under a carbon copy and wandering through the pages of various publications.

A frequently repeated well-known version: the matryoshka appeared in Russia at the end of the 19th century, it was invented by the artist Malyutin, the turner Zvezdochkin was carved in Mamontov's "Childhood Education" workshop, and the figurine of one of the seven Japanese gods of luck - the god of learning and wisdom Fukuruma - served as the prototype of the Russian matryoshka. He is Fukurokuju, he is Fukurokuju (different sources indicate different transcriptions of the name).

Another version of the appearance of the future nesting doll in Russia is that a Russian Orthodox missionary monk who visited Japan and copied a composite toy from the Japanese one was allegedly the first to carve such a toy. Let's make a reservation right away: there is no exact information where the legend about the mythical monk came from, and there is no specific information in any source. Moreover, some strange monk turns out from the point of view of elementary logic: would a Christian copy an essentially pagan deity? What for? Did you like the toy? It is doubtful, although from the point of view of borrowing and the desire to alter it in your own way, it is possible. This reminds of the legend about "Christian monks who fought with the enemies of Russia", but bore (after baptism!) For some reason the pagan names Peresvet and Oslyabya.

The third version - the Japanese figurine was allegedly brought from the island of Honshu in 1890 to the Mamontovs' estate near Moscow in Abramtsevo. “The Japanese toy had a secret: his whole family was hiding in the old man Fukurumu. One Wednesday, when the art 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. Of course, he did not repeat the Japanese deity, he made a sketch of a chubby peasant girl in a flowered headscarf. And to make her look more human, I drew a black rooster in her hand. The next young lady was with a sickle in her hand. Another - with a loaf of bread. What about sisters without a brother - and he appeared in a painted shirt. A whole family, friendly and hardworking.

He ordered V. Zvezdochkin, the best turner of the Sergiev Posad training and demonstration workshops, to make his own nevyvalinka. The first matryoshka is now kept by the Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad. Painted with gouache, it does not look very festive.

Here we are all matryoshka and matryoshka ... But this doll did not even have a name. And when the turner made it, and the artist painted it, then the name came by itself - Matryona. They also say that at Abramtsevo evenings tea was served by a servant with that name. Look through at least a thousand names - and none of them will match this wooden doll better. "

Let us dwell on this moment for now. Judging by the above passage, the first nesting doll was carved in Sergiev Posad. But, firstly, the turner Zvezdochkin did not work until 1905 in the Sergiev Posad workshops! This will be discussed below. Secondly, other sources say that “she was born (matryoshka - approx.) Exactly here, in Leontyevsky lane (in Moscow - approx.), In house number 7, where there used to be a workshop-shop“ Children's Education ”, owned by Anatoly Ivanovich Mamontov, brother of the famous Savva. Anatoly Ivanovich, like his brother, was fond of national art. In his workshop-shop, artists constantly worked on the creation of 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 scarf and an apron. This doll opened, and there was another peasant girl, in her - another ... ".

Thirdly, it is doubtful that the matryoshka could have appeared in 1890 or 1891, which will be discussed in more detail below.

Confusion has already been created, according to the principle of "who, where and when was, or was not." Perhaps the most painstaking, thorough and balanced study was conducted by Irina Sotnikova, her article "Who invented the matryoshka" can be found on the Internet. 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 in Russia.

Sotnikova writes the following about the exact date of the matryoshka's appearance: “… sometimes the appearance of the matryoshka is dated 1893-1896, since it was possible to establish these dates from the reports and reports of the Moscow provincial zemstvo council. In one of these reports for 1911, N.D. Bartram 1 writes that the matryoshka was born about 15 years ago, and in 1913, in a report by the Bureau to the artisanal council, he says that the first matryoshka was created 20 years ago. That is, relying on such approximate messages is rather problematic, therefore, in order to avoid mistakes, the end of the 19th century is usually called, although there is a mention of 1900, when the matryoshka won recognition at the World Exhibition in Paris, and orders for its production appeared abroad. "

This is followed by a very curious remark about the artist Malyutin, about whether he was in fact 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 legacy. There is no evidence that the artist ever made this sketch. Moreover, the turner Zvezdochkin ascribes the honor of inventing the matryoshka to himself, without mentioning Malyutin at all.

As for the origin of our Russian nesting doll from the Japanese Fukuruma, here Zvezdochkin does not mention anything about Fukuruma either. Now you should pay attention to an important detail that somehow escapes other researchers, although this, as they say, can be seen with the naked eye - we are talking about a certain ethical moment. If we take as a basis the version of "the origin of the matryoshka from the sage Fukuruma", a rather strange feeling arises - SHE and OH, that is. Russian nesting doll, they say, descended from him, from the Japanese sage. In a suspicious way, a symbolic analogy with the Old Testament tale suggests itself, where Eve was created from the rib of Adam (that is, she descended from him, and not vice versa, as it happens naturally in nature). A very strange impression is formed, but we will talk about the symbolism of the matryoshka below.

Let's return to Sotnikova's research: “Here is how turner Zvezdochkin describes the emergence of the matryoshka:“ ... In 1900 (!) I invent a three- and six-seat (!) Matryoshka and send it to an exhibition in Paris. He worked for Mamontov for 7 years. In 1905 V.I. Borutsky 2 subscribes me to Sergiev Posad in 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 district). This means that the matryoshka could not have been born earlier than 1898. Since the memoirs of the master were written almost 50 years later, it is still difficult to vouch for their accuracy, therefore, the appearance of the matryoshka can be dated approximately 1898-1900 years. As you know, the World's Fair in Paris opened in April 1900, which means that this toy was created a little earlier, possibly in 1899. By the way, the Mamontovs received a bronze medal for toys at the Paris exhibition. "

But what about the shape of the toy and did Zvezdochkin borrow the idea of ​​a future nesting doll, or not? Or was the initial sketch of the figurine created by the artist Malyutin?

“Interesting facts were collected by E.N. Shulgina, who in 1947 became interested in the history of the matryoshka's creation. From conversations with Zvezdochkin, she learned that he had once seen in a magazine a "suitable chock" and carved a figurine based on her model, which had a "ridiculous appearance, looked like a nun" and was "deaf" (did not open). On the advice of the 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 who worked 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 artisans.

Probably, we will never be able to find out exactly about the participation of S.V. Malyutin in creating a nesting doll. According to the memoirs of V.P. It turns out that the shape of the matryoshka was invented by him himself, but the master could have forgotten about the painting of 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 well paint the first nesting doll, well, and then other masters painted the toy according to his model ”.

Let's return once again to the research of I. Sotnikova, where she writes that initially there was no agreement on the number of matryoshka dolls in one set either - unfortunately, there is confusion on this score in different sources:

“Turner Zvezdochkin claimed that he originally made two nesting dolls: three and six. The Toy Museum in Sergiev Posad contains an eight-seat nesting doll, which is considered the first, the same chubby girl in a sarafan, an apron, a flowered kerchief holding a black rooster in her hand. She is followed by three sisters, a brother, two more sisters and a baby. It is very often stated that there were not eight, but seven dolls; they also say that girls and boys alternated. This is not the case for the kit stored in the Museum.

Now about the prototype of the matryoshka. Was there a Fukuruma? Some doubt it, although why did this legend appear then, and is it really 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. Bartram, director of the Toy Museum, doubted that the nesting doll “was borrowed by us from the Japanese. The Japanese are great masters of turning toys. But their well-known "kokeshi" in principle of their construction do not look like a nesting doll. "

Who is our mysterious Fukuruma, good-natured bald sage, where did he come from? ... By tradition, the Japanese visit temples dedicated to the deities of fortune on New Year's Eve and acquire their small figurines there. Could it be that the legendary Fukuruma contained the other six fortune deities within him? This is just our assumption (rather controversial).

V.P. Zvezdochkin does not mention Fukuruma at all - a figurine of a saint that was decomposed into two parts, then another old man appeared, and so on. Note that in Russian folk crafts, detachable wooden products were also very popular, for example, the well-known Easter eggs. So there was Fukuruma, there was no him, it is difficult to recognize, but not so important. Who remembers him now? But the whole world knows and loves our matryoshka! "

Matryoshka name

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

The very name Matrona really means "noble woman" in translation from Latin, and is included in the Orthodox Church calendar. But, as for the assertion of many researchers that Matryona is a woman's name, very beloved and widespread among the peasantry in Russia, there are also interesting facts here. Some researchers simply forget that Russia is big. This means that the same name, or the same image can contain both positive and negative, allegorical meaning.

So, for example, in "Tales and Legends of the Northern Territory", collected by I.V. Karnaukhova, there is a fairy tale "Matryona". In which it tells how a woman named Matryona almost tortured the devil. In the published text, a passer-by-potter saves the devil from a lazy and harmful woman and, accordingly, further scares the devil with her.

In this context, Matryona is a kind of prototype of an evil wife, whom the devil himself is afraid of. Similar descriptions are found in Afanasyev. The plot about an evil wife, popular in the Russian North, was repeatedly recorded by GIIS expeditions in "classical" versions, in particular, from A.S. Krashaninnikova, 79 years old, from the village of Meshkarevo, Povenets district.

Matryoshka symbolism

Considering one of the versions about the origin of the matryoshka, I have already mentioned the "Japanese origin". But does the above-mentioned foreign version generally fit in its symbolic meaning to our nesting doll?

At one of the forums on the topic of culture, in particular, deployed on the Internet, the following was said literally: “The prototype of the Russian nesting doll (also has Indian roots) is a Japanese wooden doll. They took a Japanese toy as a model - daruma, a tumbler doll. According to its origins, it is an image of the ancient Indian sage Daruma (Skt. Bodhidharma) who moved to China in the 5th century. His teachings spread widely in Japan in the Middle Ages. Daruma called for the comprehension of the truth through silent contemplation, and in one of the legends he is a cave recluse, fat from immobility. According to another legend, his legs were taken away from immobility (hence the legless sculptural images of Daruma).

Nevertheless, the matryoshka immediately won unprecedented recognition as a symbol of Russian folk art.

There is a belief that if you put a note with a desire inside the matryoshka, it will certainly come true, and the more work is put into the matryoshka, i.e. the more places there are in it and the higher the quality of the matryoshka painting, the faster the wish will come true. Matryoshka means warmth and comfort in the house ”.

It is difficult to disagree with the latter - the more places there are in the nesting doll, i.e. the more internal figures, one smaller than the other, the more you can put notes with desires there and wait for them to be performed. This is a kind of game, and the nesting doll here plays the role of a very charming, cute, homely symbol, a real work of art.

As for the eastern sage Daruma (here is another name for the "predecessor" of the matryoshka!) - to be honest, the "sage" who has grown fat from immobility, and even with his legs taken away, is extremely poorly associated with a Russian toy, in which everyone sees a positive, elegant symbolic image. And because of this beautiful image, our nesting doll is very famous and popular almost all over the world. We are not talking at all about "nesting dolls" in the form of male (!) Political figures, whose caricatured faces flooded the entire Old Arbat in Moscow in the nineties by enterprising artisans. This is, first of all, about the continuation of the old traditions of different schools in the painting of Russian nesting dolls, about the creation of matryoshka dolls of different numbers (so-called "terrain").

In the process of working on this material, it became necessary to use related sources, not only dedicated to the topic of Russian folk toys. Do not forget that in antiquity, and not only in Russia, various jewelry (for women and men), household items, as well as toys carved from wood or made of clay, played the role of not just objects that brighten up everyday life - but also carriers of certain symbols, had some meaning. And the very concept of symbolism was closely intertwined with mythology.

So, in an amazing way, there was a coincidence of the name Matron, who migrated (according to the generally accepted version) from Latin to Russian, with ancient Indian images:

MOTHER (Old Ind. "Mother"), the emphasis is on the first syllable - in Hindu mythology, divine mothers, personifying the creative and destructive forces of nature. The idea of ​​an active feminine principle was widely recognized in Hinduism in connection with the spread of the shakti cult. Matris were considered as female personifications of the creative energy of the great gods: Brahma, Shiva, Skanda, Vishnu, Indra, etc. The number of the Matri ranged from seven to sixteen; some texts have spoken of them as "the great crowd."

Doesn't this remind you of anything? Matryoshka is a "mother", which symbolizes, in fact, the FAMILY, and even consisting of a different number of figures that symbolize children of different ages. This is no longer just a coincidence, but a proof of common, Indo-European roots, which is directly related to the Slavs.

From this we can draw the following conclusion: figuratively speaking, if the symbolic "journey" of an unusual wooden figurine begins in India, then gets its continuation in China, from there the figurine gets to Japan, and only then "unexpectedly" finds its place in Russia - the statement that that our Russian nesting doll was copied from the figurine of the Japanese sage is untenable. If only because the figurine of some oriental sage itself is not originally Japanese. Probably, the hypothesis about the extensive settlement of the Slavs and the spread of their culture, which subsequently influenced the cultures of other peoples, including the one that manifested itself both in language and in the divine pantheon, has a common basis for Indo-European civilization.

However, most likely, the idea of ​​a wooden toy, which consists of several figures inserted into one another, was inspired by Russian fairy tales to the master who created the matryoshka. Many, for example, know and remember the tale of Koschey, with whom Ivan Tsarevich is fighting. For example, Afanasyev has a story about the prince's search for “koshchey's death”: “To accomplish such a feat, extraordinary efforts and labors are needed, because Koshchei’s death is hidden far away: on the sea on the ocean, on an island on Buyan, there is a green oak tree, under that oak tree an iron chest, a hare in that chest, a duck in a hare, an egg in a duck; one has only to crush an egg - and Koschey instantly dies. "

I agree that the plot is dark in itself, because associated with death. But here we are talking about a symbolic meaning - where is the truth hidden? The fact is that this almost identical mythological plot is found not only in Russian fairy tales, and even in different versions, but also among other peoples! “It is obvious that in these epic expressions lies a mythical tradition, an echo of the prehistoric era; otherwise, how could such identical legends arise among different peoples? Koschey (a snake, a giant, an old sorcerer), following the usual method of the folk epic, tells the secret of his death in the form of a riddle; to solve it, you need to substitute metaphorical expressions for common understanding. "

This is our philosophical culture. And therefore, it is highly likely that the master who carved the matryoshka remembered and knew Russian fairy tales well - in Russia the myth was often projected onto real life.

In other words, one is hidden in the other, enclosed - and in order to find the truth, it is necessary to get to the bottom, opening, one by one, all the "caps". Maybe this is the real meaning of such a wonderful Russian toy as the matryoshka - a reminder to descendants of the historical memory of our people?

And it is no coincidence that the remarkable Russian writer Mikhail Prishvin once wrote the following: “I thought that each of us has life like the outer shell of a folding Easter egg; it seems that this red egg is so big, and this is only a shell - you open it, and there is a blue one, a smaller one, and again a shell, and then a green one, and at the very end, for some reason, always a yellow testicle will pop out, but this does not open anymore, and this the most, the most ours. "

So it turns out that the Russian nesting doll is not so simple - this is an integral part of our life.

Goncharov Konstantin Yurievich,
full member of the AFN and RANS, the All-Russian Heraldic Society

Report at the First International Congress "Pre-Cyril Slavic Writing and Pre-Christian slavic culture»Leningrad State University named after A.S. Pushkin, Saint Petersburg, May 12 - 14, 2008