Discover Russian Culture Through Matryoshka Dolls

January 16, 2008 at 5:00 pm (Art, CAM, Cultural Events, Education, Family, Hilltown Families, History, Homeschooling, Shelburne Falls, Sienna, Suggested Activity, Video, Winter 08 Cam)
Tags: Folk Art, Matryoshka Dolls, Russia. World Culture, Russian Nesting Dolls

MATRYOSHKA DOLLS: A TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN FOLK ART
by Sienna Wildfield

“Mommy, where did I come from?”

By the time my daughter asked me this question, she was four and I had been preparing for a couple of years by collecting Russian nesting dolls. I had been picking them up at tag sales and white elephant sales and they’ve become one of my favorite tools for addressing this simple yet complex question. I start with the big doll, her Great Great Grandmother, open her up and pull out her Great Grandmother, open her up and pull out her Grandmother, open her up and pull out her mother, open her up and pull out, well, her. It has proven to be an effective illustration.

“The name [Matryoshka] wasn’t chosen by accident… Matryona (lovingly Matryosha, Matryoshenka) was a very popular and common Russian name for a woman. Also, the word was derived from the Latin “mater” (mother) which was perfectly suited for the toy. “* The first time I demonstrated the concept of maternal lineage to my daughter she stared at the dolls, the little gears turning inside her head… “How did I get in there?” I then did it backwards, replacing the dolls, working back in lineage: this is you, you came from me, I came from Gram, and so on. It was the backwards method that got her engine going and put the concept of lineage into form, and gave me some more time to figure out how to answer THAT question.

UPCOMING WORKSHOP

MATRYOSHKA MADNESS: Discovering World Cultures in the Hilltowns

Not only can this traditional Russian icon be used to educate your kids about fertility and motherhood, it can also be used to teach them about world culture and customs too. As with our Sand Mandala Workshop that offers explorations of Tibetan culture, Hilltown Families and CAM will be offering a workshop for families to discover Russian culture through the traditional Russian Folk Art of painted Matryoshka Dolls: Matryoshka Madness.

On Sunday, February 10th from 10am-12:30pm, families are welcome to come spend the morning making a family heirloom by painting your own Matryoshka Doll. Stories about the Matryoshka Doll will be read and kids can discover Russian tradition and customs while learning about this traditional Russian Folk Art at the Children’s Art Museum in Shelburne Falls, MA. All ages are welcome. Pre-registration is required by JANUARY 20TH, 2008 ($). Click here to reserve your spot, or call 413.625.2030.

MATRYOSHKA’S BIRTHDAY

Russia Today did a short piece during Moscow’s International Craft Fair on the Matryoshka Doll that takes a look at the dolls history and origin:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• The Art of the Russian Matryoshka (By Rett Ertl)
• History of Matryoshka Dolls
• How Matryoshka Dolls Are Made

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Photo Credit: Orange dolls (cc) Jeff Belmonte: Blue dolls (cc) yasmapaz