Often tourists from different countries visiting Russia are amazed at the uniqueness of life here. The life of local citizens seems exotic to many. In order to preserve the memory of this country, tourists buy traditional Russian souvenirs. What kind of gifts are these? Now let’s look at this issue, consider the most popular such gizmos.

Matryoshka

This is the most typical Russian souvenir. A matryoshka doll is a wooden doll of a clever design. If you separate it in the middle, then inside you can find another such pupa, but smaller in size. The number of crafts that are nested within each other may vary. If you sequentially divide the toy into parts, you can get to the last doll, which completes the entire collection. Nowadays you can see matryoshka dolls on sale, which differ not only in size, but also in the richness of their painting and appearance.

The best material for making such products is linden. It is quite soft, so it can be easily processed.

Khokhloma

What is the most typical Russian souvenir? Khokhloma is painted with red and black paints on a golden background. The manufacturing technique, which came from icon painting, has remained virtually unchanged since then. Dishes cut from linden are first coated with red-brown primer and silver powder. Next, the products are painted, varnished (several layers) and heated in an oven. The standard ornaments of such products are flowers, strawberry or red rowan branches, and birds, animals and fish are often found.

Birch bark products

Birch bark is a traditional material that is used to create various crafts. This could be kitchen utensils, dishes and bast shoes, which tourists consider an obligatory attribute of Russian culture.

Often such products are complemented with embossing and elaborate carvings. Wicker souvenirs can become an elegant decoration for the kitchen and living room.

Samovar

Another most typical Russian souvenir is the samovar. The device is a part of Russian life, which has always been the personification of wealth, well-being and home comfort.

Lovers of antiquities can find not only real samovars that are suitable for household use, but also souvenir models. Some of them are smaller in size, but these products still replicate the silhouettes of the real ones. Elegant painting on the sides of a small samovar will be an excellent interior decoration.

The list of souvenirs can be continued for a long time, but, as they say, it is better to see than to talk. Each person, of course, has his own favorite Russian present, because everyone has different preferences.

“, - many will answer. But no! Russian souvenirs are not limited to just matryoshka dolls. Russian souvenir is a very capacious concept. This is a kind of bridge of traditions connecting the past and present of our Motherland.

The best decision when looking for a gift is buy a Russian souvenir. Deep knowledge of the traditions of your country gives a broad view of the variety of folk arts and crafts, but to find a truly original gift you need to work hard. After all, when we are looking for the most typical Russian souvenir for a gift, at best, in addition to the matryoshka doll, we also remember Gzhel or. And this despite the fact that there are such a huge number of Russian souvenirs! This is and , and a wooden toy, and , and , and , and , and , and , and , and , and . And many many others. But each of the named groups has its own directions, its own regional characteristics, and within each direction there are its own masters with a special, recognizable style. And all this adds up to a huge motley mosaic, from which we can only choose what we like.

Russian folk souvenirs are, first of all, a manifestation of the broad Russian soul invested by the master in each of his works. It is no coincidence that the best is something that can only be purchased in Russia. For Russians, presenting handicrafts as a gift is to show subtle taste and understanding of traditions. Again, the higher the intellectual level of the recipient and the more financially secure he is, the more reasonable it will be to buy a Russian souvenir as a gift for such a person. The artistic value of Russian souvenirs is undeniable and only grows over the years. It's like good paintings or expensive wine.

A Russian souvenir can be called a nesting doll. This wooden doll, although simple in appearance, has a clever design. If you separate the nesting doll in the middle, you can see another smaller one inside. The number of such crafts placed one inside the other can be very different.

By sequentially dividing the toys into parts, you can get to the very last one, which completes the collection.

Linden is considered the best material for nesting dolls. This soft material is easy to process. The matryoshka dolls that make up this traditional Russian toy differ not only in size, but also in appearance and richness of painting. Themes for the design of toys can be very different - from images of folk tales to prominent political figures, whose images have a caricatured appearance. Russian is the most popular souvenir among tourists.

Birch bark products

Traditional folk in Russia are associated with birch bark. This material is used for a variety of crafts. This could be dishes, kitchen utensils, interior decoration elements and even bast shoes, which many foreigners consider an indispensable attribute of Russian culture.

Possessing high flexibility and plasticity, birch bark allows craftsmen to create real masterpieces with a unique shape.

Often birch bark products are complemented with skillful carvings or embossing. A wicker bowl, tuesok or salt shaker will be a very elegant decoration that can be placed not only in the kitchen, but also in the living room. Amusing little things, skillfully woven from strips of birch bark, can become one of the best reminders of Russia.

Samovar

For lovers of solid souvenirs, the Russian samovar will be the most suitable. This device for drinking tea is not just a part of Russian life. At all times, the samovar has been the personification of well-being, prosperity and home comfort.

In ancient times, luxurious samovars were passed down by inheritance, presented as a gift, and sometimes even included in a dowry.

Lovers of antiquities can find in Russia not only real samovars, which can serve well in households, but also special souvenir models. Some of these products are small in size, but exactly repeat the contours of real ones. And the skillful and elegant painting on the pot-bellied sides will make the souvenir samovar an excellent decoration for any interior.

Russia is a country of mysteries and contradictions. Many foreigners dream of understanding the Russian soul, but even after visiting our state and studying the local laws of life, none of them can get to the bottom of the very depths of our nature. So all that remains for the poor souls is to bring home souvenirs, as a memory of the indelible impression left by the Russian man. What are they bringing? Let's talk about the most typical Russian souvenir.

Matryona is an ancient name and gave the name to our most famous toy Matryoshka. The name stands for “mother of many children,” which fully corresponds to the idea of ​​a wooden doll, inside of which a whole string of similar crafts is hidden.

It is the nesting doll that is the most typical Russian souvenir, which, according to foreigners, symbolizes our country in the best possible way. Meanwhile, her roots are not Russian at all!

Origin of the nesting doll

The history of the Russian nesting doll begins at the end of the 19th century. The very idea of ​​a doll assembled from several halves, inside which several more of the same ones are hidden, was borrowed from Japanese masters exclusively for good purposes - the development and teaching of color, shape and size to small children. This happened in the city of Sergiev Posad in the workshop of A. Mamontov. The hands of turner Vasily Zvezdochkin and artist Sergei Malyutin created the first Russian nesting doll, which today can be seen with your own eyes in the Sergiev Posad museum.

The prototype of the most typical Russian souvenir was an ordinary Russian woman in a headscarf, sundress and apron. The doll had 8 “children”, among them there were not only girls, but also boys. The smallest of them was a baby in diapers. Such toys very quickly gained popularity and began to spread throughout Russia. Similar dolls began to be made in the Semenovsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod province. They already received a slightly different look, and began to depict young Russian girls in national costumes.

After some time, people started talking about our nesting dolls in Europe. Orders for the production of these dolls were received from France and Germany. They could easily be bought at various European fairs, including the famous Leipzig. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the massive purchase of nesting dolls from abroad.

Matryoshka painting

The more popular the matryoshka toy became, the more varied its painting became. In addition to peasant women in headscarves, young beauties in multi-colored sundresses, with flower bouquets, and then young people - shepherds with a pipe, old men with a large beard and stick, and newlyweds - began to be painted on wooden blanks. The creators of the nesting dolls did not lose sight of fairy-tale characters, heroes-defenders of the fatherland, even the authors of famous works and their heroes (for example, a nesting doll was made depicting all the heroes of Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”).

In addition to its new appearance, the toy surprised by the number of blanks that fit inside it. The number of nesting doll inserts became more and more numerous, and there were already up to 24 of them. And in 1913, a nesting doll was made, inside of which 48 crafts were placed. This unique record was set by turner Nikolai Bulychev.

Matryoshka today

Today, for the sake of time, famous politicians, musicians, and public figures are increasingly being depicted on matryoshka dolls. There are matryoshka toys representing cartoon characters, feature films, famous athletes, etc. Modern technical capabilities allow you to quickly create any images on a wooden surface, so if you wish, you can order a matryoshka doll with any theme.

Of course, traditional painting has not gone away either. Such a doll can be purchased for free at any souvenir shop. And if you are passionate about creativity, you can easily buy a wooden doll blank and paint it yourself.

To ensure that your travel impressions remain vivid for a long time and will be remembered for a lifetime, bring with you a small souvenir. In any country you can find something unique, and if you are going to go to Russia, you will find a treasure trove of unusual souvenirs there. What to bring from Russia so that a small thing really exudes a typical Russian spirit, will tell you.

The most popular souvenir from Russia, which is impossible not to remember, is Russian doll. All nesting dolls differ not only in the number of dolls, size, but also in painting. Semenovskaya and Maidanovskaya paintings are traditional; you can also find unique works by artists from Nizhny Novgorod, Voznesensk, Sergiev Posad. Drawings on nesting dolls can be very diverse: from images of Russian landscapes, fairy tale characters to modern political figures.

Another souvenir that will undoubtedly associated with Russia, - This balalaika. If you are into music, such a thing will be especially valuable to you.

You can bring from Russia and more practical souvenir, For example, fur hat, mittens or muff.

For women the most interesting souvenir will Orenburg downy scarf. These are not at all the scarves that grandmothers wrap themselves in. They absolutely fit into the laws of modern fashion and will make you feel like a real Russian lady. And remember that a real down scarf is very light, soft and should easily slide even through a ring. If you adore lace products- napkins, collars, even dresses - go to Yelets. Local craftsmen keep ancient traditions and are not inferior in art even to the Venetians.

If you want to keep a piece of your favorite scent of Russian beauties as a souvenir, buy perfume bottle "Red Moscow". At one time, kilometer-long queues lined up in stores for this perfume; its popularity can only be compared with Chanel No. 5.

Don't bypass and products from Russian porcelain factories, for example Dulevsky. They will become a worthy decoration for your sideboard. Famous all over the world and Russian crystal, especially from Gus-Khrustalny, Petushki, Dyatkovo. If you visit these places, you will see unique museums dedicated to the history of crystal making, ancient workshops and acquire original souvenirs.

Choosing what to bring from Russia, pay attention to ancient folk crafts. Typical Russian souvenirs have been for a long time wooden spoons, painted in folk style, just like Palekh boxes. The latter are easily recognized by their black background with a bright pattern on the lid. They come in a variety of shapes and with different images. Nowadays they even make photo prints on the boxes.

Khokhloma masters famous throughout the world for their artistic painting of wooden utensils. A product of unique beauty with a complex and original design will be an excellent souvenir that will preserve truly Russian energy. Among the traditional Russian crafts is the manufacture of products from birch bark, that is, the top layer of birch bark. Birch bark products varied in shape and carving technique with embossing.

Bring as a souvenir from Russia for your baby Bogorodskaya toy. These are wooden moving figures depicting various scenes of Russian peasant life. Such toys are very bright, interesting and useful for the development of hand motor skills.