Why is the last Russian doll always the ugliest?

Matryoshka dolls (Russian dolls) are a world-famous souvenir from Russia that any visitor to Russia wants to buy. This is a set of hollow dolls ranging in size from large to small, nested inside each other.

Some people often wonder why the last doll in the Matryoshka set is the ugliest. However, many people think that asking this question means you do not understand the meaning of Matryoshka dolls.

Travelers who are quite knowledgeable about these Russian dolls explain that Matryoshkas, like people, disguise themselves with many layers. Each layer is initially the strongest and largest because that is when they feel most secure and confident. Just like when you meet a person, you only see one side of them.

The last and smallest doll is the one that holds the heart of Matryoshka. If someone lets you see the heart of the youngest doll inside them, it means they truly trust you. However, this is just the opinion of many people, in reality, the Matryoshka set clearly represents Russian culture.

The word Matryoshka is an affectionate name for Matryona - a female given name that was very popular in Russian peasant families in the past. The Russian doll resembles a healthy, rosy-cheeked peasant girl wearing a traditional sarafan and a headscarf to keep her warm during the long, cold winter. A Matryoshka also evokes the image of peasant grandmothers and mothers, always gathered together in a family.

Matryoshka also carries the meaning of a symbol of family and unity. This is very important for Russia.

Matryoshka dolls in a set usually have the same theme, such as a set of village girls in traditional costumes, or a set of dolls depicting characters from folk tales. Traditionally, there are at least 5 dolls in a set, usually in odd numbers such as 7, 9, 11. However, the first set of Russian dolls produced had 8 dolls.

The first set of Matryoshka dolls was created by the artisan and doll maker Vasily Petrovich Zvyozdochkin from a design by the artist Sergey Vasilyevich Malyutin. Malyutin's idea was based on a set of Japanese wooden dolls depicting the Seven Lucky Gods, seven gods of luck in Japanese mythology. The first set consisted of the outermost doll in the form of a girl holding a rooster, the fifth largest doll in the form of a boy, the smallest doll in the form of a baby, and the rest were depicted as girls.

Materials commonly used to make dolls are lemon wood, birch wood, alder wood, and poplar wood. These are usually fragrant woods and are good at resisting moisture.

Nowadays, many Russian artists are experts in decorating Matryoshka dolls. The traditional places of doll production are Sergiyev Posad, Semyonov, Polkholvsky Maidan and Kirov.

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