Russian toys

 Tin Soldiers  (Оловянные солдатики) –  

good gift for boys. Figures are dressed up  in the form of  Russian Empire  army of different years.

 Domovoi (Домовой) – 

a home  spirit of Slavic nations, mythological host and patron of the house, that provides a normal family life, fertility and health of people, animals. The most recognizable fictional character is a Domovyonok (means a small Domovoi)  Kuzya (Домовёнок Кузя) – known for the  animated films about an active home spirit, known from fairy tales.

 Cheburashka (Чебурашка)— 

a fictional character invented by the writer Eduard Uspensky in 1966 as one of the main characters of the book “Crocodile Gena and his friends.” It is a creature with big round ears, big brown eyes and brown hair, walking on its hind legs.  The recognizable image known today  first appeared in the movie- cartoon “Crocodile Gena”.

Many times was a symbol of the Russian Olympic team.

Matryoshka (Матрёшка)  — 

(a diminutive form of “Matrona” – mother of the family) – is a painted wooden doll, inside of which there are smaller dolls similar to her. More expensive  matryoshkas are  hand-painted with a brush and have additional decorations, cheap analogues have color print (not unique or special).

Bogorodskaya toy (Богородская игрушка) —

 is represented by wooden animals, creatures, whose legs or hands move according to  rotation of the platforms-wooden planks. The toys are quite varied – from chickens pecking grain to bear with a balalaika or someone with an axe! Children love this toy and not just children.

Kovrovskaya clay toy (Ковровская глиняная игрушка) —

folk craft, resulting in the area of the city Kovrov on the banks of the Klyazma. Kovrov toys feature a bright juicy colors, using traditional palette Vladimir school of painting.

Plots of Kovrov toys are very diverse. They re taken by artists from Russian folk tales  as well as from the life of the peasants, and the festivities (for example,  couples,  bathhouses or girls with  yoke).

Filimonovo toy (Филимоновская игрушка)  —

usually represented by traditional whistles: ladies, horsemen, cows, bears, roosters, and so on.

A narrow skirt bell of Filimonovsky ladies smoothly goes to a short narrow body and ends tapered head is integral with the neck. The ladies are usually holding babies or bird-whistles. Knights look like ladies, but instead of a skirt they have thick cylindrical legs, shod in boots. Heads are crowned with intricate  hats which have narrow margins. Animals are traditionally painted with colored stripes along the body and neck.

Dymkovo toy (Дымковская игрушка) —

unique and inimitable bright toys made by hand.

For its production they usually use local bright red clay, mixed thoroughly with a fine brown river sand. Figures are molded in parts, the individual parts are collected and finished by using liquid red clay as a binder. The products are competed by a smooth and neat surface.

The most common themes are the following: the nanny with children, sheep with golden horns, turkeys, roosters, deer and, of course, young people, clowns, noble ladies.

Bird of happiness (Птица счастья) —

wooden toy in the form of a bird, made by woodcarving.

It is made from a single bar  without the use of adhesives and fasteners, by cutting thin petals and a special method of bending. Petals,  wings and tail can be connected by threads. Usually made of the wood of pine, spruce, fir and Siberian pine. Brings well-being and health of the family,  if located inside the house .

Music boxes  – 

the foreign guests like to buy the music boxes with the views of Russian cities (as on the picture, the music box is just turning, accompanying by a nice melody), also with the ballerinas. Music box

Musical instruments

Balalaika  (Балалайка)– 

is one of the main symbols of Russian culture. Sound of balalaika is soft but sonorous. Modern balalaika is made of pine wood.

  Gusli (Гусли)—

 stringed musical instruments, common in Russia (21 th century), usually  different in structure.

  Ratchet (Трещотка = Treschyotka) —

 – folk instrument that replaces claps of hands.