Tolstoys

Matryoshka dolls, or nesting dolls, are, in the context of Russian history, a relatively new phenomenon. They 1st appeared in 1899 in the city of Sergiev Posad, about 50 kilometers N of Moscow. Unlike many objects of folk art, nesting dolls were not a product of 100's of years of evolution of a particular art form. Some purists maintain that matryoshki are not real folk art at all. The generally accepted story is that they were introduced into Russia from Japan and brought in by merchants.