Russia's toy heritage is deep and distinctive. The Matryoshka nesting dolls of Sergiev Posad and Semyonov, the carved figures of Bogorodskoye village (200+ years of continuous production), the clay whistles of Dymkovo (5 centuries old), the fired-clay figures of Filimonovo, the wooden lathe-turned toys of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Traditional Russian toys are still produced in cooperatives and workshops that survived the Soviet era and are protected by regional craft councils.
Traditional toys and games of Russia
Matryoshka
The nesting doll — invented 1890 in Sergiev Posad, drawing on Japanese Fukuruma influence.
Bogorodskoye toys
Carved unpainted linden-wood toys with hidden pull-string mechanisms.
Dymkovo toys
White-fired clay figurines from Kirov, painted in bold geometric patterns.
Filimonovo whistles
Fired-clay whistling figurines from Tula, painted in yellow, magenta and green.
Gorodets painted toys
Bright folk-painted wooden horses, birds and figures from the Volga.