Russian Symbols: Matryoshka

They say that at the end of the XIXth century the Mamontovs, famous Russian industrialists, were presented with a Japanese carved statuette of a Buddhistic saint Fukurudzhi (Fukuruma) brought either from Paris or Honshu. This statuette had a surprise in it, it could be divided into two parts. There was a smaller statuette dividing in two hidden in it. All in all there were five of them.

This statuette was supposed to be the ancestor of the Russian detachable toy which represented the image of a peasant girl having a common name Matryeshka (Matryena).

 The first Russian matryoshka is thought to be made and painted in a Moscow toy workshop in 1890s according to the model brought from Japan. This model was made with a sense of humor having lots of statuettes depicting the above mentioned Fukuruma - a bald man with the head stretching upwards because of the numerous thoughts he had in it.

 There are certain facts in the history of the Russian toy trade proving that the tradition to carve and paint wooden eggs for Easter contributed to the matryoshka creation.

 There is an interesting picture in one of the albums dedicated to the works of a Russian artist S. Malyutin. This represents a sketch to paint a carved wooden doll. This famous artist became the creator of the first Russian matryoshka. The carved shape was introduced by V. Zvyozdochkin, a native of Voronovskaya Volost of Podolsky County in Moscow Province which was famous for its  skillful turners.

 The birthplace of matryoshka was the workshop "Children Upbringing" owned by A. Mamontov. Zvyozdochkin had worked there since 1898.

 Thus matryoshka dates back to those days being more than a century old, still it has remained one of the Russian symbols and one of the most favourite souvenirs brought from the Russian Federation.

The only one!!!: Christmas fortune-telling in Russia take place ...

The only one!!!:


Christmas fortune-telling in Russia take place ...: Christmas fortune-telling in Russia take place during Christmastide. Christmastide is a two-week period in winter starting from the Chri...

The Old New Year

Is the New Year your favourite holiday? If your answer is yes then you probably might be interested in the Russian tradition to celebrate it twice a year!  - on December 31^st and January 13^th! The so called Old New Year is a great way to gather the family round the holiday table again and wish a Happy New Year to each other for the second time.

The main reason for this fact lies in the calendar. Although the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic officially adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1918, the Russian Orthodox Church continued to use the Julian calendar. So, the New Year became a holiday which is celebrated by both calendars.

The holiday is interesting as it combines secular traditions of bringing in the New Year with the Christian Orthodox Christmastide customs, such as koleda.

Russian airline plans Anchorage-Kamchatka flights in 2012

Vladivostok Air is planning weekly flights for two months next summer between Anchorage and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of about 175,000 on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. It will be the first commercial air link between the Russian Far East and Alaska since Alaska Airlines dropped its Anchorage-Russia routes in the late 1990s
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Is studying in Russia challenging? Part One (theoretical reference)

Having graduated from one of the best linguistic universities in Russia I believe I may state the following: most of our universities are worth studying at, our professors represent the most intelligent layer of the Russian society, and the Russian universities become more and more popular among foreign students. But before discussing the practical things let me give a short theoretical reference on the topic.

The Russian educational system, as it had been noted many times by major international experts, is one of the most developed and advanced educational systems in the world.

Russian towns - Astrakhan

Each city has its own history. At present, at the beginning of the XIX-th century, Astrakhan, which appeared in the mouth of the Volga, in the land of ancient civilizations, as the southern outpost of Russia, again acquires its historic significance. 

The history of Astrakhan dates back to ancient times.

It is connected with the close relationship between the Volga and the Caspian Sea, with the abundance of life and the infinity of development which Nature gives to Man…
In the Astrakhan Museum of Local Lore there are unique exhibits testifying to the ancient history of Astrakhan Region.
Many various peoples paved the way to the Lower Volga and the Caspian Sea, leaving here vivid traces of their life.

Recipe of the day

Ukha
Ingredients : 400 g small fishes, 300 g pike-perch , 300 g burbot , 6 ea small potatoes , 3 ea small onions , 1 ea parsley root , 1 1/2 l water , pepper, salt, parsley, dill , spices .
Method:
Clean small fishes, put in gauze and tie up. Pour cold water over, bring to boil, take froth away, add 1 onion, parsley root, salt, bay leaf, and leave on a very low heat for an hour. Take the gauze with fishes out. Put chopped potatoes, green parsley and boil until potatoes are ready. 15 minutes before soup is ready, put fish slices in it. Ukha, decorated with greens, is served with Vodka.