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Birch Tree Love

Birch  (“bereza” or “berezka” in Russian)  trees are not only beautiful, but quite bountiful in certain parts of Russia (think mid-region f...

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Friday, September 1, 2017

2018 - The Year of The Dog


According to Chinese zodiac, each year represents different kind of animal.

This coming 2018 will be The Year of The Dog.

We, at The Russian Store, are getting ready to celebrate coming 2018, The Year of the Dog.

Take a look what we already prepared so far.

What do you think of our collection of these adorable dogs?

Which one you like the most? 😊


                 
              English Pointer Nested Dolls
English Cocker Spaniel Nested Doll
                       
   
               
            Pug Dog Nesting Dolls
  
 Doberman Dog Nesting Doll

                   
                
                  Pomeranian Dog Nesting Dolls
     
Boston Terrier Dog Nesting Doll
    










Tuesday, February 23, 2016

New Nesting Dolls

With Spring quickly approaching, we thought you might like to see a few of our new floral nesting dolls... (at www.therussianstore.com)

Floral Blossom Beauties
available in six different color schemes



Floral Blossom Beauty - Yellow & Blue





Rose Beauties
available in three different color schemes





With so many Floral Nesting Dolls in stock, there is sure to be the perfect one for you or a loved one! These blooming flowers home decor dolls make perfect Birthday gifts, new mother gifts, and just because gifts.


Aren't they just the prettiest?





Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Monkey!


2016 will be the Year of the Monkey according to Chinese zodiac. 

The Year of the Monkey will start from Feb. 8, 2016 (Chinese New Year) 
and last to Jan. 27, 2017

Years of the Monkey: 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956,196819801992, 2004, 2016, 2028.

Cute Monkey Trinket Box

Monkey Gifts available at The Russian Store!




Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Insect Inclusion Amber Jewelry & Gems

Amber is such a beautiful and interesting "stone." It really is tree sap, but it looks and feels like a gemstone and it is considered a gemstone. It takes millions of years to form itself, and sometimes it forms with insects trapped inside. When real amber is formed with insect inclusions it is a highly sought after, truly unique piece of history to own. (More on the history of amber)

Beware of cheap plastic knock-off insects in amber! Always purchase from a reputable source, such as The Russian Store to ensure your receiving the real thing. There are a few ways to test if amber is real or not; Determining if your amber is real or fake.

Pictured below is a cute, affordable way to enjoy genuine insect inclusion amber! A tiny piece of Russian amber (about 1/4") is housed in a small 1" x 1" x 1" clear plastic box with a magnifying lens top. This allows the viewer a chance to see the insect's body and legs easily. These unique insect amber stone gift boxes retail at $39.99

Collectible Real Amber Nugget with Insect in Box

Take a look at this close up of a much larger, stunning amber piece (over 2" long), with more than one insect, sold by itself with no box, for $176.99... amazing, huh?



Real amber with real insects stuck inside could be a special and unique gift for the entomologist in your life. Or, perhaps, simply the history buff or nature lover in your life. 







Wednesday, October 21, 2015

A Man and his Nesting Doll Collection (Blog Share)

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We had to share the following short blog post because we love hearing about other people's nesting doll collections!
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Sunday, July 01, 2001

Nesting dolls finely crafted in Russia

By Marsie Hall Newbold
Enquirer contributor

        Who: Richard Ross, 49, of East Walnut Hills, a student of Russian culture and collector of Matryoshka, popularly known as Russian nesting dolls.
        On display: Seventy-five of the plump little handcrafted characters.
        Where: Most are kept in a lighted display case in the entry hall of the home he shares with his wife, Janet, their daughters Meredith, 15, Allison, 14, and the family dog, Sandy. Others are scattered throughout the living and dining rooms.
[photo]Richard Ross has 75 Matryoshka dolls
(Michael E. Keating photo)
        It's a small, small world: Mr. Ross' interest in Russia began when his daughters were students at the Academy of World Languages. A Russian exchange student stayed with the family in 1996, and they visited Russia for the first time the next year.
        “That's when I first started seeing the dolls,” Mr. Ross explains. “I just fell in love with them.”
        A family affair: “They are wonderful collectibles,” he continues, “Because they are not very expensive and they are highly crafted. Sometimes families make them. One woman told me that she paints the faces, but her daughters do the bodies.”
        “The detail on each one is just amazing,” he adds. “Each doll has its own expression and character.”
        A prize inside: Mr. Ross' Matryoshka vary in size from less than one inch to nearly a foot in height. Some have as many as seven pieces; each nested inside the other. Several are not “nesting” dolls at all. In these a large one opens to reveal many tiny “babies” all of the same size.
        Regardless, most of them are carved from birch.
        “Birch is very common over there,” Mr. Ross explains. “The Russians are famous for their birch trees. They live longer and grow twice as big as ours.”
        Brrrrr! Most of Mr. Ross's Matryoshka were purchased at outdoor arts and crafts markets. “I bought a bunch a few years ago in the middle of December,” he says. “I just about froze my fingers off because it was 20 below zero.”
        “But I'd do it again,” he laughs. “Because the best ones are outdoors.”
        So many choices: With so many to choose from, how does he decide which dolls to buy?
        “I look for a good face but also the overall design,” he explains. “Sometimes the body does not equal the face, or maybe the painting is good.”
        “In the end,” he says, “I buy what I like. The dolls speak to me, in a way. In them I see the unique Russian culture, our former enemy who has so much potential and such wonderful deep emotions.”

Source: http://enquirer.com/editions/2001/07/01/tem_nesting_dolls_finely.html


Do you have a collecting nesting dolls story? Tell us about it! Or start a nesting doll collection!