Vintage, 6 Piece Matryoshka Nesting Doll Set, 1989 - See Description For Sale

This nesting doll has been in my collection since 1990.

This is a vintage late-Soviet matryoshka produced in 1989 in Zagorsk (now Sergiyev Posad), Russia, painted by artist A. E. Zhivova.

​Key Details & Origin

• ​Origin: Zagorsk is regarded as the historic birthplace of the Russian nesting doll, dating back to the late 19th century near the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. After 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the city reverted to its historic name, Sergiyev Posad—making the "Zagorsk" inscription a clear period marker.

• ​Set Size: The bottom denotes a 6-piece set (6 мест).

• ​Era: Created in 1989 during the late Perestroika era, a period when Soviet folk artisans gained more creative freedom to sign their own work and experiment with detailed, export-quality fine art.

​Artistic Style & Motifs

• ​Gzhel Pottery Motif: Instead of holding a typical rooster, loaf of bread, or basket of berries, she is holding an ornate blue-and-white vessel—a direct nod to Gzhel, Russia’s renowned traditional ceramic and porcelain craft famous for its cobalt blue floral motifs on white glaze.

• ​Pavlovo Posad Shawl: Her black floral headscarf (platok) is rendered in the distinctive style of Pavlovo Posad shawls, featuring dense, vibrant bouquets of roses and stylized leaves set against a deep black background.

• ​Finish & Technique: Painted with fine-detail gouache or tempera on turned linden wood and finished with a glossy protective lacquer. The face shows classic Zagorsk features: wide, expressive blue eyes, rosy blushed cheeks, and delicate, doll-like lips.

The Russian text on the bottom of the nesting doll translates to:

• ​6 мест – 6 pieces (a 6-piece nesting set)

• ​г. (g. Zagorsk) – City of Zagorsk (the traditional center of Russian nesting doll crafts, renamed back to Sergiyev Posad in 1991)

• ​1989 г. – Year 1989