FAQ : Matryoshka dolls, Babushka dolls and Russian Nesting dolls Store

What is a Matryoshka doll? Top

The Matryoshka doll is called "Matryoshka" in Russia and known to the Western world as babushka dolls, Russian nesting (nested) dolls or stacking dolls. It had started as a wooden toy a couple of centuries ago and became later a collectible item.

It consists of a pear-shaped wooden figure with a nice painting usually featuring a woman. The figure can be pulled apart to reveal another figure of the same sort inside. It, in turn, is also hollow and contains another one inside, and so on. The number of nested figures can be as few as three or as many as twenty. The dolls are typically made of linden tree (basswood), dried for at least 2 years to ensure their stability.

What sets matryoshkas apart is the painting of each doll, which can be extremely artistic and elaborate.
I would like to visit your Matryoshka shop. Where is it located? Top

There is no physical store. All our Russian souvenirs are sold online.
Do you make the nesting dolls yourself? Top

No, we don’t. It is impossible for one or two people to make such a variety of dolls. The babushka dolls in our store have been painted by many different artists, each having his/her own unique style. While browsing the store you can easily identify the matryoshkas made by one artist.
Where are your items shipped from? Top

All products that you purchase in the Matryoshka store will be shipped to you directly from Moscow, Russia.
What countries do you ship to? Top

Worldwide.
How long is the delivery? Top

See Shipping and Returns
What shipping options are available? Top

See Shipping and Returns
Do you ship to PO boxes? Top

Yes, we do.
How much is for the postage? Top

The postage charge can be easily checked by adding products to the shopping basket and clicking on the "Estimate shipping" button. Tip: the shipping cost rises steeply when going over 1 kg and 2 kg. If you feel that the shipping is too expensive, try to play around with the shopping cart to keep your order just under 1 kg or 2 kg.
Is shipping insurance available? Top

Yes, optional shipping insurance will be available when you go through the Checkout.
Do I have to register or create an account to shop in your store? Top

Registration is only required when you have finished selecting your products and are ready to check out. This will also allow you to shop faster next time, track the status of your current orders, review your previous orders and take advantage of our other member's benefits.
Do you sell wholesale? Top

Yes, we can offer up to 30% off the retail price on purchases of large quantities of dolls. Please contact us directly.
Your Matryoshkas are relatively inexpensive. Are they genuine Russian nesting dolls? Top

All our Matryoshka dolls are either purchased directly from the artists or hand-picked at the largest art and craft market in Moscow. We have established long term relationship with many artists represented at the market; this helps us to keep the price down maintaining very hight quality-to-price ratio. Having been produced by Russian artists and coming from Moscow, our nesting dolls are indeed genuine Russian craft.
How does a cheap imitation of a Matryoshka doll look like? Top

These can be found on eBay or sometimes even in grocery stores. They have a very simple patten and use significantly fewer brush strokes to create ornaments than the genuine Matryoshkas. The colours are usually simple and dull. The facial features are often asymmetric and unpleasant. The top of the head is often flat and excessively squared. The most distinctive feature of the cheap stacking dolls is that they do not have bevelled skirting at the bottom of the largest figurine.
I am curious why this particular set is $400 more than the others? $400+ seems so high when the others run from about $30 to $50???? My daughter loves "ZZZ" but that just seems a bit steep? Top

This is a very interesting question - generally, nesting dolls (the mainstream sort, in any case) have their value determined predominantly by their size and the number of pieces they contain. However, these are artistic dolls - a work of art - they are in a different category altogether. Their value lies in the mastery of the painter.

You do not have to be an expert to see that the painting on this set is very intricate, there are so many characters on the dolls, they are drawn with such detail that they appear alive. This is not a picture in a frame, the elements are captured on a circular form and yet everything clicks together. The harmony seems to be natural and expected, but to achieve this requires superior skills and tremendous effort.

If you seriously compare this set with the $50 or $100 ones, you will clearly see the difference. The less expensive sets look attractive, but it is obvious that the artists who painted them are unlikely to reproduce anything similar to the "ZZZ" - they work at a different level and cater to a different buyer.

The less expensive sets are probably more appropriate to be used as children's toys. Nesting dolls are made of wood; they are fragile and can be easily smashed by kids. I am still at a loss what can be given to kids and what should not. However, if it is possible to arrange that the dolls won't be broken, then I think the toy (not really a toy, but truly a collectible item) can help to cultivate a good taste and stay with the young person for life.
How can I pay? Do you accept credit cards? Top

Yes, we do accept Visa and Master credit cards. The credit card processing is done through eGate provided by ANZ bank of Australia. The major credit cards and eCheck can also be accepted through PayPal.

Other payment options are direct bank deposit, money order or personal cheque, but they are for Australian buyers only. Sorry, we do not accept checks or money orders from the countries other than Australia.
Is it safe to use a credit card in your online shop? Top

Absolutely. Our website uses a secure SSL certificate with 256 bit encryption provided by USERTRUST network. The credit card processing is done through eGate provided by ANZ bank of Australia with all the security associated with it. PayPal payments are handled by PayPal at their secure website.
How can I be sure to get what I paid for? Top

Perhaps, our reputation as a seller can help here. We have been selling Russian gifts on eBay in eBay Matryoshka Store and have thousands of happy customers.
There is a Matryoshka Store on eBay. Is it related to your store in any way? Top

Yes, it is ours. We have been selling Russian gifts and toys on eBay for years. Recently we have decided to set up an online store to offer an opportunity to buy Russian craft to those who do not shop on eBay and to cut down on exuberant ebay fees that they charge sellers.
It has been more than 4 weeks since I purchased my babushka dolls, but I have not received the order. What shall I do? Top

Please contact us and let us know about the delay. It is extremely rare, but this does happen. The most likely cause is the parcel being held by customs. If you do not receive the shipping in 2 months, we will send you a replacement or refund the money.
Do I have to pay customs charges on the purchase? Top

This varies from country to country and you are responsible for any customs charges. From our experience, we have not had any complaints that anyone had to pay customs duties. Perhaps, the small parcels are exempt; they are also marked as a gift.
Australian quarantine regulations are very strict regarding the import of wooden goods. Shall I expect problems? Top

No, you should not have any problems. Thousands of our Australian customers experienced no delays. As far as we know, it is the bark that causes the problems, not the wood.
My nesting dolls arrived broken … Top

We are really sorry to hear this. The stacking dolls are packed well to ensure their safe journey. We would ask for a picture of the broken doll and of the package to understand what happened and how this can be prevented in the future. We will then together decide on the best option to make sure that you are completely satisfied. The option can be a compensation, a refund or a replacement. Depending on the condition of the dolls we might request you to kindly send them to us in Australia. We will then repair them and donate to a local school or charity.
I have just received the Matryoshka doll. It is beautiful, but I can not open it. Top

On a very rare occasion two halves of the doll can be stuck. To open the doll, grab it firmly with both hands ant try to twist. If this does not work, you need to gently squeeze the doll a few times with your fingers placed on the junction line in various places. You might hear some cracking noises this is OK. This is the varnish cracking, which has glued the pieces together. This happens sometimes, although very rarely. The last resort is to wrap the matryoshka doll in a tee towel and gently tap with a hammer on the junction line.
Top half of one of the dolls is missing. Top

This is highly unlikely, because all the dolls are checked before being listed in the store. Have a look inside the upper half of the bigger doll, the missing half is likely to be there. Just move it gently and it’ll come off.
I purchased 20 piece set of nesting dolls, but there are only 16 dolls instead of the 20. Top

16 dolls in a 20 pc set? This is very unlikely, each set is carefully inspected and photographed before being put up for sale. Have a really good look at the smallest doll. Despite how small it appears, it most likely can be opened further to reveal more dolls. Try rotating and pulling it simultaneously, but do not use anything rather than your hands. If you can not open it, try to gently squeeze it with your thumb and a finger placed on the junction line, do this a few times in different places along the line. You might hear some cracking noises – this is OK. This is the varnish cracking, which has glued the pieces together. This happens sometimes, although very rarely. The main thing is not to break it by squeezing too hard. You should be able to open it after that. You will be surprised how tiny the smallest doll really is when you see it!
I am very happy with my matryoshka doll and would like to let others know about it. How can I do this? Top

You can write a testimonial, the link is in the left hand side column near the bottom of the page! Other shoppers will surely appreciate your feedback.
For More Information Top

Please, drop us a line by following this link and we will be glad to answer your question.

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