Large Set of Wooden Matryoshka Nesting Dolls USSR Vintage 165 pcs -1977 RARE

  

This item was manufactured under the auspices of the Arts & Crafts Department of the Gorky Regional Executive Committee, Semenovskoye Association. The city of Gorky, now known as Nizhny Novgorod, has a rich history of arts and crafts, particularly in woodworking and folk art. It's plausible that the local authorities, through their arts and crafts department, commissioned or oversaw the creation of unique or large-scale Matryoshka sets as part of cultural exhibitions or for special presentations. This one was manufactured in 1977 and each individual doll is exquisitely hand-painted in fine detail.

This set is extremely rare - the ones that have been offered for sale have been post-1980 or even post-perestroika. The five large dolls are true Matryoshka dolls, and can nest smaller ones inside. The other 160 dolls are solid wood and appear to be made for counting. It's possible these were used in schools to teach early childhood mathematics.

Matryoshka dolls are a celebrated aspect of Russian cultural heritage, and this 165-piece set would be an extraordinary and likely fairly unique creation, possibly linked to a special commission or exhibition by the Gorky Regional Executive Committee's arts and crafts department. Wooden package size: 22.6 x 12 x 2.9 inches.

Boxes this size are not readily available, so one will be constructed to fit this item, double-walled for extra protection with additional packing.