Hello, Dolly! The 11 Most Interesting Facts

About Matryoshka Nesting Dolls You Should Know Before The

Sochi 2014 Olympics.

Matryoshka dolls are one of the most popular souvenirs associated with Russia in the world today.

привет!

But did you know…

No. 1

Matryoshka dolls actually originated in Japan.

真実！

Matryoshkas are directly inspired by Japanese Daruma dolls. These dolls are modeled on the founder of Zen Buddhism, and symbolize prosperity and good luck. The nesting design of Daruma dolls is itself inspired by similar dolls from China.

Sup?

Daruma doll

No. 2

These guys

*This is a self portrait

In 1890, Vasily Petrovich Zvyozdochkin (a craftsman) carved the first Matryoshka doll from a design by Sergey Maluytin, a painter. They were inspired by a Japaneseart exhibit that had displayed the Daruma dolls.

No. 3

Everyone Else

These are the actual first Matryoshka dolls. The outer doll is a mother in a sarafan, or peasant dress. Inner dolls can be male or female.

No. 4

They were quickly replicated by other artists afterward.

The dolls won a bronze medal at the 1900 Exposition Universelle (the World’s Fair) in France.

No. 5

30.5%

Everyone Else

Matryoshkas are commonly made out of light, flexible woodssuch as birch, alder, lime, balsa, and aspen.

It takes two years to cure (dry) the wood before it can be used to make the dolls.

No. 6

30.5%

Everyone Else

Each set of dolls is made out of a single piece of wood. The smallest doll is made first.

The more Matryoskas in a stack, the more expensive they are. Some commercial sets have as many as 20 dolls. The smallest known doll is the size of a Tic Tac.

No. 7 The largest Matryoshka is 27.5-inches tall and contains 70 dolls. Made byRussian firm Golden Cockerel, it was shown at a Hong Kong mall in 2010.

No. 8The Chinese city of Manzhouli has a public square with Matryoshka sculptures as tall as 100 feet. More than 200 doll statues dot the square. Needless to say, these aren’t made out of wood.

Photo: Eul Mulot/Flickr

No. 9

Matryoshkas are often called “Babushka Dolls”. This is wrong. Babushka means “Grandmother” in Russian and Matryoshka means “little mother,” as the dolls inside represent her children.

No. Yes.

No. 10Now, the dolls aren’t just little mothers. They come in many sizes and designs from all over the world. Can you identify them all?

And they’re epic.

Seriously.

These are awesome.

No. 11Naturally, collectors love Matryoshkas.

$$$Depending on where they are made, by whom, what technique, and the number of dolls inside, a Matryoshka can sell for as much as $5,000.

To celebrate our role as Official Supplier of Network Equipment to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, we’ve commissioned 3,000 Limted Edition Avaya Matryoshkas from Golden Cockerel. Each has been handmade in Russia, and is numbered.

The best part? You can get one.

Want an Avaya Matryoshka? Be on the lookout for contests where youcan win this limited edition set via Facebook and Twitter!

facebook.com/avaya

twitter.com/Avaya

www2.avaya.com/ru/sochi2014/

Made by Ashlie Fairless/Avaya

Twitter Contest • When: Beginning 11/25 and running every week till

the start of the Olympics• What: Olympics and Avaya history trivia questions

Facebook Contest• When: Beginning 11/25 and running every week till the start of

the Olympics• What: (#ShowUsYourAvaya) Partners and end users can submit

pictures of why they should win. Show us your Avaya! Or your Matryoska! Or even your Olympic pride!

We have 20 Matryoskas to give away!