Рассказ про русские сувениры на английском

What do you know about traditional souvenirs from Russia? Most probably you’ve heard of Russian nesting doll (it’s called ‘mastryoshka’ in Russian), but not many visitors to our country can remember other traditional crafts. During your Moscow tour you’ll be able to see beautiful Palekh and Fedoskino wooden boxes, bright shawls from Pavlovsky Posad, elegant amber jewelry, funny felt boots and numerous other souvenirs.

This section represents the history of the main Russian crafts. You’ll have an idea of what to look for during your trip to the country and learn the story of the Russian folk art.  Your Moscow tour guide will help you to find the perfect gift from Russia. A very famous place to buy souvenirs is the Izmailovo market, which offers the largest selection of items of decorative and applied art, fine art, and folk handicrafts.

If you’re not into shopping souvenirs it might be a good idea to buy something traditional you can eat or drink, and we’ll give you some tips on what food or drink could be a good present to your friends.

Some of you live in Russia and plan a trip back home or a vacation abroad for May holidays, some live abroad and plan a visit to Russia while it is finally warm and nice here. In any of these cases you may need to buy traditional Russian souvenirs.

The selection is vast, here are some ideas for you:

Wooden Souvenirs

Matryoshka dolls (nesting dolls)

Inexpensive, cheerful, light (important for packing), universally recognized as the symbol of Russia. Matryoshka name comes from an old-fashioned female name Matryona (diminutive from the name). First matryoshkas were made in 1890 and brought to Paris expo in 1900 by the wife of Russian art patron Savva Mamontov. The toy got a bronze prize at the expo and went into mass production.

Each doll typically has 5+ smaller dolls inside, styles and colors vary, choose the ones you personally like most.

In addition to traditional dolls, you may find matryoshka souvenirs with faces of Russian or US politicians, members of Russian Tsar family or even matryoshkas with Michael Jackson. Unlike the traditional matryoshkas, these are usually really ugly, but since they are produced, there must be a demand.

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Khohloma

Wooden spoons, plates and bowls, painted in Khohloma style (red and gold colors over a black background) since the second half of the 17th century make fantastic souvenirs. Also very light and easy to pack. Make sure you warn your friends that Khohloma does not stand water, so the spoons cannot be used for soup or tea or washed in a dishwasher. Choose something like a sugar bowl or a decorative plate or just buy some spoons. 

If you are adventurous, you may also find unusual things, coated with Khohloma ornaments:

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Palekh

Staying with the wooden souvenirs, it is impossible not to mention Palekh-style painted lacquered boxes. They can be quite expensive, but make really unique gorgeous gift. Women like to use them as jewelry boxes.

Palekh miniature usually features themes from real life, fairy tales, literary works, and folk songs, painted with tempera paints of bright colors over a black background. Boxes are actually made of papier-mâché, so they are not wooden. 

Textile Souvenirs

Pavlov-Posad shawls and scarfs

Some of your friends (those who like to wear handmade accessories) may really like to have a scarf or shawl from Pavlov-Posad. They come in all colors and are typically made of a very thin wool or silk.

Manufacturing started in Pavlovsky Posad, a city about 40 miles from Moscow in 1795. At first they were hand-woven, later prints were made with the set of wooden forms (one for each color), now metal forms are used, but part of the process is still hand-made. Colors are very bright, not all of them are stable, so these shawls are dry-clean only.

Orenburg shawls

Orenburg shawls, knitted of goat down and silk, are extremely warm and in the same time lightweight. The down hair of Orenburg goats is the thinnest in the world – 16-18 micrometer, and that of Angora goats (mohair) is 22-24 micrometer. Real Orenburg shawl of any size can be pulled through a wedding ring. Perfect present for Grandma.

 Vologda Lace

Lace was made in Vologda town since the end of the 18th century. Vologda lace ornaments are rounded and smooth. Made of firm flax or cotton threads, Vologda lace are strong, weighty and very durable.

Lace was traditionally used for scarfs, pelerines and head-dresses or for decorating collars or hems of skirts. Lace making is one of the most laborious and time-consuming handicrafts, so real Vologda lace is not cheap.

Flax table-clothes and napkins

Sets of table clothes and/or napkins made of flax could make a perfect gift. Off-white flax looks especially chic and is a good alternative to flashy shawls. I especially like to buy napkins, since they fit any table (unlike the tablecloth for which you need to know exact shape and size of the table).

Footware

Valenki

Valenki are traditional Russian winter footwear, felt boots:  the name valenok literally means “made by felting”. Valenki are made of wool felt. They are not water-resistant, and are often worn with rubber boots (galoshes) if it is rainy or without rubber boots if it is frosty and you walk on snow. They are also perfect for wearing indoors if your house is really cold in winter. Valenki are also perfect foot ware for little kids in winter – they are 100% natural, very comfortable and very warm.

Traditional valenki are gray and quite ugly, but modern valenki are sold in a variety  of designs (similar to Uggs) and colors and may have a rubber sole attached. Don’t overlook that souvenir idea – just look at the design at the photo!

 Metal Souvenirs

Zhostovo trays

A gorgeous and quite practical souvenir from Russia – metal trays, hand painted with bright flowers. This art comes from the village of Zhostovo in the Moscow region. It appeared in the early 19th century mainly under the influence of the Ural handicraft of flower painting on metal. 

Zhostovo painting is a handicraft of painting on metal trays, preliminary coated with a few layers of priming and black oil varnish. Painting is done in a few consecutive energetic and firm strokes with a soft brush and oil paints, diluted with linseed oil. The edges of a tray are painted with a light golden ornament. A finished tray is then covered with three layers of light lacquer.

Samovar

If you have more than enough space in your luggage and want to make a very special gift to somebody – you can choose to buy Russian samovar (literally “self-boiler”) –  a heated metal container traditionally used to heat and boil water for tea. Tea kettle is usually placed at the platform on top of the samovar. Though traditionally heated with coal, modern versions of samovars use electricity to heat water in a way similar to an electric water boiler. The samovar was an important attribute of a Russian household and you can still see them in Russian villages, but not in urban apartments.

Below are some photos of antique that I made in the Samovar museum in Kasimov city (250 miles from Moscow):

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Tea-glass holder

If the idea of carrying a huge metal boiler with you overseas does not seem appealing, but you still want to bring something, related to Russian tea-drinking culture – metal glass-holder is the best souvenir to choose. You may have seen this genius invention if you ever took a train in Russia. It allows you to drink the hot tea from the glass without burning your fingers and the metal base makes the glass super stable (there is a reason why they are used in moving trains). Makes a wonderful gift, especially if you are stuck with ideas for gifts for men.

Souvenirs made of clay/china

These items are heavy and breakable, but with right packing – you can easily transport them inside suitcase

Gzhel Porcelain

Gzhel is a style of ceramics which takes its name from the village of Gzhel and surrounding area, where it has been produced since 1802. It is white porcelain painted with distinctive blue designs.

In the 1830s, the Gzhel potters developed a faience of a quality that rivaled the creamware being produced in England at the time. They followed the development of faience with the acquisition of porcelain.

Dymkovo clay toys

These traditional hand-painted clay toys are very festive and make a great authentic present. It is one of the old Russian folk art handicrafts, which still exists in a village of Dymkovo near Kirov. Traditionally, the Dymkovo toys are made by women.

The tradition of making pennywhistles in the form of a horse, a horserider, and a bird goes back to the ancient magic ritual images and has to do with the agricultural calendar holidays. Later on, little figures lost their magic meaning and turned into toys for children

The Dymkovo toys are moulded from a mixture of local potter’s clay and river sand. The parts of a toy are then fastened together with watery clay. After the toys are dried and tempered in a furnace, they are whitewashed with chalk diluted in milk, then painted with tempera and decorated with gold leafs.

Filimonovo clay toys

Filimonovo toys are a type of Russian pottery craft produced in Tula region of Russia. The toys derive its name from the village of its origin, Filimonovo, and are moulded by hand from the bluish-grey local clay that fires into a pure white ceramic. The artists paint the figures with aniline dyes with motifs of brightly colored strips and spots.

Filimonovo toys figurines often consists of clay whistles in the forms of women, horsemen, and assorted animals such as bears, cattle, and roosters. Figurine motifs of people or other animals hold chickens or roosters is also quite common.

Souvenirs made of stones

Amber

Amber is not a real stone, it is a fossilized tree resin, which hardened to become stone-like. Rich warm orange color, unique texture and variety of jewelry designs make souvenirs made of amber  among the most popular to bring from Russia. It is very easy though to buy fake amber, so make sure you only buy it at legitimate stores or art salons and ask for certificates of authenticity. 

And while you are in Russia, try to visit the famous Amber Room at Tsarskoe Selo near St’Petersburg. Amber room is a complete chamber decoration of amber panels  backed with gold leaf and mirrors. Created in the 18th century, it disappeared during World War II, and was recreated in 2003. It is insanely beautiful! 

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Semi-precious stones

Russia is a huge country, extremely rich with natural resources. No wonder there is a long list of semi-precious (and precious) stones, which are mined in Russia. That topic deserves a dedicated post, so for now – I will just mention Ural malachite. This amazing bright green semi-precious stone is mined in many countries, but the Ural mountains malachite is considered to be the best. You can find anything made from malachite – from necklaces and cufflinks to malachite boxes. And in Hermitage and other palaces you will see the entire tables or columns made of malachite.

Souvenirs for Kids

It is very difficult to find something unique for kids here in Russia, since all toy stores are flooded with Western style toys. Matryoshkas may do for small kids, who will like to assemble and disassemble them.

Or you may look for Cheburashka – the most bizarre Russian cartoon character. It is not easy to find Cheburashka in stores though, so please let me know if you find her anywhere in Moscow!

Souvenirs for Sport Fans

Hockey jerseys were traditionally the best Russian souvenirs for foreign sport fans. Now, in addition to that, you can bring your friends some Sochi Olympics souvenirs. The Winter Olympics is over, but is still not the old news, so these souvenirs will still be relevant.

Bosco store at GUM has a large selection of stuffed Olympic mascots, keychains, fridge magnets, T-shirts etc. All items are quite pricey though.

Food Souvenirs

Not everybody likes souvenirs or has space for them at home. Local food is a good solution and is always welcome.

Red Caviar

Caviar would be #1 on the list of desired food from Russia. Black caviar is exorbitant, but red caviar is very affordable. Do not wait until you get to the Duty Free, their selection may be limited and prices higher than in local stores. Go to any grocery store, buy several jars of caviar and put them in the fridge until the time you get out of the door to go to the airport (I usually put a post it on the door, so that I do not leave the caviar in the fridge)). Caviar survives even trans-atlantic flights, proven many times. I prefer to buy caviar in glass jars, so that I can see the product, good brand is Северная Компания. Try to choose caviar that looks light orange and not dark red, it will be more tender (different colors are due to different types of fish)

Chocolate & Sweets

Although chocolate is usually something you bring from Switzerland, not from Russia, some Russian chocolate bars and chocolate candies are very tasty and make a good present.

The other absolutely unique sweets, which exist only in Russia are Zefir (зефир) – These are marshmallows, made of apples. What is so authentic about them – the jelly is based on real agar-agar (sea algae) and not gelatin. They are very light, do not contain dairy and are low on calories. The only disadvantage is that the packaging is fragile, so they are not easy to transport in suitcases. If you choose to buy them – I highly recommend to choose only the brand that is shown on the photo.

Where to find all these souvenirs?

That’s a good question and I wish I could suggest one good store that has all that selection. The best option would be to go to Old Arbat, there are several large official souvenir stores there. Do not buy souvenirs from the street vendors, you will usually pay more, but will not be sure that products are authentic. I would also look at online stores – no guarantees there as well, but at least you can enjoy the comfort of shopping from your home. And since most stores do not need pre-payment, you can check the souvenirs, brought to you by a courier, before paying for them.

I hope that this post was useful! Please feel free to add ideas and share information on places to buy in comments! Enjoy the Holidays!

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Ответ:

1 Matryoshka (a set of wooden Russian dolls; nested dolls beautifully decorated with a ruddy face)

2 Balalayka (a musical instrument)

3 Valenki (winter footwear)

4 Orenburg downy shawls (head kerchifs)

5 Clay Dymkovo toys

6 Palekh caskets (small beautifully painted wooden boxes)

7 Kasli Art casting (metal statuettes)

8 Wooden painted dishes and spoons

9 Souvenir painted Eggs

10 Samovar (a big metal kettle)

1 Матрёшка (набор русских деревянных кукол)

2 Балалайка (музыкальный инструмент)

3 Валенки (зимняя обувь)

4 Оренбургские пуховые платки

5 Глиняная дымковская игрушка

6 Шкатулки из Палеха 

7 Каслинское художественное литьё

8 Деревянная посуда и ложки

9 Яйца сувенирные

10 Cамовар

Usually tourists buy such traditional Russian souvenirs, as Matryoshka dolls, beautifully painted mugs, plates and wooden spoons from the village of Khokhloma and Palekh beautifully decorated wooden boxes. Those who have more money buy amber, furs, art books and caviar. Some tourists are more interested in badges, magnets with Russian landmarks, T-shirts with Russian print and Russian ushanka-hats (hat-ear flaps).

Russian souvenirs — this is not only the national products, but also various crafts of minerals, bones and stones, such as porcelain cups, statuettes made of bone, ashtrays, writing sets and clocks made of stone. Also popular with tourists is tableware, decorated with images of cathedrals, cities’ landmarks and national patterns. Most of these dishes, which sell different gift shops, stylize capital of Russia — Moscow, which is very interesting for Russian guests from other countries.

Обычно туристы покупают такие традиционные русские сувениры, как матрешки, красиво расписанные кружки, тарелки и деревянные ложки из села Хохлома и из Палеха — красиво украшенные деревянные шкатулки. Те, у кого больше денег, покупают янтарь, меха, книги по искусству и икру. Некоторых туристов больше интересуют значки, магниты с русскими ориентирами, футболки с русским принтом и русские шапки (шапки-ушанки).

Русские сувениры — это не только национальные изделия, но и различные поделки из минералов, костей и камней, такие, как фарфоровые чашки, статуэтки из кости, пепельницы, письменные наборы и часы из камня. Также популярностью у туристов пользуется посуда, украшенная изображениями соборов, достопримечательностей городов и национальными узорами. Большинство этих блюд, которые продают различные сувенирные магазины, стилизуют столицу России-Москву, что очень интересно российским гостям из других стран.