The matryoshka seems to be an intrinsic symbol of Russia, however, by historical standards, it appeared relatively recently, at the end of the 19th century. The classic image of this toy was invented by carpenter Vasily Petrovich Zvezdochkin, who was born into a peasant family in the village of Shubino in the Podolsk district. Until he reached adulthood, he worked as a shepherd, and then went to Moscow for work.

In Moscow, Zvezdochkin got a job at the store "Children's Education," where children's dolls were produced and sold. He decided to add his vision to the assortment. Vasily Petrovich recalled that one day he saw a suitable log and carved a figure resembling a nun that did not open. On the advice of craftsmen Belov and Konovalov, he changed its design, after which the toy was shown to Mamontov, one of the store's owners. Mamontov approved the product and commissioned a group of artists on Arbat to paint it. The Russian "girl" pleased the buyers, and the production of the toy became mass. In 1900, Zvezdochkin refined the idea, making the matryoshka detachable, and it was proposed to be sent to the World Exhibition in Paris.

At the exhibition, each country presented its national pavilion, and among the exhibits were Russian matryoshkas. Our doll received a bronze medal and became an unofficial symbol of Russia at this event. Since then, the toy began to conquer the world. Each master painted it in their own way, leading to a great variety of outfits and scarves. The final image of the matryoshka was formed only by the end of the 1920s. The matryoshka also had a friend, a doll in the form of an ancient Russian hero, but it did not attract the same interest in the world.