This beautiful Russian Matryoshka Nesting Doll features scenes from the famous fairy tale, "The Magic Swan Geese". This nesting doll is hand painted and hand made in Sergiyev Posad, Moscow (Zagorsk). The Matryoshka is signed by the artist on the bottom of the first nesting doll. The Matryoshka stands 11 inches tall and has a total of 15 pieces. The nesting doll is a symbol of Russian art and culture and is collectible. Each nesting doll features various scenes from the fairy tale and is painted with great detail. This Matryoshka is also lacquered creating a beautiful shiny finish and the artist uses gold leaf on each doll. This Matryoshka doll was painted by the Russian artist Romanov in 1997.

The Fairytale: The Magic Swan Geese

A couple left their daughter in charge of her younger brother, but she lost track of him, and the magic swan geese snatched him away. She chased after him and came to an oven. It offered to tell her if she ate its rye buns; she scorned them, saying she doesn't even eat wheat buns. She also scorned similar offers from an apple tree, and a river of milk. She came across a little hut built on a hen's foot, in which she found Baba Yaga with her brother; Baba Yaga set her to spin flax and left. A mouse scurried out and said it would tell her what she needed to know if she gave it porridge; she did, and it told her that Baba Yaga was heating the bath house to steam her, then she would cook her. The mouse took over her spinning, and the girl took her brother and fled.

Baba Yaga sent the swan geese after her. She begged the river for aid, and it insisted she eat some of it first; she did, and it sheltered her. When she ran on, the swan geese followed again, and the same happened with the apple tree and the oven. Then she reached home and safety.