Russian Souvenirs

One of the joys of traveling is finding unusual treasures that you typically can’t buy at home. Whether your travels take you to other states in the U.S. or traveling internationally, the chance to find unique, one-of-a-kind gifts is exhilarating. Traveling to Russia is no exception. Below is a list of the seven most popular gifts brought back from Russia (including a few you can buy in the U.S.)

1. Samovar

The samovar is somewhat related to what we’d call an electric kettle. It was designed to ke...

The tradition of crafting Icons in Russia goes back a long time. Apparently it all began sometime around the year 988 A.D. It was then that Orthodox Christians occupied much of Russia, and they took their religion and their art very seriously. There were very strict rules for making these icons in the old days, but the end result was the same as today; something that could be hung on a wall in a home or church that people could look to everyday as a reminder of their faith. Many people also pray...

Porcelain is a ceramic material created from clay and water. The mixture is molded and then heated at temperature above 2,000 F. Usually in order to create a more realistic skin tone the color is added to porcelain. If there’s no color added and the doll is left un-glazed it is called bisque doll. Bisque dolls are the most expensive and the most exquisite.

Porcelain dolls have always been in demand. Some are very rare and collectors have to pay a lot of money to get them. Others are relatively ch...

Zhostovo Trays & Tea Glass Holders

About Russian Zhostovo Platters & Trays

The people of the Zhostovo village have been involved in harnessing their skill of making decorative trays for over 150 years. The trays carry brilliant images of bouquets, gardens and flowers against black background highlighting the diversity of nature. This tradition of tray making began sometime in the 18th century. This art of tray making was pioneered by Filipp Nikitich Vishnyakov.

In the early 19th century the tray ma...

Russian Finift Thimbles

Finift thimbles from The Russian Store are little artworks to use for sewing, collecting, or display… Our beautiful Finift thimbles come directly from Russia to The Russian Store’s warehouse in Arizona. Finift has been around for a long time, and lately has become quite the collectible item. The art of Russian Enamel painting, named "eRostov Finift," originated and flourished in Rostov since the 1700s. Rostov Finift thimbles are adorned by an intriguing filigree of German silver lace and ...

Russian children’s toys have been made in the village of Bogorodskoe (near Moscow) for over 600 years. A great piece of folk art, and a mesmerizing toy, each one was handmade using traditions passed down through time. And in a time when technology runs rampant, and your kids understand more about your computer than you do, and video games are blurring the lines between reality and entertainment, the idea of a of a tactile, simple, wooden toy only becomes more charming.

Location of Bogorods...