These are called Matryoshka Dolls, Nesting Dolls or Stacking Dolls. We are glad to present you the traditional nesting doll Ballet. There are 5 figures of similar beautiful Russian girls in the nest. They are dressed in traditional Russian clothes - sarafans (Russian woman dress) and head craves. The design of this doll is simple, but bright and traditionally Russian.The tallest one is 6 1/4", the smallest - 1 1/2". This exceptional HAND PAINTED ART Nesting Doll was created out of birch wood in Russia. Bigger figure opens up to fit the smaller one inside it. It takes a lot of time to make these dolls. The tree was cut in spring, stripped of its bark leaving a few rings to prevent the wood from cracking when dried. The logs were dried and kept in the open for several years. The logs are then cut in smaller pieces. All the operations do not involve any measurement and rely on intuition and require great skill. After the turning work on a lathe is done the dolls are cleaned, primed with starchy glue to make its surface smooth, polished and now are ready for painting. After having been hand-painted they are dried for several days. Then the dolls are ready for the lacquer to be applied. Many different coats are needed to give the doll the brilliant shine. The dolls are covered with 6 or 7 layers of lacquer.