russian rag dolls Collage

I have been fascinated with the Russian Rag Dolls for a long time now. I have been collecting information about them, pouring over You Tube videos and websites that give basic instructions for making the dolls. Like any other craft, you begin to see a great diversification.

I am especially drawn to the simple, faceless dolls. Although they are often referred to as Russian Rag Dolls, they are known by many other names, and are more of a regional doll with other countries like Ukraine having their own version.

“Krupenichka” comes from the word “krupa” which means grain. The dolls were considered to be home protectors and were often given as wedding gifts to couples in their first home. Of course, they are also folk toys, and could be made in average households with fabric scraps and seeds. Traditionally, they did not require sewing. The clothing was layered on the dolls and they were simply tied together. Children are often taught to make them.

The following dolls are a sampling of some of my favorite. Do understand, most of the sites you will go to are in Russian or Ukrainian. Many of the sites are Russian shops that are difficult to buy from. This post is truly meant as an introduction to these beautiful dolls. I have been doing a lot of research on them and shortly plan to make some for the children in our family, and will of course, include my own tutorial. Hopefully I will get to this sometime in the next month.

In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about the Russian Rag Dolls, follow some of the links at the bottom of the page. Some are tutorials for making the dolls, some give you a history of the dolls, and others are simply a collection of more dolls. I hope you enjoy and that this might encourage you to learn more about these beautiful dolls.

NOTE: Hands down my very favorite artist of the Russian Rag Dolls is YanaVolkova (Яна Волкова). I have featured several of her dolls because I adore so many of them. I am including links here for several ways you can see her work. Each of her dolls is unique so chances are if you see it here, it is already gone. Here are ways to see Yana’s work:

“Moskovka” Doll created by Maroussia on Live Master

russian rag dolls 2r

Yana Volkova

russian rag dolls 9r

Yana Volkova

russian rag dolls 11r

Yana Volkova

russian rag dolls 12r

White Day Doll Family from Kolpakova Irisha

russian rag dolls 16r

Russian Traditional Doll from LibelluleDO Etsy Shop

russian rag dolls 13r

Yana Volkova

russian rag dolls 14r

Russian Traditional Rag Doll from Shutterstockrrussian rag dolls 12r

Russian Doll with Chocolate from Kolpakova Irisha

russian rag dolls 15r

Yana Volkova

russian rag dolls 17r

OTHER LINKS ABOUT RUSSIAN RAG DOLLS

How to Make Russian Dolls from Crafts for Kids

  • tutorial for making a simple doll with yarn hair.

The History of Faceless Dolls – Russian Folk Rag Dolls from Linda Walsh Originals

  • historical facts about Russian rag dolls plus links to many other sites that feature them.

Ukaraine Motanka Dolls from GOLD Palanka

  • historical facts about Ukrainian Motanka dolls, including patterns for making your own

My Folk Dolls from Podelki-Doma

  • an interesting collection of Russian rag dolls from the Podelki-Doma collection. Includes a couple of videos with more dolls

Zernushka – Krupenichka Charm Doll from Walentina

  • pictorial tutorial for making the stubby Russian rag dolls

Traditional Russian Rag Dolls Discussed

  • a YouTube video in Russian with subtitles about the history of the rag dolls

Traditional Russian Doll Making Tutorial

  • another YouTube video that is translated to English on making a Russian rag doll

Krupenichka Doll Tutorial from HM Hand-Made

  • easy tutorial for making a small Russian rag doll

Doll Stolbushka from Daria Vortsepneva

  • a YouTube video of a young girl making a Russian rag doll