Exhibition 'Ryazan Toy'

From September 25 to November 23 the 'Ryazan Toy' project is on view at the Toy Museum. It is dedicated to three crafts of the Ryazan region at once — the Sapozhkov, Demidov and Vyrkov toys. The exhibition will present crafts that had practically disappeared in the mid-20th century: they are now in the process of revival and are rather author-made toys inspired by traditional folk models. Each craft has its own dramatic history. We will tell about the origin, decline and revival of each craft at the exhibition.

The pottery craft in the village of Aleksandro–Praskovinka traces its roots to the 16th–17th centuries. The best-known hereditary toy-makers were Marfa and Anna Sychevy, Olga Borodulina, Anastasia Zhutova, Anna Silkina and Timofey Kondrashov. In form, all Sapozhkov toys share many features. The mass of the toy is undivided; clay dolls and soldiers have almost no neck, the head lying on the torso. The toy is compact and voluminous. One can feel the maker's fingers in it. For Sapozhkov plastic art, form is paramount; color plays no role.

Demidov Toy. The pottery craft in the Shatsk district existed as early as the 18th century. According to Semyon Yefimovich Busarev's accounts, in the villages of Demidovo, Fedyaevo and Alexandro they shaped pots from white and red clay, the latter often decorated with white engobe painting. In the vicinity of Demidovo there are deposits of white clay needed for pottery; it differs not only in color but in its plasticity — when dried in the sun items did not crack. Judging by elders' stories and the fragments of toys known to us, they were once made from blue clay that becomes white after firing. The surfaces of such toys were glazed. But the blue clay lay deep and was difficult to extract. Already at the beginning of the century tableware and toys began to appear made from more accessible clay with a white-pink, yellow or light-brown body. The surfaces of such items were coated with white engobe and glazed. It is assumed that such toys were still made by male potters. The craft no longer exists; author-made toys are now created by Marina Zakharyashcheva.

Demidov Toy

Vyrkov Toy. A unique story of author-made toys inspired by a traditional craft. Twenty kilometers from the town of Kasimov, on the left bank of the Oka River, in the famous Meshchera lands, in the two villages Vyrkovo and Yarygino (Erygino), the mid-19th century saw a concentration of pottery craft in the uyezd. The craft's flourishing was aided by huge deposits of red clay, long called 'skudelya', and the potters 'skudelniks'. This clay was mined 2 km from Vyrkovo in a place popularly known as 'Kuritsyno'. In the 1930s some 350 masters supported their families with pottery work. The whole village turned out pots, jugs and kvass jars for sale. The pottery was coated with glazes in light-brown, brown and green colors. The Vyrkov and Yarygin pottery crafts are considered lost, but grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the masters still live there. Importantly, although no one in Vyrkovo now lives off selling pots and toys, there are still residents who have inherited the knowledge and shaping skills. After all, a craft is first and foremost its people. If there is continuity, there is a chance to preserve the tradition and memory. In 2023 a Museum of the 'Vyrkov Craft' opened in Kasimov, presenting a wide collection of pottery and toys. The exhibition conveys the essence and depth of the village craft through everyday life, immersing visitors in the traditions and culture of local masters. In 2024 a ceramics workshop called 'Istoki' (Origins) was opened in the museum building, where anyone can shape a favorite toy from natural Vyrkov clay.