Until September 20, 2025, we invite you to the travelling exhibition at the Toy Museum. \r\n\r\nThe project "Russia's Glorious Sons" brings together notable people of our homeland — men who have been embodied as doll characters. Each of them, in their own place, has made a valuable contribution to the prosperity and development of Russia. In this unique project all the heroes have united in a single circle to become a shield for our Fatherland.\r\n\r\nThe project includes more than 45 authors and 49 dolls. The project is constantly growing. \r\n\r\nLast summer 2024 the Toy Museum hosted the colorful "Doll Round Dance. With a Doll Across Russia." More than 100 dolls decorated and brightened the museum hall, and in summer 2025 the hall will be guarded by a male round dance composed of dolls of historical figures, fairy-tale characters and various professions — "Glorious Sons of the Motherland".
Peter I. Exhibit.
BAM builder. Exhibit.
Ivan Susanin. Exhibit.
Samovar maker. Exhibit.
A round-dance format is a good way to reflect a large idea through a small form. In this case the large idea is the portrayal of the country's iconic figures and heroes, and the small form — dolls — makes the project mobile and travelling, and anyone can take part because there are no strict rules for making a doll.\r\n\r\nThe project "Russia's Glorious Sons" brings together notable people of our homeland — men who have been embodied as doll characters. Each of them, in their own place, has made a valuable contribution to the prosperity and development of Russia. They have been its backbone and support from ancient times to the present. In this unique project all the heroes have united in a single circle to become a shield for our Fatherland. What is a hero of his craft like — a man with his purpose, a glorious son of Russia. In this male circle we see truly masculine strength, reliability, loyalty, purity, wisdom, steadfastness, humor… masculine dignity.\r\n\r\nWhen choosing a historical figure, each maker starts from several important points: geography, events, contribution to history and the complexity of the image. The maker chooses an image or character, then studies and develops it so that the doll is not only similar but also has attributes or objects associated with the person, and creates the doll itself — all dolls turn out unique. The project becomes very diverse, as it includes: Peter I, the BAM builder and designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev.\r\n\r\nThis exhibition is especially recommended for schoolchildren and for makers creating their own projects or themed dolls. Visitors will remember or learn the stories of iconic figures and characters, and much about professions that no longer exist, are rare, or existed for a short time and were linked to a unique moment in the country's history.\r\r\nIrina Khabysheva is the project's inspirational initiator, leader and creator of master classes for the doll round dances.
