Abramtsevo-Kudrino Wood Carving is a famous Russian handicraft that took shape in the vicinity of Abramtsevo Estate situated near Moscow. The appearance of the handicraft was closely associated with artists of the Abramtsevo circle, and first of all with Elena Dmitrievna Polenova, who organized a carving and woodwork workshop in the estate of Savva Mamontov.

One of the remarkable places of the Smolensk Region is the small settlement Talashkino situated 18 km away from Smolensk. Talashkino, today a museum reserve, was one of the most important artistic centres of Russia of the late 19th – early 20th cc, associated with the study and revival of Russian applied and decorative arts.

Polkhov-Maidan painting is one of the youngest folk handicrafts of Russia. The most popular souvenirs are matryoshkas, Easter eggs, and decorative turned sculptures on themes of Russian folk tales and country life.

The origin of Mezen painting ornamentation remains a mystery. The original profound symbols deserve to be seriously studied by researchers. The symbols of Mezen painting are rooted in mythological beliefs of the people of the ancient North. For example, the frequent use of many-tier patterns suggests following the shamanic tradition.

Lipetskie uzory i.e. ‘Lipetsk designs’ is a folk handicraft of making wooden articles with artistic painting in the Lipetsk Region. It is also known as the name of a factory producing these articles.

Zhostovo black lacquered metal trays painted with rich colorful flower ornaments represent one of the most famous Russian arts and crafts, Zhostovo painting, developed in the village of Zhostovo, Mytishi District of the Moscow Region.

Gorodets painting is one of the most famous folk arts and crafts of Russia, and a vivid phenomenon of the so-called naïve art. Bright and laconic Gorodets painting (genre scenes, figurines of horses, roosters, and flower patterns) performed with free strokes of paint brush, with white and black graphic outlining, decorated distaffs, furniture, doors and shutters.

Khokhloma is a traditional folk Russian handicraft that appeared in the 17th century in villages under Nizhni Novgorod. One of the most famous kinds of folk Russian decorative painting, it is used in creation of splendid ornate wooden tableware and furniture.

Fedoskino miniature is one of the types of traditional lacquered miniature painting. Painting is made in oils on papier-mache articles. This handicraft was developed in the late 18th century in the Fedoskino Settlement under Moscow.

It is the radiance, brilliance, and unfading colours that attract to finift’: the painted designs shine in the milk-white enamel surface as if oozing from its depth. Painting on enamel, being a very complicated decorative art, has always been esteemed on a par with precious stones.

Gzhel follows old Russian traditions of folk arts and crafts. Gzhel masters paint every item exclusively by hand. The painting is made with cobalt, which acquires the characteristic blue colour in the technological process.

The Old Rus’ has left us its amazing white-stone monuments of architecture; the magnificent cathedrals of Vladimir and modest churches of the Moscow Region, constructed of white limestone, embodied their epoch with the stone handwriting of builders. White stone was one of the basic building materials in Old Rus' in the 12th -15th cc and played a key role not only in the Old Russian architecture, but in the history of the Old Rus’ as well.

Zbannikovo toy is a traditional folk handicraft spread in the villages of Zhbannikovo, Rompino, Ryzhukhino and other settlements of the Gorodetski District of the Nizhni Novgorod Region.

The Extreme North is inhabited by over 20 peoples and ethnicities, all of them keeping their ancient and interesting culture, an important place in which belongs to useful arts. From olden times the northerners have made clothes, household articles and decorations using natural materials, such as fells of animals and birds, fish skin, wood and plants, and, certainly, carved bone.

The fascinating carved wood toy called the Bird of Happiness has long been a guardian of family happiness and wellbeing among the Russian people. In former times such a charm used to hang in every house, under the ceiling at the entrance area, so that every person entering the house passed under it. The amulet is believed to take away negativities that a guest might bring along, and lets only good things into the house. So it helps to make the house peaceful and free from quarrels and people kinder to each other.

One can hardly believe that these fairytale-like paintings on lacquered black caskets, which seem to be popular exemplars of something “old-Russian”, in some way owe their appearance to the notorious revolution of 1917. Let alone the centuries-long icon-painting tradition of Palekh masters, of course.

In the 19-20th cc the village of Abashevo was the leading pottery centre of Russia. Clay toys made by Abashevo masters were exhibited in Moscow, London and Paris. They are profoundly traditional: from generation to generation the artisans passed down these peculiar images of domestic animals, birds, deer, horsemen, ladies, etc., and yet, each of the masters let these images deep inside and breathed life into them, creating inimitable inspired characters.

As compared to bright and clear-coloured Filimonovo and Dymkovo toys, these figurines from the northern lands of Russia might seem pretty stern. However, this first impression is only due to the palette including black, dark-yellow and brown colours. As for the toys’ subject matter, they have lots of amusing images, sculpted plainly but with great warmth and folk wit.

These wonderful handmade ornamented clay toys are a famous handicraft of the village of Filimonovo in the Tula Region. Here lived the last masters who revived the forgotten art in the 1960s. The toys are amusing and fanciful, but at the same time simple in manner and very expressive. The majority of Filimonovo toys are traditional whistles.

Two wooden figurines, a man and a bear as two blacksmiths at work– once you pull the toy’s plank, they start hammering on the anvil in a funny way. These amusing toys, known in Russia for more than three centuries, have long become the main handicraft of the Bogorodskoe village, one of the most famous centres of wood carving tradition in Russia.