Quick!

[telophase]

My brother-in-law is leaving for Russia tomorrow, to visit a friend who works for the US consulate, and has offered to bring back souvenirs. What should I ask for? My default request is going to be "something small and amusing," so if nothing appeals to me, I'll be telling him that. Toby's asking for one of those big furry Russian hats, and the BiL was going to bring one back for himself anyway.

Comments

[camwyn]

Matrioshka dolls usually work, right? .... assuming that's how you spell the dolls that stack inside each other.

[movingfinger]

There are some witty variations on matrioshka dolls you would love, but he has to look for them---I've seen e.g. politicians, fairy tale figures, animals. The standard is still girls/ladies. I have seen some lovely applications of the lacquerware style of painting to useful objects, such as eyeglass cases, and quite a lot of straight-up tat. There was a fair amount of mammoth ivory jewelry on offer in the area I visited, but that may not be available where he will be. There's some beautiful woodworking and turning craft, regionally, but the articles tend to be large to make good souvenirs. Amber jewelry is dicey, as fake is commoner than real these days it seems!

[golden-bastet.livejournal.com]

Nesting dolls ( I'm forgetting the actual name)!

Because there are some funny ones out there.

[chomiji]

"Matryoshki" - basically meaning "cute little mommies."

And yes, they have become a form of political/cultural commentary. The classical ones are countrywomen in traditional dress, but you can get them in themes ranging from politicial figures (with the graduated sizes adding a layer of commentary) to fairytale animal characters.

[chomiji]

Russian lacquerware! The shiny black stuff with the gorgeous paintings on it. Tell him to look for fairytale motifs instead of saints or flowers.

If you like honey, a honey-dipper set. Which can be made of the lacquerware.