Authentic Babushka – Matryoshka Nesters — Russian Nesting Dolls
Featured babushkas and goodies
Dolls in Dolls
Matryoshka – Nesting Dolls – Babushka
Australian Family Business Established in 2006
Australia’s Largest Dedicated Babushka & Matryoshka Boutique with over 4,000+ authentic hand-painted dolls in stock — a trusted home of handcrafted nesters, heirloom-quality treasures, and meaningful luxury gifts made to be cherished for generations. Each piece is individually hand-painted by master artisans, creating unique works where no two are ever alike.
At Dolls in Dolls, we go to great lengths to understand and verify the sourcing origins of our matryoshka. The timber is lime, linden, birch, or alder. Each doll is hand-turned on a lathe and fitted uniquely to its matching half and the dolls nested within, starting with the smallest first — no set is ever identical.
From traditional and classic babushkas to floral nesters and our ultra-rare 1-of-1 exclusive dolls, every piece is a genuine work of art, chosen for craftsmanship, heritage, and meaning.
Trusted by more than 10,000 customers · 98,000+ orders since 2006 · 1400 + five-star reviews
LIMITED EDITION - 1-OF-1 EXCLUSIVES – Museum Dolls
Floral Nesting Dolls Pretty Babushka dolls
Traditional Love ( Semenov Kirov Nolisk Vyatka Village )
What Is a Matryoshka Doll?
Dating from the original set created in 1890 by Vasily Zvyozdochkin and Sergey Malyutin, nesting dolls have become iconic to Russia. The concept is thought to have derived from the earlier work of Japanese artisans making kokeshi dolls, which hid one doll within another — although the origins remain disputed. A Matryoshka doll is a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size, nested one inside another. Each piece is hand-carved from seasoned linden wood and hand-painted freehand by a skilled artisan.
Matryoshka, Babushka, or Nesting Doll?
The word Matryoshka can mean “little matron” and is used to refer to nesting dolls (matreshki) in Russia. In the early 20th century, Matriyosha and Matryona were popular girls’ names in Russian, derived from the Latin “mater” for “mother.” Babushka is the Russian word for “grandmother,” so its use to describe nesting dolls is common, but not entirely accurate. They’re the same doll. Matryoshka is the correct Russian name, from the old Russian name Matrona / Matryona — a respected mother figure. Babushka doll is the informal name most commonly used in Australia. Nesting doll is simply the plain English description. We use all three across our site, because that’s how our customers naturally search for them.
Masha and Natasha are cousins, and together they’ve grown Dolls In Dolls from a shared love of Matryoshka dolls and doing markets on weekends for a bit of fun into a business that sells all over the world.
By shopping here, you’re helping keep our little family-run magic alive. Every order means the world to us — and may even inspire a small happy dance behind the scenes.
Payments: We accept all major credit cards, PayPal, Zip Pay, and AfterPay, alongside standard secure checkout.
Shipping: We ship FREE Registered Post Australia-wide, with Express Post for $5.95 if you need it sooner. Ordering internationally? We send to New Zealand for $13 and the rest of the world for $23. This is flat rate shipping per order. Every doll in our collection is in stock and hand-packed in our own warehouse in Randwick, NSW 2031 (Sydney Australia) — nothing is drop-shipped from overseas.
Whether you’re buying a small gift or a museum-quality collector’s piece, your order is covered by the same careful handling.
What is a Matryoshka doll?
A Matryoshka doll is a traditional handcrafted wooden Russian doll that opens at the middle to reveal a smaller doll inside, repeating down to a final solid piece. Also called a Babushka doll or Russian nesting doll, each set is individually hand-painted, so every doll is genuinely one of a kind.
Matryoshka, Babushka, or nesting doll — what’s the real name?
Matryoshka is the correct Russian name. Babushka doll is the informal name most commonly used in Australia and the UK. Nesting doll is simply the plain English description. All three refer to exactly the same object.
Are your babushka dolls authentically Russian-made?
Yes. Every doll is hand-carved from natural linden wood, hand-painted by traditional Russian artisans, and finished with 3–5 layers of lacquer. We don’t carry mass-produced imitations, and every set is individually unique to the artist who painted it.
How many dolls come in a babushka set?
Most traditional sets contain 5 to 10 nested dolls, suited to most home displays. Smaller gift sets hold as few as 3 pieces, while large collector sets can include 15, 20, or 30+ dolls — the more pieces in a set, the greater the artisan skill required.