• Неваляшка
[ni-va-lyash-ka]
or
• Ванька-встанька
[van'-ka fstan'-ka]

🔻A roly-poly or round-bottomed doll, usually egg-shaped, that tends to right itself when pushed at an angle.

🔻These dolls appeared on the territory of modern Russia approximately 200 years ago. At the beginning of the 19th century, Nevalyashka dolls enjoyed immense popularity and were widespread.

🔻Initially, the toys were designed in the form of buffoons, girls on a ball or fat-bellied merchants. Each doll was painted with bright colours in the traditional Russian style.

🔻During the Russian Empire, the center for the production of these dolls was the Nizhny Novgorod province.

🔻Toys were made of wood, most often from pine or linden.

🔻Historians believe that Nevalyashka dolls entered the territory of Russia from the East. Most likely, the first such toys were brought by merchants. The most popular version of the toy's origin says that it originated in Japan.

See also▶️Матрёшка

#Russian_crafts
#brief_and_interesting

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In the spring of 1943, while being an ally of the USSR in the anti-Hitler coalition, the United States were in secret with the help of their special services preparing for the sale of strategically important materials via agents to the Third Reich, which was amassing strength for the offensive on the Kursk Bulge.

🔻This is evidenced by a declassified document from the СВР (Foreign Intelligence Service) archive published on the Presidential Library portal.

🔻It was about selling platinum and industrial diamonds to the Nazis in exchange for chemicals that the Americans needed.

🇷🇺Today marks 104 years since the creation of Foreign Intelligence Service in Russia.

#WW2
#history
#brief_and_interesting

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