This carved wooden bear is typical of the traditional toys made in the village of Bogorodskoye near Moscow. Bogorodskoye is the centre of the Russian toy carving industry, specializing in unpainted figures of forest animals, birds and also people. Many of the toys move; blacksmiths hammer, hens peck, bears and peasants row boats or wield axes. The activities tend to be those of traditional rural peasant life. The figures are operated by simple mechanisms, as you can see in the swinging ball in the toy here. The bear’s arms are attached by a thread to a ball that hangs below the boat. As the ball swings the arms alternately move up and down, striking against the wheel spokes and spinning the wheel vigorously. It is a surprisingly energetic movement for such a gentle swaying.

The toys are often carved from the wood of the linden tree, which is soft and pliable, and must be well dried in the open air. Here you can see the marks of the chisel on the body of the bear, creating the effect of a furry pelt. The rest of the toy has been sandpapered smooth.

We have many similar artefacts. This particular toy was donated to the library by a student who was researching Russian fairy tales.

View a clip of these bears being made in 1958 on a Pathe newsreel.