Learning through objects from the Islington Education Library Service’s handling collection

Moscow Olympics Tin Toy Souvenir, 1980, Original

This little tin doll can be wound up with a key and will then ‘dance’, rotating as the mechanism of wheels allows. You can see this on a short clip on YouTube ‘1980 MOSCOW SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES DANCING RUSSIAN FOLK DOLL WIND UP LITHO TIN TOY’. 

Look carefully and you’ll see that its headdress shows ‘Mockba’ (Moscow) and ‘80’, indicating the relationship to the Games. The 1980 Moscow Olympics took place at the height of the Cold War. Most of the Western hemisphere boycotted the games because of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Just 80 Nations competed in the 1980 Games.

The tin doll’s body is made in two moulded and painted halves, with the head made separately and able to move from side to side. The bright colours, patterns and charming face add to the appeal. However, note that this is not a toy for children to play with but was produced for the adult collectors’ market.

Russian Tin Toy
Height:15cm
Russian Tin Toy
Height:15cm
Russian Tin Toy

This little tin doll can be wound up with a key and will then ‘dance’, rotating as the mechanism of wheels allows. You can see this on a short clip on YouTube ‘1980 MOSCOW SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES DANCING RUSSIAN FOLK DOLL WIND UP LITHO TIN TOY’. 

Look carefully and you’ll see that its headdress shows ‘Mockba’ (Moscow) and ‘80’, indicating the relationship to the Games. The 1980 Moscow Olympics took place at the height of the Cold War. Most of the Western hemisphere boycotted the games because of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Just 80 Nations competed in the 1980 Games.

The tin doll’s body is made in two moulded and painted halves, with the head made separately and able to move from side to side. The bright colours, patterns and charming face add to the appeal. However, note that this is not a toy for children to play with but was produced for the adult collectors’ market.