Museum "Brest Matryoshka"
In December 2020, the company opened its brand store "Brest Matryoshka" in the building of the now-closed souvenir factory. Adjacent to the store, a museum began to actively expand, which initially occupied a shelf and then grew into a substantial exhibition. This was facilitated by former factory workers and even ordinary residents of Brest, as the popularity of the "souvenir" products meant they could be found in almost every home.
The exhibition features items related to the history of the Brest Souvenir Factory, including photographs, documents, and more. A large collection of matryoshkas from different years has been assembled, including one of the first models of wooden dolls produced here! It has an unusual form with a tented, rather than semi-circular, finish like the classic models. Many of the matryoshkas served as painting standards for a long time, indicative of their high quality. Many also bear traces of "living," as they were beloved toys for many years.
The collection includes several sets of classic painted chess sets, which were a hallmark of the factory, and we have resumed their production. Also displayed are products from other directions such as carving, straw weaving, and others. The collection includes famous Santa Clauses made from cotton. The cotton toy was one of the promising directions of development when the factory was just an artel. Older people remember that such Santas stood under the Christmas tree in almost every Soviet apartment!
The exhibition features photographs from different years, shared by former factory employees, and when they visit us, they enjoy recalling the years spent on this "labor front."
A vast collection of documentation has also been gathered, detailing the products manufactured here and those that did not go into series production. These documents help us maintain the style of the Brest matryoshka; often, the groundwork for new models is taken from past years' developments.
We invite you to visit our museum at Brest, Y. Kupaly St., 5!