Russian Nutcrackers carvings are large and small figurines which became popular rather recently -- in the last two hundred years. The story of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was written by E. T. A. Hoffmann (1816). Alexandre Dumas' adaptation of the story was set to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and has become the most popular ballet performed around Christmas time. It is appealing to children and adults alike and has been a standard Christmas feature of theaters all over the world.
In Russia there are more painters than carvers. And very few- very good carvers. Each painter keeps his acquaintance with his carver a secret. He does not disclose his name. Not every carver would carve a figurine of a nutcracker. Making a moving mouth of the nutcracker is the most difficult part in carving. That is why a Russian hand carved nutcracker and a German machine made nutcracker - two different things.. Our nutcracker carvings are made by hand out of solid linden wood, hand painted, some of them - with wood burning decoration applied to show off the details of the Nutcracker carving robe and high boots. Every single of Nutcrackers we carry has a history behind him - the history of the military uniform of Russian officers and generals who took part in the Napoleon war of 1812.