Christmas Tree
It seems that in Russia the custom of decorating the Christmas tree for the New Year has always been. However, it is not. In 1817, Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna, nee Prussian Princess Charlotte, missing child's holiday home of their homeland, ordered to decorate the rooms of the Winter Palace in small ornate Christmas trees. Royal novelty to see a thousand eyes, and the next year was repeated hundreds of families, even thousands a year. The tradition has taken root.
Christmas tree decorated with a variety of colorful foil wrapped in dough figurines, gilded nuts, apples, tangerines and, of course, candles. Issued special little album with executed lithography angels, grandfathers Frost and diverse wildlife. It was fashionable to brag about toys made himself. Even the rich and noble gladly cut out, glued, covered with gold leaf. Own production of glass beads appeared in Russia in 1880.
Most rare toys that time - not even fragile glass angels or funny dogs in exquisite costumes, and touching the painted figures made of cardboard and wool. They were the first fired in the revolutionary fire. The most expensive antique toys in those years - dolls with hand-painted porcelain gentle face.
The October Revolution saw the beauty in a rarefied class enemy and banned it. Only in 1935, the year the tree "rehabilitated" and put at the service of "the people, the party and the government." Established production Soviet ideologically tuned toys. A collector's dream - a huge ball of red color, and it faces leaders: Stalin, Lenin, Marx and Engels.
During the Great Patriotic War, there toys in the form of parachutists, guns and dogs nurses. They are replaced glass "ears of corn" and "sheaves of wheat" in the 70th "at the peak" Christmas tree fashion - the space theme.
Since the days of "thaw" various popular gift sets. Jubilee "Tales of Pushkin" gift "Chippollino and his friends." All these toys are attached to the branches of a special clothespin.
Over the years, Soviet industry increasingly produces stamped toys, artists no longer working on the creation of original collections, Christmas toy, like art, is slowly dying.
Toys beat fortunately
Not only Soviet Christmas toys to 80 years of the last century were boring and monotonous. After a long period of wars and financial crises, small shops were closed and went bankrupt. Collectors all over the world come to terms and even officially recognized the fact that collectible Christmas toy can be considered only product that was released until 1966.
It would seem, then a fairy tale ending, but one day before Christmas in 1984 one person dropped the tree ... And not just tree, dressed up and beautiful, decorated by a family fortune. The name of this barbarian - Christopher Radko and he was an enterprising American businessman who decided, in that whatever was to compensate the seemingly irretrievable loss. Visiting their relatives in Europe, Christopher found glassblower who wanted to revive the lost skill. Using the wizard, he was able to recover ancient relics samples of their split, and then restoring the loss of their own family, he decided not to abandon well-established business. Christopher now proudly wears the title of Mr. Christmas, and his competitors - do not count.
Latest collection
Christopher Radko is bright, large lollipops toys. In his latest collection of many familiar patterns. Petersburg fans can not deny myself the pleasure to buy at least one of the toys of the same name of the series - the power of the traditional Santa Claus or bright, to overflowing clogged gifts sleigh. Price pleasure of some $ 60. Also in the most charming four bestsellers cubs family of penguins elegant, beautiful colorful fish, intricately painted bells and dozens decked snegovichkov. Traditionally - painted balls.
Komozja brand is widely known in Russia in 1999, when during a live television broadcast, Alexander Pochinok has presented a set of Christmas tree decorations Yeltsin "Russia" this brand. Christmas decorations Komozja designed primarily to the fact that they give: they are sold in a special timber filled with straw drawers with logo. Some toys attached special support from the suspension. Featured - open balls inside which hide the figures of Christmas firs, raznaryazhennyh beauties, Santa Claus and angels sweetly. In such balls (not all), there is even a musical mechanism. All this is encrusted with Swarovski crystals and semi-precious stones. Prices from $ 50 for a painted ball up to $ 500 for a gilded sphere.
American brand created by Mark Andreas daughter famous comedian - Quiz Petrosyan. Do not rush to dismiss this proposal as well as in the collection, except for nostalgic cocks clip-on, there is a series of figures, made the drawings of the famous Leon Bakst. For "Odalisque" or "Captain Mouse" will have to pay at least $ 800.
Russian expanse
Ask the price of foreign models, and look at their own, domestic. Foreign tourists take out our entire toy bags, still have - a real ball handmade with amazing paintings worth $ 10 we seldom 20. Krasnoyarsk "Biryusinka" mastered painting in oils, on the Nizhniy Novgorod factory ordered Toy Gift Gerhard Schröder Vladimir Putin, Klin "Herringbone" Just glad fragile works of art with a snow-covered landscape, with churches and Ded Moroz.
How to distinguish a real masterpiece of punching? Balls Handmade very light and always have a small "pimpochku" at the bottom - a place adhesions.