Native Russian Marina Forbes will offer a lecture of the History of the Russian Nesting Doll on December 5 at 6:00 pm at the Auburn Public Library located at 49 Spring Street in Auburn.

This presentation by Marina Forbes will feature the history of Matryoshka nested doll-making in Russia. Using a fully illustrated show and numerous exhibits, including examples of her own work and from her extensive collection, Forbes will examine the tapestry of the rich folk tradition and symbolism of the doll’s appearance and the interesting link between doll-making and other traditional Russian art forms. There will be a quick stop at the 1900 World Fair in Paris that made Russian nested dolls and Fabergé eggs famous, followed by an exciting illustrated tour of a working nested doll-making factory in rural Russia, depicting the various stages in the doll-making process. The presentation will conclude with a glorious show of hundreds of examples of the finest Matryoshka artwork available in Russia.

The following day, December 6 at 10:00 am, there will be a separate optional “hands-on” component where anyone who chooses to participate can paint an authentic Russian wooden doll.

For more information or to register, please contact the Auburn Public Library by email or call 207-333-6640 Ext 4.

Marina Forbes is a native of St. Petersburg, Russia. For more than 20 years, she has been an active artist, historian, storyteller, lecturer and teacher in the area of Russian art, culture, language and folklore, offering more than 75 workshops, courses, and presentations each year both in Russia and throughout the New England area. Marina is an accomplished painter of traditional Russian icons (egg tempera/gold leaf on wood), traditional Russian Matryoshkas (nested dolls), and numerous traditional Russian craft items. Many of her works are in private collections in Russia, Italy and the United States. Marina is currently the Director of International Programs at the New England Language Center in Rochester where she coordinates cultural exchange programs, teaches Russian culture and language, and leads art-related tours to Russia each year. She is an active watercolorist and art teacher and regularly does dramatic performances of Russian fairy tales. Marina has a distinctive ability to generate energy and enthusiasm in the classroom and to bring the rich fabric of traditional Russian art and folklore to life for children of all ages. She is a unique and valuable resource for schools wishing to introduce their students to Russian culture and arts through memorable and thought-provoking workshops and presentations.

This presentation is hosted by the Auburn Public Library in anticipation of the 28th Annual Camden Conference: Russia Resurgent, February 20-22, 2015. The mission of the Camden Conference is to foster informed discourse on world issues.