7/28/2009

Souvenirs

















Sergiev Posad is famous for its wooden craft and souvenirs. Antique stores offer old postcards, pictures, books, icons and balalayka (a traditional string instrument). A better option is checking out the Vernisage, a souvenir market down the Lavra gates. Starting as wooden counters by the restaurant area, after the underground passage there're salesmen's tables with souvenirs like matryoshka, painted eggs, chainlets, mini-icons, boxes and all sorts of folk trade.

Modern artists create many new styles of nesting dolls. Common themes include animal collections, portraits and caricatures of famous politicians, musicians and popular movie stars. Matryoshkas featuring communist leaders became very popular with Russians in the early 1990s. Today some Russian artists specialize in painting themed matryoshkas as to specific subjects, people or nature.

To bring cameras inside the Lavra, you must buy a pemission (an excursion CD is included though). Or you can pass free by just hiding your cam. Inside the Lavra there're some churchware stores as well. 

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