A matryoshka doll also known as Russian nesting refers to a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other.A set of matryoshkas consist of a wooden figure which separates, top from bottom, to reveal a smaller figure of the same sort inside, which has, in turn, another figure inside of it, and so on.Valenki are traditional Russian winter footwear, essentially felt boots: the name valenok literally means "made by felting". Valenki are made of wool felt. They are not water-resistant, and are often worn with galoshes to keep water out and protect the soles from wear and tear. Valenki were once the footwear of choice for many Russians, but in the second half of the 20th century they lost most of their appeal in cities, due to their association with rustic dress. Bast shoes are shoes made primarily from bast — fiber from the bark of the linden tree or birch tree: they are a kind of basket woven and fitted to the shape of a foot. Bast shoes are an obsolete traditional footwearof forest areas of Northern Europe, formerly worn by poorer members of the Finnic peoples, Balts, and East Slavs. They were easy to manufacture, but not very durable.A Russian oven or Russian stove is a unique type of oven/furnace that first appeared in the 15th century. It is used both for cooking and domestic heating. TheRussian oven burns firewood or wood manufacturing waste.Various types of firewood can be used, for example birch or pine. Aspen is the least efficient for heating a Russian oven because the amount needed is twice that of other woods.
