Russian hand-made doll (Krupenichka)

Krupenichka is a Slavic baby doll that attracts wealth and wealth to the house. Its main symbol is grain ("croupa" in Russian), which means a good harvest and profit. Krupenichka traditionally had no face, as well as other ritual dolls in Russia. 

Below you may find hand-crafted Russian Krupenichka-dolls made by me.

Krupenichka is a doll with a special meaning. It was usually given for Christmas, Kolyada and holidays associated with the harvest. Such a doll was made of cloth, grain was stuffed into it, as a rule, wheat, buckwheat or several kinds of grain at once, so that the crop would be rich simultaneously for all kinds of grain.

While making a doll, women read a prayer or sing songs. In Russia, porridge was very important, as it was mainly eaten, because porridge (any) has a lot of energy and is easily assimilated.

Zernushka (or Krupenichka) is the main amulet in the family, she lures the house well-being and prosperity, and promises a good harvest and an addition in the family.

The grain-doll was made after the first harvest, it was stuffed with selected grain, and placed near the icons for a whole year, and the next year it was disassembled and refilled with a new selected grain.

During the famine, when the grain was ending,  the grain-doll was opened and grain was used as food. The family's guest on this doll could determine how satisfied the family is, if the doll is full, then everything is fine with the food in the family, and if the doll is thin, then the family is in trouble.

Each type of grain had its own meaning. For example, rice was the most expensive, therefore it symbolized wealth, pearl barley - satiety, buckwheat - prosperity, and oats - strength. Before sowing a handful of grain was taken from a doll, and after harvesting it was filled with fresh grains. 

In ancient times, dolls were defenders and served as amulets from evil. They were made without needles and scissors. The material was not cut, but tored. Puppets so sometimes called: "rvanki". In their family there were always a lot: the more, the happier. One of these dolls is Krupenichka.

 The legend of the appearance of the grain-doll is as follows: a beautiful girl lived by herself, she was called Krupenichka. According to some rumors, the rich man wanted to marry her, on the other  version - the Tatar khan, but the girl fled and turned into a tiny seed, it sprouted, and on the ground a plant appeared - buckwheat. Therefore, the doll Zernovushka is filled with buckwheat and other cereals for good and well-being. Grains are used selective, such that one could use for sowing.

Such grain-doll was given to daughters before the wedding, so that the marriage would be successful. Sons were given this doll when they went to serve in the army. The men kept Krupenichka on the road. If they wanted to become pregnant, they put the doll in the cradle, and when the child showed up, they left it with the newborn so that the child could grow up playing with it. 

When travelling with "Baikal-amikan" travel company, we present "Krupenichka" Russian hand-made dolls to our guests. We hope this would be a nice souvenir as a memory of visiting Russia and as an amulet for wealth, good hope, and prosperity. All of our dolls are hand-made by us.