The term matryoshka is related to the Latin mater (mother). This Russian word is the diminutive of matrona, which refers to a respectable woman, especially in matriarchal societies.
It is also related to the Latin term matrix, from which matrice derives, meaning ‘mother’ or ‘womb’. The word matrice conveys the idea of that which generates, determines and structures.
The matryoshka symbolises the maternal figure and is associated with fertility, both of women and of the earth. Its origin dates back to Russia, inspired by a Japanese doll, and it was created as a representation of a peasant woman, painted in bright colours and dressed in traditional Russian clothing.
The first matryoshka consisted of four peasant women and a newborn baby, called a ‘seed’, in clear reference to motherhood and fertility. Over time, the figures represented in matryoshkas have retained the essence of the classic version, but have begun to incorporate different themes and variations in the number of dolls. Some, for example, depict characters from fairy tales or protagonists from great Russian novels, while others were created to represent political figures, sometimes in a historical context, sometimes in a humorous tone.
An interesting symbolism of the matryoshka appears in Demys Aniel’s play Trois et Une (Three in One), which shows that every woman contains multiple facets, just like the famous Russian dolls, which enclose one inside the other.
Since I first encountered them in the summer of 2001 in Budapest, I have begun to use them in my work as a psychotherapist and course facilitator. In some situations, they are tools for symbolic acts, in others they function as a teaching resource. One of their applications is to illustrate the idea that the unconscious can be understood on different levels:
- The smallest doll, called the ‘seed’, represents the individual unconscious, according to Freud’s psychoanalysis.
- The second represents the family unconscious, according to systemic therapy.
- The third represents the generational family unconscious, explored in Psychogenealogy and Family Constellations.
- The fourth represents the group unconscious, described by Vincent de Gaulejac in Clinical Sociology.
- The last represents the collective unconscious, as proposed by Jung.
Therefore, this Russian doll can be used in countless ways: in generational work (symbolising different generations), in therapeutic acts (representing people, lineages or archetypes) and in many other creative possibilities.
These dolls connect us with our multiple dimensions, leading us to the heart of our essence: the seed, represented by the smallest doll.
Psicóloga - CRP 04/7521
Pesquisadora em Transgeracionalidade