While I was on a holiday in Russia, I discovered my childhood doll that I used to love very much. She was given to me by my parents as a present on my first day of school – on 1st September 1980. I presume she was made in about 1979-1980 and therefore is 33-34 years old.
She still has her full original outfit of a Russian schoolgirl of that time – brown dress with white collar and cuffs and white apron (her red pioneer tie was my own addition from the 1980s because every Soviet child was wearing it at school from about the age of 9 or 10).
However, she used to have rooted hair of a carrot red colour which was completely destroyed with time, so my mum and I have restored her by putting a new wig on her which suits her perfectly.
The doll has never had a name and I have always simply called her “Schoolgirl”. So, here she is. The photographs were taken next to one of schools in Russia.
Оля, какая прелесть! У меня похожая, но с париком и постарше. Примерно 1965 года. Изначально была с париком из льняного волокна. А потом мама сделала парик из искусственных волос. Зовут Оксана. Сейчас лежит, ждет, когда у меня руки дойдут её в порядок привести.
Марина, спасибо огромное! Рада, что тебе понравилось! Я два года на нее подходящий парик искала!! Все не то оказывалось (или не тот размер!). Я с детства очень люблю эту куклу. Давай уже приводи в порядок свою Оксану и показывай ее!!
She is so adorable! These pictures brought so many sweet memories! So nice of you,ladies, to save and restore your childhood dolls! I have no idea what happened to mine-I was a tomboy growing up and mostly played “The War” with boys. Never payed much attention to the dolls until now
Sviatlana, I have about a dozen of my childhood dolls left, five of which were the ones I loved most, so I have them all with me now (I guess, I will eventually show them, too!). Though I also loved playing around, I loved making clothes for my dolls and soft animals even more! Such a pity you don’t have your childhood dolls…
I regret that I don’t have them too but I do know they had an adventurous life – I passed them to my sister, who in her turn gave them to my cousin (they traveled to Russia with her but never came back). But I do have couple of teddy bears (one even wears a scarf that I knitted when I was seven). Don’t think he’ll be coming to live with me because he is the size of one year old child (probably this is the reason he is still there).
I’m looking forward to seeing your other childhood “friends”. Are any of them still wearing clothes made by you?
Well, at least the dolls enjoyed themselves! I have a childhood walking doll who is about 85 cm tall and I don’t think she will be coming to live with me either. About 8 years ago we bought a similar doll for my eldest daughter and she is huge (and wearing dresses that my daughters wore when they were 1 yo). I can’t face having another one like that in the house!!
I don’t have that many clothes that I made as a child left because my favourite “doll” was not a doll at all, but a blue-coloured rabbit. And the rabbit has mysteriously disappeared together with a huge supply of clothes made by me. However, my most beloved doll (made in DDR) which I got when I was 10 still wears a synchronized swimmer’s outfit which I made for her when I was about 14-15 and I will definitely show that one!!