Siberian Artist's Millimeter-Tall Figurines to Debut in Moscow
Vladimir Aniskin, a micro-miniaturist from Novosibirsk, has crafted the world's smallest Dymkovo toys. His work will be exhibited at a forum in Moscow.
Feb 11, 2026 0
The Siberian initially wanted to pursue jewelry art.
Source:
Famous micro-miniaturist Vladimir Aniskin from Novosibirsk has created the smallest Dymkovo toys (traditional Russian clay figurines). They are placed in the eye of a golden needle.
It took a month to create the work.
Source:
In a conversation with an NGS correspondent, Vladimir Aniskin said that he initially wanted to create a symbol of Russia in miniature.
The works will be presented at an exhibition-forum in Moscow.
Source:
«Matryoshka and Dymkovo toys immediately come to mind. I made a matryoshka back in 2012, but only now got around to the toys. I downloaded pictures from the internet, printed them, and then spent a long time choosing what I liked and how I would do it. I decided that the three bogatyrs (epic Russian heroes) would be the center of the composition. Then I added a family, then a lady with bread. And when everything was ready, there was still space, so I decided to make little dogs there,» shared the Siberian.
Vladimir is a co-organizer of a museum in St. Petersburg.
Source:
The master noted that at first the new work seemed simple to execute, but in the process, some difficulties arose. The height of the figures varies from 0.16 millimeters to 1 millimeter. It took a month to create the project.
«I am aware of everything that happens among micro-miniaturists in the world and in the country, so I can confidently say that these are the smallest Dymkovo toys. Of course, there is a difference: usually they are molded from clay, but I have a slightly different technology,» added the master.
The Siberian said that his work will be presented at the exhibition-forum «Unique Russia» (for all ages) in Moscow. The master noted that he was invited to participate for free because the organizers really liked the project.
Vladimir has been engaged in miniatures for 28 years. The Novosibirsk native studied at the faculty of aircraft at Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU), but did not plan to go into science.
«I thought I would earn a living with my hands. I considered construction and jewelry art. One day, I went to the library to look for literature on metal soldering, and I came across a card titled »Secrets of Invisible Masterpieces.« I was very surprised that masterpieces could be invisible. I thought it was about jewelry, but it turned out to be a collection of stories about micro-miniaturist masters of the Soviet Union. I was delighted with the works and decided to try myself in this direction. Micro-miniature became the work of my life,» he shared.
Now Vladimir is a co-organizer of the museum «Russian Lefty» in St. Petersburg, which turns 20 this year. His plans include creating a Dymkovo rooster and the composition «The Turnip» (a Russian folk tale) in miniature.
Earlier, NGS told the story of Siberian woman Svetlana Kuzdra, who creates glass products: from small candlesticks, decor, and lampshades to large-scale «canvases» – stained glass windows. Her works, among others, adorn the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces in the Moscow region.
Read more
