Fedoskino Factory (Фабрика Федоскино)

In short

The Fedoskino factory, founded in 1795 near the village of Fedoskino (Mytishchi district, Moscow Oblast), describes itself as the first lacquer miniature factory in Russia; it makes papier-mâché boxes, caskets and panels painted with realistic miniature scenes and finished by hand polishing. The factory states that about 40 masters and artists work there today and that one box takes three to six months. According to its history, a vocational school opened in the village grew into an art college, on whose basis the Fedoskino Institute of Lacquer Miniature Painting, a branch of the Higher School of Folk Arts, now trains the factory's future masters; the factory also offers tours of its workshops and master classes for visitors.