Since Soviet times, these humble hand puppets have lead Russian children into primordial explorations of morals, codes of behavior, and neuroses. Filya the dog, Hrusha the piglet, Stepashka the baby rabbit, and Karkusha the crow (not pictured, fondly remembered) came to many of us on a nightly television program Good Night, Little Ones! They hopped around, talked and did stuff - then there was a cartoon! Though the actual adventures of our talking-animal friends have faded from memory, we know that each one was special, with its own traits, dreams, and personality disorders.

For generations of Soviet children, this was their first toy. The Russian Tilting Doll - Nevalashka - is a classic. This leering, snowman-round, colorful girl-creature is an iconic artifact and fuzzy, ting-a-ling memory for most, even those who arrived into childhood after the fall of the Union.