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A veteran toy collector puts together an exhibition of Russian and Soviet toys from the 1870s to the 1980s.

It was easy to predict that "Looking for a Lost Childhood," an exhibition of Russian and Soviet toys from the 1870s to the 1980s, would be a ravishing show. Like a time machine, it transports visitors to their childhoods – and it's somehow refreshing to realize that there isn't a single Barbie or Playstation in sight.

"Piece by piece, I am searching for the lost childhoods of different generations. This exhibition is about nostalgia", said toy collector Sergei Romanov, who delved into his extensive collection to put together the show at the Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art.

Toys are piled high in display cabinets and often jostle for space. It seems that Romanov wanted to showcase as much of his collection as possible, and, unfortunately, detailed descriptions are scarce. This is a pity because fascinating gems can go unnoticed among the sheer numbers of vintage toys and Christmas tree ornaments on display.

And while adult visitors are likely to be enraptured, small children may find it hard to keep up. One also wishes for more interactivity. Although there is a life-size replica of a sandpit under a polka-dotted umbrella – with trucks, spades and molds in the sand – kids are not allowed to play or touch anything.

But for all these hiccups, the objects on display are fascinating. They give adult visitors a chance to nurse their nostalgia, while imparting a valuable history lesson for younger generations.

For instance, Soviet toys were not always dedicated to pure fun – they also had the task of teaching children their place in socialist society. Many, like the rubber figurines from the 1930s to the '50s featured in one display, encouraged children to choose a profession. A bit gray with age, they represent boys and girls dressed in the uniforms of various occupations. Policemen, photographers, footballers, soldiers, cosmonauts and even tennis players are represented.

"In Soviet times, children had a lot of rights and responsibilities", Romanov explained.

The toys reflected not just the socialist mentality but the country's general mood at any given time. The first Soviet tractor was made into a toy not long after it rolled off the assembly line, while tanks and anti-aircraft guns were all the range when the country was fighting World War II in the '40s.

"Looking for a Lost Childhood" also features girls' toys. These include dozens of dolls, ranging from porcelain pre-revolutionary beauties to some rather ugly plastic babies of the '60s and '70s. “At first, dolls' faces were modeled after the visages of silent film star actresses”, Romanov said. Later, they began to resemble more average girls, often dressed in uniforms or red Pioneer scarves.

Another section is devoted to toys of the late Soviet era, from the '60s to the '80s. These are decidedly less interesting than their predecessors, but the plastic and plush Olympic bears and the plastic babies in cosmonaut gear, proudly bearing the letters CCCP on their enormous helmets, offer a history lesson in itself.

Then there are the all-time favorites, often based on characters from children's books. Such cult toys include Cheburashka and his pal Crocodile Gena; Kot v Sapogakh, a.k.a. Puss in Boots; Cipollino, the little walking and talking onion; Buratino, the Russian equivalent of Pinocchio; and Doctor Aibolit, a courageous medic who goes to Africa to rescue monkeys in a classic children's poem by Kornei Chukovsky.

Teddy bears fill a separate hall, along with dozens of monkeys, elephants, cats and dogs.

"Toys are a serious business", said Romanov, who studied painting and drawing and even got tailor's and restorer's certificates in order to work with dolls. His collection began with his grandmother's dolls, and over the years it has expanded to 6,000 pieces. A fraction of them are on permanent display in the Dom Detskogo Tvorchestva children's center in Vorobyovy Gory, while the remainder are kept in storage.

Romanov called modern toys "frightening". Still, he suggested that there were certain toys from recent years that were worth collecting, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokemon toys, Teletubbies (known in Russian as Telepuziki) and Harry Potter figurines. "Perhaps it makes sense to collect them as they are the brightest reflections of the period", he said.

Quite possibly the best praise for the exhibition can be found in a comment left in the visitors' log left by 8-year-old Vera. "I really want the same toy I saw here", she wrote. "I really like it here. I will come back".

"Looking for a Lost Childhood" (V Poiskakh Utrachennogo Detstva) runs to February 11 at the Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art, located at 3 Delegatskaya Ulitsa. Metro Mayakovskaya.

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