One of Britain's largest retailers, John Lewis, has removed a Russian nesting doll called the Wooden Stacking Doll, priced at £8, from its 2026 Christmas collection assortment. The company made the decision following an official appeal by Ukrainian Tetiana Zakaliuzhna, who pointed out the inappropriateness of such a product against the backdrop of Russia's war against Ukraine. In a photo published online, pink hanging nesting dolls depicting a girl in a floral sundress hang on a display with official John Lewis price tags.
From a social media post to an official appeal
According to Tetiana, on October 21 she saw a post on Threads stating that the company was including a Russian nesting doll in its 2026 Christmas collection, offering it to buyers for £8. Instead of limiting herself to a comment on social media, the woman decided to submit an official complaint to the retailer so that the issue would be considered at the company level rather than remaining in the realm of public discussion.
A letter detailing personal war experience
In her appeal, Tetiana spoke about her personal experience of the war and drew the company's attention to the consequences of Russian aggression, including the deaths of Ukrainian children. «I shared that for five years now I have been unable to return to my home, that my husband has been defending Ukraine at the front since February 2022, and that our children are growing up without their father by their side», she shared. The personal context, she said, was meant to show that this was not about an abstract «cultural symbol», but about the living pain of people living under the threat of war.
Retailer's reaction and product withdrawal
At first, John Lewis representatives replied that they understood the sensitivity of the issue raised and passed the complaint on to the responsible teams. Then the company asked for more time for review and assured that the appeal had not been left unattended. On November 11, Tetiana received confirmation: «I want to confirm that this item is no longer in our assortment». In addition, her appeal was forwarded to the senior buying team, who promised to take the expressed remarks into account when forming future collections.
Website check and Remembrance Day context
After receiving the response, Tetiana checked the retailer's website — the product page no longer opened. She separately noted that the response arrived on Remembrance Day, which is observed in Great Britain; on this day, the Ukrainian woman also remembered 48 British volunteers who defended Ukraine, and after receiving the response, she sent a thank-you letter to the company's representatives. At the same time, she emphasized: «I don't know if my letter specifically caused this decision, and I don't want to take credit for something I cannot confirm. But I know for sure that my appeal was heard, reviewed at the level of purchasing management, and I received an answer».
