--- title: "John Lewis removes Russian nesting doll from Christmas collection after Ukrainian woman's letter" description: "British retailer John Lewis has withdrawn an £8 Russian nesting doll from its 2026 Christmas collection following an official appeal by a Ukrainian woman who spoke about the consequences of the war." date: 2026-11-12T19:51:51.602Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/john-lewis-removes-russian-nesting-doll tags: [john-lewis, matryoshka, ukraine, christmas-collection, consumer-rights] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # John Lewis removes Russian nesting doll from Christmas collection after Ukrainian woman's letter ![A hand holds a pink souvenir nesting doll ornament from the John Lewis Christmas collection with a price tag in a store.](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/12/john-lewis-ubral-rossijskuyu-matreshku-iz-rozhdestvenskoy-kollekcii/john-lewis-ubral-rossijskuyu-matreshku-iz-rozhdestvenskoy-kollekcii-1.webp) ## Key Points - John Lewis removed the £8 Wooden Stacking Doll from its 2026 Christmas collection. - The decision was made following an official letter from Ukrainian Tetiana Zakaliuzhna describing her personal war experience. - On November 11, the company confirmed the product's withdrawal and forwarded the feedback to the senior buying team. 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». ## Fact-Check & Sources - [После жалобы украинки: John Lewis убрал российскую матрешку из праздничного ассортимента](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/culture/pislya-skargi-ukrayinki-john-lewis-pribrav-1794509189.html) - Primary source: timeline of the appeal (Oct 21 — complaint, Nov 11 — withdrawal confirmation), quotes from Tetiana Zakaliuzhna and John Lewis, £8 price, Wooden Stacking Doll name. - [Британский магазин снял с продажи матрешки после жалобы украинки](https://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2026/11/12/29731417.shtml) - Independent confirmation of the fact that John Lewis removed the nesting doll from its Christmas collection following a complaint from a Ukrainian woman. ## FAQ ### What specific item was withdrawn from John Lewis's assortment? A Russian nesting doll called the Wooden Stacking Doll, which was being sold in the 2026 Christmas collection for £8. ### Who initiated the product's withdrawal? Ukrainian Tetiana Zakaliuzhna, who, after a post on Threads, submitted an official complaint to the company describing her personal experience of the war. ### When did the company confirm the product's withdrawal? On November 11, Tetiana received confirmation that the item was no longer in the assortment and that her comments had been forwarded to the senior buying team.