The Russian wooden hand made chess at the craft market "Vernisazh"
Russia is famous all over the world for its arts and souvenir crafts but especially for Russian crafts people. As to chess in tsarist (imperial) Russia playing chess was quite popular with noble and aristocratic people. It was a good manner to play chess and especially to own a very good hand crafted chess board and chess set. But most popular in Russia chess playing became in soviet times. Since then and now amateur and professional chess players prefer to play chess on a good chess board with good hand crafted chess pieces. They are the symbols of prosperity and respect to the opponent.