About Us

Heritage International, Ltd., has its roots in a 1995 profession-to-profession homestay exchange program that brought a delegation of Wisconsinites to the quaint village of Bogorodskoye, approximately 45 miles northeast of Moscow. So taken by the quality of the craftsmanship of the Bogorodskoye Woodcarving Factory, several entrepreneurs taking part in the exchange decided then and there to establish Heritage International and went on to negotiate their first purchase.

Those who took part in the exchange quickly learned how the rich tradition of woodcarving in this rural village plays such an important role in the day-to-day lives of its inhabitants. In fact, the woodcarving factory is the second-largest employer in the village. The visitors toured the woodcarving factory and heard how the woodcarving trade in Bogorodskoye is literally hundreds of years old, going back to the time of Czar Peter the Great, who put the village on the map when he bought a toy in the local market for his son. They visited the factory museum and saw first hand the pieces produced by generations of mastercarvers, many of which are still the models for the pieces produced by carvers today. They watched with their own eyes as woodcarvers throughout the factory took lifeless pieces of wood and transormed them into living, breathing sculptures, figurines, ornaments, and animated toy-like carvings.

Their experiences in Bodorodskoye also gave them a unique understanding of the trials and tribulations of everyday life, especially during the challenging transition from the controlled economy of the communist times to the open and free-market economy of the new Russian democracy. They also learned how important it is for companies like the Bogorodskoye Woodcarving Factory to expand their markets and how eager Russian business people are to learn the basic concepts of business so well established in the western economies.

While some Russian gift companies are motivated purely by the desire for profit, Heritage International is motivated by the satisfaction we receive knowing how every item we sell helps contribute to the economic well-being of an entire community. As Bogorodskoye, and now the other places with which we work, continue their struggle in a difficult economic time, we know we are helping to make the transition an easier one by creating a larger market and keeping people hard at work.

We're proud to offer these unique, handcrafted items that tell the story of the people who produce them. We know that you will also take great pride in the fact that every purchase you make, makes a difference in the everyday lives of others.