The House of Faberge founded in 1842 in St Petersburg manufactured a wide range of items, from unique pieces made by order of the Russian Royal Family, European monarchs and Eastern rulers, to mass-produced goods (jewelry, silver utensils, gemstone carving sculptures).
The peak of the creative work of Carl Faberge is considered to be his Easter eggs with surprises inside which were commissioned by the last Romanovs – Emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II. The House of Faberge created 50 Imperial eggs altogether.
The Faberge museum’s collection has nine Faberge Imperial Easter eggs, which is the second largest collection of Imperial eggs in the world, being just a single egg less than in the collection of the Kremlin Armory in Moscow.
St Petersburg Faberge museum’s collection is also significant because it includes the very first Imperial egg, the “Hen” egg created in 1885 which launched the famous Imperial Easter series. That year Carl Fabergé became a court jeweler.
There is also the “Coronation” egg dedicated to the coronation of Nicholas II and Alexandra Fyodorovna and the last Imperial egg- the Order of St. George egg. The order of St. George egg was made during World War I was given by Nicholas II to his mother Maria. After the Revolution of 1917 Maria took this Easter egg to her immigration to Denmark.
The History of Faberge museum
The history of Fabergé Museum in Saint-Petersburg started in 2004 when a collection of masterpieces by Fabergé House was acquired by Russian businessmen Viktor Vekselberg. The collection was purchased from successors of American media magnate Malcolm Forbes.
The idea of the foundation of the museum was to return to Russia lost valuables.
The Faberge museum was arranged in Shuvalov Palace that had been built at the end of the 18th century. The palace was under restoration for seven years to house a new museum. Fabergé Museum was officially opened in 2013.
Nowadays the collection of Faberge museum contains more than 4000 works such as porcelain, silverware, icons, and enamels and gold decorative arts. Fabergé Museum has 200 works by Carl Fabergé among them nine famous Imperial Easter eggs.
What you will see on Faberge Museum Tour
- One of the most beautiful noble palaces of our city – Shuvalov Palace and enjoy the interiors of its State rooms.
- Imperial Easter Eggs with surprises made to the order of the last of the Romanovs – the Emperors Alexander and Nicholas III II.
- A unique collection of Russian enamels and objects of fantasy of all kinds, jewelry, small goods, silverware, and interior and religious objects.
- Russian silverware made in the 19th century.
- A great collection of Russian porcelain of the 19th century, mainly made by the Imperial Porcelain Plant as well as the works with enamel of the leading Russian firms.