Faberge Egg Museum in St. Petersburg

One thing many visitors on tours to Russia from the USA have high on their travel wish-list is to visit a Faberge museum and see the iconic, world-renowned eggs Imperial Eggs.

What are the Faberge Eggs?

The Faberge Eggs are a series of jewelled, decorative Easter eggs created by Russian jeweller Faberge for the Imperial family between 1885 and 1916. They are the most enduring achievement of Faberge and a masterpiece of skill and creativity. They are world-renowned and celebrated by many as the last great series of commissioned fine art.

In 1885, Tsar Alexander III wished to give his wife Tsarina Marie Fedorovna a gold Easter egg to mark the twentieth anniversary of their engagement. The Tsar was inspired by an egg that belonged to his wife’s aunt dating to the 1700s and which she loved as a child in Denmark. The Tsar was very involved in the design of the egg and collaborated with Faberge. This was to become known as the Hen Egg; crafted in gold and white enamel, it opened to reveal a gold yolk which in turn opened to a gold hen; inside the hen was a miniature Imperial crown and a ruby pendant egg.

The Tsarina loved the gift and almost every Easter thereafter a new intricate, elaborate, and magnificent egg was created by Faberge as a personal and private gift until 1916.
Of fifty eggs created in total, forty-three survive today.

The Kremlin Armoury Collection

Located in Moscow’s Kremlin, the Armoury Chamber is one of Russia’s oldest museums. It is also home to the largest collection of Faberge Eggs, and for many is known best as Moscow’s Faberge Egg Museum.
Visitors to the Collection here can marvel at the Moscow Kremlin Egg, the Trans-Siberian Express Egg, the Clock Egg, and seven others.

The Faberge Museum in St. Petersburg

The St. Petersburg Faberge Museum

Visitors to St Petersburg can also see the Imperial Eggs at the Faberge Museum. This is a private museum established at the Shuvalov Palace on the Fontanka River. The vast collections at this museum, which has one of the largest collections of Faberge jewelry worldwide, include nine Imperial Eggs. These include the First Hen Egg, the Coronation Egg, the Fifteenth Anniversary Egg, the Rosebud Egg, and the Renaissance Egg. It is a cultural and historical collection not to be missed.

Renaissance Egg in the Faberge Museum, St. Petersburg

Tours to Russia from the USA with Nordic Cruises…

Nordic Cruises is your one-stop travel company for tours to Russia from the USA (or from anywhere else in the world!). We offer an array of packages and tours, and we can arrange excursions to landmarks like the Faberge Museum in St Petersburg. Call or email us today to discover more.