Faberge Museum, St. Petersburg (must see)

The Fabergé Museum is devoted primarily to Russian jewelry and decorative arts of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with particular emphasis on the work of Carl Fabergé and the House of Fabergé.

Opened in 2013, the museum occupies the restored Shuvalov Palace, an eighteenth- and nineteenth-century residence whose comprehensive restoration was carried out by the Link of Times Cultural and Historical Foundation between 2006 and 2013. The museum’s collection now contains more than 4,000 display objects, including over 1,000 works by Fabergé. The best-known part of the collection is its group of nine Imperial Easter eggs made by Fabergé for Emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II. Among them is the Hen Egg of 1885, the first Imperial Fabergé Easter egg, commissioned by Alexander III as a gift for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna. Its enamel shell opens to reveal a gold yolk and a multicolored gold hen, originally accompanied by further miniature surprises. Other Imperial eggs in the museum demonstrate Fabergé’s use of gold, enamel, gemstones, miniature painting, and intricate mechanical devices. Beyond the Imperial eggs, the galleries display jewelry, silverware, cigarette cases, clocks, picture frames, fantasy objects, religious items, Russian enamels, icons, porcelain, and works of fine art by Fabergé and other Russian makers. The collection was assembled by the Link of Times Foundation, beginning with its 2004 purchase of the Malcolm Forbes Fabergé collection, which included more than 200 objects and nine Imperial eggs.

The restored ceremonial interiors of the Shuvalov Palace provide a historic setting for the collection. Together, the palace rooms and displays present not only Fabergé’s craftsmanship but also a broader picture of Russian jewelry, silver, enamel, porcelain, and decorative art during the final decades of the Russian Empire.