The first ever Faberge egg was crafted in 1885 under the order of the emperor Alexander the Third as a present for his wife. She was so fascinated by the beauty of the goldsmith’s masterpiece, that Faberge received a rank of the goldsmith of his Majesty at the Imperial Courtyard, with the right to include the royal two-headed eagle in the logo and since then took orders from the Royal family. It was the beginning of the famous tradition of the Tsars to give Faberge eggs as Easter gifts and gave birth to the unique series.

The signature of the goldsmith's house was always a surprise inside. Russian empresses adored them as if they were little girls! Tiny portraits, cockerels, tiny copies of yachts, palaces, and carriages still fascinate the eye of the spectator.

Each egg has its own history, such as the coronation egg crafted in 1897 and given by the last Tsar, Nicholas the Second, as an Easter gift to his wife Alexandra. Only the imperial family and the richest people could afford these expensive toys. Improbable demand for these precious pieces of art overwhelmed the secular society.

It took the master’s crew a year, and sometimes more to create one egg. So after the gift was handed over and the receiver was made happy, the artist had no time to relax and started to work on the next model.

Faberge believed that it was not the quantity of brilliants or pearls that made the item pricy, and he had no interest in such goldsmith production. This distinguished him from his competitors. It is said that anything which did not correspond to Faberge’s rigid standards of perfection, was immediately destroyed.

At the end of each year, all unsold eggs were sent to recasting and were never seen by the world again.

However, icons in magnificent casings, Easter eggs, and precious amusing knickknacks are here temporarily. Karl Faberge’s masterpieces are registered in private collections.

The exhibition will be held through June 28 in the Department of private collections at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.