When common Russian folks were painting Easter eggs, getting them blessed at the local church, and then sharing them with friends and family, the Tsars did things a little differently. They had Easter eggs of pure gold inlaid with diamonds and precious gems made by the House of Fabergé, the most famed jeweller in the Russian empire. These they gifted to their royal better halves. Befitting a Tsarina, each was a standalone work of art and contained a ‘surprise’ element to amuse and pique the lady’s curiosity.

The tradition started with Alexander III for his wife Maria Feodorovna, and was continued by his son Nicholas II who got them made for both his mother and wife. Often one year in the making, a total of 50 Faberge Imperial Eggs were delivered to the royal family from 1885 to 1916.

With the dissolution of Russia’s monarchy in 1917, these handcrafted masterpieces, the most expensive of which are currently valued between USD 15 million and USD 33 million apiece, now lie in various museums and private collections across the world. Moscow’s Armoury Chamber Museum has 10 followed by St. Petersburg’s Faberge Museum at nine. There are other Faberge eggs too, commissioned by wealthy wannabes. But a Tsar is a Tsar, and a Faberge Imperial Egg is considered to be the very personification of royalty. 🙂

Note: All the imperial eggs in this post are on display at St. Petersburg’s Faberge Museum.The museum has a fabulous audio guide.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Coming up next week is Karelia: When Russia met Finland. 🙂

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[I travelled solo across Russia in July-August, 2025 for 30 days. Due to sanctions, international cards do not work in Russia and western travel portals do not list services for Russia. My central hotels, seamless transfers, and private tours with some of the best guides I have ever had, were all arranged by Go Russia. Highly recommended!]