The Fabergé Eggs: Part 2

Two episodes in one day divas! Welcome back for part two of our Fabergé Eggs deep dive! We continue to deep dive some of the Romanovs' most extraordinary Easter gifts, uncovering the stories hidden inside each masterpiece and following the collection through revolution, exile and mystery. We'll also chat about where the eggs are today, why some are still missing, and how these tiny treasures became some of the most valuable objects in history. Enjoy this perfect little warm-up for our four-part Romanov series coming this September, which I cannot wait to share with you all. Also as promised, here’s the Substack https://hothistoryclub.substack.com/p/i-saw-an-imperial-faberge-egg-with of my experience seeing an actual, real life Fabergé Egg with my own eyes at Christie’s last year (an experience I genuinely don’t think I’ll ever get over!). Shout out to our incredible researcher Grace McCamish for helping to pull this together, and if you're wanting more Hot History you can follow along on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/hothistoryclub/?hl=en, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@hot.history?lang=en and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@hot.history and of course, right here! Til next week, Ainslie x

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• 1:00Speaker 03

  Hi, my deaves. Welcome back for part two on the Faberge eggs. I just wanted to drop in before we get into it, just to share a little stat with you that I heard the other day, right? That men are statistically more likely to subscribe to their favourite YouTube channels and podcasts. And that simply does not work well for me, all right? Guys, we already know that women occupy approximately 0.5% of the historical record. We will not occupy 0.5% of the subscriber lists as well. So if you guys can go and make sure that you're subscribed or following along here, if you feel so inclined to leave us a review or share, that would be even more amazing. Let's boost that 0.5% number. So thank you all for following along and helping level the scales, all right?

• 1:45Speaker 03

  We're not going to give the men this one, too. Now, let's get into it.

• 2:04Speaker 03

  Hi, guys. Welcome back to Hot History, your corner of the internet where we cover all the things in history that you probably should know but don't. I'm Ainslie Harvey, your hot historian here, ready to chat part two on the Faberge eggs, guys. I am loving this episode. Honestly, I had so many requests for it. Again, like I explained in part one, I've actually got to see and hold one of these deaves myself, so this is super exciting for me to share with you. I'm gonna give you a bit of a catch-up in case you are tuning in for part two. So, what are we talking about here? Peter Carl Faberge, right? He is the illustrious imperial jeweler to the Romanov family, who were the last imperial rulers of Russia before the revolution.

• 2:48Speaker 03

  And he became famous by making this family one very expensive and very illustrious set of Easter presents, now known as Faberge eggs. So it all started with Tsar Alexander III, who had Faberge make a jeweled Easter egg for his wife, former Dutch princess Dagmar, who became Tsarina Maria Vierderovna when she married into the Russian family. Her family did have a similar egg in their treasury, and she loved Faberge's version so much that her husband kept commissioning an egg for her every single year until his death in 1894, after which her son, Nicholas II, became Tsar, took a wife in Princess Alex of Hesse, who became Tsarina Alexandra Vierderovna, and carried on the Easter egg

• 3:33Speaker 03

  tradition for both his mum and his wife. How'd I do there, deaves? I just covered about like 20 years of Russian history in a single breath. So, in part one, we did cover the eggs from 1885 to 1900, including looking at disgraced actor Armie Hammer's grandfather and his involvement with the various eggs after the revolution. And now, we are going to cover all the big eggs, or my favourite anyway, from 1901 to 1916, including what they were, what surprises they had inside, which various Faberge artists made them, and, of course, what happened to them after the revolution and why they are now so valuable.

• 4:17Speaker 03

  Which, again, guys, I do have some insider gossip about here, and you know me, obviously I'm dying to spill it. So, let's pick it up straight away. In 1901, with Maria's Easter gift this year, the Kachina Palace egg, named after its incredibly detailed surprise, a mini gold replica of the palace at Kachina, which served as the winter residence for Alexander III and Maria Vierderovna for many years. Now, this thing is so detailed that you can see cannons, a flag, a statue of Paul I, and trees, guys.

• 4:59Speaker 03

  So year by year, Faberge is really stepping it up on these surprises, from, you know, the first little hen to replicas like this, which is just insane. As for the shell for this one, it is unique, and one that Faberge went digging through the history books to bring to life, because it actually uses an 18th-century enameling technique, which applies multiple layers of clear enamel over galosh, which gives this kind of like milky, almost dimensional kind of look to the egg, which features laurels and mini pearls. So what happened to it, my deaves? Well, exactly how and when it left Maria Vierderovna's possession isn't fully documented. But we do know that by 1920, it was owned by Alexander Palovstov, a former employee

• 5:42Speaker 03

  at Kachina Palace, who later opened an antiques business in Paris, where it was sold in 1930 to the American collector Henry Walters. Today, it remains in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, where it has been on permanent display since 1952. So, very good chance here, it's kind of on display in this palace that he works, and he's kind of pocketed it as he's running out the door to then, you know, flee Russia. So what about Alexandra, that year then? Well, 1901 bought her the Basket of Flowers egg, which is very different from any of the other eggs, and kind of, almost camp, in a way, it's very like OTT. So, the egg itself is obviously oval-shaped, right?

• 6:26Speaker 03

  Like a normal egg, in silver gilt and oyster-galosh enamel, but it has this huge kind of handle, right, on top, which makes it look like a basket. On top of the egg, on the kind of cap, is then enamel wildflowers, leaves, and husks, which makes this thing look like a little arrangement of flowers coming out of the top, something which Alexandra loved so much that she kept it in her study at Winter Palace, which is where it was during the revolution. And it was actually damaged when, you know, during the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks kind of stormed the Winter Palace and knocked it off her desk. After which, it was then acquired for very low cost by British Queen Mary, who had it

• 7:07Speaker 03

  re-enamelled in blue, possibly sometime between 1933 and 1949. Now, let's pause for a second, guys, right? So at this point, we're at 1902. And these eggs kept coming to a year until 1916. So if we do the maths here, that leaves 28 eggs left to discuss, which I would love to do all day and just be here, you know, 24/7 with you on a live stream. But we've got to keep it moving, right? It's a Friday, we've got places to be, schnitzels to eat, period dramas to watch. So I'm gonna make the executive decision here to just talk about 10 of them. And let me tell you, guys, I promise you won't be disappointed. These are some of the most fabulous, spectacular, and famous eggs.

• 7:48Speaker 03

  So let's move up to 1903, where we get the Peter the Great egg, which again, is one of the more historically resonant eggs of the entire collection, gifted to Mama Maria in celebration of the founding of St Petersburg by Peter the Great 200 years before. Which, you know, for Faberge is a pretty high task. He basically has to squeeze 200 years of imperial ambition into this tiny little egg, something which was made all the more difficult by the passing of Mikhail Herkin, who was one of Faberge's most skilled jewellers and one of the key figures responsible for the crafting of many of the prior eggs, which historians consider the real kind of golden age of Faberge craftsmanship.

• 8:32Speaker 03

  So this is a huge, huge loss for Faberge here, and a pretty big kink in the road for the production of this egg, which was taken over by Henrik Wiggström.

• 8:44Speaker 03

  So how does he pull this together then? Well, the egg was made on a gold armature and covered in translucent enamel. So the whole egg itself is gold and shiny. As for the details, there are enamel double-headed eagles, again, the emblem of the Romanov Dynasty, set with blinding diamonds and rubies. As for the surprise, this one was pure theatre. Okay, so first you open the egg, right? And inside you find a mini gold statue of Peter the Great, modelled after the Equestrian monument in St Petersburg, known as the Bronze Horseman. But that's not all. He is then mounted on a giant sapphire and is designed to mechanically rise from within the egg

• 9:28Speaker 03

  like a phoenix rising from the fucking ashes, which required a significant effort of engineering, given the weight of the figure in gold and the actual sapphire. Now, this egg was also sold off by the communist government, which was kind of surprising. And to be honest, I am really extra surprised that no oligarchs have tried to get this thing back, because it is not like flowers or birds, right? This is a symbol of Russia itself, a testament to empire in history. But instead, it is housed in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in the USA. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, I think, has like four or five. I should really make a trip if I'm allowed in the country from all the smack I talk.

• 10:13Speaker 03

  Anyway, um, speaking of oligarchs with overlording power, I want to mention a man named Viktor Vexelberg, which yes, this man does sound like a villain from Despicable Me or The Incredibles, but he is very, very real. And he is a Russian billionaire who made his money in aluminium and now owns the largest private collection of Faberge eggs in the world, which he has spent endless hours and many, many, many millions acquiring for the Faberge Museum, which he owns and founded, and you know, of course, for kind of Russia's cultural heritage. So how did Viktor acquire all of these eggs? Well, the majority of them were grabbed all at once in 2004,

• 10:57Speaker 03

  when the Forbes family auctioned off all nine of Malcolm Forbes's eggs. Um, you know, they were going to be sold, I believe it was at Sotheby's. But before that could even take place, Vexelberg stepped in and bought the entire collection in a private sale for around, an estimate, we don't actually know the official price here, it wasn't disclosed, but around a hundred million US dollars, again in 2004. When asked about his motivation here, he said he wasn't simply collecting art, but rather he wanted to bring these national treasures back to Russia after decades abroad, describing the collection as, quote, "perhaps the most significant example of our cultural heritage outside Russia." But there's some eggs that not even Vexelberg can get his hands on.

• 11:40Speaker 03

  And those are the eggs from 1904 to 1905, because guess what? They don't exist. Yeah, for the first time in imperial history, there were no Faberge imperial eggs made, because Russia was at war.

• 11:59Speaker 04

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• 12:28Speaker 01

  Hey, Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. Now, I don't know if you've heard, but Mint's premium wireless is $15 a month. But I'd like to offer one other perk. We have no stores. That means no small talk. Crazy weather we're having. No, it's not. It's just weather. It is an introvert's dream. Give it a try at mintmobile.com/switch.

• 12:51Speaker 02

  Upfront payment of $45 for three-month plan. $15 per month equivalent required. New customer offer first three months only. Then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com.

• 12:59Speaker 03

  Starting in February 1904, tensions between Russia and the rapidly modernising empire of Japan erupted into what would be known as the Russo-Japanese War, with both nations' ambitions to expand their influence in Korea and Manchuria leading to conflict which would become one of the greatest military disasters in Russian history. And that's saying something, guys, because Russia's entire military strategy throughout human history has basically been, "we've got more people to go and fight and die than you do," right? So this was like objectively just fucking terrible. And because of this conflict and, you know, I guess recognizing,

• 13:43Speaker 03

  you know, that dropping bags and bags of coin on bejeweled eggs maybe isn't the best use of funds, Nicholas didn't order any eggs from Faberge during these two years, which may seem, you know, kind of, is Faberge like struggling? It's a pretty big hit on his end. After all, he could kind of guess every year that he was going to get at least two commissions from the imperial family. But don't stress, guys, he was fine. Business had actually boomed for Faberge since the turn of the century. And by 1905, he had workshops in Moscow or Moscow. I never know which one it is. Sorry if I'm offending anybody by saying either of those. You know what I mean? Moscow, Kiev and London, where he employed over 500 people. But the imperial orders did eventually come back in 1906

• 14:27Speaker 03

  and continued to become more and more extravagant, including the 1908 Peacock Egg presented by the Tsar before his mother. Now, this one was inspired by the lavish mechanical technology of the early 20th century. And as such, Faberge designed one of the most technically remarkable eggs for this year, featuring a shell of translucent white enamel over a gold galosh ground. The egg was then mounted on an ornate rococo-style gold stand decorated with diamonds and pearls. So like gorgeous, right? But, you know, kind of a standard egg. What does set it apart, however, was the surprise. A miniature mechanical peacock made of gold and enamel, which could be wound up, after which the bird pretty much came to life.

• 15:12Speaker 03

  Like, it's like Jurassic Park, but not. Through intricate animatronics, the peacock raised and spread its tail feathers, turned its head and opened its beak, combining exquisite artistry with ingenious engineering, something which was so widely recognised as genius that not even the Bolsheviks could sell this. That's when you know it's like properly incredible, right? When not even they're willing to sell it for cash. Instead, the egg and surprise both remained in the Kremlin and are now on display in the Kremlin Armourie Museum in Moscow, Moscow, whichever one it is. Jumping forward a year to 1909,

• 15:55Speaker 03

  we have yet another stupidly detailed egg which Nicholas gifted his wife. This one's one of like, I wouldn't say my favourite, but like definitely the most interesting. It also has a really fascinating history. It is the Standard Yacht Egg. And this is one of the bigger eggs in terms of actual size, which was given to celebrate the family's happiest years spent abroad, the Imperial Yacht Standard, which we have lots and lots of video footage to kind of testament to this, guys. The Romanovs used it to kind of travel to England and Europe. They hung out a lot with, you know, the, I mean, they weren't called the Windsors yet, but the British Royals and kind of see the other various family members. So lots of happy memories with this. As for the egg itself, it was crafted from rock crystal. So again, see-through, right?

• 16:40Speaker 03

  Kind of, you know, this snow globe kind of effect, which revealed the surprise inside. A detailed miniature model of the standard made from gold and platinum, which was painstakingly made to replicate every feature on board. It had the four funnels of the boat. It had lifeboats, deck chairs, rigging, everything. This egg was then mounted on a richly decorated gold base with enamel diamonds and aquamarines designed to evoke the sea. So great symbolism here, very detailed, very personal. This egg too was seen of greater value by the Bolsheviks, who kept it in the armoury and again, can be seen in the Kremlin Armourie Museum in Moscow today,

• 17:25Speaker 03

  unlike the actual standard yacht, which was laid up at the outbreak of the First World War and then seized by revolutionary sailors, who stripped out the luxurious interiors, which included mahogany panelling, crystal chandeliers and of course, the Romanovs' personal furnishings, instead replacing them with standard equipment before going on to serve in World War II as a Soviet mine layer, which basically, you know, laying sea mines and bombarding German positions in the defence of Leningrad, after which it was scrapped in 1963. So a bit of, you know, extra hot history there for you guys. And again, I think the fact that it served a bigger role is probably why they also kept this one. All right, let's move it up to 1911, which my best bet is gonna be a big favourite of you

• 18:10Speaker 03

  guys watching along right now, because it is the bay tree egg. So this one was presented in 1911 by the Tsar to Maria, and unlike almost all the other Imperial Faberge eggs, this one doesn't resemble an egg at all. Instead, it takes the form of an elegant bay tree, growing in a white enamel planter with finely carved nephrite jade leaves, clusters of amethyst berries, and branches of chaste gold, which was deeply symbolic here, guys. You see, this wasn't just any other year for Maria Viterovna. It was the 30th anniversary of her own coronation as Empress and the 45th anniversary of her marriage to Alexander II.

• 18:52Speaker 03

  So Nicholas, wanting to celebrate this, and Faberge, wanting to, you know, have great symbolism here, designed the bay tree, which in classical tradition represents eternal life, honour, victory, and enduring love. So again, really personal here, which had yet another mechanical surprise. Concealed as one of the berries on the tree was a button, which you simply pushed, and from it, a tiny mechanical songbird sprang from the top of the tree, which again, opens its beak, flaps its wings, turns its head, and actually chirped a little tune, before then disappearing back into the leaves. So again, guys, the theatre here, right?

• 19:36Speaker 03

  Not only personal, not only beautiful, not only incredible engineering here, but the theatre. And I'm sure that not knowing, right, every year what the egg was, or what the surprise you were gonna get, made these women even crazier to get these eggs. Something which the Bolsheviks recognised themselves, holding on to the bay tree egg for a while, but eventually then selling it in 1934 to the London jewellers Wartzki, where it was purchased by Charles Parsons, a British collector, before then again landing in the Forbes collection, and therefore Vexelberg. So it's now in the Faberge Museum in St Petersburg. But what about Alexandra?

• 20:16Speaker 03

  Well, it turns out 1911 was a pretty big year for her too, celebrating the 15th anniversary of the pair's coronation and ascension to the Russian throne, which Nicholas commemorated with the 15th anniversary egg, which, guys, this is in my top three. It's not in most people's top three, but I just love this one. You know, it's, it's, it's really personal, um, it's not by any means the most flashy, but like, I think it's fabulous, featuring 18 miniature portraits painted on ivory and framed by diamonds depicting Nicholas and Alexandra, their five children, and really significant moments from their reign, including their wedding, coronation, and favourite Imperial residences.

• 20:58Speaker 03

  So basically, guys, this Faberge egg is like a photo album of their 15 years together, but painted on little tiny panels on a fucking egg. Right? Like, it's wild, and it is really proper craftsmanship. Um, and again, I personally, anyway, I think the mechanical surprises, you know, all the amazing enamel work, the engraving, everything like that, is incredible, but for me, it's those miniaturist paintings. I just, I cannot wrap my head around that. I can barely fucking paint my dog on like a normal scale, let alone a mini-scale, exact replica of the Tsar of Russia. Like, how do people do this?

• 21:43Speaker 03

  I'm always blown away, away by the talent here. So, again, I love this one. Um, inside, there was also more kind of miniatures, so a big, um, a big celebration, right, of Nicholas and Alexandra's time in 1911. And I do wanna note, right, around this time, 1911-ish, political unrest was on the rise at this time, which I think is, you know, even more, just shows this kind of dichotomy, where you have this egg, which captures the real patriotic, dynastic celebration, while the country outside the palace walls was like bubbling away, which is probably why Malcolm Forbes wanted this one so badly, and why Vexelberg said the eggs reflected the country's heritage so much.

• 22:25Speaker 03

  So, um, both of them, uh, purchased these eggs, um, and kind of are prominently displayed as part of their collections. Again, this one is therefore in the Faberge Museum in St Petersburg. Next up is not one of the most visually impressive of the set, but certainly, I think, anyway, politically, uh, meaningful, and that is the 1912 Zarevich egg, gifted by the Tsar to Alexandra as a tribute to their only son and heir, Zarevich Alexei, whose battle with hemophilia had become a constant source of anxiety for the Imperial family since his birth in 1904. So this isn't in celebration, like, of his birth, and he's here, and we've got an heir. It wasn't for that.

• 23:08Speaker 03

  This was a celebration of the work that Alexandra in particular had really done to keep him alive, something which, of course, you know, did involve bringing Rasputin into the mix, which, to be fair, now that I think about it, I am surprised that there wasn't a Rasputin Faberge egg, or at least like a Siberian kind of tribute egg to him, like that would, or he was at least a surprise, like, that's kind of, kind of crazy. I think Faberge probably was like, I'm not putting that ugly motherfucker on an egg, right? But anyway, this egg was for Alexei, and was crafted in his favourite colour, a deep blue lapis lazuli enamel, which was richly decorated with gold, diamonds, and double-headed Imperial eagle.

• 23:51Speaker 03

  So, very, very Russian. As for the surprise, it was one of Faberge's finest mechanical works, a miniature, double-headed Imperial eagle made of gold, perched on a pedestal, which you pressed, and the eagle's wings spread majestically, while its head turned from side to side, which again, was meant to symbolise the, the hopes of the Imperial couple, that their son would rise as the future of the Romanov dynasty, which we know would not be the case. But, you know, this egg kind of symbolised what they wanted, but also reflected this, this kind of anxiety that Alex had endured with Alexei's health, and was testament to that. So what then happened to this one?

• 24:33Speaker 03

  Well, it was sold in 1930 by the Antiques Agency Antique Fairytale for 8,000 rubles to Arm & Hammer, who then sold it for a much larger sum to Lilian Thomas Pratt, a prominent American collector of Faberge, who placed it along with his entire Faberge collection in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, where it remains today, and where just, like, as we're going through each of these, I'm getting closer to booking my ticket too, guys. If you are in Maryland, or anywhere around, can you DM me if you've been to, um, if you've been to this, because it sounds amazing? But next up on our list, my divas, it is the number one. All right, this is the universal, undisputed, greatest Imperial Faberge egg, which very

• 25:17Speaker 03

  recently set the record for the most expensive Faberge item ever sold. I am, of course, talking about the Imperial Winter Egg of 1913, which, divas, let me tell you, I have seen with my own eyes, before it was sold at Christie's last year, again, for 30 million US dollars. So what is it then? Well, the Winter Egg was made for Maria Viterovna, primarily from rock crystal, and was designed to resemble a block of ice dusted with frost, which it actually does look like, guys. Like, it's, it's got these very fine, um, kind of detailed little snowflake motifs made

• 25:54Speaker 03

  from platinum, and 4,500 rose-cut, individually-placed diamonds, which give the whole egg this kind of magical shine and sparkle. It looks like ice. The symbolism here as well being the end of winter, which was kind of melting into this new era. Again, 1913 is really prominent here, it was the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, so kind of key symbolism. As for the surprise, it is this divine hanging basket filled with wood animones made from white quartz, nephrite, and garnets, which I love, of course, for its beauty, but also, my divas, because this was designed by a woman.

• 26:35Speaker 03

  One of the most gifted designers ever to work for the House of Faberge, Alma Pill was trained by her grandfather, August Holstrom, who was one of Faberge's earliest and most important headworkmasters, so this was absolutely in the blood for her. And honestly, Alma blew all the other men out of the water, for both her creativity with design, and the skills she brought to these incredible masterpieces. They're so realistic, guys. The inspiration for this one in particular kind of struck her when she was, um, at her workbench, and she was looking out at the windowpane where a frost pattern emerged. Inspired, she sketched the delicate crystalline design, and went on to select quartz, which

• 27:19Speaker 03

  was notoriously difficult to work with, and notoriously expensive for this egg. In fact, the Winter Egg was literally the third most expensive egg that Faberge sold to Nicholas ever, who purchased it, hang on to your hats here, for 24,600 rubles at the time, or approximately 2.5 million US dollars today, for an Easter egg, while the country was starving. Like, you look at stuff like this, and you're like, no wonder there was a revolution, right? Speaking of which, what happened to the egg after this? Well, regarded by Faberge himself as one of the finest creations ever to leave his workshops, the Bolsheviks knew they could get a good price for the Winter Egg, selling it to Wartzki,

• 28:02Speaker 03

  the British antique dealer, who brought the egg for 450 pounds at the time, which, mind you, that was about 46,181 pounds today, but still, it doesn't even constitute a fraction of what Nicholas bought for it. Then, it was sold at Christie's Geneva in 1994 for 5.6 million US dollars, which set the record for the highest price ever paid for a Faberge object, which it then broke again in 2002, when Christie's New York sold the egg for 9.56 million US dollars to Prince Saud bin Mohammed Al Thani of Qatar, who then sold it in December 2025 via Christie's London for, like I said, 30.2 million US dollars. And guess what, divas?

• 28:47Speaker 03

  I was there.

• 28:51Speaker 03

  Yep. Sat between one of India's most prolific diamond dealers who had the biggest ruby pinky ring I've ever seen in my entire fucking life and a huge, big, burly Russian man on the other side of me. I got the chance to view other objects from the Faberge collection, including a mini egg, which I got to hold, several charm necklaces, which I got to wear, a stationery set, a picture frame, and so much more. And let me tell you, I get why the Russians and the royal courts beyond in Europe were obsessed with these things, guys. They are divine, but all of them paller in comparison to the egg, which was genuinely an out of body experience here, guys.

• 29:35Speaker 03

  Like, I cannot, I cannot iterate enough how crazy it was. I had to go through two metal detectors into this private, black viewing room where a light in a wall got switched on. Like, so it was like a black room and then it's just like God, like the, like, light of God appears. And there, on a mechanical pedestal, was the egg. Just me and it. It was fucking wild. If you want to hear more about it, I've written a piece on Substack, which I will, um, link in the show notes, but the sale was also incredible, guys. Like, it, it had this real sense of, um, like, obviously anticipation, there was so much press there as well, but it has this real sense of cyclical dynasty to it.

• 30:20Speaker 03

  As Watzke, the original London antique dealer, first acquired the egg after the revolution, actually won out against Vexelberg and other dealers. So basically, divas. Key takeaway here from today, if nothing else, other than keep your eyes peeled when, um, you're thrifting, is forget about the BP and Apple stocks and get your hands on a Faberge egg instead, because the ROI here...

• 30:44Speaker 04

  Whenever fall comes back around, it always feels like a fresh start. This year, I've been layering in some styles from the new Lululemon fall drop, because the weather is shifting and I find I have to be ready for the entire day and not just one part of it. Lululemon's fall line has some really versatile transitional pieces, so I can just wake up, throw on a matching set, add a jacket or a fleece, and head out, knowing that I'll feel comfortable enough to go wherever the day takes me. Check out the new fall arrivals in store and online now at lululemon.com.

• 31:14Speaker 01

  Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile, with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of, everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just fifteen dollars a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com/switch.

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  Upfront payment of forty-five dollars for three-month plan, equivalent to fifteen dollars per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com.

• 31:43Speaker 03

  Astronomical.

• 31:46Speaker 03

  So what's next then? Well, given we are in our Alma Pill era, let's look at her next creation, which was for the Tsarina in nineteen fourteen, and this one is another super unique design known as the Mosaic Egg. This is largely famous today thanks to its prior owner showing it off to a very young Kate Middleton. That's right, Queen Elizabeth the Second. Well, now, I mean, it's, it's King Charles. But what is the Mosaic Egg? Well, it was the most expensive egg ever sold to Nicholas, coming in at twenty-eight thousand, three hundred rubles in nineteen fourteen, which is no surprise, because the whole shell is one hundred percent gemstones, all arranged in a mosaic pattern, kind of to look like this mosaic and kind of cross-stitch design.

• 32:32Speaker 03

  Constituted of tiny diamonds, rubies, topaz, sapphires, pearls, and emeralds, which were all perfectly cut, polished, and calibrated to fill the various spaces, it is finished off with Alexandra's monogram and the dates of nineteen fourteen, set beneath a giant moonstone at the egg's apex. As for the surprise, well, it was a medallion painted on ivory with portraits of the couple's five children on one side, and a basket of flowers and their names on the other, which featured eighteen pearls, two brilliant diamonds, six hundred and ninety-two rose-cut diamonds, and two hundred and thirteen crystal lights topped off, just because that's not enough, with an imperial crown for the frame of the portrait.

• 33:17Speaker 03

  So, expensive, my divas. Which, again, let us remember, nineteen fourteen is the very year the First World War began. So this is terrible timing to be dropping over two point five million US dollars today on an Easter present. Now, as we already said, this one is currently in the royal collection of the British royal family, who were close relatives of the Romanovs, thanks primarily to Maria Theodorovna, a link which British King George the Third wanted to have a physical reminder of purchasing the Mosaic Egg in nineteen thirty-three, we think, for Queen Mary's birthday on the twenty-sixth of May.

• 33:58Speaker 03

  Also, key to note here, guys, Maria's egg from this year, which we don't have time to cover, but was called Catherine the Great Egg, was also worth twenty-six thousand, eight hundred rubles. So in total, in nineteen fourteen, Tsar Nicholas the Second spent over five million US dollars today on these eggs. Yeah. Which, you may be thinking, well, that's obviously a fuck ton, but like, you know, with the Russo-Japanese War, he obviously stopped this once World War One was truly up and running, but eh, you would be incorrect in this assumption. If this doesn't, right, just sum up the idiocy and ignorance and like outright blind arrogance

• 34:40Speaker 03

  of Nicholas the Second, he continued to buy his mother and wife Faberge eggs each Easter in both nineteen fifteen and nineteen sixteen. And while, yes, they were scaled back, which we'll get to in a minute, it's just unfathomable, right? That something so frivolous and exorbitant was a priority while his nation was at war? And FYI, political dissent was building. So again, like, it's no wonder the revolution came. Which brings us to the final two Faberge eggs of nineteen sixteen, the first of which captures the spirit of the First World War, or at least in imperial circles, you know, it's not showing blood and guts and famine, but rather the Order of Saint George.

• 35:22Speaker 03

  Presented by Nicholas to his mother, the Order of Saint George Egg was crafted from gold and white enamel and was adorned with four black and orange crosses of the Order of Saint George, Russia's highest military decoration for bravery, and framed by the imperial double-headed eagle. Hidden inside are two oval miniature portraits. One is Tsar Nicholas the Second, wearing the Order of Saint George, which he had been awarded for, uh, just going and visiting the front. Yeah, literally just taking a trip, he is a little medal. And the other, of course, for Tsarevich Alexei, who had been named honorary attoman of the Cossack regiments. Again, the irony here being he was actually holed up with debilitating hemophilia, but,

• 36:06Speaker 03

  you know, such is the delusion at this point, right? Regardless of this, though, Maria Theodorovna cherished the Order of Saint George Egg, so much so that she took it with her when she fled Russia after the revolution, making it one of the few imperial eggs to remain in the possession of its original recipient. Spending the rest of her life in exile in Denmark, Maria reportedly had the egg by her bedside, the only one of her collection, and largely a reminder of her family to make it out of Russia alive, and then passed to her daughter, Grand Duchess Senior, who also treasured it. After her death in nineteen sixty, it was then sold at Sotheby's to the Faberge Company before being purchased by Malcolm Forbes and then, by extension, Victor Vexelberg in

• 36:48Speaker 03

  two thousand and four, which means, again, it is currently in the Faberge Museum in Saint Petersburg. So that is Maria's last egg, right? But what about the Tsarina? What did Alexandra get in nineteen sixteen? Well, this year, she received the steel military egg, which, as its name suggests, was a dramatic departure from the lavish diamond-encrusted creations of previous years. Instead, being crafted primarily from polished steel rather than gold, resting on a base made from four artillery shells and decorated only with modest gold details and the imperial eagle, which, you know, I, I do, I do think we can all appreciate the budget reduction

• 37:32Speaker 03

  here, and Nicholas's want to treat his wife with a present, right? We should never, like, disregard that, but maybe you could have just gone with a chunky egg this year, you know? Have a look around, smell the roses, which are all rotten and dying, like corpses of your people, and go, mm, maybe no egg this year. But no, he wouldn't do that. As for the surprise inside, this was a miniature easel displaying a watercolor painting of Tsar Nicholas the Second inspecting Russian troops at the front, surrounded by his son, Alexei, and senior military commanders, which was meant to celebrate the Tsar's role as commandery chief, which, again, would be one of the reasons for the Romanov's great downfall.

• 38:16Speaker 03

  So just delusion these last ones. Something which the Bolsheviks actually wanted to remember, right? They could have sold this egg off and been like, fuck this guy, look how stupid he is. No, they kept this egg in the armory and actually cared for it quite well, with the steel exterior, which is prone to corrosion, beginning to rust, leading conservators to polish and preserve the deteriorating surface, leaving it with the bright silver appearance it has today, which can be seen at the Kremlin Armory Museum. Also, just like out of all of these, this is the most, like, Soviet style and looking, like, it's got kind of, kind of brutalist in a way, to be honest.

• 38:56Speaker 03

  Which does bring us to the end. You thought I was gonna say the episode, of course not divas, we've got to finish this out, it brings us to the end of Easter, right? 1917, a time where there were not only no more imperial Faberge eggs, but no imperial family. Yes, you see my divas, after more than 300 years of Romanov rule, the Russian people were done, and the doom of the Tsars, the Russian Revolution, came bearing down in February. Finally, after years of war and famine and severe autocratic punishment, the Russian bear was waking up, and by March 1917, Tsarnaev II abdicated the throne.

• 39:37Speaker 03

  With the stroke of his pen, 300 years of Russian history came crushing down on the heads of the Romanovs and their treasury, which was seized at first by the provisional government, who were later deposed in October that same year by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks. This, of course, included many of the famed Faberge eggs, which, as we've already said, were largely sold off, shipped out, and kind of auctioned offshore for cash to fund the growing Soviet Union. All the while, the Tsar and his family were being moved around the country, from palaces to governess mansions, to a small house of special purpose in rural Siberia, where, on the night of July 17, 1918, the whole family were taken to the cellar and assassinated.

• 40:21Speaker 03

  Their bodies burned and buried for over 80 years before they were found, during which time, Romanov mania took hold. From conspiracy theories of escaped grand duchesses, long-lost heirs, and hidden Swiss bank accounts, the mystique and allure of the last imperial family of Russia only increased the value of their treasures. Chief amongst them, of course, the Faberge eggs. Which again, guys, you need only look to December last year to see just how much hysteria for the Romanovs still grips us, and how much people are willing to pay to get their hands on just a tiny fraction of it, right?

• 41:02Speaker 03

  An egg, something that the Tsar, the Tsarina, the Dowager Empress touched with their own hands. But there was someone else who was instrumental in their creation.

• 41:17Speaker 03

  Their maker, right? The man whose name is almost as famous as the Romanovs themselves. What happened to Faberge? Well, up until 1917, the Faberge Company became the largest jewellery business in Russia, and largely the most sought after in Europe, which is why, when the February Revolution overthrew the Tsar, Faberge himself believed the impact of the upheaval on his business at least, would be temporary. However, after the October Revolution brought the Bolsheviks to power, it quickly became clear that there would be no future for the business or him, under this new regime.

• 42:00Speaker 03

  As a key symbol of the kind of bourgeois aristocratic excess that the Romanovs embodied, the Bolsheviks moved swiftly in 1918 to nationalise Faberge's workshops under decrees which abolished private ownership of major businesses. Overnight, the company was effectively confiscated, with stock, jewellery, precious metals, gemstones, unfinished works, documents, designs, and receipts, all seized, and many of the firm's craftsmen being threatened with punishment and even death. The result of which saw the finest masters disperse or flee Russia entirely, while Faberge himself remained in Petrograd, but not for long.

• 42:44Speaker 03

  Never willing to break his connection or reverence for the Romanov family even after their executions, Karl feared he would be arrested, so a group of Romanov loyalists gathered to arrange for his extradition. Disguised as a diplomatic courier, Faberge escaped to Riga, then to Berlin, where he was reunited with members of his family, but had left behind all he had, including his vast wealth. The loss devastated him, and according to those close to him, he struggled to come to terms with the destruction of both his life's work and his nation, something which he had witnessed firsthand crafting pieces in commemoration of. And apparently, after hearing the imperial family had been murdered, he is said to have

• 43:28Speaker 03

  remarked, "There is no life for me anymore." After this, Faberge moved to Switzerland, hoping the quieter climate would improve his failing health, but no one can outrun death. So it was here, in exile, that he died on the 24th of September 1920, aged 74. This was obviously a huge loss for the 20th century jewellery industry. After all, Faberge was a master jeweler with an expert level knowledge of both historical styles and periods, which allowed him to tap into inspiration as far back as, you know, ancient Greece, while also studying lavish royal court tradition and cutting-edge technology.

• 44:10Speaker 03

  So basically, what I'm hearing here, guys, is that Karl Faberge was quite the hot historian himself, but when serving the rich, the famous, the imperious, right? Proximity can be just as deadly as it is divine. Which in Karl's case, couldn't be more true. As for the business, well, like we said, the original house of Faberge ceased to exist, but several of his sons continued working as jewellers in exile before setting up the Faberge and Say Company in Paris in 1924 with former master craftsman Francois Babon. Here, they created jewellery in the traditional Faberge style for Russian emigres and wealthy European clients.

• 44:53Speaker 03

  However, the reality was, the business never regained the scale or prestige of the imperial workshops, which only grew in fascination as the years passed, which is largely the only reason that the Faberge name and legend loom so large, linked really in depth, right? For its association to a lost world, a lost time, a lost potential for what could have been, something which these eggs in part keep alive, as though owning them, catching them, being in the same room as them, something I can speak to, you know, myself. It almost feels like something's gonna hatch forth. The world, history, will change as a result of it.

• 45:39Speaker 03

  But of course, it doesn't, and it can't. Which brings us to the end of another episode of Hot History, guys. Thank you so, so much for listening along. I really do love diving into imperial history with you all, hearing your takes, which is why I am here to very excitedly announce that in September, we are doing a four-part, six-hour-long series, deep diving into the lives and world of the Romanovs. From the rise of Nicholas II and the relationship between his father and grandfather, the family, including his marriage to Alexandra and their children, the fall, featuring none other than the mad monk himself, Rasputin, as well as other key players, famine, war, you know, terrible decision-making amongst them, and of course, the fallout post-revolution.

• 46:24Speaker 03

  What happened to the family, both immediate and distant? How did they live under house arrest? Why did they have to die? And what did the USSR really look like? And the tragedy that is Alexei and Maria's remains currently being held in a lab. All that and so much more in September, which I know, guys, does feel like a million years away, but I promise it will come up so quickly. And until then, don't you worry, I have so much hot history planned for you all, including next week's episode on the original It Girl. Okay? The muse of Taylor Swift and one of the highest requested episodes to date, Clarabo. As always, guys, if you are looking for some more hot history before then, you can

• 47:07Speaker 03

  follow us on Instagram and Substack at Hot History Club, and on YouTube and TikTok at hot dot history. It has been a pleasure getting down and dirty in time with you, and I will speak to you all shortly. Thanks, guys, love you, bye.

• 47:26Speaker 00

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