MOSCOW.- The Moscow Kremlin Museums became the recipient of the Fabergé family archive bequeathed to the museum earlier this year by its former owner and direct descendant – the great-granddaughter of the court jeweller himself, Tatiana Fabergé. She died in France in February 2020, and according to her will, the museum received the bulk of the family’s archival documents for the purposes of research and study.

The specialists of the Moscow Kremlin Museums had known Tatyana Fabergé since 1992 – the year when the "World of Fabergé" – a landmark project, among the first ones in Russia to pay the exclusive tribute to the heritage of the master, – took place. The family archive itself entered the Kremlin Museums’ collection in September 2020. The documents and family memorabilia contained there correspond to the period, stretching over 100 years and witness the life of the Fabergé family throughout the whole 20th century.




After the founders of the House of Fabergé fled Russia, the history of the firm was not consistently or comprehensively researched, so, the newly received documents will throw new light upon the life of the Fabergé descendants and their work in exile. The archive contains numerous documents, personal items, the jewellery-making tools of the master himself, sketches and models of the jewellery pieces, and valuable photographs capturing the history of the famous jewellery house and of the Fabergé dynasty. The surviving sketches offer to future researchers the opportunity to trace the preparatory stages for Fabergé’s masterpieces and glimpse into his creative process. In addition, the archive also holds important documents of the Sheremetev family, as they were Tatyana Fabergé’s relatives on the maternal side.

Of great interest are also the auction catalogues, listing some of the Fabergé house pieces, with catalogue entries and notes written by the members of the Fabergé family, who authenticated the objects, offered for sale, confirming their value and provenance. An individual album of photographs contains images of selected Easter eggs, also including the addenda to the imperial gift sets. Having studied the photographs, the researchers were able to verify and identify the additional pieces made for to the precious "Bouquet of Lilies" Easter Egg, now in the Armoury Chamber collection.

In compliance with Tatyana Fabergé 's will, the archival and photographic materials listed and studied by the staff of the Moscow Kremlin Museums will be made available in the museum archive to all researchers and scholars, as the oeuvre of Carl Fabergé invariably stirs interest not only in Russia, but around the world.