Moscow Kremlin (Fabergé egg)
The Moscow Kremlin Egg (or the Uspenski Cathedral Egg) is a jewelled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1906, for the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II.
Tsar Nicholas presented the egg to his wife, the Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna.
Craftsmanship
This is by far the largest of the eggs and was inspired by the architecture of the Cathedral of the Assumption (Uspenski) in Moscow. The reason for this was because this was once where all the Russian Tsars were crowned, including Nicholas.
The Cathedral dome (in white opalescent enamel) is removable, and the remarkably crafted interior of the church can be seen with its carpets, tiny enameled icons and High Altar on an oval glass plate is made visible through four triple windows, surmounted by a gold cupola; flanked by two square and two circular stylized turrets, the former based on the Spassky Tower. The tower bears the coat-of-arms' of the Russian Empire and Moscow, inset with 'chiming clocks'. It stands on a crenelated gold base and octagonal white onyx plinth that's designed as a pyramid and is bult of smaller pyramids
It is currently held in the Kremlin Armoury Museum in Moscow.
Surprise
The surprise in this egg is music. The base of the egg contains a gold 'music box' that plays two cherubim chants, traditional Easter hymns can be played when a clockwork mechanism is wound up by a gold key. One of the hymns is the "Izhe Khveruviny", a favourite hymn of Tsar Nicholas.
History of the Egg
The egg commemorates the return to Moscow of the royal couple Nicholas and Alexandra in 1903. They earlier avoided the capital because during their coronation, hundreds of Moscovites were crushed to death. The egg itself was supposed to be presented in 1904 as engraved at the foot in white enamel on a round gold plate is the date. But the delivery was delayed because of the Russo-Japanese War. Then, in 1905 Nicholas' favourite uncle and brother-in-law, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was assasinated in the Kremlin. So instead the egg was presented in 1906.