Month: December 2025

Fabergé’s Imperial Winter Egg sells for over $30 million USD

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

On 2nd December 2025, Carl Fabergé’s legendary Winter Egg sold at auction for more than $30.2 million USD to an anonymous buyer. For the third time in its history, the Winter Egg is now the most valuable Fabergé item ever sold.

The Winter Egg was first sold by Christie’s in 1994 for 7.3 million Swiss francs, setting what was then a world record for a Fabergé item. Eight years later, in 2002, the egg broke its own record when it fetched $9.6 million at a Christie’s auction in New York City.

The Winter Egg was presented to the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna by her son, Emperor Nicholas II as an Easter gift in 1913. What makes this particular egg so rare, is that for the first time in the history of the Imperial Easter Eggs, the design was created by a woman: Alma Theresia Pihl-Klee (1888-1976), the niece of the master August Wilhelm Holmström (1829-1903), who brought this project to life.

PHOTO: Alma Theresia Pihl-Klee (1888-1976)

Margo Oganesian, Christie’s head of department for Fabergé and Russian works of art, said: “Christie’s is honoured to have been entrusted with the sale of the exquisite Winter Egg by Fabergé for the third time in our history.

“Today’s result sets a new world auction record for a work by Fabergé, reaffirming the enduring significance of this masterpiece and celebrating the rarity and brilliance of what is widely regarded as one of Fabergé’s finest creations, both technically and artistically.

“With only a handful of imperial Easter eggs remaining in private hands, this was an exceptional and historic opportunity for collectors to acquire a work of unparalleled importance.”

The author of this article believes that the Winter Egg should be returned to Russia, where it originated and where it belongs today. It would be a most kind and generous gesture on the part of the anonymous buyer to gift it to either the Fabergé Museum in St. Petersburg – which has 9 Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs – or the Armoury of the Moscow Kremlin, which has 10 Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs.

FURTHER READING:

The Imperial legacy of Carl Fabergé (1846-1920) + PHOTOS

Christie’s to auction Fabergé’s legendary “Winter Egg” – again!

© Paul Gilbert. 10 December 2025

NEW BOOK – Sovereign No. 16 (Winter 2026)

Posted on by Paul Gilbert

*You can order this title from most AMAZON outlets, including
the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia,
France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Sweden,
Brazil, Mexico and Japan
*Note: prices are quoted in local currencies

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE PAPERBACK EDITION @ $20.00 USD

English. Large format 8-1/2″ x 11-1/2″. 132 pages. 124 Black & White photos

The No. 16 Winter 2026 issue of SOVEREIGN features 28 articles about Russia’s last Tsar, his family, the Romanov dynasty and the history of Imperial Russia. These articles have been researched and written by independent historian and author Paul Gilbert. His works are based on new research from Russian archival and media sources.

Please note, that this issue features 3 articles researched and written by Russian historians (see list below). These articles have been translated and published and published in English for the first time.

In an effort to preserve his 30+ years of research, the author has reproduced a selection of the more than 950 articles he has written for his blog. They are made available in a printed format for the first time. The author has updated many of the articles in this issue with additional information and photos. In addition, this issue features one new First English translation.

The No. 15 issue features the following 28 articles:

[1] Nicholas II’s visits to the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent in Moscow – 1912, 1913 and 1914

[2] 25th anniversary of the canonization of Nicholas II by the Moscow Patriarchate

[3] Empress Alexandra Feodorovna’s photo album sells at St. Petersburg auction

[4] Lord Mountbatten’s letter regarding Anna Anderson

[5] Monument to Nicholas II and his family to be installed in Mogilev

[6] New monument to Nicholas II installed in Krasnodar

[7] The fate of the kokshniks presented to OTMA in Kostroma (1913)

[8] Divine Liturgy for the Imperial Family performed in the Winter Palace

[9] Thousands of items at Pavlovsk, have not been return to the Alexander Palace

[10] Faithful to the End: Prince Vasily Alexandrovich Dolgorukov

[11] The Great Imperial Crown Of the Russian Empire

[12] The Imperial Legacy of Carl Fabergé (1846-1920)

[13] In 2007, General Wrangel’s grandson decrid Bolshevism, Lenin and Stalin

[14] Nicholas II wanted reforms, Lenin wanted recolutions: who was right?

[15] Obituary: Maria Dmitrievna Ivanova-Tatishcheva (1930-2025)

[16] Tsar’s Days in Ekaterinburg 16/17 July 2025

[17] Chinese Theater at Tsarskoye Selo to be restored

[18] State Halls in the Alexander Palace reopened after restoration

[19] The marriage that shocked The Russian Empire

[20] The fate of four faithful retainers of the Imperial Family

[21] Nicholas II visits the Iverskaya Chapel in Moscow

[22] “They did not betray their oath” —The fate of the generals who reamained loyal to Nicholas II

[23] Nicholas II’s menu: culinary preferences of Russia’s last Tsar

[24] Carpet from Governor’s House in Tobolsk preserved in United States ,museum

[25] Russia honours the Romanovs

SPECIAL TO THIS ISSUE OF SOVEREIGN

[26] Confession of a regicide Pyotr Ermakov’s deathbed confession 1952

[27] Trotsky’s version of the murder of the Imperial Family

[28] Attempts at Church Reform bythe Holy Emperor Nicholas IIAL TO THIS ISSUE OF

***

Back issues of SOVEREIGN

No. 15 Summer 2025

No. 14 Winter 2025

No. 13 Summer 2024

No. 12 Winter 2024

NOTE: back issues of Nos. 1 to 12 are now out of print.
Second-hand copies are available on AMAZON and eBay.

© Paul Gilbert. 1 December 2025