Where will the eggs Faberge be displayed?

Where will the eggs be displayed? Two museums are in the running By Georgina Adam and John Varoli "The Art Newspaper" October 7, 2004 ST PETERSBURG. Now that one of Russia's richest men, the oil billionaire Victor Vekselberg, has bought the Forbes Collection of Faberg, the big question is where the hoard will be displayed. "Many questions have still to be decided, but we would like the [Faberg] collection to travel through Russia," Mr Vekselberg told the Russian daily, Izvestiya. "We are also discussing where the collection will be held permanently, but its still too early to talk about a final decision." Yekaterinburg is planned as the first city to see the collection since the Romanovs were executed there, to be followed by displays in Moscow and St Petersburg, as well as in Siberia. The 194 Faberg pieces from the Forbes family collection were due to be sold at auction next month, but the sale was cancelled after Mr Vekselberg bought the whole group privately. The amount of the deal was kept secret but is thought to be worth about $100 million. The collection was estimated at $90/120 million and was believed to be guaranteed for $70 million. Victor Vekselberg, according to Forbes magazine, has a fortune of about $2.5 billion, making him the fourth richest man in Russia. A so-called oligarch, he is a major owner in the Anglo-Russian oil company TNK-BP and ceo of Siberian-Urals Aluminium.

The Russian media has been full of speculation as to why Mr Vekselberg made the Faberg purchase, and many believe he is trying to improve his "patriotic" image inside Russia in the wake of President Putin's recent attacks on a number of powerful Russian businessmen who supported the democratic opposition. Though the collection will most likely be displayed in a major museum, it will remain the property of Mr Vekselberg. According to some sources in the Russian museum world, the Kremlin museumwhich with 10 Imperial eggs has the biggest Faberg collection in Russiais the front-runner. Kremlin Museum director, Yelena Gagarina, told The Art Newspaper that after the Forbes sale was first announced, she petitioned the Russian Government to purchase the collection for her museum. She says the government approved of the idea and instructed its agent in New York to make a bid.

How much the government was willing to spend is not clear. "Of course Mr Vekselberg will decide where his collection will be kept, but the biggest challenge will be to guarantee its security and maintenance, and only the Kremlin Museum has the personnel and experience working with Faberg items of such high quality", said Dr Gagarina, adding, "Even if Mr Vekselberg opens his own museum, we are ready to work with him." Hermitage director Mikhail Piotrovsky, however, has already written to Mr Vekselberg with a proposal that could help bring the Faberg collection back to St Petersburg where the items were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dr Piotrovsky suggested that the old Faberg building, not far from the Hermitage, be turned into a Faberg Museum to house the Vekselberg Collection, as well as an institute to train young jewellers. "Some local media have depicted a battle behind the scenes for the collection, but nothing of the sort is happening" Dr Piotrovsky told The Art Newspaper. "The Hermitage and Kremlin recognise that this is a private collection which the State cannot lay claim to, and the owner will decide what is the best course of auction."