An egg was a symbol of Easter years and years ago. Since ancient times, the egg has been a symbol of the spring sun awakening life, joy, warmth, light, the rebirth of nature, deliverance from the shackles of frost and snow. It was once customary to offer an egg as a tribute to pagan gods, to give eggs to friends and patrons on the first day of the New Year and on birthdays. Rich, wealthy people, instead of tinted or painted chicken eggs, often presented gold or gilded eggs, symbolizing the sun. For our ancestors, the egg served as a symbol of life. It contains the embryo of a solar bird - the Rooster, which woke up the morning.

The tradition of exchanging painted and tinted eggs for Easter has longstanding roots in Russia. Easter eggs were made from a variety of materials and using different techniques. In Russia, since the beginning of the 17th century, the main producers of these souvenirs were the Armory Chamber and icon-painting workshops in the major monasteries. It was from there that the Imperial court, as well as noble boyar families, were supplied with carved from wood or bone, richly painted and decorated Easter decorations. From the middle of the 18th century, eggs were made from glass and porcelain, and the bulk of the orders accounted for the Imperial Porcelain Factory. Since the middle of the 19th century, the production of Easter souvenirs had been one of the major areas of work for various jewelry workshops. The eggs were made of silver and gold, decorated with enamel, beads, filigree, precious stones. Sometimes artisans experimented with non-traditional materials - rock crystal, precious wood. The most famous were Easter eggs, made by order of the imperial family in the workshops of Carl Faberge. It was there that Easter eggs-surprises were created: with mechanisms, miniature figurines, portrait medallions. The highest technique of execution, the richness of decoration, the skill and imagination of artisans - all this determined the worldwide recognition.

The museum Collection exposition features great variety of Easter souvenirs: miniature pendants, convertible wineglasses in the form of Easter eggs decorated with enamel, amazing eggs-boxes made from multifarious materials, original compositions in the form of Easter eggs with secrets. The museum repository features both -- the works of the masters of the old, classical Russian school (Alexander Lyubavin, Orest Kurlyukov, Pavel Ovchinnikov, etc.) and the works of our contemporaries (masters of the "new wave" of the stone-cutting center of Europe - the German city of Idar-Oberstein).

Today, on the Christ Resurrection -- one of the oldest Christian holidays and the solemn event of the church year, we invite you to watch two video clips dedicated to Easter souvenirs from the museum Collection section of decorative arts and jewelry, which are posted in our "Video Archive"  and thematic album "Easter Souvenirs”, published in our Photo Gallery.

The coloring album "Easter Souvenirs", published in the section "Printed Materials", is a great opportunity to change activities and relax. For children, coloring pictures is an educational and interesting process that fascinates kids and fully occupies their attention. Choose your favorite images, color them, or make your own card to congratulate your loved ones.

Let our publications about Easter souvenirs presented in the museum Collection Repository give you a festive mood.