9 May in the German city of Baden-Baden to open the world's first museum dedicated to jewels by Faberge. There will be exhibited from the jewelry collection of Russian billionaire Alexander Ivanov.

Assembly Ivanova has 3 thousand items and is valued at 1.5 billion dollars. The exhibition devoted to the opening of the museum will be presented to «only masterpieces». According to the 46-year-old billionaire, a museum cost him 17 million euros (22 million dollars). One million euro was spent organizing the system of protection.

Ivanov said that he initially planned to open a museum of Faberge in Russia, but Moscow bureaucracy and the high price of construction forced him to postpone the project in Germany. His choice fell on the Baden-Baden because this luxurious resort near the French-German border has long been famous as a popular holiday destination of Russian aristocrats. One of the most famous guests of Baden-Baden was Fyodor Dostoevsky, who, during their visits are often played down and the dust in the local casinos. The passion for gambling was the main theme of his novel «The Gambler». In Baden-Baden also loved the rest of the imperial family.

Every year in Baden-Baden travel 8 million tourists, of which 815 thousand in the city spend more than a day. Among them, 35 thousand - our compatriots. Alexander Ivanov said that some hotels in Baden-Baden by Russian entrepreneurs.

The value of the entrance to the museum Faberge will be 20 euro. Ivanov hopes that his treasure would attract at least 200 thousand people a year, maybe even all the 500. According to him, the museum pay off, even if the number of visitors will not exceed 100 thousand.

Jewelry House of Faberge was founded in 1842 in St. Petersburg. He became the first head of Gustav Faberge (Gustav Fabergé). Son of Gustav Faberge, Peter Carl (Peter Carl Fabergé) has established links with the imperial court, and from 1885 to 1917 the company was the official supplier of the Romanov family. In the 1960's, Faberge products (notably, the famous Easter eggs) have become popular among Western collectors. Several years ago, this market came to Russian billionaires, and product prices jeweler homes soared to the skies. According to Alexander Ivanov, a product, which ten years ago it cost 50 thousand dollars, now sell for at least three million.

Among the pearls of the collection Ivanova - Easter egg, created in 1902 by order of the secular lioness Beatrice de Rothschild (Béatrice de Rothschild). This piece of jewelry art, known as «Rotshildovskoe egg», was bought at Christie's auction in 2007. Billionaires overlaid over the product 18.5 million dollars. «Rotshildovskoe egg» is considered one of the best creations of the house of Faberge. This is not just decoration, but also the clock: Every hour from under the lid «jumps» cockerel decorated with diamonds, which within 15 seconds of crow and flap their wings. One Russian businessman Ivan offered for eggs 40 million dollars, but the collector refused, saying that it is not intended for sale. In his collection is also an egg of Karelian birch, which is considered to be the last imperial Faberge egg. This product is decorated with gold and diamonds, was created by Easter 1917 and was to be granted the mother of Nicholas II. When Ivanov bought an egg, many experts doubted its authenticity - of the existence of the jewelry was reported recently. But the billionaire hired investigators who have found in the Russian State Archive of documents proving the authenticity of works.

In 2005, of intent to open a museum Faberge announced the State Hermitage Museum, which is stored in the collection of 90 items of jewelry at home. But the project had to «turn» because of insufficient funding. Billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, bought in 2004 a collection of Faberge jewelry, valued at about $ 100 million, is also going to build for its collection of museums in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but the project had to be postponed.

In addition to items of Faberge, the collection of Alexander Ivanov, includes icons, old books, photographs and paintings. Billionaire named his collection of «Russian National Museum». Many masterpieces of the museum's exhibit in Russia and abroad.

Another passion Ivanov - old cars. Last year he spent about 10 million euros for the 50 cars from America and Europe. One of its main treasures - Mercedes in 1904 worth 1.5 million dollars. Billionaire is going to create in Baden-Baden Museum of old cars, which will be located in the neighborhood of the Faberge museum.

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Source: bloomberg.com