A is for the Armoury Chamber Museum. Located in the Kremlin on Moscow, Russia, it was built between 1844 and 1851. The architecture is just incredible, situated as it is next to the Grand Kremlin Palace.
Here is an egg that was in the collection I saw several years ago. It is the Imperial Peter the Great Egg from 1903 and is in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. I learned at one of the exhibits I attended that the Faberge eggs in the hands of private US and other foreign citizens are a result of Lenin selling them off to pay bills after the Revolution. Maybe that is where the Detroiters who wanted to sell the DIA art got the idea.
Tolkien Bonus: A is for Aragorn II, the heir of Isildur. After the defeat of Sauron in the War of the Rings, he became the King of the Reunited Kingdom. He married Arwen, daughter of Elrond.
That building is so beautiful with all the details outside. I love the Faberge Eggs and so did my mom. She created Faberge style eggs but without the precious jewels and gold. I have never seen any except in books so you are lucky to have seen them. I love LOTR and my heart went pitter patter for Viggo as Aragorn
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the bonuses as much as the trip. I can barely dye good looking eggs, let alone create anything that looks good, unless it's egg salad.
DeleteWhat a beautiful building! I would think it is really spectacular in person, with the sun shining and it shining.
ReplyDeleteLife & Faith in Caneyhead
I am Ensign B ~ One of Tremp's Troops with the
A to Z Challenge
Beautiful is right. And nothing like what I expected to see in the Kremlin.
DeleteAnd we're off! Magnificent way to begin the series, Denise.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I really wish I were 'off' again on the trip. Loved it and this is such a great way to relive it. Better than having folks sit in my house and look at endless slides like the old days, the 60's and 70's.
DeleteI've always loved the Faberge eggs, they're so intricate!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. They sell all sorts of 'Faberge' souvenirs in the Russian markets. I resisted the temptation.
DeleteThis is a great theme, and the photos are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLetters from the Land of Cherry Blossoms
Thanks. I hope you enjoy my future posts in the challenge.
DeleteThat Faberge is gorgeous! Who wouldn't love to see that?
ReplyDeleteLovely building, have seen pictures of it before and always admired it. I am a devotee of Fabergé eggs.They have one at Middleton Place in South Carolina and one year we were lucky enough to catch an exhibition they were hosting. Also they sell miniature eggs actually made by Fabergé (not himself of course) and I have two of them although they are not as precious as the big ones. I don't remember that scene in LOTR. I guess I should watch the movies again.
ReplyDeleteFunny you should say that because I was thinking of sitting down and watching all the movies again. I still have to view part 3 of the Hobbit. Too busy blogging, lol.
DeleteTravel AND Tolkien - now there's a bonus!
ReplyDeleteJemima
Hope you enjoy the rest of the trip too.
DeleteNow that is one expensive looking egg. And bonus points for Aragorn. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the bonus points. Can't imagine what these real eggs cost.
DeleteLovely pics.. looking forward to many more travelling pics and info! :) Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit.
DeleteLove this music and the films and the books! And how great to get to go on your "tour" with you! Thanks for dropping by and commenting on my blog! I'll be back! Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ lisabuiecollard.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping. Just hope I can keep up with reading everyone's blog posts.
DeleteI was attracted to you blog on the A to Z home page because of the reassuring blog title! I'm working on life after the menopause at the moment but knowing there's life after retirement has cheered me up no end:D Beautiful Faberge egg. Almost as good as a chocolate one!
ReplyDeleteLife after retirement is very rewarding. I get to travel and now I get to baby-sit my grandson just because I choose to.
DeleteCan't go wrong with Lord of the Rings and wow, that is quite the building indeed. Like to have one of those eggs, sell it and be set for life lol
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping you enjoy the rest of A to Z. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteGreat structure and reference to Strider... Great start, all the luck on all the letters!
ReplyDeleteWelcome in the "A"... as a host I am stopping by to say thank you!
Jeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2015]
There's no earthly way of knowing.
Which direction we are going!
HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
Come Visit: You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?
That's a beautiful building, though of course I'm biased, as a passionate Russophile of over 22 years. I've also been a passionate Estophile for about 15 years, so I'll be looking forward to the rest of your posts.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many beautiful building s in Russia. Hope you enjoy the trip with me. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteDenise
ReplyDeleteI remember your A to Z posts from last year! They were wonderful and I enjoyed this one today as well!
Have a great A to Z experience this month!
Jim
Hope you stop by and see some more of my trip. Thanks.
DeleteBeautiful building. It's lovely, though I guess I have a penchant for white/gold/yellow combos. They're just so nice to look at for long periods of time.
ReplyDeleteGreat first post!
Alex Hurst, A Fantasy Author in Kyoto
Out of Print, Fiction authors and their shorts
A-Z Blogging in April Participant
I always thought of Russia as dark, so the buildings were astonishing. Thanks for stopping.
DeleteBeautiful pictures you've got here. I especially liked the palace shot. The angle from which it has been shot enhances the overall effect of the picture. The Faberge egg is a thing of beauty. I have never ever read the Lord of the Rings (I have always found the names too confusing), but once I go through the A to Z with you, maybe I shall pick it up.
ReplyDeleteSo nice when I hear from you. I did not read any of Tolkien until the movies arrived. How did I miss him? I started with a copy of The Hobbit which one of my sons had to read for school. And I just kept reading. I have enjoyed them immensely
DeleteThat magnificent building looks very classy, robust and royal :) am already hooked to your theme :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. More beautiful buildings to come.
DeleteI'm fascinated by Faberge eggs. I'm hoping to see the Virginia collection one day. Thanks for a great post!
ReplyDeleteFaye at Destination: Fiction
I hope you get to see them too. They are quite something.
DeleteWe were in the Kremlin, the entire experience was amazing. Please to meet another blogger who respects those no photo rules. I sometimes wonder if I am the only person out there taking time to get permission to use my own photos, or take them. (I didn't try to get permission for the eggs, I am not even brave enough to try in Russia).
ReplyDeleteYes. I try to follow the rules, though many do not. In some cases you could pay extra to take photos but you never know if it is worth it - until it is too late.
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