MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024!

 Merry Christmas and a Happier New Year to All Friends of Fabergé and the Art of the Russian Goldsmiths

 

Riana Benko in Slovenia started a long chain of Christmas greetings with a beautiful and symbolic image - there are some 40 recipients of Riana's message to which I have taken the liberty of adding a few more.

I am the last one in this chain to send my Christmas and New Years Greetings to all of you and want to add some words to my greetings.

 

I am recently back from one of the most important trips of my entire life: a visit to see our friends in St Petersburg, which more or less is closed to us due to the very sad war in Ukraine. The border stations between Finland and Russia are unfortunately closed. I therefore had to travel across the Gulf of Finland by ferry to Tallin and from there on by bus to the ancient town of Narva at the border between Estonia and Russia.  At Narva I was met by Irina Lynden, a very dear friend of many of us. Irina is one of the Soroptimist sisters, who helped to arrange the very first Fabergé Symposium at the Fabergé Museum.

Irina had come all the way by car to the border station at Narva and met me there in order to help me across with the load of books I had along (authors copies and copies to the museums which had given us images free of charge). Irina advised me not to cross through the Customs with all the books I had in two large suitcases - there was a risk they would be confiscated. So we left half the load in Irina's Narva home (she will bring them peu à peu to St Petersburg).

Without the help of Irina I could never have made it across the border!!!

When we arrived in St Petersburg - and during the next three days, there was the most wonderful welcome by our friends - you cannot imagine how heart-warming the welcome was!!!! Galina had arranged for a wonderful evening in the company of Galina Gabriel, whom most of you know from your visits to the Fabergé symposiums. As you can see from the attached images we had a good time.

Our dear friend Galina K. was pleased with hers and sister Tatiana's articles in the Twilight book and presented me with a copy of her and Tatiana's new book on the city of St Petersburg. This is the second and renewed edition of the very best ever 'guide' book of the glorious city.

To add to the pleasure of the visit Dmitry Krivoshey arrived from Moscow and paid us a visit. You can see (in one of the attached picture) how warmly we greeted each other. Valentin Skurlov (then in hospital for treatment) received a book as well.

A short visit to the Fabergé was a true treat. Sofia, radiant and welcoming as always, came to the museum even though she had one of her few 'days off from work'. She now takes care of 'everything' in the museum - as she herself said 'from administration to seeing to that the toilets are clean'. There are some 2 000 visitors per day at the museum nowadays. No tourists though. Amazing!!!!

I am so grateful and happy to have made the trip and foremostly that all our wonderful friendships are firm and strong.

My best Christmas gift!!!

It is noon here in Finland, the church bells all over the country chime - the peace of Christmas has started. With my family we are now off to light candles on our family grave, then go to church to sing the beautiful Christmas carols and return home to celebrate.

 

Warmest Christmas and New Years greetings to all,

yours,

Ulla