Alexander Ivanov (art collector)
Alexander Nikolayevich Ivanov (Russian: Александр Николаевич Иванов, Alexander Ivanov transcribed; born October 27, 1962 in Ostrov, Pskov Oblast ) is a Russian entrepreneur and art collector. He is best known as the founder of the Faberge Museum in Baden -Baden, which is regarded as the first private Russian museum outside of Russia.
Alexander Ivanov has no interests or business interests, but the value of his collection made him a billionaire. His Fabergé collection is the world's largest Fabergé jewelery collection with more than 3,000 articles. Ivanov also collects fossils of dinosaurs, ancient Greek and Roman art, pre-Columbian gold, old master paintings, impressionist paintings, Orthodox icons. He is also in possession of one of the finest vintage collections.
Early life and career
Alexander Ivanov served in the Soviet Navy before he graduated in Law at the Moscow State University. In the late 1980s, when the Soviet Union was treading the path of capitalism, was Alexander Ivanov one of the first Russian entrepreneurs in the computer trade. He quickly built a successful and lucrative business. With its corporate profit Ivanov built up a collection of Faberge eggs and other works of art. The largest purchase of Ivanov is the Rothschild Faberge egg that was made in 1902 as an engagement gift from Beatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild at her brother's fiancée. Alexander Ivanov bought it on 28 November 2007 for about 9 million pounds (about 12.5 million euros ), the auction house Christie's in London because the art collector believed that it was the "most beautiful [ work ] of all time" under all Fabergé works was.
Alexander Ivanov is also an artist. He has his own form of abstract painting, the geometric images with extremely vibrant colors utilized, whose pigments are created partly from very expensive and rare minerals. That's one of the reasons why his first painting was sold on December 1, 2010 in London at auction at Bonhams for £ 60,000.
Fabergé Museum in Baden -Baden
In May 2009, Ivanov opened the Fabergé Museum in the German spa town of Baden -Baden. In addition to the Rothschild Fabergé egg, there is also a rare silver decanter in the form of a hare, and the last decorated with gold and diamonds Fabergé egg Karelian birch, which was created for Easter 1917. Czar Nicholas II, however, was deposed before he could give it to his mother. As Ivanov bought the Karelian egg, some experts doubted its authenticity because the existence of the Karelian ice was not known before. However, Ivanov discovered in the Russian State Archive documents that prove the authenticity of the ice. It has been shown in major international exhibitions and is now accepted by scientists, says Alexander Ivanov.
For safety considerations, Ivanov decided for Germany. So he explained his decision by the British newspaper "Independent ": " It is very difficult [ in Russia ] because of the many administrative hurdles [ ... ] One must always thank someone, and you can never have the feeling that his collection is sure: not before the state, not from bandits - in front of anyone. Of course, in Germany we spend a lot on security systems, but at least we know that the state itself is nothing to do. "
Alexander Ivanov announced that it had cost about 17 million euros to buy the museum building and renovate, of which 1 million euros was invested in the security system. He decided to Baden- Baden, which is located in southwest Germany. The town is " quiet and beautiful, in the middle of Europe, in the vicinity of France and Switzerland, a resort for the rich, and historically it is always the most popular resort for Russians have been ," says the art collector, " The local government is also supportive, "he adds.
During the first twelve months, the Fabergé Museum in Baden -Baden had made a profit of about 500,000 euros, instead of the expected profit of 1 million euros. In large part, this was probably in the process with Fabergé Ltd.. Just a month before the official opening of the museum in 2009, has namely in the Cayman Islands registered Faberge Ltd, part of the South African family Gilbertson, initiated a dispute over rights to the trademark " Fabergé ". During the dispute, the museum could not use the name " Fabergé "; that meant no advertising, but also no sign on the door. In 2010, the German court has terminated the process in favor of the Fabergé Museum, and the Museum began immediately with full right to use the name " Fabergé ". In the near future an extension of the museum is also provided; that means more than 600 square meters of exhibition of European paintings of the old masters and for the pre-Columbian jewelry from Peru. In addition, to be shown to more than 2,000 square meters Ivanov vintage car collection. It consists of about 50 American and European vintage cars, which are all in very good condition, and dating from the period between the late 1890s and 1930s. In addition, the opening of a Fabergé Museum in Dubrovnik is planned.