The Amber Workshop

Tsarskoselskaya Amber Workshop - an enterprise founded in 1979 and most famous in the world for recreation of the Amber Room for the Catherine Palace. For more than thirty years this unique crew of artists-restorers has been working hard on perfecting their skills and knowledge.

Our craftsmen restored a huge number of items for the collections of the State Museum Preserve Tsarskoye Selo, Moscow Kremlin Museum, State Museum Monument «Saint Isaac Cathedral», Amber Museum (Denmark) and many other museums and private collections.

 View of the originalAmber Room. Historical photo.

Catching up with new trends the workshop also produces unique pieces in modern design – the most important of these is a series of icons created in Florentine mosaic technique for the Kremlin Home Church of the Russian President, not to mention smaller things, such as chess-sets, clock, boxes, vases and chests.

View of the Amber Workshop from helicopter. Take a virtual tour around the area.
© Alexander Minin

The Amber Workshop now possesses great experience in making diplomatic gifts on the highest political level. Precious gifts for the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroder, the King of Spain etc. were ordered here.

Most importantly Tsarskoselskaya Amber Workshop has become one of the biggest scientific- restoration centers in Europe that specializes in research, reconstruction and restoration of amber items and objects made of hard semi-precious stones, wood, nacre, mammoth tusk etc. The workshop has artists-restorers who are able to fulfill the most complicated tasks in the field of restoration, reconstruction and replicating the best samples of art. Our masters keep successfully reviving European stone-cutting craft as well as the art of amber-carving.

In 2013 Tsarskoselskaya Amber Workshop restorated the Agate Rooms that is part of the Cold Bath (Catherine palace). The Agate Rooms is a unique pavilion that was not destroyed by the Nazis during the World War II. This time the Amber Workshop is entrusted with complete restoration of this monument, starting from parquet floors, jasper decorated walls, paintings, gilding and even marble sculptures.

Apart from restoration work, we are very often involved in educational programs. The workshop organizes special classes so tha children can learn to appreciate the beauty of stones and wisdom of the elder generation. Placing learning and passion for art on the first place the Amber Workshop tries to find time for annual exhibitions that attract many visitors from Russia and other countries.

Today Tsarskoselskaya Amber Workshop is bringing forward a brilliant collection of never-before-seen items that presents succession of old craftsmanship. It is here that modern craftsmen revive old forgotten crafts. Without doubt Tsarskoselskaya Amber Workshop is a unique formation that unites knowledge of past technologies, modern techniques and vast professional experience.