urch ill , ▁ 9 th ▁Duke ▁of ▁Mar l borough . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁the ▁Duch ess ▁and ▁her ▁husband ▁travel led ▁to ▁Russia , ▁where ▁they ▁d ined ▁with ▁Ts ar ▁Nicholas ▁II ▁of ▁Russia ▁and ▁visited ▁his ▁mother , ▁the ▁Dow ager ▁Em press ▁Maria ▁Fe odor ov na ▁at ▁the ▁An ich kov ▁Palace . ▁During ▁this ▁visit , ▁the ▁Duch ess ▁would ▁have ▁almost ▁certainly ▁seen ▁the ▁Dow ager ▁Em press ' ▁large ▁collection ▁of ▁Fab erg é ▁items , ▁which ▁perhaps ▁inspired ▁her ▁to ▁order ▁this ▁egg . ▁The ▁egg ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁cost ▁over ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁rub les . ▁ ▁After ▁her ▁divor ce ▁from ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁Mar l borough , ▁she ▁don ated ▁the ▁Duch ess ▁of ▁Mar l borough ▁E gg ▁to ▁a ▁char ity ▁au ction ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 . ▁The ▁egg ▁was ▁bought ▁by ▁G anna ▁Wal ska , ▁the ▁second ▁wife ▁of ▁Harold ▁F ow ler ▁McC orm ick , ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁Har v ester ▁Company ▁of ▁Chicago . ▁At ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁Par ke - B ern et ▁au ction ▁of ▁her ▁property , ▁it ▁was ▁bought ▁by ▁Mal col m ▁For bes . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁several ▁Fab erg é ▁eggs ▁that ▁For bes ▁purchased . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁it ▁was ▁sold ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁For bes ▁Collection ▁to ▁Vik tor ▁V