Pieces from the Private Service of Nicholas I and Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna St. Petersburg, Russia 1828-1829 Imperial Glassworks Crystal, cobalt glass, enamel; painted in gold The Private Service of Emperor Nicholas I and his wife, Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna, was created for the country palace known as the Cottage near Peterghof. In 1817, Nicholas I and Alexandra Fyodorovna visited a tournament in Berlin. Alexandra Fyodorovna was elected Queen of the Tournament, and received a prize decorated with an emblem in the form of a shield bearing a sword and wreath and the motto For Faith, King, and Motherland. In commemoration of the event, the Empress made this her personal emblem. On special holidays, the Cottage was decorated with flags showing such emblems.