The Naryshkin Treasure

The news from St. Petersburg:

Construction workers restoring a 19th century mansion that once belonged to the noble Naryshkin family discovered an immense treasure of silver services, pearl- and porcelain-handled flatware, enamel, jewels, and medals, hidden in a secret storage compartment between the second and third floors of the building. More than 1,000 individual pieces from the 19th and early 20th centuries were found, all of them in excellent condition thanks to careful packing in vinegar-soaked cloths. The objects were then wrapped in newspapers from March, June and September of 1917, which gives us a handy time frame for when the treasure might have been buried.

The Naryshkins fled Russia soon afterward, leaving their family silver behind.

The house, which is being renovated by international investors.

This will be a fun story to tell the next time I work with demolition guys. This is the sort of thing they dream about while pocketing coils of copper wire.