It all began with a family; in 1984, Christopher Radko and his family decorated the tree as always, with a treasured collection of over 2,000 mouth-blown, European glass ornaments. Their Christmas tree had become a family diary of sorts, a story to go with each ornament. One week before Christmas, tragedy struck. They had purchased a new Christmas tree stand, perhaps a flaw in the metal, or maybe fate, whatever the reason the stand gave way and the tree crashed to the floor, shattering almost every ornament. Cherished family memories, traditions, lying under the tree with the broken pieces.
Heartbroken, Christopher was determined to restore them for his family. Unfortunately the ornaments in the United States, at that time, where made mostly of plastic and Styrofoam, which couldn’t possibly replace the handmade treasures his family had collected. The following spring, while visiting cousins in Poland, Christopher began looking for glass ornaments, and found what he was looking for.
His first collection of 65 ornaments was released in 1986, since then Christopher has created over 10,000 designs in glass. He was named the “Czar of Christmas Present” by the New York Times, and is now Located in the Historic Hudson Valley, Christopher Radko creates breathtakingly beautiful ornament designs. Inspired by his childhood memories, Christopher’s Fine European glass ornaments and handcrafted holiday decorations encompass over 23 years of exquisite workmanship. Handcrafted details are the hallmark of Christopher’s collection!
