Berlin, Germany
Julius Heinrich Zimmermann

Wood, metal, ebony, Mother-of-Pearl
Early 1900’s C.E.
Length: 25 in; body width: 8.78 in; body depth: 4.5 in 
Strings – Lutes – Miscellaneous Lutes

Marked below bottom bridge: “Kreml”
Plaque on the peghead embossed: “JUL – HEINR – ZIMMERMANN – LEIPZIG – BERLIN”
Stamped in back of peghead:  MADE / IN / GERMANY

This is a 3-stringed domra made by Julius Heinrich Zimmermann in Berlin, Germany, ca. 1900.  In general, the domra is a long-necked Belarusian, Russian, or Ukrainian folk string instrument. 

The body of this domra is approximately 25″ long and has a beautiful rosewood bowl back made with seven staves. The top board is made of spruce and has an ebony insert in the sound hole with seven holes. The sound hole is lined with a four-part white and black binding.  The fingerboard is made of ebony and has 24 frets.  It tapers off into an angular shape near the sound hole. The headstock has an ebony veneered top layer and is fitted with the Zimmermann logo which reads: “Jul Heinr Zimmermann Leipzig Berlin”. 

On the top board, underneath the saddle, the word “Kreml” is etched into the wood. Kreml, in German, translates to Kremlin. According to a Wiki post about Zimmermann, in 1901, Julius Heinrich Zimmermann was bestowed with the Order of Saint Stanislaus by tsar Nicholas II of Russia. This may explain the word “Kreml” to some extent. Zimmermann also made instruments for the Russian army at that time.