After nearly 150 years of silence from the extravagant Johann Strasser clock, the clock is set to ring again in 2014, after repairs have been made, to celebrate the 250^th year anniversary of the State Hermitage Museum. The clock, also named, “the Mechanical Orchestra” is housed in the museum, located in St. Petersburg, Russia. Work on the clock began in 1793 by Johann Georg Strasser and was completed in 1801. The clock was built for Tsar Paul I, but before the clock was completed, the tsar was killed. Strasser then decided to organize a lottery in order to make a profit off of his craft. After taking two years to sell the tickets, the lottery was financially feasible. The winning ticket was that of a young officer who was staying with a Latvian widow. He gave the ticket to her as a gift. When she discovered that she had won, she decided not to keep the clock and instead sold it to Tsar Alexander I for 20,000 rubles in addition to a lifetime pension. The clock is now in the State Hermitage Museum and restoration will be completed in time for the clock to ring once again for the 250^th year anniversary of the museum in 2014.  

 http://www.themoscowtimes.com/arts_n_ideas/article/150-years-on-clock-will-sing-once-more/471139.html