Scepter and orb - the meaning of symbolism. What is the meaning of the scepter and orb - symbols of royal power? What do the scepter and orb symbolize?

Scepter- a staff generously decorated with gems and crowned with a symbolic (usually a coat of arms: fleur-de-lis, eagle, etc.) figure, made of precious materials - silver, gold or ivory; along with the crown, one of the oldest insignia of autocratic power. In Russian history, the scepter was the successor to the royal staff - an everyday, and not ceremonial, symbol of the power of the kings and grand dukes, who once accepted these regalia from the Crimean Tatars as a sign of their vassal oath. The royal regalia included a scepter “made of one-horned bone three feet and a half long, set with expensive stones” (Sir Jerome Horsey, Notes on Muscovy of the 16th century) included in 1584 at the crowning of Fyodor Ioanovich. This insignia of power, presented at the altar of the temple by the Patriarch of All Rus' into the hands of the Anointed One of God, was then included in the royal title: “God in the Trinity, glorified by the mercy of the sceptre-holder of the Russian kingdom.”
The scepter was included in the Russian state emblem a century later. He took his traditional place in the right paw of the double-headed eagle on the 1667 seal of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

Power- a symbol of monarchical power (for example, in Russia - a golden ball with a crown or cross). The name comes from the Old Russian "d'rzha" - power.

Sovereign balls were part of the attributes of power of the Roman, Byzantine, and German emperors. In the Christian era, the orb was crowned with a cross.

The orb was also the insignia of the Holy Roman Emperors and English kings, starting with Edward the Confessor. Sometimes in fine art Christ was depicted with an orb as the Savior of the World or God the Father; in one of the variations, the orb was not in the hands of God, but under his foot, symbolizing the celestial ball. If the scepter served as a symbol of the masculine principle, then the orb - of the feminine.

Russia borrowed this emblem from Poland. It was first used as a symbol of royal power at the crowning ceremony of False Dmitry I. In Russia it was originally called the sovereign apple. Since the reign of Russian Emperor Paul I, it has been a ball of blue yacht, sprinkled with diamonds and crowned with a cross.

Power It is a sphere of precious metal topped with a cross, the surface of which is decorated with gems and sacred symbols. Powers or sovereign apples (as they were called in Rus') became permanent attributes of the power of a number of Western European monarchs long before the crowning of Boris Godunov (1698), however, their introduction into use by Russian tsars should not be considered an unconditional imitation. Only the material part of the ritual could seem borrowed, but not its deep content and the symbolism of the “apple” itself.

The iconographic prototype of the power is the mirrors of the archangels Michael and Gabriel - as a rule, gold disks with the initials of Jesus Christ or a half-length image of Emmanuel (Christ the Youth). Such a mirror, and after it the sovereign apple, symbolizes the Kingdom of Heaven, the power over which belongs to Jesus Christ and through the rite of anointing is partly “delegated” to the Orthodox Tsar. He is obliged to lead his people to the final battle with the Antichrist and defeat his army.

This also applies to such a symbol of supreme power as the scepter. He appeared in Rus' late. True, his image was on the oldest coins of princes Vladimir and Yaroslav at the beginning of the 11th century. But there the scepter was a simple imitation of the Byzantine composition. The scepter was also spoken of in the prayer that was read at the wedding of princes: “King to those who reign, Lord to those who rule.” Whether it was read before 1498 or not is unknown, since there is no data on the ceremony of installing princes before 1498. But even if the church participated in the wedding procedure before 1498, the scepter itself was absent.

On miniatures of the XV-XVI centuries. The emblems of the power of princes were not a scepter, but a staff with various pommels - among princes and church hierarchs, and in pre-Mongol times even just swords. Grand dukes and church hierarchs carried the staff to ambassadorial audiences, church services, etc. The scepter was introduced into royal use immediately after the conquest of the Kazan Khanate. It was this conquest that gave legitimacy to the new title of Ivan the Terrible - “tsar”, which Ivan IV had already worn since 1547. This is what he himself and his entourage believed. Together with the Kazan "zemlica", he, as it were, inherited the position of the khan, who in Rus' was called the tsar.

The scepter was supposed to embody the claims to this title, which both the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Crown of Poland had long and stubbornly refused to recognize. This regalia is of very ancient origin. It dates back to the times of antiquity, where the scepter was an indispensable accessory of Zeus (Jupiter) and Hera (Juno), then consuls, as well as Byzantine emperors who performed (since 542 for life) consular duties. Scepter was supposed to equalize the Russian Tsar with the rest of the sovereigns of Europe.

For the first time in written sources he is mentioned in Ivan the Terrible’s will, although in an almost unrecognizable form. In the second half of the 16th century. it was the scepter that began to symbolize royal power. In literary works dedicated to the Troubles, peculiar expressions appeared with the mention of the scepter. The last Rurikovich, Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, was called the “scepter-power root”; the phrase “scepter of power” simply meant supreme power.

Konrad Bussow, a German in Russian service, described the dramatic scene of the transfer of power by Tsar Feodor at the moment of his death. Fyodor, in his words, “handed the scepter to the eldest of the four Nikitich brothers (Romanovs - author), Fyodor Nikitich, since he was closest to the throne and scepter.” He refused this honor, as did his three brothers. And since the dying king was tired of waiting for the royal scepter to be handed over, he said: “Well, whoever wants to, let him take the scepter, but I can’t bear to hold it anymore.” Then the ruler (Boris Godunov. - Author)... reached out his hand and grabbed him over the heads of the Nikitichs and other important people who had forced themselves to beg for so long.

Power

Godunov “grabbed” not only the scepter, he introduced into royal use the power, which was called at that time both here and in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth “ apple ". The wedding ceremony included not only the presentation of the scepter, but also the orb: "This apple is a sign of your kingdom. Just as you hold this apple in your hand, so hold the entire kingdom given to you by God, unshakably protecting them from enemies.” But Godunov failed to fulfill this covenant.

During the XVI-XIX centuries. a lot of luxurious scepters and orbs were created. The scepter and orb of Mikhail Romanov's large outfit stand out especially. The combination of bright enamels and large precious stones creates a feeling of extraordinary luxury and pomp. The apple is divided into two hemispheres, on the upper of which, consisting of 4 parts, there are images of scenes from the life of King David (his anointing by the prophet Samuel to the kingdom, David's victory over Goliath, return with victory, persecution from Saul). The scepter, consisting of four columns, is also studded with precious stones and ends with a golden double-headed eagle.

For these “younger” ones, special stands were created in comparison with the cap of regalia. At the ceremony, on either side of the throne, “two griffins stood on high silver legs, one of which held the state apple, and the other a naked sword” (G. Paerle). And during the wedding of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on September 28, 1645, a special low lectern was placed specifically for the “apple of the autocratic Moscow state and other states of the Russian kingdom” and the scepter, which was identified with the “royal rank.”

Peter the Great attached special importance to the scepter. During the coronation of his wife, who reigned after his death under the name of Catherine 1, he did not let go of the scepter for a second. Peter had no other regalia. The appearance of only one regalia is associated with the first emperor himself, which was depicted on the state emblem of 1856 - the mantle, or “canopy”. On October 20, 1721, on the occasion of the conclusion of the Peace of Nystadt, senators presented the tsar with the title of “Emperor of All Russia, Father of the Fatherland and Great.” Senators and members of the Synod clothed the conqueror of the Swedes in an imperial robe lined with ermine, on the front side of which black eagles were woven on gold brocade (yellow and black are the colors of the then Russian flag). The type of robe remained until 1917. The last All-Russian Emperor Nicholas II Romanov was also dressed in the same robe.

Coat of arms with a double-headed eagle as a symbol of statehood

This is where we can finish our review of the coat of arms of the Romanovs, which also served as the state emblem of the Russian Empire. And the emblems depicted on it, and various signs of power appeared gradually. The territory of the Russian state and the Russian kingdom, and then the Russian Empire, expanded, and new emblems were added to the coat of arms, created by helpful heraldists at the courts of all sovereigns, starting with Ivan IV. The diversity of the state emblem corresponded to the diversity of the population that lived on the conquered lands. The nature of power changed, and its signs became new regalia, which were also used by the “brothers” of the Russian sovereign in the diverse family of European, and not only European, overlords, monarchs, kings and emperors. Ideas about the origin of grand-ducal, royal and imperial power changed, and along with them the regalia themselves changed, and theories of their origin and significance emerged.

Throughout the entire story, we talked about the coat of arms with a double-headed eagle as a symbol of statehood - be it the Grand Duchy of All Rus', be it the Russian Kingdom or the Russian Empire. Has the double-headed coat of arms become a symbol of the Russian nation, just as the Polish “white eagle” became such?

It is perhaps difficult to answer this question in the affirmative. The double-headed eagle appeared in Rus' as a symbol of its liberation, a symbol of the equality of the recently oppressed country, but the coat of arms of Russia could not become a national symbol simply because Russia itself, from the middle of the 16th century, was a multinational state, and a very unique one at that.

The double-headed eagle quickly - already under Ivan the Terrible - lost its character as a national emblem and was turned into a symbol of oppression of the Russians themselves and other peoples of Eastern Europe, and then Northern Asia.

Hypertrophy of state beginnings of the 16th-20th centuries. was accompanied by the absorption of all and every type of national identity, including formally pictorial ones. By reintroducing the double-headed eagle as the state emblem of Russia, we must remember the tragic and bitter lessons of the past that the people of our country learned under the shadow of the double-headed eagle. Let this time it remain forever a symbol of awakening and rebirth, as it was in the “quiet spring” under Ivan III.

Regalia of Royal Power: Crown, Scepter, Orb

A crown, scepter, orb are regalia, signs of royal, royal and imperial power, generally accepted in all states where such power exists. The origin of the regalia owes mainly to the ancient world. Thus, the crown originates from a wreath, which in the ancient world was placed on the head of the winner in competitions. Then it turned into a sign of honor given to a military leader or official who distinguished himself in war, thus becoming a badge of service (imperial crown). From it the crown (headdress) was formed, which became widespread in European countries as an attribute of power back in the early Middle Ages.

In Russian literature, there has long been a version that among the Russian royal regalia belongs one of the oldest medieval crowns, allegedly sent as a gift to the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir Monomakh by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomakh. Along with the “Monomakh’s cap,” a scepter was allegedly sent from the Byzantine emperor.

Large outfit of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. Crown - Moscow Kremlin Workshops, 1627. Power - Western Europe, late 16th century. Scepter - Western Europe, around 1600.

There is a well-known story from the Englishman Horsey, an eyewitness to the coronation of Fyodor Ivanovich, son of Ivan the Terrible:
“On the king’s head was a precious crown, and in his right hand was a royal staff, made of one-horned bone, three feet and a half long, set with expensive stones, which was bought by the former king from Augsburg merchants in 1581 for seven thousand pounds sterling.”
Other sources report that the crowning of Fyodor Ivanovich was in every way similar to the “seating on the table” of Ivan the Terrible, with the only difference being that the Metropolitan handed the scepter into the hands of the new tsar. However, the image of a scepter on the seals of this time was not accepted, as were the powers (otherwise - “apple”, “sovereign apple”, “autocratic apple”, “apple of the royal rank”, “power of the Russian kingdom”), although as an attribute of power it was known to Russian sovereigns from the 16th century.
During the crowning of Boris Godunov on September 1, 1598, Patriarch Job presented the Tsar with the usual regalia and an orb. At the same time, he said: “As we hold this apple in our hands, so hold the whole kingdom given to you by God, keeping them from external enemies.”

Mikhail Fedorovich

The crowning of the founder of the Romanov house, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, took place according to a clearly drawn up “scenario”, which did not change until the 18th century: along with the cross, barms and royal crown, the metropolitan (or patriarch) handed over the scepter to the king in his right hand, and the orb to his left . At the crowning of Mikhail Fedorovich, before handing over the regalia to the Metropolitan, the scepter was held by Prince Dmitry Timofeevich Trubetskoy, and the orb was held by Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky.

Calling of Mikhail Fedorovich

Great Outfit of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich

After liberation from the Polish invaders, the Russian state needed a lot of weapons for the troops defending its borders. In addition, the new Tsar - Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov - needed to restore the wealth and splendor of the Moscow court. In the royal workshops they began to hastily prepare new jewelry, gold and silver utensils, and ceremonial weapons.
And in 1627-1628, Kremlin jewelers made for Mikhail Fedorovich the “sovereign’s Great Attire,” which included a gold royal crown, scepter and orb decorated with bright enamel and precious stones. The Russian Tsar wore the “big outfit” only on especially solemn occasions - during “grand entrances” and when receiving foreign ambassadors.

The gold chased crown of the “Big Treasury outfit” is surrounded by typically Russian slotted “gorodki” and openwork cufflinks with precious stones. Their abundance in combination with white, blue and green enamels creates a sonorous colorful range.

The orb of the “Big Dress” is a golden belt divided into two equal hemispheres and crowned with a high cross. The upper hemisphere, in turn, is divided into four parts, each of which contains a chased image from the life of the biblical King David, symbolizing the wisdom of the ruler; skillfully chased reliefs are enlivened by multi-colored mosaics.

"Big outfit." Orb and scepter. Fragment Late 16th century, around 1600
Gold, precious stones, pearls, fur, armor; embossing, engraving, carving, shotting
Power: height 42.4 cm, circumference 66.5. Scepter: height 70.5 cm, minimum diameter 17, maximum diameter 25 cm

Solntsev Fedor Grigorievich

Enameled medallions are embossed and decorated with precious stones. In general, the state has 58 diamonds, 89 rubies and tourmalines, 23 sapphires, 51 emeralds and 37 large pearls.

The scepter consists of three columns connected to each other and completely covered with enamels and precious stones. It symbolized the world axis, was close to a magic wand, club, lightning; the scepter was the emblem of Zeus, as well as all gods associated with fertility.

The ancient scepter of the large outfit, stored in the Armory Chamber, in the inventory of the Sovereign's large outfit, compiled in 1642 by decree of the Tsar and Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich, is described as follows:

“A scepter of gold, chased with pink enamel and stones, with diamonds and worm-like yachts and emeralds; at the top there are three eagles with their wings flattened together, with enamel; on the top of the eagles there is a crown, on the crown on the back there is a stone Yakhont Lazorev, on it there is Gurmitsky grain. The azure yakhont was removed from the scepter, and an emerald was placed in that place.”

After replacing the azure yacht with an emerald, this scepter of a large outfit, as can be seen from subsequent inventories, has been preserved in the same form to the present day. He is also mentioned in the inventory of the treasury and royal outfit of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich:

“The scepter is gold with pink enamel, on it is an eagle with a crown, on the crown is an emerald; on top and on the bottom of that emerald there are grains of Gurmitz; it contains twenty diamonds, nine worm-shaped jahonts, three emeralds; one diamond is missing; the vagina is covered with scarlet velvet, in the middle with worm-shaped satin.”

During the general reign of the kings and great princes John and Peter Alekseevich, this scepter belonged to John. And for Tsar Peter Alekseevich a scepter similar to it was made, gold with colored enamel and also decorated with a large emerald, on the back, with two Burmita grains, three small emeralds, twenty diamonds and nine yachts.

These royal regalia were intended to symbolize the wealth and growing power of the Russian state. And for Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, a saadak was made - a bow and a quiver of arrows, decorated with a gold and enamel pattern. The bow and quiver play with bright colors: among the grasses of the ornament, woven into it, sapphires, emeralds and rubies sparkle. Ornament is easy and free! covers the entire surface with fancy curls and bouquets.

In the center of the entire composition, the heraldic symbols of the Russian state are made in multicolor enamel: a double-headed eagle, St. George the Victorious, a unicorn, a griffin and an eagle.

Saadak was made relatively quickly: work began in August 1627, and by November 1628 it was already completed. It was created by a large group of craftsmen, including German jewelers who served in the Armory Chamber. And yet, these things corresponded to the original Russian tastes of that time.

About 3.5 kilograms of ash from more than 500 diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires were used to make the saadak. The surface of the saadak was colored with a bright enamel pattern and gold ornament of herbs, flowers and bouquets, forming a very intricate composition.

Mikhail Fedorovich in the Great Dress.

The large outfit was kept in the State Yard, in the Big Treasury. Therefore, it was also called the outfit of the Great Treasury.

In pre-Petrine Rus', royal clothes and utensils were divided into outfits, that is, selected according to type and value. The precious items were kept in the State Yard, everything else was kept in the treasury of the Workshop Chamber; Each storage facility had a special account for the Order. Under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, the notebook of the Workshop Chamber listed thirty outfits of ordinary dress, and in the State Court there were 8 outfits.

State courtyard in the Kremlin
From the "Book on the election of the great sovereign, tsar and grand duke Mikhail Fedorovich to the kingdom." Miniature. Fragment
Moscow, 1672-1673

The Great Treasury Order included the regalia that sovereigns wore on the day of their crowning, when receiving envoys and foreigners, during the consecration of bishops, and on great holidays (for example, the Donkey Procession).

Composition of the Big Outfit

1. Golden Cross from the Life-Giving Tree, with a golden chain (crossed chain).

The golden chain of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, made by Kremlin craftsmen, is the earliest of the royal chains in the collection of the Armory Chamber. It was first mentioned in documents of the royal treasury in 1640. It contains 88 round, slightly curved rings, on a canfared background of which there is an inscription similar to an ornament, passing from ring to ring. The inscription includes a prayer to the Holy Trinity, the full title of the tsar with a list of cities, principalities, lands that were then part of the Russian state, and an instruction to the tsar to live “according to the commandments of God, to rule wisely and justly.”

2. Monomakh's cap and other royal crowns.

Monomakh's hat. Made in the East (Bukhara, Khorezm or Egypt). Since the 18th century - heraldic crown of the kingdoms of Great, Little and White Rus'.

Monomakh's hat is the main regalia of the Russian Grand Dukes and Tsars. The symbol of the crown of autocracy in Russia. It is a gold filigree pointed headdress, presumably of oriental workmanship of the late 13th - early 14th centuries, with a sable edge, decorated with precious stones: pearls, rubies, emeralds and a cross.

“Monomakh's Cap” is one of the most ancient regalia stored in the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin. Starting from Ivan Kalita, all the spiritual letters of the Moscow princes mention the “golden hat”. It is possible that it was for the first time in 1572 that it was called “Monomakh’s hat” in the will of Ivan the Terrible.

3. Tiara - a wide round necklace.

Barms. Armory Chamber

Barma (according to various sources, comes from the Greek parmai - round shield, or from the Persian berme - guarding, protection, or from the Old Polish brama - decorations on the hands and feet of women, or from the Old Norse barm - edge) - a wide mantle with religious images and precious stones sewn onto it. Barmas made of round metal shields, fastened with cords and decorated with precious stones and enamels, appeared in Byzantium, where they were included in the ceremonial clothing of emperors.

According to legend, they were first sent to Russia from Byzantium by Emperor Alexei I Komnenos for Vladimir Monomakh. However, the first chronicle mention of them occurs in 1216 and reports that a “vestment” embroidered with gold was worn by all princes. The coronation regalia was first mentioned in 1498 - it was placed on Prince Dmitry (son of Ivan the Young). From the middle of the 16th century to the beginning of the 18th century, barmas were worn by Russian princes and tsars during coronation and during ceremonial exits.

Before the royal wedding, barmas were taken from the storage of royal clothes and regalia to the Assumption Cathedral and left on a golden platter in the altar. At the wedding, after laying the pectoral cross on the king, the metropolitan sent two archimandrites and the abbot to the altar for barmas, who gave them to the bishops, who gave the barmas to the metropolitan. After three bows and a kiss, the Metropolitan, marking the king with barmas, placed them on him, blessing him with a cross. After the laying of the barm, the laying of the crown followed.

4. Scepter.
The scepter (ancient Greek σκῆπτρον “rod”) is the oldest symbol of power, used by the pharaohs. The prototype of the scepter is a shepherd's staff, which was then assigned by the church to bishops as a sign of pastoral power; European sovereigns replaced it with shortened staffs - sceptres.

“Big Outfit”: the crown of Mikhail Fedorovich and the scepter and orb of Boris Godunov. Clickable

A scepter is a staff generously decorated with gems and crowned with a symbolic (usually a coat of arms: fleur-de-lis, eagle, etc.) figure, made of precious materials - silver, gold or ivory; along with the crown, one of the oldest insignia of autocratic power. In Russian history, the scepter was the successor to the royal staff - an everyday, and not ceremonial, symbol of the power of the kings and grand dukes, who once accepted these regalia from the Crimean Tatars as a sign of their vassal oath.
The scepter was included in the Russian state emblem a century later. He took his traditional place in the right paw of the double-headed eagle on the 1667 seal of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

5. A golden apple with a cross - that is, a power.

Derzhava (Old Slavic darzha - power) - a symbol of the state power of the monarch, which was a golden ball with a crown or cross.

Historically, the power was a sign of distinction for the emperors of the Roman Empire and English kings, and later became an attribute of power for a number of Western European monarchs. With the advent of the Christian era, the power was crowned with a cross.

Power of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich (second half of the 16th century); Imperial Power, 1762 (gold, diamonds, sapphire 200 carats, diamond 46.92 carats, silver, height with cross 24 cm)

Russia adopted this sign from Poland, where it was called an apple. The orb was first used as a symbol of the power of the Russian Tsar in 1557.

If the scepter is considered a symbol of the masculine, then the orb is considered to be feminine.

The orb (or sovereign apple) in the Russian Christian tradition symbolizes the Kingdom of Heaven and, often in medieval painting and iconography, Jesus Christ or God the Father was usually depicted with an orb.

Power is a symbol of knowledge. "Apple" is a symbol of the fruit of the tree of knowledge in the Bible.

A power is a symbol of monarchical power (for example, in Russia - a golden ball with a crown or cross). The name comes from the Old Russian "d'rzha" - power.

Sovereign balls were part of the attributes of power of the Roman, Byzantine, and German emperors. In the Christian era, the orb was crowned with a cross.

The orb is a sphere of precious metal crowned with a cross, the surface of which is decorated with gems and sacred symbols. Powers or sovereign apples (as they were called in Rus') became permanent attributes of the power of a number of Western European monarchs long before the crowning of Boris Godunov (1698), however, their introduction into use by Russian tsars should not be considered an unconditional imitation. Only the material part of the ritual could seem borrowed, but not its deep content and the symbolism of the “apple” itself.

The iconographic prototype of the power is the mirrors of the archangels Michael and Gabriel - as a rule, golden disks with the initials of Jesus Christ or a half-length image of Emmanuel (Christ the Youth). Such a mirror, and after it the sovereign apple, symbolizes the Kingdom of Heaven, the power over which belongs to Jesus Christ and through the rite of anointing is partly “delegated” to the Orthodox Tsar. He is obliged to lead his people to the final battle with the Antichrist and defeat his army.

6. Okladen - a chain or belt with an eagle.
Gold filigree chain

At the end of the 17th century. in the treasury there were more than 40 gold chains and chains of the 16th-17th centuries. - integral components of ceremonial royal clothing. Among those that have survived to our time, the most famous is the “Big Outfit” chain. It was presented to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich in 1631 by the Dutch stadtholder Frederick Henry of Orange. Made in Western Europe in the 1620s, it was remade by the masters of the Armory and became part of the "Great Order". After alterations in the 1640s. the chain consists of 79 scanned rectangular triangular links.

Marshall's baton

The rod is a symbol of spiritual and temporal power, as well as the power of army commanders (in ancient times). The marshal's batons that have survived to this day have the shape of a short stick, are made of silver or gold and are decorated with precious stones and state emblems. In court life, the baton is used by some court officials: marshals, masters of ceremonies and others. These rods usually take the form of a metal or bone cane, topped with a state emblem. Currently, marshal and court batons are used only on special occasions.

8. Royal fee.

Royal payment - royal regalia; clothing included in the Big Outfit. It was used on especially solemn occasions: at royal weddings, at meetings of foreign ambassadors, during holidays.

Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich in front of the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. 1686 Ivan Saltanov, Erofey Elin, Luka Smolyaninov. Moscow, Armory Chamber. Tree; tempera, oil. 244 x 119. Received in 1891. Comes from the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Description Paid

The cut was similar to the opashny. Long clothes with sleeves. It differed from opashnya platno by the absence of stripes. Stripes - transverse stripes according to the number of buttons. Each patch had a buttonhole, so later the patches became known as buttonholes.

The royal cloth was made from expensive gold fabrics: altabas, axamite and others. Taffeta lining, satin edge. The length of the sleeves is 10 or 11 inches. Sleeve width 6, 7 or 8 cubits. The width at the hem is about 4 arshins. Along the edges and cuts, Tsarskoye was trimmed with pearl lace (border). It was fastened with 11 or 12 buttons.

Royal fur coat on ermine fur.
The royal coat was worn for a fee on the royal caftan.
Since 1678, Tsarskoye began to be called porphyry.
During burials, the king's body was covered with the Royal Cloth. They covered it with a coffin cover for a fee.

9. Royal camp caftan.

Kaftan (Persian خفتان‎) - men's dress; there are Turkish, Persian and Moroccan kaftans.

Also called kavtan, koftan. A long garment that extends almost to the floor, with buttons and clasps at the front.

Sagittarius in caftans

10. Royal place.
The royal place is, in a broad sense, the throne, the throne of the Russian Tsar; in a more specific sense, it is the Tsar’s place of honor in an Orthodox church, adjacent from the side of the iconostasis to one of the eastern pillars in the cathedral or to the side wall in its interior; included a fenced seat behind a separate entrance and ended with a richly decorated wooden tent on carved columns, which was usually topped with an image of a crown or a double-headed eagle. The most famous such monument is in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (the so-called Monomakh throne).

Monomakh throne.1856

11. Items of clothing (tafya, cap, chebots, staff presented to Mikhail Fedorovich in 1613, wicket of Grand Duke Danil).
12. Other items: stoyan (stoyan), on which the orb was placed, ladles for treating ambassadors, bell axes, golden bell chains, and more.

***
Rynda was a squire-bodyguard for the great princes and tsars of Russia in the 16th-17th centuries.

Story
Ryndas accompanied the king on campaigns and trips. During palace ceremonies, they stood in ceremonial clothes on both sides of the throne with berdysh on their shoulders. They were recruited from young men of noble origin. During the reception of foreign ambassadors, bells stood on both sides of the royal throne, with small hatchets; standing on the right side was considered more honorable (hence localism). During the war, bells followed the sovereign everywhere, carrying weapons behind him. Each bell had 1-3 subrynds or taxes (also from stolniks). The main rynda enjoyed the right to add -vich to his patronymic. Since the bells were not court ranks, they did not receive a salary. They were in charge of the armorer.

Rynda with a large saadak is the king's main squire. There were also bells with another saadak, with a smaller spear, with a spear, etc.

The position of the bell was abolished under Peter I in 1698.

Ryndh clothing

Ivan Bilibin. Costume for the opera "Boris Godunov" by Mussorgsky.

Ryndas dressed in white clothes embroidered with silver. The inventory of Mikhail Fedorovich’s treasury lists the “Ryndov dress”:

Four ermine coats under white damask, trimmed with ermine, on the coats there are eight ties with silver tassels.
four white terliks made of Indian damask, white fox underwear, ermine necklaces, five stripes with silver tassels.
four Kyzylbash sashes with gold stripes and silk stripes of different colors.
four lynx caps, four white arctic caps.
white morocco boots.

Meek (mourning) clothing.

Four sable fur coats under black satin, fur coats with 8 ties with black tassels.
four terliks of clove satin (or cherry).
four caps of clove or cherry taffeta.
black morocco boots.

Clothes and bell axes were kept as part of the Great Order.

Instead of a terlik, a feryaz could be used.

V. Semenov. Rynda.

Wearing outfits

At different times, the composition of the Great Dress could change slightly. For example, Fyodor Alekseevich, as part of the Big Dress, wore shoes instead of boots.

10 rings were kept in the Big Treasury, which the tsar wore along with the Big outfit to receptions of ambassadors. For example, on August 18, 1647, when receiving the Lithuanian ambassador, the king wore 4 rings. When receiving the Dutch ambassador on June 20, 1648 - 9 rings.

In different cases, items from the Big Outfit could be combined with items from other outfits. For example, on January 6, 1671, during the royal entrance, the king wore: a cross, a diadem of the second outfit, a royal hat of the first outfit, a royal cap of the second outfit, etc.

Kalita was passed down from generation to generation and kept as part of the Great Order, as a reminder of the mercy of Ivan Kalita. On April 19, 1635, a new gate was made from damask, modeled after the gate of Ivan Danilovich Kalita.

Stoyanets (stoyans) - silver pyramids about an arshin high. On the truncated top of the pyramid there was a dish for placing the power. The man standing stood to the left of the throne.

Illustrations - Solntsev Fedor Grigorievich

Royal regalia: Cap, scepter and orb of Michael's great outfit ... Wikipedia

Power (from other Russian d'rzha dominion, power): Power is an independent, independent state. Power in Russia is a symbol of the power of the monarch - a golden ball with a crown or cross. Also, the symbols of the Russian tsars were the scepter and the crown. “Power” social ... Wikipedia

A; m. [Greek skēptron] One of the signs of monarchical power: a staff decorated with precious stones and carvings. Royal village S. monarch. Crown, s. and power symbols of the monarchy. S. in the hands of the monarch. Gather under the village. monarch (to unite under the rule of ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary

scepter- A; m. (Greek sk ēptron) One of the signs of monarchical power: a rod decorated with precious stones and carvings. Royal ski/pet. Ski/Peter Monarch. The crown, sky/peter and power are symbols of the monarchy. Ski/Peter in the hands of the monarch. Gather under the ski/peter... ... Dictionary of many expressions

Orb Royal regalia: hat, scepter, orb from the so-called Great Dress of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov Orb (Old Russian “dzha” power) a symbol of the state power of the monarch, which was a golden ball with a crown or ... Wikipedia

Catherine II with cor... Wikipedia

Scepter- (from the Greek σκηπτρον staff, rod) an honorary sign symbolizing dominion. Since ancient times it has been an attribute of supreme power. The prototype of S. shepherd's crook. S. was known. among other Greeks and Romans, Roman emperors and generals traditionally... ... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary

POWER- a golden ball symbolizing monarchical power. The name comes from the Old Russian "d'rzha" power. Sovereign balls were part of the attributes of power of the Roman, Byzantine, and German emperors. In the Christian era, the power was crowned with a cross.... ... Symbols, signs, emblems. Encyclopedia

Flag of the State Committee for Communications of Russia, 1998. Flag and emblem of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Communications and Information (Goskomsvyaz of Russia). October 1 ... Wikipedia

Illustration from the album depicting the Emperor Description of the sacred coronation of their Imperial Majesties Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna ceremony ... Wikipedia

Books

Coins: Large illustrated dictionary, Vladimir Dmitrievich Krivtsov. How can our book interest the reader? 1. Each of the thousands of coins given in the book is accompanied by an article and a picture with its image and description, where its real value is indicated...
Sovereign Russia, Butromeev V.P.. Sovereign Russia The publication of the book is timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. “Sovereign Russia” is a book about the structure and history of the highest government institutions of the Russian Empire and the most important...

Charles II (1630-1685) on the throne

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of Britain from 1653 to 1658, who executed King Charles I, did not play the most plausible role in the history of his country. He not only undermined the foundations of the absolute monarchy, but also, out of hatred for monarchs, destroyed all the most valuable historical symbols of royal power: crowns, sceptres, orbs, thrones, robes. Some of them were melted into coins, some were stolen. And today in museums in London, including the Tower, royal treasures that were created after 1660 are kept.

Regalia - signs of royal, imperial or royal power - have been known since ancient times and are approximately the same in developed countries: a crown, an orb, a scepter, a mantle, a sword or sword, a throne. And if you look closely at the traditional ceremonial images of English kings, they are seated on a throne, with a crown on their head, an orb and a scepter in their hands. You can name other attributes and symbols of royal power that are not so noticeable, for example, a shield, knightly armor.

The most important symbol of royal power is the crown. It is usually made of gold and decorated with precious stones. According to researchers, the prototype for the crown was the Roman crown. It is the coronation that has long been considered a legal, traditional and hereditary procedure for the monarch to assume power and its attributes.

Coronation also meant that the new monarch was allowed to continue the hierarchical hereditary chain of the previous rulers. In addition, coronation is also a very important religious ceremony for the people, during which the sacrament of anointing for the kingdom is carried out. Thus, the entire coronation ritual has the special meaning of God’s blessing on the kingdom.

The first crown of England - the crown of St. Edward - was not preserved; it turned out to be a victim of the very process of destruction of all attributes of royal power undertaken by Cromwell. The crown that can be seen in the Tower is a copy of the destroyed crown of St. Edward. It was created for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661. This crown is decorated with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds and is considered the most valuable in the world. Among the precious stones that adorn it, special mention should be made of the Stuart sapphire and the Black Prince ruby.

The Imperial State Crown, which the current reigning Queen Elizabeth II wears during the opening of the British Parliament or on the occasion of other state occasions, was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1837. Queen Victoria herself wore this crown during her coronation on January 28, 1838.

Other royal regalia include the orb and the scepter - they are also symbols of royal power, signs of royal dignity. The power with its round shape goes back to the globe. It was held in the left hand and the scepter in the right. The scepter was an attribute of the gods Zeus (Jupiter) and Hera (Juno); it was one of the signs of dignity of Greek and Roman rulers.

The Royal Scepter of Great Britain is decorated with the world's largest diamond, the Star of Africa, which weighs 530 carats and is the largest

The ceremonial state clubs are part of the world famous Cullinan Diamond.

From the collection of the kings of Great Britain, one should also highlight the Great State Sword, which was made at the end of the 17th century. Its scabbard is decorated with diamonds, emeralds and rubies.

Only if he has all the regalia does the king have full supreme power: he is the best of the best, he is the main military leader, his words are the law for all loyal subjects.

Another crown, created for the 1937 coronation of Elizabeth, wife of King George VI, features the Kohinoor diamond, which means “mountain of light.” This is England's most famous jewel.

The Kohinoor diamond was “born” in India over 300 years ago. There is a belief that the Kohinoor diamond brings bad luck to men who own it. It was never sold for money, but was forcibly passed from one ruler to another. Finally, in 1849, he was sent to London in a forged casket, which was placed in a special chest, with guards by sea from Punjab (state of India). And in 1850 it was presented to Queen Victoria. In 1851, the priceless diamond was put on display at the World's Fair in London, and 6 million visitors were able to see it. And in 1937 it was inlaid into the center of the cross of the royal crown.

In 1947, India, a former colony of the British Empire, became independent. And the leaders of this country presented property claims to Great Britain. In particular, they demanded that the Kohinoor Diamond, which was considered a national treasure, be returned to them. This issue was not resolved then, but in 1953 it was again on the agenda. Once again, the British public decisively rejected all claims. The British made it clear to the Indians that they were not going to return the precious stone.

Currently, the coronation of kings occurs only in Great Britain. The current reigning Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II, is the only monarch crowned according to all the rules. In all other European countries, coronation is replaced by inauguration, or enthronement, without confirmation and laying on of the crown.

The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953. Three weeks before the ceremony, Elizabeth, in order to feel confident in her new royal attire, began to wear the Imperial State Crown constantly. She didn't take it off even during breakfast.

For less formal events, Elizabeth also has spare crowns and a diadem, but they are not so majestic. The replacement crown is set with 2,783 diamonds and contains 273 pearls, 16 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies.

They say that without a crown there is nothing royal about Elizabeth II. And if anyone happened to meet her on the street of London or on the subway in a traditional dress, he would not recognize her as the Queen of Great Britain.

The attributes of tsarist power emphasized the power and wealth of the Russian state: the golden decoration of the palace chambers, the abundance of precious stones, the scale of buildings, the grandeur of ceremonies and many objects without which not a single Russian tsar can imagine.

golden apple

A golden ball topped with a cross or crown - an orb - was first used as a symbol of Russian autocracy in 1557. Having traveled a long way, the power came to the Russian monarchs from Poland, for the first time taking part in the wedding ceremony of False Dmitry I. In Poland, we note, the power was called an apple, being a biblical symbol of knowledge. In the Russian Christian tradition, the power symbolizes the Kingdom of Heaven. Since the reign of Paul I, the power has been a blue yacht crowned with a cross, studded with diamonds.

Shepherd's crook

The scepter became an attribute of Russian power in 1584 during the crowning of Fyodor Ioannovich. This is how the concept of “scepter holder” appeared. The very word “scepter” is ancient Greek. It is believed that the prototype of the scepter was a shepherd's staff, which in the hands of bishops was endowed with the symbolism of pastoral power. With the passage of time, the scepter was not only significantly shortened, but its design no longer resembled a modest shepherd’s crook. In 1667, the scepter appeared in the right paw of a double-headed eagle - the state emblem of Russia.

Throne

The throne, or throne, is one of the most important symbols of power, first princely, then royal. Just like the porch of a house, which was created for everyone’s admiration and admiration, they approached the creation of a throne with special trepidation, and usually several of them were made. One was installed in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin - this throne participated in the church procedure for the anointing of the autocrat. The other is in the carved chambers of the Kremlin. The king sat on this throne after the secular procedure of accepting power; on it he also received ambassadors and influential persons. There were also “mobile” thrones - they traveled with the king and appeared in those cases when it was necessary to present the royal power as convincingly as possible.

Royal crown

The “golden hat” is mentioned in all spiritual documents, starting from the reign of Ivan Kalita. The symbol-crown of the Russian autocracy was allegedly made by Eastern craftsmen at the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century and was presented by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomakh to his grandson Vladimir. The last king to try on the relic was Peter I. Some researchers claim that the Monomakh hat is not a man’s, but a woman’s headdress - under the fur trim, supposedly, there are devices for temple decorations. And the hat was made 200 years after the death of Vladimir Monomakh. Well, even if the history of the appearance of this attribute of royal power is just a legend, this did not prevent it from becoming the model according to which all subsequent royal crowns were made.

Byzantine mantles

The custom of wearing mantles, or barmas, came to Rus' from Byzantium. There they were part of the ceremonial robes of the emperors. According to legend, the Byzantine ruler Alexei I Komnenos sent barmas for Vladimir Monomakh. The chronicle mention of barmas dates back to 1216 - all the princes wore mantles embroidered with gold. Since the middle of the 16th century, barmas have become an indispensable attribute of royal weddings. At a certain moment, they were served from a gilded dish in the altar to the metropolitan by the bishops, who, in turn, received them from the archimandrites. After kissing and worshiping three times, the Metropolitan laid the barmas blessed with the cross on the Tsar, after which the laying of the crown followed.

Ryndy

On both sides of the throne, anyone entering could see two tall, handsome men, the royal squires and bodyguards - the bell. They were not only a spectacular “attribute” at ceremonies for receiving foreign ambassadors, but also accompanied the king during campaigns and trips. The attire of the bells is enviable: ermine coats, morocco boots, fox hats... The place on the right hand was more honorable, hence the concept of “localism”. The fight for the honorary title of Tsar's bell was fought by young men of the best families.

The first known seal of the 12th century, carved from metal, was the imprint of Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich and his son Vsevolod. By the 18th century, Russian tsars used ring seals, tabletop impressions, and pendant seals. The small weight of the latter made it possible to wear them on a cord or on a chain near the belt. Seals were cut into metal or stone. A little later, rock crystal and its varieties became the favorite material. It is interesting that from the 17th century they began to produce seals with a removable legend - text, which allowed the new king to use the seal of his predecessor. At the end of the 17th century, Russian tsars had more than two dozen different seals, and the seal of the European engraver Johann Gendlinger with a mighty double-headed eagle served the Russian monarchs for more than a century, until the end of the reign of Nicholas I.

A crown, scepter, orb are regalia, signs of royal, royal and imperial power, generally accepted in all states where such power exists. The origin of the regalia owes mainly to the ancient world.

Thus, the crown originates from a wreath, which in the ancient world was placed on the head of the winner in competitions. Then it turned into a sign of honor given to a military leader or official who distinguished himself in war, thus becoming a sign of service distinction (imperial crown). From it the crown (headdress) was formed, which became widespread in European countries as an attribute of power back in the early Middle Ages.

Coat of arms of Russia. 2nd half XVII century

The origins of this attribute of power and dignity of European monarchs also lie in antiquity. The scepter was considered a necessary accessory of Zeus (Jupiter) and his wife Hera (Juno). As an indispensable sign of dignity, the scepter was used by ancient rulers and officials (except emperors), for example, Roman consuls. The scepter, as an obligatory regalia of power, was present at the coronation of sovereigns throughout Europe. In the 16th century it is also mentioned in the wedding ceremony of Russian tsars

There is a well-known story from the Englishman Horsey, an eyewitness to the coronation of Fyodor Ivanovich, the son of Ivan the Terrible: “On the king’s head there was a precious crown, and in his right hand there was a royal staff, made of one-horned bone, three feet and a half long, set with expensive stones, which was bought by the former king from the Augsburg merchants in 1581 for seven thousand pounds sterling." Other sources report that the crowning of Fyodor Ivanovich was in every way similar to the “seating on the table” of Ivan the Terrible, with the only difference being that the Metropolitan handed the scepter into the hands of the new tsar.

However, the image of a scepter on the seals of this time was not accepted, as were the powers (otherwise - “apple”, “sovereign apple”, “autocratic apple”, “apple of the royal rank”, “power of the Russian kingdom”), although as an attribute of power it was known to Russian sovereigns from the 16th century. During the crowning of Boris Godunov on September 1, 1598, Patriarch Job presented the Tsar, along with the usual regalia,

lias also a power. At the same time, he said: “As we hold this apple in our hands, so hold the whole kingdom given to you by God, keeping them from external enemies.”

Monomakh's hat

“Big outfit” by Mikhail Fedorovich (hat, scepter, orb). 1627-1628

The tsar’s letter of honor to Bohdan Khmelnytsky dated March 27, 1654 was accompanied by a “new type” seal: a double-headed eagle with open wings (on the chest in the shield there is a horseman slaying a dragon), in the right paw of the eagle there is a scepter, in the left there is an orb, above the heads of the eagle - three crowns almost on the same line, the middle one with a cross. The shape of the crowns is the same, Western European. Under the eagle is a symbolic image of the reunification of Left Bank Ukraine with Russia. A seal with a similar design was used in the Little Russian Order.

Seal of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. 1667

After the Truce of Andrusovo, which ended the Russian-Polish War of 1654-1667 and recognized the annexation of the lands of Left Bank Ukraine to Russia, a new large state seal was “created” in the Russian state. It is famous for the fact that its official description, included in the Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire, is also the first resolution of Russian legislation on the form and meaning of the State Emblem.

Already on June 4, 1667, in the article of the order given to the translator of the Ambassadorial Order Vasily Boush, who was going with the royal letters to the Elector of Brandenburg and the Duke of Courland, it is emphasized: “If he is in the Kurlyan land Yakubus Prince or his close persons, also in the Brandenburg land Elector or his close people or their bailiffs will begin to say why now His Royal Majesty has three crowns with other images in the seal above the eagle? And Vasily tell them: the double-headed eagle is the coat of arms of the power of our great sovereign, His Royal Majesty, above which three crowns are depicted, signifying three great: Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian glorious kingdoms, submitting to the God-protected and highest of His Royal Majesty, our most merciful sovereign power and command "

What follows is a description that a few months later was announced not only “to the surrounding states,” but also to Russian subjects. On December 14, 1667, in the personal decree “On the royal title and on the state seal” we read “Description of the seal of the Russian state: “The double-headed eagle is the coat of arms of the Great Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of all Great and Lesser and White Russia, the Autocrat, His Tsar's Majesty the Russian Kingdom, on which three crowns are depicted, signifying the three great, Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian, glorious Kingdoms, repenting to the God-preserved and highest power and command of His Royal Majesty, the most merciful Sovereign; on the right side of the eagle there are three cities, and according to the description in the title, Great and Little and White Russia, on the left side of the eagle three cities with their writings form the Eastern, Western and Northern; under the eagle is the sign of the father and grandfather (father and grandfather - N.S); on the perseh (on the chest - N.S.) there is an image of the heir; in the paznoktekh (in the claws. - N.S.) the scepter and the apple (orb. - N.S.), represent the most gracious Sovereign of His Royal Majesty, the Autocrat and Possessor.”

The most experienced codifier and jurist Mikhail Mikhailovich Speransky, a luminary of the Russian bureaucracy, based on the text of the decree, subsequently unambiguously qualified this image as a “sovereign coat of arms.” A similar seal with the corresponding new name was used by Tsars Fyodor Alekseevich, Ivan Alekseevich in a joint reign with Peter Alekseevich, and Peter Alekseevich himself - Peter I.

Circle to the great state seal of Tsars John and Peter Alekseevich.

Master Vasily Kononov. 1683

Great Imperial Crown

The crown is a masterpiece of world jewelry art.
The imperial crown was made by court jeweler Georg-Friedrich Eckart and diamond master Jeremiah Pozier for the coronation of Empress Catherine II the Great in 1762. The crown was created in record time - just two months.

The work on creating the crown was supervised by jeweler G.-F. Eckart. He created the sketch and frame. The selection of diamonds was carried out by I. Pozier.

The unique monument of jewelry art was restored in 1984. Chief artist V.G. Sitnikov, jewelers - V.V. Nikolaev, G.F. Aleksakhin.

Silver, diamonds, pearls, spinel rubies
State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve "Moscow Kremlin"
Moscow.Russia
Large Imperial crown created by the court jeweler for the coronation of Catherine II. Traditional in shape, the crown consists of two opening hemispheres, topped by an orb and a cross.

The materials used are silver, gold, diamonds, pearls, spinel.
Masters set 4,936 diamonds weighing 2,858 carats in silver. The sparkle of the diamond lace is emphasized by two rows of large matte pearls, 75 in total.
The height of the crown with the cross is 27.5 cm. The length of the lower circumference is 64 cm.
The weight of the crown is 1993.80 grams.
The crown is crowned with a rare bright red gemstone - a noble spinel weighing 398.72 carats.

The large imperial crown, made in 1762 for the coronation of Empress Catherine II the Great by the talented court jeweler Jeremiah Pozier, is striking in its perfection of execution and luxury. An excellent craftsman, he managed to create “a hymn to the diamond in the diamond age.” It is no coincidence that the Russian crown occupies an exceptional position among European regalia. Traditional in shape, of two openwork silver hemispheres, separated by a garland and fastened with a low crown, entirely decorated with diamonds and pearls, the crown creates the impression of solemn grandeur, surprising at the same time with its lightness and grace.&

The laurel branches are graceful and at the same time unusually calm - a symbol of power and glory, as if enveloping a diamond-shaped grid of hemispheres and fastened with a diamond in the center.&
The master emphasized the sparkle of the diamond lace with two rows of large matte, perfectly clean pearls. In the design of a garland of large white and pink diamonds, between the hemispheres, oak leaves and acorns are placed, which symbolizes the strength and strength of power.

The crown is crowned with a rare dark red gemstone - noble spinel (398.72 carats, acquired in the 17th century from Eastern merchants). It is also one of the seven historical stones of the Russian Diamond Fund.
Ekaterina was pleased with the work. She kept this almost two-kilogram crown on her head for the entire necessary time of the coronation ceremony - several hours.
After Catherine II, all emperors in Russia were crowned with a large imperial crown.

The Great Imperial Crown of the Russian Empire is the main symbol of the power of Russian monarchs. Imperial regalia from 1762 to 1917

Catherine II with coronation regalia. The Empress holds the Scepter in her right hand. Portrait of Alexei Antropov 1765

IMPERIAL SCEPTER

Gold, Orlov diamond, diamonds, silver, enamel
Length 59.5 cm
Early 1770s

The smoothly polished golden surface of the scepter is intercepted by eight diamond rims, and the handle is embossed with flutes (vertical grooves), enhancing the play of light and shadow. The scepter ends with a cast gold double-headed eagle, decorated with black enamel and diamonds. The pomp of this emblem of manarchic power was greatly enhanced by the Orlov diamond, which adorned the scepter in 1774. According to experts, this is the best diamond of all the famous ones. As is known, he was the “eye” of the golden statue of Brahma in the Indian temple. This is one of the seven historical stones of the Diamond Fund of the Russian Federation.

In ancient times, the scepter was considered an attribute of the power of Zeus (Jupiter). In Old Rus', an image of a scepter can be found on ancient coins of princes Vladimir and Yaroslav from the beginning of the 11th century. The scepter as a regalia is also mentioned in Russian chronicles of the mid-13th century, telling about the arrival of Western ambassadors. It is believed, however, that the scepter was introduced into use under Ivan the Severe at the end of his conquest of the Kazan Khanate. With all this, Ivan IV seemed to have inherited the position of the khan, who in Rus' was called the tsar. To embody the claims to this title, which both the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Crown of Poland refused to recognize for a long time and stubbornly, so to speak, there must be a specific scepter. Peter the Great also attached special symbolic meaning to the scepter. During the coronation of his own wife, Catherine I, he did not let go of it for a second. Peter I did not have the rest of the imperial regalia. The imperial scepter, lying in the Diamond Fund, is decorated with the world famous Orlov diamond, cut in the form of the highest “Indian rose”. According to one of the legends, as everyone knows, this stone belonged to Nadir Shah. At the end of its fall, the diamond ended up in Amsterdam, where it was bought for 400 thousand rubles by Count Grigory Orlov and presented by him to Empress Catherine II.

DIAMOND "ORLOV"

Empress Catherine II loved to pay with diamonds when playing cards. “What fun it is to play with diamonds! It’s like a thousand and one nights!” - she exclaimed in one of the letters. She gave her favorite Grigory Orlov a diamond camisole worth a million rubles. Orlov did not remain in debt and presented the queen with a diamond weighing 189.62 carats for the imperial scepter.&
A diamond of the rarest purity, with a bluish-green tint, was found in the 16th century in the mines of Golconda (India). The stone was originally a fragment from a larger crystal, believed to be the mysteriously disappeared Great Mogul Diamond, and weighed 450 carats (90 g) in its rough form. The first name of the diamond is “Derianur”, or “Sea of Light” (the second fragment of the “Mogul” was the no less famous “Kohinoor”, or “Mountain of Light”). According to ancient legend, both stones were the eyes of the temple statue of Brahma. Initially, the diamond was cut in the form of a “tall rose” (about 180 facets) weighing 300 carats. Shah Jehan was dissatisfied with the cut and ordered the stone to be recut.&
After this, the diamond acquired its modern shape, but its weight dropped to 200 carats (or 40 grams). The Persian Shah Nadir, having captured Delhi in 1739, decorated his throne with them. When the British “visited” Persia, they appropriated the “pebbles” in the same way. “Derianur” through unknown means ended up in the Amsterdam Bank in 1767, changing its name to “Amsterdam”, and its owner became either an Armenian or a Jew, Gregory Safras. In 1772, he sold the diamond to his relative, the Russian court jeweler Ivan Lazarev (hence the third name of the stone - “Lazarev”). Lazarev, in turn, in 1773 sold the stone for 400,000 rubles to Count Orlov, in whose hands the stone acquired its final name, with which it went down in history and was presented on Catherine II’s name day instead of a bouquet. She appreciated the gift and placed it on the crown of her golden scepter (below the pommel, which is a double-headed eagle, decorated with black enamel and diamonds), greatly enhancing its pomp.

IMPERIAL POWER

Gold, diamonds, sapphire (200 carats), diamond (46.92 carats), silver
Height with cross 24 cm
Ball circumference 48 cm
1762

In preparation for the coronation of Catherine II, only two weeks before the significant event they remembered the power, and then it turned out that the precious stones from the power of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna had long been removed, and the gold was “put into use.” In an unusually short time, the court jeweler G.-F. Eckart created a new state.

In the form of a small ball with an immaculately polished gold surface, on a low profiled base, the orb gave the impression of a luxurious product thanks to the belt studded with diamonds and a half-hoop with a cross at the top. These diamond garlands were taken directly from Catherine's dress, to which they were attached with silver loops, invisible to visitors.

In the early 70s of the 18th century, the state was decorated with two stones, which changed its overall appearance.
Between the openwork diamond cross and the half-hoop, a huge sapphire weighing 200 carats was placed surrounded by diamonds, and at the junction of the half-hoop with the belt was a large diamond weighing 46.92 carats, a completely clear stone with a bluish tint.

LARGE AGRAF BUCKLE

Diamonds silver
Length 25 cm, width from 8 to 11 cm
1750s. Master I. Pozier

Among the items created by the Swiss Jeremiah Pozier for the Russian court is a luxurious 25-centimeter-long agraf buckle.
Heavy gold, ermine-lined coronation robes on days of celebration were fastened with huge ornate buckles, designed primarily for visual effect.
A subtle sense of decorativeness helped the jeweler create a buckle that was unusual in shape and fabulous in richness.

It is made in the form of a bow from three lush branches studded with diamonds. The intertwining branches are massive, but at the same time create the impression of lightness - due to the fact that small flowers on thin stems are scattered among the succulent leaves.
Careful thought out of every detail of the design of the product, free composition, combination of diamonds of different quality - all this characterizes the style of I. Pozier, the best of the best “diamond makers” of the 18th century.

The buckle was once worn by Elizaveta Petrovna, and then it in turn belonged to other Russian rulers, becoming a clasp on the coronation ermine robe.

SMALL IMPERIAL CROWN

Diamonds, silver
Height with cross 13 cm
1801 Masters Y. Duval and J. Duval

Traditional in shape, the small imperial crown was made by the famous court jewelers the Duval brothers in 1801 for the coronation of Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna.
Strictness and a sense of proportion distinguish the works of these masters. Their style is pure, logical, reasonable, and their execution is such that it makes you forget about technical techniques and see only the beauty of the material with which they work.

Everything in the crown is surprisingly proportional and balanced. The shine of diamond lace in a silver frame conveys a feeling of solemnity, significance, and grandeur, despite the miniature size of the product.

Among the excellent stones on the crown, a number of large diamonds on the crown, as if hanging in the air, stand out for their clarity and size. The beauty of the stones and refined jewelry craftsmanship undoubtedly bring the small crown closer to the large imperial crown of Catherine II.

Coronation regalia of Russian emperors. In the foreground - Imperial Power 1856
Large imperial crown among the regalia of Russian emperors.

Catherine II (1762)

Virgilius Eriksen. Empress Catherine II in the Great Imperial Crown

Paul I (1797)

Borovikovsky V.L.Emperor Paul I in the Great Imperial Crown

The last time the Great Imperial Crown was used in state events was in 1906 - at the opening ceremony of the first State Duma with the participation of the last Emperor Nicholas II. Currently, the imperial regalia is in the Diamond Fund of the Russian Federation.

Great Imperial Crown