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What does the scepter look like? State regalia of the Russian Empire. Crown of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich

Plunging deep into the centuries, let's try to figure out what the scepter and orb mean in Russian history.

The scepter is a figured wand. It was made of silver, ivory, gold, framed with gems and used heraldic symbols. In the history of Russia, the scepter is the successor to the royal staff, which is a symbol of the power of the great princes and kings.

Speaking about the symbols of monarchical power, we need to dwell on the orb - a golden ball with a cross and a crown. The surface of the sphere was usually decorated with gems and symbols. From the old Russian word "dzharzha", which means "power", this name came about. The scepter and orb of the Russian tsars are the most ancient insignia of autocratic power.

Sovereign balls, or sovereign apples - as they were called in Russia, also served as attributes of the power of Roman, German and other emperors.

Crowns in the Russian Empire

Focusing on the regalia of Russian emperors, it is worth highlighting For coronations in the kingdom, they used the Cap of Monomakh.

In Russia, the rite of the first imperial coronation was held on the wife of Peter the Great, Ekaterina Alekseevna, who later became Catherine the First. It was for Catherine I that the first imperial crown in Russia was specially made.

Cap of Monomakh - an ancient regalia

The mention of the Cap of Monomakh appeared in the 16th century. in "The Tale of the Princes of Vladimir". It speaks of Constantine Monomakh, the Byzantine emperor who ruled in the 11th century. Hence the name. Most likely, Ivan Kalita was its first owner. According to available art history data, the Cap of Monomakh was made in the East in the 14th century. This is the most ancient crown of Russia. It was not worn as an everyday headdress, but was used when crowning Russian monarchs from 1498 to 1682. The crown consists of golden plates with patterns. At the top of the crown is a cross encrusted with precious stones. Monomakh's hat is framed with sable fur. The weight of the crown without fur is 698 grams.

Thus, the Cap of Monomakh, like the scepter and orb, has been a symbol of Russia since pre-Petrine times. By the way, she is credited medicinal properties. So, it is believed that she is able to get rid of various ailments, especially headaches.

Scepter and Orb of Tsar Boris Godunov

The appearance of such concepts and objects as the scepter and orb as symbols of the power of the Russian state is associated with the reign of Boris Godunov. They were ordered to the masters at the court of Rudolf II. Production took place in Eger ( modern city Heb). When creating the set, jewelers followed the traditions of the Renaissance.

And although there is a legend saying that the scepter and orb were sent back in the XI century. Prince Vladimir Monomakh, in fact, they were presented to Tsar Boris by the Great Embassy of Emperor Rudolf II, who ruled in 1604, they found their use as part of his great attire.

Monomakh's scepter was made of gold with enamel details. Twenty diamonds, a large emerald, and other precious stones were used as decorations. The orb has an enameled inlay. The details depict scenes from the reign of David. The power is decorated with 37 large pearls, 58 diamonds, 89 rubies, as well as emeralds and tourmalines.

The crown is the most important regalia of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov

The king owned the crown from the "Big Outfit". It was made in 1627 by deacon Efim Telepnev. He was the chief master in Armory. The crown of the crown consists of two tiers. At the bottom of the outer frame is an eight-pronged diadem. The crown is framed in sable fur with precious stones. Already after the 18th century, the crown of the “Big Dress” became the crown of the “Kingdom of Astrakhan”.

Lost regalia of the Russian Empire

Only a few regalia have survived to this day. They found a worthy place to live in the Armory, but many of them are irretrievably lost. These include the "Great Crown" of Tsar Fedor I Ivanovich. Speaking about this work of art, it must be said about its unspeakable uniqueness. The crown was made in Istanbul at the end of the 16th century. As a gift, Patriarch Eremy II of Constantinople sent the crown to Tsar Fyodor I Ivanovich, who was the last of the Rurik dynasty. The “big crown” was worn by kings only for important celebrations. Around 1680, the crown was dismantled. Subsequently, its details were used for the "diamond hats" of Ivan V and Peter I.

Crown, scepter and orb on the royal coat of arms

In 1604, False Dmitry, on his small seal, had an image of three crowns under an eagle. Such an image appeared for the first time and did not last long. However, already in 1625, instead of the cross between the heads of the eagle, a third crown arose. This image appeared under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich on a small state seal. The same was done in 1645 for his son Alexei on the Great State Seal.

The orb and the scepter were not on the coat of arms until the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich. In 1667, with the image of the state regalia of power, the state seal of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich appeared. For the first time on June 4, 1667, the king gives an official and clear explanation of the symbolism associated with the three crowns. Each of the crowns depicted on the coat of arms and seal corresponds to the kingdoms - Siberian, Kazan, Astrakhan. And the scepter and power of Russia mean "Autocrat and Possessor." And already in 1667, on December 14, the first Decree on the coat of arms appears.

Crown, scepter and orb on the coat of arms of Russia

Centuries later, on December 25, 2000, the constitutional law “On the State Emblem of the Russian Federation". This symbol of the state is represented by a heraldic shield. It is square and red. Its bottom corners are rounded.

It is located in the center with two heads, each of which is crowned with a small crown, and one large crown rises above them. The meaning of the three crowns is the personification of not only the sovereignty of the entire Russian Federation, but also its parts, that is, the subjects. The coat of arms also depicts a scepter and orb. Photos of regalia amaze with their beauty. The eagle holds a scepter in its right paw, and an orb in its left paw.

The scepter and orb of Russia are symbols of a single state and power. Also on the chest of the eagle there is an image of a silver rider on a horse. A man kills a black dragon with a spear. It is allowed to reproduce the coat of arms of the Russian Federation not only in color, but also in plain color. If necessary, it can be depicted without a heraldic shield.

The crown, scepter, orb are regalia, signs of royal, royal and imperial power, generally accepted in all states where such power exists. The regalia owe their origin mainly to the ancient world. So, the crown originates from the wreath, which in ancient world placed on the head of the winner in the competition. Then it turned into a sign of honor given to those who distinguished themselves in the war - to a military commander or official, thus becoming a sign of service distinction (imperial crown). From it, a crown (headdress) was formed, which was widely used in European countries as an attribute of power in the early Middle Ages.

Cap of Monomakh

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

Cap of Monomakh

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 sixteenth century he is also mentioned in the ceremony of the wedding of Russian tsars

Historians' stories

The story of the Englishman Horsey, an eyewitness to the coronation of Fyodor Ivanovich, the son of Ivan the Terrible, is known: “The tsar had a precious crown on his head, and in his right hand was a royal rod made of the bone of a unicorn, three feet and a half long, lined with expensive stones, which was bought by the former tsar from Augsburg merchants in 1581 for seven thousand pounds. Other sources report that the coronation of Fyodor Ivanovich in everything was similar to the “seat 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 the scepter on the seals of this time was not accepted, as well as 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 since the 16th century. During the wedding to the kingdom of Boris Godunov on September 1, 1598, Patriarch Job gave the tsar, along with the usual regalia, also an orb. At the same time, he said: “For as long as we hold this apple in our hands, so hold all the kingdoms given to you from God, keep them from external enemies.”

"Big Outfit" by Mikhail Fedorovich (hat, scepter, orb).

1627–1628
The wedding to the kingdom of the ancestor of the Romanov dynasty, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, took place according to a clearly drawn up “scenario” that did not change until the 18th century: together with the cross, barmas and the royal crown, the metropolitan (or patriarch) passed the scepter to the tsar in the right hand, and the orb to the left . At the wedding of Mikhail Fedorovich to the kingdom, before handing over the regalia to the metropolitan, the scepter was held by Prince Dmitry Timofeevich Trubetskoy, and the power was held by Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky.

The letter of tsar Bogdan Khmelnitsky dated March 27, 1654 was accompanied by a seal of a “new type”: a two-headed eagle with open wings (a horseman slaying a dragon on his chest in a shield), a scepter in the right paw of the eagle, a power orb in the left, 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 pattern was used in the Little Russian Order.

Seal of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. 1667
Circle to the great state seal of Tsars John and Peter Alekseevich. Master Vasily Kononov. 1683 Silver

After the Andrusovo truce, which ended the Russian-Polish war of 1654–1667 and recognized the annexation of the lands of the Left-Bank Ukraine to Russia, a new large state seal was “inflicted” in the Russian state. She is famous for the fact that her official description, included in Complete Collection laws of the Russian Empire, is also the first decree 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 sent with royal letters to the Elector of Brandenburg and the Duke of Courland, it is emphasized: or his neighbors or their bailiffs will learn to say why now his royal majesty has three corunas with other images in a seal over an eagle? And tell them Vasily: the double-headed eagle is the coat of arms of the power of our great sovereign, his royal majesty, over which three korunes are depicted, signifying the three great: Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian glorious kingdoms, submitting to God-protected and his highest royal majesty, our most merciful sovereign power and command." Then comes the description, which a few months later was announced not only "to the surrounding states", but also to Russian subjects. On December 14, 1667, in the nominal 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 sovereign Grand Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of All Great and Small and White Russia Autocrat, His Royal Majesty the Russian Kingdom, on which three korunas are depicted, signifying the three great, Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian, glorious Kingdoms, repenting to the God-preserved and highest of His Royal Majesty, the most merciful Sovereign, and command; on the right side of the eagle there are three cities, and according to the description in the title, Great and Small and White Russia, on the left side of the eagle three cities form Eastern and Western and Northern with their writings; under the eagle is the sign of the stepfather and grandfather (father and grandfather - N. S.); on the persekh (on the chest - N. S.) the image of the heir; in the groove-teh (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.

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

Regalia of Royal Power: Crown, Scepter, Orb

Crown, scepter, orb - these are regalia, signs of royal, royal and imperial power, generally accepted in all states where such power exists. The regalia owe their origin mainly to the ancient world. So, the crown originates from the wreath, which in the ancient world was placed on the head of the winner in the competition. Then it turned into a sign of honor given to those who distinguished themselves in the war - to a military leader or official, thus becoming a sign of service distinction (imperial crown). From it, a crown (headdress) was formed, which was widely used in European countries as an attribute of power in the early Middle Ages.

Large outfit of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. Crown - Workshops of the Moscow Kremlin, 1627. Power - Western Europe, the end of the XVI century. Scepter - Western Europe, around 1600.

The story of the Englishman Horsey, an eyewitness to the coronation of Fyodor Ivanovich, the son of Ivan the Terrible, is known:
“On the king’s head was a precious crown, and in his right hand was a royal staff, made of the bone of a unicorn, three feet and a half long, lined 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 coronation of Fyodor Ivanovich in everything was similar to the “seat 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 the scepter on the seals of this time was not accepted, as well as 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 since the 16th century.
During the wedding to the kingdom of Boris Godunov on September 1, 1598, Patriarch Job gave the tsar, along with the usual regalia, also an orb. At the same time, he said: “Just as we hold this apple in our hands, so keep the whole kingdom given to you from God, keep them from external enemies.”

Mikhail Fedorovich

The wedding to the kingdom of the ancestor of the Romanov dynasty, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, took place according to a clearly drawn up “scenario” that did not change until the 18th century: together with the cross, barmas and the royal crown, the metropolitan (or patriarch) passed the scepter to the tsar in the right hand, and the orb to the left . At the wedding ceremony of Mikhail Fedorovich, before handing over the regalia to the metropolitan, the scepter was held by Prince Dmitry Timofeevich Trubetskoy, and the orb - by Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky.

Calling of Mikhail Fedorovich

Big Outfit of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich

After liberation from the Polish interventionists, 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, the Kremlin jewelers made for Mikhail Fedorovich the "sovereign's Big outfit", which included a golden royal crown, a scepter and an orb decorated with bright enamel and precious stones. The Russian tsar put on the “big outfit” only on especially solemn occasions - during the “grand entrances” and during the reception of foreign ambassadors.

The golden chased crown of the "Great Treasury attire" is surrounded by typical Russian welt "towns" and openwork cufflinks with precious stones. Their abundance in combination with white, blue and green enamels creates a sonorous colorful range.

The power of the "Big Outfit" 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.

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

Solntsev Fedor Grigorievich

Enamelled 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 in its frame.

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 the magic wand, club, lightning; the scepter was the emblem of Zeus, as well as all the gods associated with fertility.

The ancient scepter of a large outfit, stored in the Armory, 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 enamels and with stones, with diamonds and with worm-shaped yachts and with emeralds; at the top are three eagles plastin with wings together, with enamel; on the top of the eagles there is a crown, on the crown on the back is a lazorev yahont stone, on it is Gurmitskaya grain. An azure yahont was taken 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. It is also mentioned in the inventory of the treasury and the royal outfit of Tsar John Alekseevich:

“A scepter of gold with pink enamels, on it is an eagle with a crown, on the crown is an emerald; on top and on the underside of that emerald on Gurmitsky grain; it contains twenty diamonds, nine worm-shaped yachts, three emeralds; one diamond is missing; the vagina is covered with scarlet velvet, in the middle with worm-like satin.

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

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 quiver, arrows, decorated with gold and enamel patterns. The bow and quiver play with bright colors: sapphires, emeralds and rubies sparkle among the herbs of the ornament, woven into it. Ornament is easy and free! covers the entire surface with bizarre curls and bouquets.

In the center of the entire composition, the heraldic symbols of the Russian state are made in multi-colored enamel: a two-headed eagle, 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 had already been completed. It was created large group craftsmen, including German jewelers who served in the Armory. Nevertheless, these things corresponded to the original Russian tastes of that time.

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

Mikhail Fedorovich in a large outfit.

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

In pre-Petrine Russia, royal clothes and utensils were divided into outfits, that is, they were selected according to their appearance and value. The precious was kept in the Treasury, everything else - in the treasury of the Master Chamber; in each vault, the account of the Outfit was special. Under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, in the notebook of the Workshop Chamber there were thirty outfits of an ordinary dress, and in the Treasury Yard - 8 outfits.

Treasury in the Kremlin
From "The Book of the Election of the Great Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Mikhail Fedorovich". Miniature. Fragment
Moscow, 1672-1673

The Outfit of the Big Treasury included regalia, in which sovereigns were clothed on the day of their wedding to the kingdom, when receiving envoys and strangers, at the consecration of bishops and on great holidays (for example, Procession on a donkey).

Composition of the Great Outfit

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

The gold chain of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, made by Kremlin craftsmen, is the earliest of the royal chains in the collection of the Armory. It was first mentioned in the documents of the royal treasury in 1640. It contains 88 round, slightly curved rings, on a canthari 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 king with a list of cities, principalities, lands that were then part of Russian state, and the instruction to the king to live "according to the commandments of God, to rule wisely and justly."

2. Cap of Monomakh and other royal crowns.

Cap of Monomakh. Made in the East (Bukhara, Khorezm or Egypt). Since the 18th century - the heraldic crown of the kingdoms of Great, Lesser and White Russia.

Monomakh's cap is the main regalia of Russian grand dukes and tsars. Symbol-crown of autocracy in Russia. It is a gold filigree pointed headdress, presumably of oriental work of the late 13th - early 14th century, with a sable edge, adorned with precious stones: pearls, rubies, emeralds and a cross.

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

3. Diadima - a wide round necklace.

Barmy. Armouries

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

According to legend, they were first sent to Russia from Byzantium by Emperor Alexei I Komnenos for Vladimir Monomakh. However, the first annalistic mention of them is found under 1216 and reports that the “robe”, embroidered with gold, is worn by all princes. As coronation regalia, they were first mentioned in 1498 - they were assigned to 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 at the coronation and during solemn exits.

Before the wedding to the kingdom, barmas were taken out of the storehouse 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 tsar, the metropolitan sent two archimandrites and the abbot to the altar to fetch the barmas, who gave them to the bishops who served the barmas to the metropolitan. After three bows and a kiss, the metropolitan, having marked the king with barmas, laid them on him, blessing him with a cross. After the barm was laid, the crown was laid.

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, then appropriated by the church to the bishops as a sign of pastoral authority; European sovereigns replaced it with shortened wands - scepters.

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

The scepter entered the composition of the attributes of Russian royal power in 1584 at the wedding of Fyodor Ioannovich to the kingdom. One of the synonyms for the word king was the word scepter holder.

View of the old building of the Armory
P.A. Gerasimov. Watercolor.
Mid 19th century

The scepters of the Moscow tsars are kept in the Armory. The scepter, used by Russian sovereigns, was made for the coronation of Paul I, in the form of a golden rod, strewn with diamonds and precious stones; at the top of it is the famous Orlov diamond.

The upper part of the Imperial scepter with the Orlov diamond
Story
The scepter was made in the early 1770s for Empress Catherine II the Great. Used materials - gold, Orlov diamond, diamonds, silver, enamel.
Scepter length - 59.5 cm

The smoothly polished golden surface of the scepter is intercepted by eight diamond rims, the handle is embossed with flutes (vertical grooves) that enhance the play of chiaroscuro.
The scepter is completed by a cast gold double-headed eagle - the coat of arms of the Russian Empire, decorated with black enamel and diamonds.
The splendor of this emblem of monarchical power was strengthened by the magnificent Orlov diamond, which adorned the scepter in 1774.
Now the imperial scepter is kept in the Diamond Fund of the Russian Federation.

Scepter - generously decorated with gems and crowned with a symbolic (as a rule, coat of arms: heraldic lily, eagle, etc.) figure of a wand 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 a ceremonial symbol of the power of 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 state emblem of Russia a century later. He took his traditional place in the right paw of the double-headed eagle on the seal of 1667 of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

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

Orb (old Slavic dzharzha - power) - a symbol of the state power of the monarch, which was a golden ball with a crown or cross.

Historically, the orb was the insignia of the emperors of the Roman Empire and the English kings, later it became an attribute of the power of a number of Western European monarchs. With the onset of the Christian era, the power was crowned with a cross.

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

Russia adopted this sign from Poland, in which 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 principle, then the orb is considered a symbol of the feminine.

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

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

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

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

The orb was also the insignia of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and the English kings, starting with Edward the Confessor. Sometimes in fine arts Christ was depicted with a power as the Savior of the World or God the Father; in one of the variations, the power 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 power - the feminine.

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

The orb is a precious metal sphere crowned with a cross, the surface of which is decorated with gems and sacred symbols. Powers or sovereign apples (as they were called in Russia) became permanent attributes of the power of a number of Western European monarchs long before the crowning of Boris Godunov (1698), but their introduction into everyday life of 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 orb is the mirrors of the archangels Michael and Gabriel - as a rule, gold discs with the initials of Jesus Christ or a half-length image of Emmanuel (Christ the Child). Such a mirror, followed by a sovereign apple, symbolizes the Kingdom of Heaven, the power over which belongs to Jesus Christ and through the rite of chrismation is partly “delegated” to the Orthodox Tsar. He is obliged to lead his people to the last battle with the Antichrist and defeat his army.

6. Salary - chain or baldric with an eagle.
Golden scan chain

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

Marshal's baton

The wand is a symbol of spiritual and secular power, as well as the power of commanders of troops (in ancient times). The marshal's batons that have survived to this day look like a short stick, are made of silver or gold and are decorated with precious stones and state emblems. In court life, the wand is used by some court ranks: marshals of ceremonies, masters of ceremonies and others. These wands usually look like a metal or bone cane topped with the state emblem. At present, marshal's and court batons are used only on solemn occasions.

8. Royal payment.

For a fee royal - royal regalia; clothes that are part of the Big Outfit. It was used on especially solemn occasions: at the wedding to the kingdom, 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, Erofei Yelin, Luka Smolyaninov. Moscow, Armory. Wood; tempera, oil. 244 x 119. Received in 1891. Comes from the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Description

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

Royal payment was made from expensive golden fabrics: altabas, aksamite and others. Taffeta lining, satin trim. Sleeve length 10 or 11 inches. Sleeve width 6, 7 or 8 inches in elbows. The width at the hem is about 4 arshins. Along the edges and cuts, the Tsar's dress was sheathed with pearl lace (border). It was fastened for a fee with 11 or 12 buttons.

Fur royal dress on ermine fur.
The royal platy was worn on the royal caftan.
Since 1678, the Tsar's fee began to be called porphyry.
During burials, the king's body was covered with the royal robe. Paid covered with a coffin cover.

9. Royal caftan.

Kaftan (pers. خفتان‎) - men's dress, Turkish, Persian and Moroccan caftans are distinguished.

Also called kavtan, koftan. Long garment that reaches almost to the floor, with buttons and fasteners at the front.

Archers in kaftans

10. Royal place.
The royal place - in a broad sense, the throne, the throne of the Russian Tsar, in a more specific sense - the place of honor of the Tsar 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's Throne).

Monomakh throne.1856

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

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Rynda is a squire-bodyguard under the great princes and tsars of Russia of the 16th-17th centuries.

Story
Ryndy accompanied the king on campaigns and trips. During palace ceremonies, they stood in full dress on both sides of the throne with berdysh on their shoulders. They were recruited from young men of noble birth. 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, the bells followed the sovereign everywhere, carrying weapons behind him. Each ryndy had 1-3 sub-rynds or taxes (also from the stewards). The chief 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 armory.

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

The position of rynda was abolished under Peter I in 1698.

Rynd clothing

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

Ryndy dressed in clothes white color embroidered with silver. In the inventory of the treasury of Mikhail Fedorovich, the “ryndov’s dress” is listed:

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

Peaceful (mourning) clothes.

Four sable coats under black satin, fur coats with 8 drawstrings with black tassels.
four terlik satin clove (or cherry).
four hats of taffeta clove or cherry.
black saffiano boots.

The clothes and axes of the rynds were kept as part of the Big Outfit.

Instead of a terlik, a feryaz could be used.

V.Semyonov.Rynda.

Wearing outfits

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

The Big Treasury kept 10 rings, which the tsar put on together with the Big outfit at the receptions of ambassadors. For example, on August 18, 1647, at the reception of the Lithuanian ambassador, the king wore 4 rings. At the reception of the Dutch ambassador on June 20, 1648 - 9 rings.

In different cases, things from the Big Outfit could be combined with things from other outfits. For example, on January 6, 1671, during the royal exit, 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 inherited and kept as part of the Big Outfit, as a reminder of the mercy of Ivan Kalita. On April 19, 1635, a new kalita was cut from damask, modeled on the kalita of Ivan Danilovich Kalita.

Stoyanets (stoyan) - silver pyramids about a arshin high. On the truncated top of the pyramid there was a dish for setting the orb. Stoyanets stood to the left of the throne.

Illustrations - Fedor Grigorievich Solntsev

Regalia - external signs of the power of the monarch- have been known since ancient times and were basically the same everywhere.

In Russia, the imperial regalia were the crown, scepter, orb, state sword, state shield, state seal, state banner, state eagle and state emblem. The regalia in a broad sense also included the throne, porphyry and some royal clothes, in particular barmas, which under Peter I were replaced by the imperial mantle.

Crown- the crown of the monarch, used in solemn ceremonies. The first European-style crown in Russia was made in 1724 for the coronation of Catherine I. Emperor Peter II was also crowned with this crown. He ordered the arc dividing the crown to be decorated with a large ruby, bought by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Beijing from a Chinese bogdykhan; a diamond cross was attached to the top of the ruby. For the coronation of Anna Ivanovna, a crown of a similar configuration was ordered, but even more luxurious: it was decorated with 2605 precious stones. A ruby taken from the crown of Peter II was placed on the arc. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna was crowned with the same crown (only slightly altered). Empress Catherine II for her coronation in
1762 ordered a new crown from the jeweler J. Pozier. 4936 diamonds and 75 pearls are set in a silver gilded crown, and its historical stone crowns it - a bright red spinel (lal, ruby) weighing 398.72 carats; its height with the cross is 27.5 cm. The Great Crown ranks first among European regalia in terms of the perfection of the form, the balance of the design, the number of embedded diamonds. The finished crown weighed about 2 kg. For the coronation of Paul I, it was somewhat expanded, and 75 pearls were replaced by 54 larger ones. All subsequent emperors were crowned with this crown. The small imperial crown was made in 1801 by the jewelers Duval from silver and diamonds (height with a cross 13 cm).

Scepter- a wand adorned with precious stones and carvings - was the oldest symbol of royal power. In the Middle Ages, the inclination of the scepter served as a sign of royal favor, kissing the scepter - a sign of acceptance of citizenship. In Russia, the solemn presentation of the scepter to the tsar for the first time took place at the wedding of Fyodor Ivanovich to the kingdom. When Mikhail Fedorovich was elected tsar (1613), the tsar's staff was presented to him as the main sign of supreme power. At the wedding to the kingdom and on other solemn occasions, the Moscow tsars held the scepter in their right hand, at large exits the scepter was carried in front of the tsar by special solicitors. Several scepters are kept in the Armory. Under Catherine II in 1762, a new scepter was made along with the crown. The scepter that can now be seen in the Armory was made in the 1770s: a golden rod 59.5 cm long, strewn with diamonds and other precious stones. In 1774, the decoration of the scepter was supplemented by decorating its upper part with the Orlov diamond (189.62 carats). A golden image of a double-headed eagle is attached to the diamond.

State ("apple of the royal rank")- a ball topped with a crown or a cross, a symbol of the power of the monarch. Russia borrowed this emblem from Poland. For the first time it was used in 1606 during the wedding of False Dmitry I. The solemn presentation of an apple to the tsar at the wedding to the kingdom is mentioned for the first time during the wedding of Vasily Shuisky to the kingdom. In 1762, a new state was made for the coronation of Catherine II. It is a ball topped with a cross made of a blue yakhont (200 carats), adorned with gold, silver and diamonds (46.92 carats). The height of the orb with a cross is 24 cm.

Preserved to our time State Sword was made at the end of the 17th century. The steel, engraved blade is topped with a gilded silver handle. The length of the sword (with hilt) is 141 cm. The State Shield, made simultaneously with the State Sword - it was carried only at the burial of the sovereign - is decorated with gold, silver, rock crystal plaques with emeralds and rubies, chasing, notching and sewing. Its diameter is 58.4 cm.

State seal was attached to state acts as a sign of their final approval by the supreme authority. When the emperor came to the throne, it was made in three types: large, medium and small.

This also applies to such a symbol of supreme power as a scepter. He appeared in Russia late. True, his image was on the oldest coins of princes Vladimir and Yaroslav of the beginning of the 11th century. But there the scepter was a mere imitation of a Byzantine composition. The scepter was also mentioned in the prayer that was read at the wedding of princes: "King of kings, Lord of lords." Whether it was read before 1498 or not is unknown, since there is no data on the rite of setting princes before 1498. But even if the church participated in the wedding procedure until 1498, the scepter itself was absent.

On miniatures of the XV-XVI centuries. the emblems of the power of the princes were not a scepter, but a staff with various pommel - among the princes and church hierarchs, and in pre-Mongolian times even just swords. Grand dukes and church hierarchs went to embassy audiences, to church services, etc. with a staff. 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 wore already from 1547. So he himself and his entourage believed. Together with the Kazan "land" he, as it were, inherited the position of the khan, who in Russia was called the king.

The scepter was supposed to embody the claims to this title, which for a long time and stubbornly refused to be recognized both in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in the Crown of Poland. 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, albeit in an almost unrecognizable form. In the second half of the XVI century. it was the scepter that began to symbolize royal power. In literary works dedicated to the Time of Troubles, peculiar expressions appeared with the mention of the scepter. The last Rurikovich, Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, was called the "scepter-powerful 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 Fedor at the moment of his death. Fyodor, in his words, "stretched the scepter to the eldest of the four brothers Nikitich (Romanovs. - Auth.), Fyodor Nikitich, since he was closest to the throne and the scepter." He refused this honor, as did his three brothers. And since the dying king was tired of waiting for the handing over of the royal scepter, he said: "Well, whoever wants, let him take the scepter, but I can no longer hold it." Then the ruler (Boris Godunov. - Auth.) ... stretched out his hand and grabbed him over the head of the Nikitichs and other important people who had been forcing themselves to beg for so long.

Power

Godunov "grabbed" not only the scepter, he introduced into royal use the state, which was called at that time both in our country and in the Commonwealth " apple ". The wedding ceremony included not only the presentation of the scepter, but also the powers: "This apple is a sign of your kingdom. As you hold this apple in your hand, so hold the whole kingdom given to you from God, protecting them from enemies unshakably. "But Godunov failed to fulfill this covenant.

During the XVI-XIX centuries. a lot of luxurious scepters and orbs were created. Particularly prominent are the scepter and orb of Mikhail Romanov's large attire. The combination of bright enamels and large precious stones creates a feeling of extraordinary luxury and splendor. 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 (anointing him 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, in comparison with the cap of regalia, special coasters were created. At the ceremony, on the sides 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 set up specifically for the "apple of the autocratic Muscovite 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, which was depicted on the state emblem of 1856, is connected with the first emperor himself - the mantle, or "canopy". On October 20, 1721, on the occasion of the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystadt, the senators presented the tsar with the title of "Emperor of All Russia, Father of the Fatherland and the Great." Senators and members of the Synod clothed the conqueror of the Swedes in an imperial mantle lined with ermine, on the front side of which black eagles were woven over gold brocade (yellow and black were the colors of the then Russian flag). The type of mantle was preserved until 1917. The last All-Russian Emperor Nicholas II Romanov was also dressed in the same mantle.

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

This concludes the review of the coat of arms of the Romanovs, which at the same time 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, was expanding, 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 variegation of the state emblem corresponded to the variegation of the population that lived in the conquered lands. The nature of power changed, and new regalia became its signs, which were also used by the "brothers" of the Russian sovereign in the many-sided family of European, and not only European, suzerains, monarchs, kings and emperors. Ideas about the origin of the grand ducal, royal and imperial power changed, and with them the regalia themselves were transformed, theories of their origin and significance were formed.

Throughout the story, we talked about the coat of arms with a double-headed eagle as a symbol of statehood - whether it be the Grand Duchy of All Russia, whether it be 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" has become such?

It is perhaps difficult to answer this question in the affirmative. The double-headed eagle appeared in Russia 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, because Russia itself from the middle of the 16th century. was a multinational state, - moreover, a very peculiar one.

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

Hypertrophy of the state beginnings of the XVI-XX centuries. was accompanied by the absorption of all and all kinds national identity, including formally pictorial ones. Reintroducing the double-headed eagle as the state emblem of Russia, we must remember the tragic and bitter lessons of the past that the peoples of our country learned under the shadow of the double-headed eagle. May this time it remain forever a symbol of awakening and rebirth, as it was in the "quiet spring" under Ivan III.