XII. Mysterious masons on the royal road “During our campaigns, we encountered the rector of Kazan University, which was founded by Emperor Alexander in 1804. There was no escape, and we had to follow him to his institution, ”he wrote further in his travel

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.

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.

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 was in everything similar to the “seat on the table” of Ivan the Terrible, with the only difference 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, scepter and 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 multicolored 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 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. 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, marking 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 power 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. Starting from the reign of the Russian Emperor Paul I, it was a ball of blue yakhont, sprinkled with diamonds and topped 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 disks 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.

***
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

Scepter- generously decorated with gems and crowned with a symbolic (as a rule, coat of arms: heraldic lily, eagle, etc.) figure, 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 “from the bone of a unicorn three feet and a half long, lined with expensive stones” (Sir Jerome Horsey, Notes on Muscovy of the 16th century) entered the composition of the royal regalia in 1584 at the wedding of Fyodor Ioanovich to the kingdom. This insignia of power, given in the altar of the temple by the Patriarch of All Russia into the hands of the Anointed of God, then entered the royal title: “God in the Trinity, glorified by the mercy of the scepter-holder of the Russian kingdom.”
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.

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 the fine arts Christ was depicted with a orb 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. Starting from the reign of the Russian Emperor Paul I, it was a ball of blue yakhont, sprinkled with diamonds and topped with a cross.

Power It 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 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 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.

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.

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.

Emblem of Russia. 2nd floor 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 XVI century. he is also mentioned in the ceremony of the wedding of Russian tsars

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 was in everything similar to the “seat on the table” of Ivan the Terrible, with the only difference 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

leys also the state. 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.”

Cap of Monomakh

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.

"Big Outfit" by Mikhail Fedorovich (hat, scepter, orb). 1627-1628

The letter of tsar Bohdan 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 - 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

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. 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 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 Vasily to them: 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 paznokteh (in claws. - N. S.) a scepter and an apple (orb. - N. S.), they are the most merciful Sovereign of His Royal Majesty the Autocrat and Possessor.

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

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 absolute monarchy, but also, out of hatred for monarchs, destroyed all the most valuable historical symbols of royal power: crowns, scepter, orb, thrones, mantles. Some of them were melted down into coins, some were stolen. And today, in the museums of London, including the Tower, royal values ​​are stored, which were created after 1660.

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

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

The coronation also meant that the new monarch was allowed to continue the hierarchical hereditary chain of the former rulers. In addition, the coronation is also a very important religious ceremony for the people, during which the sacrament of anointing to the kingdom is performed. Thus, the whole coronation ritual has a special meaning of God's blessing on the kingdom.

The first crown of England - the crown of St. Edward - did not survive, it turned out to be a victim of the very process of destroying all the 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 adorned with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds and is considered the most valuable in the world. Among the precious stones that adorn it, we should especially mention the Stuart sapphire, the Black Prince ruby.

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

Among other royal regalia, the orb and the scepter should be mentioned - they are also symbols of royal power, signs of royal dignity. Power with its round shape goes back to the globe. She was held in her left hand, and the scepter in her right. The scepter was an attribute of the gods Zeus (Jupiter) and Hera (Juno), it was one of the signs of dignity of the Greek and Roman rulers.

The Royal Scepter of Great Britain is adorned 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. Her scabbard is adorned with diamonds, emeralds and rubies.

Only in the presence of all regalia does the king have complete 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 coronation in 1937 of Elizabeth, wife of King George VI, is adorned with the Kohinoor diamond, which means "mountain of light." This is the most famous jewel in England.

The Kohinoor diamond was "born" in India over 300 years ago. There is a belief that the Kohinoor diamond brings bad luck to the men who own it. It was never sold for money, but passed by force from one ruler to another. Finally, in 1849, he was sent to London in a forged casket, which was packed in a special chest, with the 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 Exhibition in London, and 6 million visitors were able to see it. And in 1937 it was inlaid in 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 they be returned the Kohinoor diamond, which was considered national treasure. Then this issue was not resolved, but in 1953 it was back on the agenda. Once again, British society strongly rejected all claims. The British made it clear to the Indians that they were not going to return the gem.

Currently, the coronation of kings occurs only in the UK. The current reigning Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II, is the only monarch to be crowned in accordance with all the rules. In all other countries of Europe, the coronation has been replaced by an inauguration, or enthronement, without chrismation and the laying on of a crown.

The coronation of Queen 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 all the time. She did not take it off even during breakfast.

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

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