Scepter and orb of the Russian Empire. Coronation Jewels of Russian Emperors
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, entered the royal title at the same time: “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.
Ancient state regalia belong to the most significant state symbols. These include crowns, crowns, sceptres, orbs, sword, barmas, shield, thrones. However, the sovereign appeared in full vestments only a few times a year - during the most important church holidays and at receptions of especially important foreign ambassadors. Some regalia were used only once during the lifetime of the monarch. At present, the original regalia of the Moscow, and later the Russian state, are stored in the collection of the State Armory of the Moscow Kremlin. In this article we will talk about the royal regalia in chronological order, starting with the most ancient ones.
Royal regalia in the collection of the Armory
The most ancient symbol of princely power is the sword. For the first time they began to depict him on ancient icons. A little later, a shield was added to the sword. Thus, the princely power was primarily symbolized by weapons, in ancient times - a shield and a sword. However, the state shield and the state sword in the collection of the armory date back to the 16th-17th centuries.
About the shield - below.
The most ancient regalia presented in our treasury is the Cap of Monomakh. It is described in detail in the article. Let us briefly repeat the main facts.
Royal regalia. Cap of Monomakh
There is an old “Tale of the Princes of Vladimir”, according to which Vladimir Monomakh was married to the Great Kiev reign with the Cap of Monomakh. The legend says that the crown was presented to him by the Byzantine emperor Constantine Monomakh, who was the grandfather of the Kiev prince. (Details about the “Legend of the Princes of Vladimir” are described in the article ) .
On one of the bas-reliefs of the Monomakh throne, it can be seen that Prince Vladimir is depicted in the Monomakh's hat.
Monomakh's throne. Fragment The story that the Byzantine emperor granted this hat to the ancient ancestor of Ivan the Terrible was actively spread during the time of Tsar Ivan. However, this is nothing more than a beautiful legend invented to explain (legitimize) the new status title of the Sovereign of All Russia. Back in the 19th century, historians refuted the Byzantine version of the origin of the Cap of Monomakh.
To this day, there are three versions about the place of manufacture of this regalia. According to the first of them, Monomakh's cap could have been made in Byzantium, but not under Emperor Constantine, but much later, during the reign of the Palaiologos in the XIV-XV centuries. This version is supported by the fact that the filigree on the item is of very high quality, typical of Byzantine craftsmen.
There is another hypothesis, according to which the Monomakh's cap is of Central Asian origin. This is indicated by the lotus flower motif in her decoration. The likely place of its manufacture may be Samarkand or Bukhara.
The third version says that this is the work of Greek masters who worked in Moscow.
It is possible that the Tatar Khan Uzbek gave Ivan Kalita the Monomakh's cap. Such a gift was a gift from the khan to his vassal, therefore, at the Russian court, such a version was hushed up and the crown was given out for Byzantine work.
They put on the Monomakh's hat not on the head, but on a special hat made of brocade.
Royal wedding ceremony
All medieval rulers, including Western ones, oriented themselves towards Constantinople in the symbols of the state. In many European states, there were crowns similar to the crown of the Byzantine emperor. On such crowns almost always depicted Christ in a crown. Thus reflected the idea of the divine origin of power. The sovereign is the anointed of God and the conductor of the teachings of Christ on earth.
Crown of Constantine IX Monomakh. XI century. Photo from the site http://botinok.co.il/node/52192 The first one described in detail refers to the end of the 15th century. Sovereign Ivan III crowned his grandson, Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich, to reign in Moscow with a golden crown, i.e. Cap of Monomakh. It is also known that barmas - golden chains - were placed on him. The origin of barm historians have not yet explained.
In the ceremony of crowning the kingdom in Russia, there was also a custom to shower the prince with coins. Although it is known that in Byzantium and in the West, coins were thrown into the crowd. Most likely, the Russian ambassadors who were at the solemn wedding of the emperor in Constantinople did not quite understand this rite, or conveyed it inaccurately. Therefore, we showered the prince himself with coins. After that, those present at the ceremony were allowed to pick them up.
The last wedding to the great reign took place in 1534. Then the young Grand Duke John IV Vasilyevich was crowned. In 1547, Ivan IV was married to the kingdom, the image of this ceremony was preserved in the Illuminated Chronicle.
In addition to the sword, shield, Monomakh's cap and barm, one of the most important state regalia is the cross. In the collection of the Armory, a sliver of the genuine cross of Jesus Christ is inserted into the cross.
Regalia of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich IV the Terrible. royal regalia
Cap Kazan. royal regalia
The second oldest crown in the collection of regalia of the Armory is HAT KAZAN. It did not reach us in its original form, at the beginning of the 17th century it was remade. Initially, the Kazan cap was crowned with a large emerald, which we now see on the cap of Mikhail Fedorovich.
There is also no consensus regarding the place of its manufacture. Perhaps it was made in Moscow during the time of Ivan the Terrible in honor of the conquest of the Kazan Khanate and repeats the crown of the Tatar Khan. It is possible that this is a genuine crown of the ruler of Kazan, taken during the campaign of Ivan the Terrible as a trophy.
A riddle for researchers is the composition of the dark-colored material that forms the background of the Kazan cap. It is authentically known that this is not niello and not enamel. To conduct a chemical analysis of the material, you need to scrape off a small part of the coating. This is currently not possible. Considering the unknown technique for making this background, the Kazan hat is most likely not of Moscow origin.
For foreigners, a crown of this form evoked an association with the papal tiara. They believed that Ivan the Terrible was encroaching on world domination. In Russia, during the time of Ivan the Terrible, a legend appeared that Rurik was a descendant of the Roman emperor Augustus.
At the wedding to the kingdom of Ivan the Terrible, in 1547, the first Russian tsar was not smeared with chrism. The first sovereign who was really "anointed" to the kingdom was his son, Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich.
Bone Throne. royal regalia
The “Bone Throne”, although it is called the throne of Ivan the Terrible, may not have anything to do with this king.
This throne has plates that date back to the 16th century. In addition to ivory, it contains walrus ivory, mammoth ivory and even beef ivory. Russian masters at different times repaired the throne and made some of the lost elements from beef bone.
The original ivory is in the first tier of the throne, which depicts scenes of the anointing of King David to the kingdom. Below are images of pagan, ancient scenes taken from Greek mythology. That is why historians conclude that the throne was assembled in parts from elements of different times.
Bone Throne. Fragment The double-headed eagle, located on the back of the throne, is a symbol of the empire. He was depicted not only on the coat of arms of the Russian, but also of the Austrian Empire. There is a version that instead of an eagle on the back of the throne there used to be an image of Juno. 
Maybe the throne belonged to Ivan the Terrible, but it was brought to Moscow later.
In the 18th-19th centuries, a legend arose that this throne was brought to Moscow by the Greek princess Sofia Paleolog at the end of the 15th century. Interestingly, Ivan the Terrible was twice depicted on this throne. The sculpture of Antokolsky is known, where the king is depicted sitting on a bone throne. also depicted this throne. Although historians at the same time have a question - what did this throne do in the female half of the palace, where the tragedy occurred, which served as the plot for Repin's canvas. (Both images are exhibited in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery).
Regalia of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich. royal regalia
barmy
Barmas, which are also part of the state regalia, are now on display in a showcase with a secular dress, along with a paid Peter I. They depict Christian saints. They were made at the end of the 16th century in the gold embroidery workshop of Tsarina Irina Godunova, wife of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich. 
Each time at the wedding ceremony for the kingdom, the barmas were remade. This thing is individual and did not suit another person, because the host of patron saints of one person did not correspond to the patron saints of another, and the new king could not use the barms of his predecessor. Embroidered with silk and precious threads on barmahs of Tsar Fyodor is the Deesis - the prayerful presence of the Mother of God and John the Baptist before the Heavenly King and the Earthly Judge.
SCEPTER first appeared in the wedding ceremony for the kingdom of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich in 1584.
Regalia of Tsar Boris Godunov
The orb was first used at the wedding of Tsar Boris Godunov in 1598.
Throne of Tsar Boris Godunov
The GOP collection also exhibits the Tsar Boris Godunov's Throne of Iranian work. This is a 1604 gift from Shah Abbas II of Persia. 
In Iran, such a piece of furniture did not serve as a throne. Usually they made two such chairs and a table for them. The curators of the collection still do not know whether Boris Godunov received a complete set or only one throne as a gift. They could not use this chair as a throne, because it has no back. He could serve as a portable throne. The original upholstery has not been preserved; in its modern form, the throne is upholstered with French fabric of the 18th century.
Regalia of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. royal regalia
WEDDING TO THE KINGDOM OF Tsar MIKHAIL FYODOROVICH. The miniature was published in I.A.Bobrovnitskaya’s book “Regalia of Russian Sovereigns” Power
The orb of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich was made in Western Europe, in Prague, in the workshops of King Rudolf II. Most likely, these regalia were brought to Russia by the Caesar's embassy.
Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Diplomats secretly handed over the royal order, because the presentation of state regalia in international diplomacy was a sign of recognition of the vassal status of the sovereign to whom these regalia were handed over. (Remember that so far not a single documentary evidence has been found that Uzbek handed over the state regalia, Monomakh's hat, to Ivan Kalita. If such a fact did exist, then he was carefully "forgotten").
The order for the production of state regalia, made to the Bohemian king Rudolf II, was, although honorary, but it was handed over at an informal meeting. There is a version that Fyodor Ivanovich ordered the regalia, but he died before he had time to use them. Boris Godunov also did not have time to put them on, as soon he also ordered to live long.
Chain
The regalia of Mikhail Fedorovich at his wedding to the kingdom in 1613 includes a chain.
Chain-okladen of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. Moscow, Kremlin Workshops, XVII century. This is one of the oldest chains that have come down to us. On the links of the chain is depicted the royal title. Although it is believed that the chain belonged to Mikhail Fedorovich, historians have not come to a consensus as to what time this title engraved on the chain refers to - either by 1613, or by the end of the reign, by the 1640s.
Other chains in the collection are most likely of Western European work. Crosses were attached to them.
Chain from the collection of the Armory. Western Europe, 16th century Barmas of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov are in the museum funds.
Crown of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich
The crown of Tsar Michael was made in the Tsar's Kremlin workshops. The master who made it was from Germany, although in the documents on the receipt of fees he is listed under a Russian name. For the Russian Middle Ages, this is a common practice: to change foreign names and replace them with Russian ones. The craftsman received an order to restore the hat, lost in the Time of Troubles, and to make a new one in the manner of a scepter and orb, so that the stylistic unity of all three items was observed.
Crown, scepter and orb of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich The emerald that crowns the cap was removed from the Kazan cap of Ivan the Terrible.
An interesting story happened to Nicholas I in Warsaw, when he was crowned in the capital of Poland. The emperor was given a sapphire. Allegedly, he was part of the Russian crown, which was taken to Poland during the Time of Troubles. Initially, a complete set was made in Rudolf's workshops - a hat, a scepter and an orb. The hat disappeared during the Time of Troubles, allegedly becoming a trophy of the Polish conquerors. And all that was left of her was a sapphire, which was presented to the Russian autocrat.
Throne of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich
There is a version that the throne of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich arrived in 1629 from Iran. This is another gift from the Persian Shah Abbas. The throne has been revamped. It is decorated with gold plates, with a total weight of about 13 kg of gold. 
Among the stones, red stones predominate - tourmalines and rubies, as well as blue turquoise. Other gems are lilac amethysts, large yellowish green peridots and emeralds. The two largest stones are diamond-shaped topazes. Iran badly needed good relations with Russia. This need can be judged by the cost of the “golden” throne.
Staff
The staff was also included in the state regalia. It is known that when Tsar Vasily Shuisky was overthrown, the first thing they did was take away his staff. When Mikhail Fedorovich was called to the kingdom, a staff was also brought to Kostroma as a regalia for the young Romanov . The staff of Mikhail Fedorvich is decorated with sapphires and muzzles of griffins.
Staffs of spiritual and secular persons are quite easy to distinguish. On the staves of the clergy, the ends of the handle are directed downwards, but on the secular ones they are not.
Regalia of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. royal regalia
diamond throne
The diamond throne has been preserved without alterations. The Latin inscription on the back glorifies the king's wisdom. 
Oriental elephants are depicted instead of European lions. The throne was brought by a company of merchants who asked the king to allow them duty-free trade. The question arises - where did you order the throne? Everything suggests that the throne was ordered in Iran. Then did the Shah of Iran know that his masters were working "to the left" for the Russian Tsar? Apparently he knew. Just as Rudolph knew that his masters were fulfilling the order of Boris Godunov.
But according to etiquette, the Russian tsar could not accept such a gift from lower ranks. He bought the throne from the merchants for 7,000 rubles. This is the only case in history when the throne tried to bribe the king. But the Russian tsars are incorruptible, they paid the money, and the petition was sent to the back burner. The merchants received the right to duty-free trade only after 7 years, because the fulfillment of their request was contrary to the interests of the state.
Turkish jewelry in the collection of the Armory. royal regalia
The collection contains an orb made in the Turkish style. The state is the symbol of the state. The state flourishes in the reign of the sovereign.
Orb and scepter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich The chronology of the Turkish scepter has not yet been clarified. It was made either in 1639 or 1659. And if in 1639, then it was ordered not by Alexei Mikhailovich, but by Mikhail Fedorovich. Then the question arises, where are the other items? Correspondence about the manufacture of the scepter has been preserved. It was performed by Greek masters who worked for the Turkish Sultan. They were not immediately paid for the order, although they bought precious stones for decorating items at their own expense. But in the end, the money was paid to the masters in full.
Turkish jewelry can be seen on the masquerade costume of Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich. Authentic Turkish buckles from the 17th century were used to decorate this costume.
Regalia of Tsars Ivan Alekseevich and Peter Alekseevich. royal regalia
The double wedding to the kingdom took place in 1682. Ivan was 16 years old, Peter - 10. The eldest of the brothers, Ivan Alekseevich, was crowned with the Cap of Monomakh. The collection contains a SECOND ATTRACT HAT. It was made within one month, so the craftsmen simply did not have time to decorate it with thin, elegant filigree. 
double throne
The throne was remade from the throne of Alexei Mikhailovich, the work of the Augsburg masters. The width of the steps and the width of the seat do not match. 
This is the only double throne in history. It is a complete throne complex with stands to ensure that no one gets close enough to the king. Only ambassadors could approach the king when they were allowed to kiss the sovereign's right hand (hand).
diamond crowns
Diamond crowns also raise many questions. Why are they different? Indeed, on one crown there are only diamonds, and on the other - diamonds and chrysolites. Diamonds form a pattern in the form of double-headed eagles. The weight of the crowns is approximately 2 kg. They were preserved thanks to the efforts of Tsar Peter Alekseevich.
Diamond hat of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich 
Diamond hat of Tsar Peter Alekseevich Altabas hat
Royal regalia of the 18th century
In a showcase with royal regalia there is three objects of the 18th century.
1.Imperial crown of Empress Catherine I. Made in 1724 for the coronation of Catherine I. According to one version, stones for it were collected from the nobility, including Menshikov. Therefore, after the coronation, they were removed from the frame and returned to their owners. This version has not yet been officially confirmed, so it is believed that the stones were removed for an unknown reason. The inscription on the crown is the name of the owner.
The two hemispheres symbolize the secular and spiritual power of the monarch.
2. Crown of Empress Anna Ioannovna.
Crown of Empress Anna Ioannovna Fenkel attributed this crown to Gottlieb Wilhelm Dunkel. Fenkel reasoned simply - the court jeweler makes the crowns. At the court of Anna Ivanovna, the court jeweler was Gottlieb Dunkel, therefore, he made the crown. But no documents confirming this fact have been preserved. On the contrary, it was recently found out that the crown of Anna Ioanovna was made by Moscow masters: goldsmiths Samson Larionov, Kalina Afanasiev, Nikita Milyukov, silversmith Pyotr Semyonov, goldsmith Luka Fedorov.
3.Shield. Anna Ioannovna in the coronation ceremony wished to have a shield and a sword. The shield is Turkish, the sword is Polish, weighing about 1.5 kg.
State shield. Moscow, end of the 18th century, zapon - Turkey, 17th century. But in the ceremony itself, military regalia were not used, they were simply carried on a pillow. Throughout the 18th century, women ruled in Russia, and the sword was very poorly combined with fizma.
There is also a Maltese crown in the collection, it appears from time to time at exhibitions, mainly it is kept in funds. It was used at the burial of the monarch.
One more scepter of Pavel Petrovich is located in a showcase with jewelry of the 18th century, in the same place where the Potemkin dish is presented. This scepter was intended to be presented to the Georgian king.
Georgia took the oath to the Russian Tsar 11 times, the last time in 1795. This scepter was ordered by Pavel Petrovich to be presented to the ruler of Georgia. But Paul died. Soon the Georgian king also died. The political situation changed and Georgia became part of the Russian Empire as a province.
Crown making doesn't stop there. Crowns were made for empresses, and after the death of the empress, they were dismantled and given as a testament. The only surviving crown belonged to Empress Maria Alexandrovna (kept in the Diamond Fund). This is the only empress who died before her husband.
The facts presented in the article have been revealed by modern researchers. But all of the above is by no means the ultimate truth. Research is ongoing, new data is coming to light, and attribution may change over time.
The article was written based on the materials of the Kremlin lecture hall. Also used books:
I.A. Bobrovnitskaya “Regalia of Russian sovereigns”, M, 2004
Royal power cannot be imagined without its symbolic attributes, such as the crown, orb and scepter. These regalia are generally accepted - in addition to the Russian rulers, they were used and used by the kings and emperors of all powers. Each of these items has a special meaning and a unique origin story.
Power apple
The orb (from the old Russian "dirzha" - power) is a golden ball covered with precious stones and crowned with a cross (in the era of Christianity) or other symbols. First of all, she personifies the supreme power of the monarch over the country. This significant object came to Russia from Poland during the time of False Dmitry I and was used for the first time at the ceremony of his wedding to the kingdom, while bearing the name "powers".It was not for nothing that the state was called an apple, it reminds not only of its roundness - this fruit is an image of the world. In addition, this deeply symbolic object means the feminine.
With its round shape, the power, just like, personifies the globe.
There is also a religious connotation in the image of the state. After all, on some canvases Christ was depicted with her as the Savior of the world or God the Father. The sovereign apple was used here in - the Kingdom of Heaven. And through the rite of chrismation, the powers of Jesus Christ are transferred to the Orthodox tsar - the tsar must lead his people to the last battle with the Antichrist and defeat him.
Scepter
According to legend, the scepter was an attribute of the gods Zeus and Hera (or Jupiter and Juno in Roman mythology). There is evidence that the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt also used an object similar in meaning and appearance to a scepter.The shepherd's staff is the prototype of the scepter, which later became a sign of pastoral authority among the ministers of the church. The European rulers shortened it, as a result, they received an object that is known from medieval paintings and numerous historical notes. In shape, it resembles a wand made of gold, silver or other precious materials and symbolizes the masculine principle.
Often, Western European rulers had a second wand in addition to the main one; it acted as a symbol of supreme justice. The scepter of justice was adorned with the "hand of justice" - a finger indicating deceit.
When Fyodor Ioanovich was crowned king in 1584, the scepter became a full-fledged sign of autocratic power. A little less than a century later, he and the state began to be depicted on the coat of arms of Russia.
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 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 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 Kiev 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 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: “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 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.
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 the 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. 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 them Vasily: the double-headed eagle is the coat of arms of the state 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 unambiguously 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 - 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.