Today we’ll talk about the most ancient regalia of the Russian princes and the highest symbol of autocratic power - the Cap of Monomakh. Does everyone remember her story? How did this attribute get to the Russian land? Where is the Monomakh Hat stored today?
Each of us remembers the famous headdress from the lessons of the history of Ancient Russia. It symbolizes the autocracy and power of the king. Her sovereigns received a gift from the Byzantine emperor. She can be seen in the portraits of the tsars of Russia. It turns out that the story of the Caps does not end there. A lot of legends walk around her. Many are trying to figure out where the truth is, and where is the fiction.
Description of Royal Regalia
The relic is first mentioned in the spiritual letter of Ivan Kalita. The Prince of Moscow spoke of a certain “golden headdress” in 1328. Modern historians are convinced that it was about the Monomakh Hat. Where the attribute of power is stored, we will consider later.
The legendary royal regalia weighs a little less than 1 kg. It was described as an object made of wood and glued inside with velvet fabric. The outer side of the Caps is decorated with gold plates made using the filigree technique. It is also decorated with natural sable fur, pearls, sapphires, rubies and emeralds. In total, there were 43 gems on it. It is noteworthy that the dress was never valued in monetary terms. Even today, such information cannot be found anywhere.
The role and status of the relic
It was this regalia that crowned the rule of the sovereigns who ruled from 1546 to 1682. Each tsar (from Ivan the Terrible to Ivan the Fifth) had to put on a Hat, but only once in his life. It was laid on everyone’s eyes on the head of the newly-made sovereign during the ceremony. After the celebration, the garment was carried to the treasury.
Under Peter the Great, this tradition was broken. The emperors were now crowned with a crown.
Where is the Monomakh Hat stored today?
This question interests many. A curious fact is that in the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin today there is not one, but two Monomakh Caps. The second attribute copies the regalia, but inferior to it in the beauty of decoration.
For whom was the copy created? It turns out that it was made for the wedding ceremony of Peter Alekseevich. He was co-ruler of Ivan the Fifth. So, two sovereigns ascended the throne, therefore, two coronation regalia were needed.
Excursions are regularly held in the Armory, where the Monomakh hat is stored. Therefore, everyone can personally look at the legendary headdress.
Main version
The history of the appearance of the Caps of Monomakh in Russia is associated with Vladimir Vsevolodovich. Some contemporaries dispute the relationship between the Russian prince and the Byzantine clan of the Monomakhs. They are convinced that his mother was not the daughter of the emperor, but was some kind of relative to him.
According to legend, after Vladimir Vsevolodovich conquered the Danube lands and the Faction, the Byzantine authorities hastened to establish peace with the Russian ruler. Then they sent their representatives with rich gifts. Among the jewels was the famous Monomakh Hat (you already know where it is stored). After a while she went to the Vladimir princes, and then to the princes of Moscow.
Another legend
According to another version, the Hat was presented as a gift to Vladimir Vsevolodovich as a sign of continuity of power of the Byzantine emperors to the principalities of Russia. Some historians are convinced that the headdress was the property of the Monomakh clan. By the Byzantine emperors, the Cap came from King Nebuchadnezzar himself, who reigned in the 7th-8th centuries. BC e.
The fact remains that these legends appear in the annals only after 1518. Many today are interested in not only the question of where the Monomakh Hat is stored in Moscow, but also who wrote the legends and where the headgear came from?
Who rewrote the story?
Beautiful legends were written during the reign of Vasily the Third Ivanovich (1140-1505). The policy of the sovereign was focused on the Byzantine empire, so family ties with Vladimir Monomakh were in the hands of the Russian ruler.
According to this version, the famous Monomakh Hat (where it is stored, we examined earlier) was donated by the Khan of the Horde to Uzbek Prince Ivan Kalita for faithful service. At the beginning of the XIV century, the Russian lands were fragmented and were ruled by the Mongol-Tatars. Kalita managed to gain confidence in the khan, who gave him a golden skullcap from his shoulder. The Moscow prince ordered her to be decorated with a chic cross and fur, and then handed the dress to his descendants.
This version is confirmed by some chronicles and the Asian ornament on the relics. So, if you believe the veracity of this story, the cap will be more correctly called Ivan Kalita, and not Monomakh.