Diving deep into the centuries, let's try to figure out what the scepter and power mean in Russian history.
The scepter is a figured rod. It was made of silver, ivory, gold, framed with gems and used heraldic symbolism. 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 of the symbols of monarchical power, we need to dwell on the state - 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 "darzha", which means "power", and this name came about. The scepter and power of the Russian tsars are the oldest of the insignia of autocratic power.
Sovereign balls, or sovereign apples - as they were called in Russia, also served as attributes of the power of the Roman, Germanic and other emperors.
Crowns in the Russian Empire
Staying on the regalia of Russian emperors, it is worth highlighting the crowns of the Russian Empire. For coronations in the kingdom, they used the Monomakh Hat.
In Russia, the rite of the first imperial coronation was held over 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.
Monomakh Hat - Ancient Regalia
The mention of the Monomakh Hat appeared in the XVI century. in "The Tale of the Princes of Vladimir". It speaks of Konstantin Monomakh, the Byzantine emperor who ruled in the 11th century. Hence the name. Most likely, Ivan Kalita was its first owner. According to the available art history data, the Monomakh Hat was made in the East in the 14th century. This is the oldest crown of Russia. It was not worn as an everyday headdress, but was used to crown the Russian monarchs from 1498 to 1682. The crown consists of gold plates with patterns. At the top of the crown is a cross inlaid with precious stones. The Monomakh hat is framed by sable fur. The weight of the crown without fur is 698 grams.
Thus, the Monomakh Hat, as well as the scepter and power, has been a symbol of Russia since pre-Petrine times. By the way, she is credited with healing properties. So, it is believed that it is able to relieve various ailments, especially headaches.
Scepter and power of Tsar Boris Godunov
The emergence of such concepts and objects as the scepter and power as symbols of the power of the Russian state is associated with the reign of Boris Godunov. They were ordered in the years 1599-1600 to the masters at the court of Rudolph II. Production took place in Eger (the modern city of Heb). Jewelers, when creating the kit, followed the traditions of the Renaissance.
And although there is a legend that says that the scepter and power were sent back in the XI century. to Prince Vladimir Monomakh, in fact, they were presented to Tsar Boris the Great by the Embassy of Emperor Rudolph II, who ruled the
Holy Roman Empire. In 1604, they found their application in the composition of his great outfit.
Monomakh's scepter was made of gold with enamel details. Twenty diamonds, a large emerald, and other precious stones were used as jewelry. Power has an enameled inlay. Details depict scenes from the reign of David. The country is adorned with 37 large pearls, 58 diamonds, 89 rubies, as well as emeralds and tourmalines.
Crown - the most important regalia of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov
Tsar Mikhail Romanov owned the crown from the "Big Dress". It was made in 1627 by Deacon Efim Telepnev. He was the foreman at the Armory. The crown of the crown consists of two tiers. At the bottom of the outer frame is an eight-toothed diadem. The crown is framed by sable fur with precious stones. After the eighteenth 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 exist in the Armory of Moscow. But many of them are irretrievably lost. These include the "Big Crown" of Tsar Fyodor I Ivanovich. Speaking about this work of art, it is necessary to say about its unspeakable uniqueness. The crown was made in Istanbul at the end of the 16th century. As a gift, the Patriarch of Constantinople Jeremy II sent the crown to Tsar Fedor I Ivanovich, who was the last of the Rurik family. The "big crown" was worn by the kings only at important celebrations. Around 1680, the crown was dismantled. Subsequently, its details were used for the "diamond caps" of Ivan V and Peter I.
Crown, scepter and power on the royal emblem
In 1604, at False Dmitry, on his small seal, an image of three crowns under an eagle appeared. Such an image appeared for the first time and did not last long. However, already in 1625, instead of a cross, a third crown appeared between the heads of the eagle. This image appeared under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich on the small state seal. It was also done in 1645 for his son Alexei at the Great State Press.
There was no power and scepter on the coat of arms until the time of the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich. In 1667, the state seal of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich appeared with the image of state regalia of power. 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 the 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 power on the arms of Russia
Centuries later, on December 25, 2000, the constitutional law “On the State Emblem of the Russian Federation” was adopted. This symbol of state is represented by a heraldic shield. It is quadrangular, red in color. Its lower corners are rounded.
In the center is a
golden eagle with two heads, each of which is crowned with a small crown, and one large crown rises above them. The significance of the three crowns is the personification not only of the sovereignty of the whole of the Russian Federation, but also of its parts, that is, the subjects. The emblem also depicts a scepter and orb. Photos of regalia are striking in their beauty. In the right paw, the eagle holds the scepter, and in the left - the power.
The scepter and power 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 emblem of the Russian Federation not only in color, but also in plain color. If necessary, it can be depicted without a heraldic shield.
The author of the most common image of the coat of arms of the Russian Federation is the national artist Evgeny Ukhnalyov.