The throne of Ivan the Terrible, carved from bone, is one of the few objects of a distant era that has survived to this day. He is considered the earliest of all known thrones. A legend is connected with him about the appearance in the Moscow Kremlin, according to which he was brought from Rome by the wife of Tsar Ivan III and the niece of the last Emperor of Byzantium, Sofia (Zoya) Paleolog.
Where is
Currently, the throne of Ivan the Terrible is in the Armory. The Russian Tsar had several thrones. They were in the squared canteen hut, the Golden Chamber and the Intercession Church of the 16th-17th centuries, located in the Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda (now a museum-reserve), where an exact copy is now on display. It was here that the sovereign arranged the magnificent receptions of foreign ambassadors, at which the higher clergy and boyars were present in magnificent clothes decorated with gold and gems. The price of such dresses was incredibly high. Foreign diplomats were struck by luxury, however, as were the dishes that were served on the table.
Where was the throne made
There is another version according to which the throne was made at the time of the wedding of Ivan IV to the kingdom, so it is called the throne of Ivan the Terrible. How he got to Russia and where it was made remains unknown. According to some sources, it was made by masters of Germany, according to others - Italy. Specialists of the Armory in the description of the exhibit recorded that the throne (throne) belonged to Ivan the Terrible, so the version of his appearance at the time of the wedding to the kingdom is fully justified.
Description
The throne of Ivan the Terrible is completely covered with ivory plates, on which wonderful drawings on biblical subjects are carved. It is decorated with mythical birds and animals characteristic of the European Renaissance. Most of the drawings celebrate the courage, virtue and wisdom of the biblical king David. Researchers suggest that carvings depicting battle scenes were added in the 17th century during the restoration of the throne.
The throne is a chair with armrests, a footrest and a straight high back, semicircular on top. In the center is a double-headed eagle, and on the upper part of the back of the throne is a gilded figurine of the symbol of the Russian Empire, which was adopted under Ivan III. Researchers found zodiac signs on the plate drawings, in which, according to one version, the wedding date of Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog was encrypted, and according to the other, the year of birth of Ivan the Terrible, which is still not known for certain.
The small size of the chair suggests that it served as a camp throne. It would be uncomfortable for a modern person to sit on it, since one would have to squeeze into it. This gives the right to assume that the people of that time were much smaller, that is, the growth of Ivan the Terrible was approximately 1 m 50 cm.
Bone Throne Legends
Like any ancient thing that has survived to our time, the throne of the last of the kind of Ruriks of the king is surrounded by legends and legends. The first of these concerns the appearance of this chair. According to legend, it was brought by Sophia Paleolog, who was from the Byzantine imperial family. Her father, Thomas Paleolog, was the brother of the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine XI, and Sofia was the mother of Tsar Vasily III and the grandmother of Ivan the Terrible.
According to this version, the throne was made by the masters of Europe at the request of Pope Paul II and brought to Russia as a gift to Tsar Ivan III. It is known that the niece of the last Byzantine emperor and her two brothers lived in Rome and were kept by the Pope. She was sent to Russia with a special mission - to persuade Ivan III to adopt the Catholic faith. In Rome, she converted to Catholicism.
But the tsar and his wife Sophia, who returned to the old faith, remained faithful to Orthodoxy. The fact that this throne was in the Kremlin chambers during the time of Tsar Ivan III is confirmed by S. von Herberstein, who wrote “Historical Notes on Moscow Affairs”. He writes that he was received by the king, seated on a bone throne, which confirms the version that he was brought by Sophia Paleolog.
Another legend
There is a version that this gift from the Vatican was equipped with a special secret, which was supposed to affect the health of Ivan III. The legend is not confirmed by research, but it has a right to exist. According to her, metal was added to the gilded coat of arms, which gives the steel the strength of radioactive thorium. Ivan III rarely used the throne, and Ivan the Terrible often sat on it. It is known that he had problems with the spine, it is possible that this was the reason. He allegedly accelerated not only his death, but also affected the health of his children and grandchildren. Maybe that’s why it was removed. Subsequently, there was no metal coat of arms, judging by the sculpture of P. Antakolsky, which depicts Ivan the Terrible on the throne. The name of the sculpture is "Ivan the Terrible."
Afterword
Pope Paul II, sending Sophia to Russia, gave her 6 thousand ducats and gifts as a dowry. These were precious reliquaries and Liberia - a huge library, which later became the legendary library of Ivan the Terrible. After all, the purpose of the wedding was the conclusion of a union between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, the persuasion of Ivan III to the adoption of Catholicism. Whether there was a throne among them is unknown.
In Russia, there have always been craftsmen-bone carvers who could make any pattern. History has preserved the legend of the master Kuzma, who made the princely throne of bone for 200 years before Ivan the Terrible. But the Tatars captured Kuzma, and he disappeared into slavery.