In Russia, until the 18th century, this most important attribute of power was called the Tsar's throne, or the Tsar's place. From the 16th century, imitating the traditions of Byzantium, royal places were decorated very magnificently. A unique collection of royal thrones is located in the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin, that's where you can admire this beauty!

Russian tsars usually had at their disposal not one, but several thrones - in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, where the wedding to the kingdom took place and in the chambers for receiving guests. In addition, there were so-called "portable" thrones, which, if necessary, were taken out for a while to crowded places to give greater importance to the events being held. In the future, royal persons began to establish thrones in all their palaces.

"Bone" snow-white throne of Ivan the Terrible

The oldest of the thrones that have survived to our time belonged to John IV, nicknamed by the people for his cruelty Ivan the Terrible. It was made back in the 15th century - a wooden throne lined with snow-white plates of ivory and walrus ivory, on which relief plot compositions on historical and mythological themes were carved by skillful Greek craftsmen. But, as it turned out, our masters are also not born with a bast. When it was necessary to restore the carving on this throne, they turned to folk craftsmen from Kholmogory, and they did an excellent job with this work.

Monomakh throne

In 1547, Ivan IV for the first time was married to the kingdom with a new title for Russia - "tsar". This happened in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, in which a special throne made by Novgorod masters was installed for this purpose. It was decorated with twelve bas-reliefs about the campaign of Prince Vladimir in Byzantine Thrace from " Legends about the princes of Vladimir". In Byzantium, Constantine IX Monomakh presented Prince Vladimir, who was his grandson, with royal regalia. So they began to call this throne - Monomakh.

In the future, all the kings were married to the kingdom in the Assumption Cathedral. And when in 1724 someone came up with the idea to dismantle this throne and make a new one out of it for the upcoming wedding to the kingdom of Catherine I, the wife of Peter, Peter did not allow this to be done: “ I esteem this place more precious than gold for its antiquity, and also because all the sovereign ancestors of the Russian Sovereigns stood on it».

Throne of Boris Godunov

Another beautiful throne in oriental style in 1604 was presented to the then reigning Boris Godunov by the Shah of Persia Abbas I.

Thrones of the Romanov dynasty

The first thrones for the reigning persons of the Romanov dynasty, also made in the Eastern traditions, were very richly decorated.

Throne of Mikhail Fedorovich
The first of the Romanovs was Mikhail Fedorovich. For him, at the beginning of the 17th century, one of the thrones of Ivan the Terrible was remade, made in an oriental style. Russian masters worked on the throne, and they slightly changed its shape, making a high back and raising the armrests, like an old Russian chair. They didn’t touch the jewelry, they were very beautiful.

Diamond throne of Alexei Mikhailovich

This one of the most luxurious thrones kept in the Armory was presented to the tsar in 1660 by Armenian merchants who applied for duty-free trade in Russia. The throne, made of sandalwood, lined with gold and silver plates and decorated with a huge amount of diamonds and other precious stones, was magnificent and truly priceless. The request of the merchants, of course, was granted, in addition, they were paid a decent amount of money for this throne.

Double throne for two brothers

When Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich died, and this happened in 1676, such a situation arose that two heirs had to be crowned the kingdom at once, representatives of two families - the Miloslavskys and the Naryshkins. The eldest son of Alexei Mikhailovich, Fedor, died unexpectedly, the middle Ivan was weak both in mind and in health. The younger son, ten-year-old Peter (the future Peter I), grew up quite smart. Then it was decided to crown the kingdom at the same time two princes, Ivan and Peter.

For them, this huge silver throne with two seats was made. Behind the back of the throne was a secret place in which, during important negotiations, there were mentors of young monarchs, most often their older sister Sophia, 25 years old, a very educated person, acted in this role. It was she who prompted Peter how to answer the questions of foreign ambassadors. And they were more than once amazed by the answers of such a young Russian ruler.

Throne chair of Elizabeth Petrovna

This throne chair, made in 1742 in the Rococo style, is distinguished by its beauty and elegance. And at the same time, it has not lost the majestic solemnity inherent in the thrones. Its curved legs and armrests are decorated with graceful curls of carved floral and plant ornaments, and there are also wonderful female heads. On the plates of silver and gold that adorn this throne, there are many images of griffins and unicorns, lions and leopards, symbolizing strength and power.
The back of the throne is decorated with the personal monogram of Elizabeth in the form of the letter "E" and the image of the state symbol - the coat of arms. The chair looks very elegant and when you look at it, it immediately becomes clear that it belongs to a woman.

By order of Paul I, the court furniture maker Christian Meyer made six such chairs, only they were made not of silver, but of wood, and gilded on top. Only three of them have survived.

The throne of Ivan the Terrible, carved from bone, is one of the few items from a distant era that has survived to this day. It is considered the earliest of all known thrones. A legend about his appearance in the Moscow Kremlin is associated with him, according to which he was brought from Rome by the wife of Tsar Ivan III and the niece of the last emperor of Byzantium, Sophia (Zoya) Paleolog.

Where is

Currently, there is the bone throne of Ivan the Terrible in the Armory. The Russian tsar had several thrones. They were located in a log dining hut, the Golden Chamber and the Intercession Church of the 16th-17th centuries, located in the Alexander Sloboda (now a museum-reserve), where its exact copy is now exhibited. It was here that the sovereign arranged magnificent receptions for foreign ambassadors, at which the highest clergy and boyars were present in magnificent clothes decorated with gold and gems. The price of such dresses was incredibly high. Foreign diplomats were amazed by the luxury, however, as well as the dishes that were served on the table.

Where was the throne made

There is another version, according to which the throne was made by the time of the wedding of Ivan IV to the kingdom, so it is called the throne of Ivan the Terrible. How it got to Russia and where it was made remains unknown. According to some reports, it was made by masters in Germany, according to others - in Italy. In the description of the exhibit, specialists from the Armory noted that the throne (throne) belonged to Ivan the Terrible, so the version of his appearance at the time of his crowning the kingdom is fully justified.

Description

The throne of Ivan the Terrible is completely pasted over with ivory plates, on which wonderful drawings on biblical scenes are carved. It is decorated with mythical birds and animals typical of the European Renaissance. Most of the drawings sing of the courage, virtue and wisdom of the biblical King David. Researchers suggest that the 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 at the top. A double-headed eagle is depicted in the center, 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. On the drawings of the plates, the researchers found signs of the zodiac, in which, according to one version, the date of the wedding of Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog was encrypted, and according to another, the year of birth of Ivan the Terrible, which is not known for certain until now.

The small size of the chair suggested that it served as a traveling throne. It would be uncomfortable for a modern person to sit on it, since they 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.

Legends associated with the bone throne

Like any ancient thing that has survived to our time, the throne of the last king of the Rurik family is surrounded by traditions and legends. The first of them concerns the appearance of this chair. He, according to legend, was brought by Sophia Paleolog, who was from the Byzantine imperial family. Her father, Thomas Palaiologos, was the brother of the last Constantine XI, and Sophia 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 the 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 supported by the Pope. She was sent to Russia with a special mission - to persuade Ivan III to accept the Catholic faith. In Rome, she converted to Catholicism.

But the tsar and his wife Sophia, who returned to the old faith, remained devoted 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 Muscovite 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 Palaiologos.

Another legend

There is a version that this gift from the Vatican was provided with a special secret that 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, a metal was added to the gilded emblem, which gives strength to steel - 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 taken down. 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 6,000 ducats and gifts as a dowry. These were precious relics and liberium - a huge library, which later became the legendary library of Ivan the Terrible. After all, the purpose of the wedding was to conclude a union between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, to persuade Ivan III to accept Catholicism. Whether there was a throne among them is unknown.

In Russia, there have always been craftsmen-bone cutters who could make any pattern. History has preserved the legend about the master Kuzma, who made the princely throne from bone 200 years before Ivan the Terrible. But Kuzma was taken prisoner by the Tatars, and he disappeared into slavery.

History is made by the rulers, the support of any ruler is not only people, but also the throne on which he must sit majestically. This is an image, in modern terms.

The most ancient Russian throne that has survived to this day is the bone throne of Ivan IV the Terrible. There is a version that this creation was brought to Russia by Sophia Paleolog, the grandmother of the Terrible, as a wedding gift for Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya, the parents of Ivan IV. On the throne is even the zodiac date of their wedding “February 9, 1526”, the celebration took place on January 21, 1526, so it is possible that the Byzantines, who were invited to the wedding a few months in advance, decided in this way to capture this date as a keepsake. But for some reason, the date of the wedding may have been changed later. There is still no exact explanation why this number is engraved on the throne.

However, there is even confirmation of the above version. The author of the historical Notes on Muscovite Affairs, Sigismund von Herberstein, who met with the father of Ivan the Terrible, wrote that Vasily the Third, who sat on an ivory throne, received him in the palace. His testimony confirmed the existence of a bone throne in the Moscow Kremlin long before the coronation of Ivan the Terrible.

But still, some scientists believe that the throne is in no way connected with Vasily III and that it was Ivan who got it as a gift. Because the documents mentioning the “bone chair” date back to the reign of Grozny himself. Perhaps it was made by order for the wedding of the last representative of the Rurik family to the kingdom, after which it received the name "The Throne of Ivan the Terrible."

History is a very confusing thing, and it is not clear whether Herberstein himself is right, whether he mistook himself by mistaking the Moscow prince who spoke with him for Vasily III, and whether he distinguished an ordinary tree from a carved elephant tusk.

There is no final opinion about who created the throne. Someone believes that this is the work of the Byzantines, someone talks about the Germans, and someone about the Italians. The frame of the chair is wooden, it is decorated with ivory plates, with images of biblical scenes and mythological animals, such compositions were typical of the Renaissance. Most of them talk about the virtue, wisdom and courage of the biblical king David. And the plates with battle scenes may have been added in 1642 during the restoration of the throne.

However, one should not forget that under the Rurik dynasty, a carved ivory throne appeared in Russia then not for the first time. Master Kuzma, captured by the Tatars, two hundred years before the arrival of the Byzantine princess Sophia, repaired the bone throne, covering it with carvings that delighted the papal nuncio, who had seen many artistic masterpieces in his lifetime only in Italy. And if it were not for the horde that enslaved the master, then it is quite possible that already in the middle of the 13th century such a throne could strike visiting guests in the princely grid.

From time immemorial, the power and wealth of the Russian state has been symbolized by seven attributes: Monomakh's hat, autocratic apple (power), scepter, mantles, bells (bodyguards), the royal seal and, of course, the throne.

Among the Russian thrones, one of the most ancient is considered to be the throne of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, decorated with skillful carvings on ivory. It is a high wooden chair with a footstool. The throne is lined with ivory plates, on which images are carved, personifying the deeds of the biblical King David, as well as mythological animals.

There is a legend according to which the throne appeared in Russia from Byzantium thanks to the second wife of Ivan III Sophia Paleolog. She brought it as a wedding gift to Ivan IV's parents, Elena Glinskaya and Vasily III.

Written confirmation of this hypothesis is the work of Sigismund von Herberstein called "Notes on Muscovite Affairs", where the author describes his meeting with Vasily III, during which the latter sat on an ivory throne. That is, according to von Herberstein, long before the wedding of Ivan the Terrible, this throne was in the Moscow Kremlin.

However, there is another version, according to which the “bone chair” was presented as a gift to Ivan IV, since documents mentioning an ivory throne date back to the time of his reign. Perhaps that is why it is called the "Throne of Ivan the Terrible."

There is no unanimity among scientists about the creators of this throne, since in the middle of the 17th century Moscow masters carried out its restoration with the replacement of broken plates with new ones. Based on the images, some experts believe that the throne was made by European craftsmen, but even here opinions differ. Someone refers them to the creations of Italian masters, others - German. Some scientists believe that this is the work of Byzantine craftsmen.

The throne of Tsar Ivan the Terrible with ivory carving is the first documented in Russia. Prior to this, princes and kings sat on thrones made of wood, upholstered in gold and adorned with precious stones. However, the craftsmen of the Russian north were also successfully engaged in bone carving. So in 1245, the papal nuncio Johann Plano Carpini wrote in his report that, being at the kurultai in honor of the election of Khan Guyuk by the Golden Horde, he saw the captured Russian master Kuzma and a luxurious carved throne for the young khan, made by him, decorated with gold and precious stones . Skillful bone carving and richness of finishes amazed the papal envoy, who had seen many creations of Italian masters.

Hall 7. Showcases 47,48,49,51.

The oldest ceremonial throne of the middle of the 16th century is an example of Renaissance culture. Snow-white, emphatically stable, it is made of wood and lined with ivory and walrus ivory plates. Carved ornaments combine various subjects and images into a coherent composition. Among the scenes of historical, heraldic and everyday content, plates with pictures from the life of the biblical king David, who was deeply revered in Ancient Russia, stand out. It is believed that the throne was intended for the first Russian tsar - the young Ivan IV, who was crowned king in 1547 at the age of seventeen, and was made by Western craftsmen.

There is also a throne of oriental work from the end of the 16th century. It was presented by the Persian Shah Abbas I to Tsar Boris Godunov in 1604. The throne has a typical oriental shape with a low back and armrests. The craftsman used ornaments beloved in the East: gold stamping, blue turquoise and red rubies. The back of the seat, the armrests, and the entire throne below were upholstered in golden Iranian velvet. In 1742, while preparing the throne for the coronation, the old velvet was replaced with a new, French one.

The throne of Mikhail Fedorovich - the first tsar from the Romanov dynasty - was made at the beginning of the 17th century from the old throne of Ivan the Terrible of oriental work. Since it was remade by Russian masters, they gave the throne the shape of an old Russian chair with a high back and armrests, but left oriental motifs in the decoration. The throne is lined with gold basma (it took thirteen kilograms of gold to cover). It is decorated with turquoise, rubies, chrysolites, topazes and pearls.

One of the richest thrones in the collection is the so-called Diamond Throne, presented to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich by the trading company of Armenia in Iran with a request to trade duty-free in Russia. As a reward for the throne, the merchants were granted 4,000 rubles in silver and 19,000 rubles in copper. The throne is made of sandalwood, lined with gold and silver plates. A bizarre floral ornament is minted on the plates. A carved band with a large pattern depicting a procession of elephants with mahouts sitting on them borders the bottom of the throne. On the back of the throne, in a cartouche with a pearl border, there is an embroidered inscription: “To the most powerful and invincible Emperor Alexei of Muscovy on earth, this throne, made with great art, may it be an omen of eternal bliss to come in heaven. Years of Christ 1659. The entire surface of the throne is covered with a complex mosaic of turquoise and diamonds (there are about nine hundred of them), making it truly priceless.

In Russian history at the end of the 17th century, a unique situation developed when two princes were crowned on the throne at once. After the death of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, three sons remained. The eldest, Fyodor Alekseevich, reigned for a short time and died unexpectedly in 1682. According to custom, the throne was to be inherited by his brother, the next in seniority, fifteen-year-old Ivan, but he was not distinguished by either intelligence or health. Then Ivan (Ivan V) and his younger brother, ten-year-old Peter (Peter I), were crowned on the throne at the same time.

Especially for this occasion, a huge double silver throne was made. Not fully trusting the statesmanship of the minor monarchs, the boyars provided a secret place behind the back of the throne - for the tutors of the kings. Most of all he was occupied by their older sister, twenty-five-year-old Sophia, for her time a very educated person: she knew Latin and Greek, played many musical instruments. During the reception of foreign ambassadors, Sophia from a hiding place through a window covered with a carpet, prompted Peter, the most intelligent boy, answers to questions from overseas representatives. The ambassadors often marveled at the ingenuity of the ten-year-old Russian tsar.

Among the various decorations of this throne, silver and gilded plates with chased figures of fantastic griffins, unicorns, leopards and lions stand out. According to medieval symbolism, these are signs of strength and power.

Throne chairs complete the ancient collection of thrones from the 16th-17th centuries. They were used at coronations and other solemn occasions. Of greatest interest are the throne chairs of the 18th century - Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (1742) and Emperor Paul I (1796). The throne chair of Elizabeth Petrovna serves as an example of the art of the new stage (the transition from baroque to rococo). Retaining majestic solemnity, it is very elegant and picturesque. Bent legs and armrests are decorated not only with carved flowers and herbs, but also with lovely female heads. The official purpose of the chair is emphasized by the magnificent decorative sewing of the back of the chair with the image of the state emblem and the monogram of Elizaveta Petrovna. The combination of symbols of power with the lightness and airy elegance of whimsical curls of the ornament, as it were, embodies the belonging of the throne to a woman.

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