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 leader 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 Kyiv 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 power 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 merciful 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 unequivocally qualified this image as a “state coat of arms”. A similar seal with a corresponding new name was used by the tsars Fedor Alekseevich, Ivan Alekseevich in joint rule with Peter Alekseevich and Peter Alekseevich himself - Peter I.

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. Since the reign of the Russian Emperor Paul I, it has been a ball of blue yakhont, sprinkled with diamonds and crowned 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 discs 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.

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 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 rod, made of gold, silver or other precious materials and symbolizes.

Often Western European rulers had a second wand in addition to the main one, he acted as supreme justice. The scepter of justice was decorated with the "hand of justice" - a finger pointing to.

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.

Symbols of royal, royal or imperial power are a number of material signs of the ruler, called regalia. The set of regalia in different states is approximately the same. External symbols of state power have been known since ancient times and were originally called insignia.

Various regalia are usually attributed to the symbols of royal, imperial and royal power. In Russia, they were the state shield and sword, the state and large state seal. In the broad sense of this, the throne and ceremonial robes, such as porphyry, were also symbols.

The king's son Philei observed the fulfillment of the contract and confirmed that he had fulfilled his part of the promise. The son of Zeus diverted the riverbeds of the Peneus and Alpheus to the side, destroyed the walls of the stables and led a canal through the barnyard, into which water gushed and carried away all the manure in a day. Avgiy was angry and did not want to give the bulls as a reward, and he expelled his son, who spoke in defense of the hero, along with Hercules from the country. This feat was the sixth in the list of the twelve labors of Hercules.

Later, Hercules took revenge on Avgius: he gathered an army, started a war with him, captured Elis and killed the king with an arrow.

The meaning of the phraseological unit "Augean stables"

Also, sometimes the Augean stables are called not only the place, but also the state of affairs: for example, this can be said about the neglected situation in the country or the disorder in the affairs of an organization. In any case, this is a situation that requires either very great efforts to correct, or drastic measures.

The attributes of royal power emphasized the power and wealth of the Russian state: the golden decoration of the palace chambers, an abundance of precious stones, the scale of buildings, the grandeur of ceremonies and many items without which no Russian tsar is conceivable.

1

Golden Apple

A golden ball topped with a cross or a crown - orb - was first used as a symbol of Russian autocracy in 1557. Having come a long way, the power came to the Russian monarchs from Poland, for the first time taking part in the wedding ceremony of False Dmitry I. In Poland, we note, the power was called an apple, being a biblical symbol of knowledge. In the Russian Christian tradition, the orb symbolizes the Kingdom of Heaven. Since the reign of Paul I, the orb has been a blue, yakhon ball surmounted by a cross, studded with diamonds.

2

Shepherd's Staff

The scepter became an attribute of Russian power in 1584 during the wedding of Fyodor Ioannovich to the kingdom. This is how the concept of "scepter holder" appeared. The very word "scepter" is ancient Greek. It is believed that the prototype of the scepter was a shepherd's staff, which in the hands of the bishops was endowed with the symbolism of pastoral power. With the passage of time, the scepter was not only significantly shortened, but also, in its design, it no longer looked like a modest shepherd's crook. In 1667, the scepter appeared in the right paw of the double-headed eagle - the state emblem of Russia.

3

“They sat on the golden porch…”

The throne, or throne, is one of the most important symbols of power, first princely, then royal. Like the porch of a house, which was created for general admiration and admiration, they approached the creation of the throne with special trepidation, and usually several of them were made. One was installed in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin - this throne participated in the church procedure for chrismation of the autocrat. The other is in the carved chambers of the Kremlin. The king sat on this throne after the secular procedure of assuming power, on which he also received ambassadors and influential persons. There were also "mobile" thrones - they traveled with the king and appeared in those cases when it was necessary to represent the royal power as convincingly as possible.

4

"You are heavy, Monomakh's hat"

The “golden hat” is mentioned in all spiritual letters, starting from the reign of Ivan Kalita. The symbol-crown of the Russian autocracy was supposedly made by oriental craftsmen at the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century and presented by the Byzantine emperor Konstantin Monomakh to his grandson Vladimir. The last tsar who tried on the relic was Peter I. Some researchers argue that the Monomakh's hat is not a man's, but a woman's headdress - under the fur trim, allegedly, there were devices for temporal decorations. And the hat was made 200 years after the death of Vladimir Monomakh. Well, even if the story of the appearance of this attribute of royal power is just a legend, this did not prevent him from becoming the model by which all subsequent royal crowns were made.

5

Byzantine Mantles

The custom of wearing mantles, or barmas, came to Russia from Byzantium. There they were part of the ceremonial attire of the emperors. According to legend, barmas were sent for Vladimir Monomakh by the Byzantine ruler Alexei I Komnenos. The annalistic mention of barm dates back to 1216 - all the princes wore mantles embroidered with gold. Since the middle of the 16th century, barmas have become an indispensable attribute of the royal wedding to the kingdom. From a gilded dish in the altar, at a certain moment they were served to the metropolitan by the bishops, who, in turn, received them from the archimandrites. After kissing and worshiping three times, the metropolitan laid barmas blessed with the cross on the king, after which the crowning followed.

6

“Oh, early, the guard gets up”

On both sides of the throne, anyone entering could see two tall handsome men, royal squires and bodyguards - rynds. They were not only a spectacular "attribute" at the reception ceremonies of foreign ambassadors, but also accompanied the king during campaigns and trips. You can envy the vestment of rynds: ermine coats, morocco boots, polar fox hats ... The place on the right hand was more honorable, hence the concept of “localism” came from. The struggle for the honorary title of the royal rynda was fought by the finest surnames.

7

Behind seven seals

The first known seal of the 12th century, carved from metal, was the print of Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich and his son Vsevolod. By the 18th century, Russian tsars used ring seals, desktop prints, and pendant seals. The small weight of the latter made it possible to wear them on a cord or on a chain at the waist. Seals were cut on metal or stone. A little later, rock crystal and its varieties become a favorite material. Interestingly, from the 17th century, seals began to be produced with a removable legend - a text that allowed the new king to use the seal of his predecessor. At the end of the 17th century, Russian tsars had more than two dozen different seals, and the seal of the European engraver Johann Gendlinger with a mighty double-headed eagle served the Russian monarchs for more than a century, until the end of the reign of Nicholas I.

Charles II (1630-1685) on the throne

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of Britain from 1653 to 1658, who executed King Charles I, did not play the most plausible role in the history of his country. He not only undermined the foundations of absolute monarchy, but out of hatred for monarchs destroyed all the most valuable historical symbols of royal power: crowns, scepter, orb, thrones, mantles. Some of them were melted down into coins, some were stolen. And today, in the museums of London, including the Tower, royal values ​​are stored, which were created after 1660.

Regalia - signs of royal, imperial or royal power - have been known since ancient times and are approximately the same in developed countries: this is a crown, orb, scepter, mantle, sword or sword, throne. And if you look closely at the traditional ceremonial images of the English kings, they are seated on the throne, on the head a crown, in the hands of an orb and a scepter. You can name other attributes and symbols of royal power, not so noticeable, for example, a shield, knightly armor.

The most important symbol of royalty is the crown. It is usually made of gold and decorated with precious stones. According to researchers, the Roman crown served as a prototype for the crown. It was the coronation that has long been considered a legitimate, traditional and hereditary procedure for the monarch to take power and its attributes.

The coronation also meant that the new monarch was allowed to continue the hierarchical hereditary chain of the former rulers. In addition, the coronation is also a very important religious ceremony for the people, during which the sacrament of anointing to the kingdom is performed. Thus, the whole coronation ritual has a special meaning of God's blessing on the kingdom.

The first crown of England - the crown of St. Edward - did not survive, it turned out to be a victim of the very process of destroying all the attributes of royal power undertaken by Cromwell. The crown that can be seen in the Tower is a copy of the destroyed crown of St. Edward. It was created for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661. This crown is adorned with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds and is considered the most valuable in the world. Among the precious stones that adorn it, we should especially mention the Stuart sapphire, the Black Prince ruby.

The Imperial State Crown, which is worn by the current reigning Queen Elizabeth II during the opening of the British Parliament or on the occasion of other state celebrations, was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1837. Queen Victoria herself wore this crown at her coronation on January 28, 1838.

Among other royal regalia, the orb and the scepter should be mentioned - they are also symbols of royal power, signs of royal dignity. Power with its round shape goes back to the globe. She was held in her left hand, and the scepter in her right. The scepter was an attribute of the gods Zeus (Jupiter) and Hera (Juno), it was one of the signs of dignity of the Greek and Roman rulers.

The Royal Scepter of Great Britain is adorned with the world's largest diamond, the Star of Africa, which weighs 530 carats and is the largest

The ceremonial state clubs are part of the world-famous Cullinan diamond.

From the collection of the kings of Great Britain, one should also highlight the Great State Sword, which was made at the end of the 17th century. Her scabbard is adorned with diamonds, emeralds and rubies.

Only in the presence of all regalia does the king have complete supreme power: he is the best of the best, he is the main military leader, his words are the law for all loyal subjects.

Another crown, created for the coronation in 1937 of Elizabeth, wife of King George VI, is adorned with the Kohinoor diamond, which means "mountain of light." This is the most famous jewel in England.

The Kohinoor diamond was "born" in India over 300 years ago. There is a belief that the Kohinoor diamond brings bad luck to the men who own it. It was never sold for money, but passed by force from one ruler to another. Finally, in 1849, he was sent to London in a forged casket, which was packed in a special chest, with the guards by sea from Punjab (State of India). And in 1850 it was presented to Queen Victoria. In 1851, the priceless diamond was put on display at the World Exhibition in London, and 6 million visitors were able to see it. And in 1937 it was inlaid in the center of the cross of the royal crown.

In 1947, India, a former colony of the British Empire, became independent. And the leaders of this country presented property claims to Great Britain. In particular, they demanded that the Kohinoor diamond, which was considered a national treasure, be returned to them. Then this issue was not resolved, but in 1953 it was back on the agenda. Once again, British society strongly rejected all claims. The British made it clear to the Indians that they were not going to return the gem.

Currently, the coronation of kings occurs only in the UK. The current reigning Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II, is the only monarch to be crowned in accordance with all the rules. In all other countries of Europe, coronation has been replaced by inauguration, or enthronement, without chrismation and the laying on of a crown.

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953. Three weeks before the ceremony, Elizabeth, in order to feel confident in her new royal attire, began to wear the Imperial State Crown all the time. She did not take it off even during breakfast.

For less solemn events, Elizabeth also has spare crowns, a diadem, but they are not so majestic. The spare crown is set with 2,783 diamonds and contains 273 pearls, 16 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies.

They say that without a crown in Elizabeth II there is nothing royal. And if someone happened to meet her on the streets of London or in the underground in a traditional particular dress, then he would not recognize her as the Queen of Great Britain.