Today we'll talk about the most ancient regalia of 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 Cap of Monomakh kept today?
Each of us remembers the famous headdress from the lessons of the history of Ancient Russia. It symbolizes autocracy and the power of the king. The sovereigns received it as a gift from the Byzantine emperor. It can be seen in the portraits of the tsars of Russia. It turns out that the story of the Hat does not end there. There are many legends around her. Many are trying to figure out where is the truth and where is fiction.
Description of the royal regalia
For the first time the relic is 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 the Hat of Monomakh that was in question. Where the power attribute is stored will be discussed later.
The legendary royal regalia weighs a little less than 1 kg. It was described as an object made of wood and lined with velvet fabric on the inside. The outer side of the Cap is decorated with goldplates made using the filigree technique. It is also decorated with natural sable fur, pearls, sapphires, rubies and emeralds. There were 43 gems on it in total. It is noteworthy that the dress has never been 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 reign of sovereigns who ruled from 1546 to 1682. Every tsar (from Ivan the Terrible to Ivan the Fifth) had a chance to put on a Hat, but only once in his life. In front of everyone's eyes, she was placed on the head of the newly-made sovereign during the solemn ceremony. After the celebration, the dress was taken to the treasury.
Under Peter the Great, this tradition was broken. Emperors are now crowned.
Where is the Hat of Monomakh kept today?
This question interests many. Curious is the fact that today there are not one, but two Caps of Monomakh in the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin. The second attribute copies the regalia, but is inferior to it in terms of beauty of decoration.
Who was the copy made for? 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, so two crown jewels were needed.
Excursions are regularly held in the Armory, where the Monomakh's hat is kept. Therefore, everyone can personally look at the legendary headdress.
Main Version
Historythe appearance in Russia of the Cap of Monomakh is associated with Vladimir Vsevolodovich. Some contemporaries dispute the relationship of the Russian prince with the Byzantine Monomakh family. They are convinced that his mother was not the daughter of the emperor, but was some kind of relative to him.
According to the legend, after Vladimir Vsevolodovich conquered the Danube lands and the Fraction, the Byzantine authorities hurried to establish peace with the Russian ruler. Then they sent their representatives with rich gifts. Among the jewels was the famous Cap of Monomakh (you already know where it is kept). After a while, she passed to the Vladimir, and then to the Moscow princes.
Another legend
According to another version, the Hat was presented as a gift to Vladimir Vsevolodovich as a sign of the succession of the power of the Byzantine emperors to the principalities of Russia. Some historians are convinced that the headdress was the property of the Monomakh family. The cap came to the Byzantine emperors from King Nebuchadnezzar himself, who ruled in the 7th-8th centuries. BC e.
It is surprising that these legends appear in chronicles only after 1518. Many today are interested not only in the question of where the Cap of Monomakh is kept in Moscow, but also who wrote the legends and where did the headdress come from?
Who rewrote history?
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 Hat of Monomakh (where it is stored, we examined earlier) was presented by the Khan of the Horde Uzbek to Prince Ivan Kalita for faithful service. At the beginning of the XIV century, the Russian lands were fragmented and were under the rule of the Mongol-Tatars. Kalita managed to gain the confidence of the khan, who presented him with a golden skullcap from his shoulder. The Moscow prince ordered to decorate it with a chic cross and fur, and then passed the dress on to his descendants.
This version is confirmed by some chronicles and an Asian ornament on the relic. So, if you believe the veracity of this story, it would be more correct to call the hat Ivan Kalita, and not Monomakh.
