Scepter and Power - the Meaning of Symbols

Plunge into the depths of centuries, let's try to figure out what the scepter and power in Russian history mean.

The scepter is a figured staff. It was made of silver, ivory, gold, framed by gems and used heraldic symbols. In the history of Russia, the scepter is the successor of the royal staff, which is the symbol of the power of the great princes and kings. Speaking about the symbols of monarchical power, we need to stop at the power - 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 "държа", which means "power", and this name has occurred. The scepter and the power of the Russian tsars are the oldest of the insignia of autocratic power.

Sovereign balls, or sovereign apples - so they were called in Russia, also served as attributes of the power of the Roman, German and other emperors.

Crowns in the Russian Empire

Stopping on the regalia of Russian emperors, it is worth highlighting the crown of the Russian Empire. For the coronations in the kingdom, they used the Monomakh's Hat.

In Russia, the rite of the first imperial coronation was held over the wife of Peter the Great by Catherine Alekseevna, who later became Catherine the First. It was for Catherine I that the first imperial crown was specially made in Russia.

Cap of Monomakh - ancient regalia

The mention of the Cap of Monomakh appeared in the 16th century. In the Tale of the Princes of Vladimir. It speaks of Constantine Monomakh, a 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, the Cap of Monomakh was made in the East in the 14th century. This is the most ancient crown of Russia. She was not worn as an everyday headdress, but used, crowning 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 cap of Monomakh is framed by sable fur. The weight of the crown without fur is 698 grams.

Thus, the Cap of Monomakh, as well as the scepter and power, is a symbol of Russia since the pre-Petrine times. By the way, it is attributed medicinal properties. So, it is believed that it is able to relieve of various ailments, especially from a headache.

The Scepter and the Power of Tsar Boris Godunov

The appearance of such concepts and subjects as the scepter and the power as symbols of the power of the Russian state is connected with the reign of Boris Godunov. They were ordered in 1599-1600 by the masters at the court of Rudolph II. The manufacturing took place in Eger (the modern city of Cheb). Jewelers in the creation of the kit followed the traditions of the Renaissance. And although there is a legend, stating that the scepter and the power were sent back in the XI century. Prince Vladimir Monomakh, in fact they were donated 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 attire.

Monomachs scepter was made of gold with details of enamel. Twenty brilliants, a large emerald, and other precious stones were used as decorations. The state has enameled encrustation. The 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 Romanov Romanov

Tsar Michael Romanov belonged to the crown of the "Big Dress". It was produced in 1627 by deacon Efim Telepnev. He was the chief master in the Armory. The Crown Crown consists of two tiers. At the bottom on the outer frame is an eight-tapered diadem. The crown is framed by sable fur with precious stones. Already after the XVIII century, the crown of the "Big Dress" became the crown of the "Kingdom of Astrakhan".

Lost regalia of the Russian Empire

Up to now, only some regalia have survived. They found a worthy place to live in the Armory Chamber of Moscow. But many of them are irretrievably lost. These include the "Grand Crown" of Tsar Feodor 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 Jeremiah II sent the crown to Tsar Fedor I Ivanovich, who was the last of the Rurikovich family. The "great crown" was used by kings only for 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 coat of arms

In 1604, at False Dmitry, on his small seal, appeared the image of three crowns under the eagle. This image appeared for the first time and did not last long. However, already in 1625, instead of a cross between the heads of the eagle, a third crown appeared. This image appeared under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich on a small state seal. The same was done in 1645 for his son Alexei on the Great State Press.

The state and the scepter on the coat of arms were not until the time of the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich. In 1667, with the image of state regalia of power, the state seal of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich appeared. For the first time on June 4, 1667, the king gave an official and clear explanation of the symbolism associated with the three crowns. Each of the crowns, depicted on the coat of arms and the seal, corresponds to the kingdoms-Siberian, Kazan, Astrakhan. And the scepter and the power of Russia mean "The autocrat and the possessor." And already in 1667, on December 14, the first decree about the coat of arms appears.

Crown, scepter and power on the emblem of Russia

Centuries later, on December 25, 2000, the constitutional law "On the State Emblem of the Russian Federation" was adopted. This symbol of the state is represented by a heraldic shield. It is quadrangular, red. The lower corners are rounded. In the center is a golden eagle with two heads, each of which is crowned by a small crown, and above them rises one large crown. The significance of the three crowns is the personification of not only the sovereignty of the entire RF, but also of its parts, that is, the subjects. Also on the arms are a scepter and a power. The photos of the regalia impress with their beauty. In the right paw, the eagle holds a scepter, and in the left - the power.

The Scepter and the Power of Russia are symbols of a single state and power. Also on the eagle's chest 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 coat of arms of the Russian Federation not only in color, but also in monophonic. If necessary, it can be depicted without a heraldic shield.

The author of the most widespread image of the emblem of the Russian Federation is the national artist Evgeny Ukhnalyov.