Hundred Great Treasures
Monomakh's hat

The Monomakh cap is the main regalia of the Russian Grand Dukes and Tsars. The symbol of the crown of autocracy in Russia. It is a gold filigree pointed headdress, presumably of oriental workmanship of the late 13th - early 14th centuries, with a sable edge, decorated with precious stones: pearls, rubies, emeralds and a cross.
“Monomakh's Cap” is one of the most ancient regalia stored in the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin. Starting from Ivan Kalita, all the spiritual letters of the Moscow princes mention the “golden hat”. It is possible that it was for the first time in 1572 that it was called “Monomakh’s hat” in the will of Ivan the Terrible.

The almost three-century reign of the Romanov dynasty elevated Russia to a very high level of glory. The treasures of the state were constantly multiplied by each king, and the royal court surprised the envoys of all foreign states with splendor and wealth. So, for example, Lord Carlyle, the English ambassador, describing the court of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich; reported: “The same thing happened to us that happens to those who suddenly emerge from darkness into the light and are suddenly struck by the rays of the bright sun. Our eyes were barely able to bear the brilliance of the Russian Tsar’s court, covered with precious stones and in the middle of it, what seemed like a clear sun.”

The ancient royal crown - Monomakh's hat - is world famous. All Russian tsars were crowned with her in the 16th-17th centuries. A long time ago there was a legend about it, that in the 12th century the Byzantine Emperor Constantine sent it and other regalia on a golden platter to the Kyiv Grand Duke Vladimir Monomakh, from whom, after many generations, this crown passed to the Moscow kings. The legend says that Metropolitan Neophyte of Ephesus also gave Vladimir Monomakh mantles, or barmas - precious medallions that were sewn onto a round collar, a life-giving cross, a chain of Arabian gold and the cup of Pope Augustus.

Monomakh's hat. F. G. Solntsev
Drawing from the early 1830s

True, later historians, comparing their years of life and reign, decisively refuted this legend. Emperor Constantine [died in 1054, and Vladimir Monomakh became Grand Duke in 1113 - 59 years after the death of the Byzantine ruler. Scientists have different opinions about the origin of the royal crown. [Some historians believe that it was made in Byzantium, others attribute it to eastern (Arab or Arab-Egyptian) art, others claim that it is a work of Bukhara work. The origin of the royal crown, as well as the history of its appearance in the royal treasury, have not yet been clarified and are still awaiting new research.

The ancient chronicles do not mention the hat: even if it was sent by the Byzantine emperor, it would have been a sign of submission to the person to whom the gift was intended. And they had never heard of Monomakh’s cap until the beginning of the 16th century... But in all the spiritual letters” of the Moscow kings, starting with Ivan Kalita, a certain golden cap was mentioned, but no detailed description of it was given.

Grandson of Ivan III, Dmitry

It has now been documented that for the first time the grandson of Ivan III, Dmitry, was crowned king with the Monomakh’s cap in 1498. Tsar Ivan III was a major statesman, therefore, in such a difficult time for the country, he decided to emphasize the creation of solid centralized power and the increased power of the country with a special ceremony - the coronation.

For this ceremony on February 4, 1498, the Monomakh's crown was used. On this day, Ivan III, accompanied by the boyars, led his 15-year-old grandson into the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where they were met by the Russian clergy. To make the wedding of his grandson more solemn, Ivan III invited some hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church: Metropolitan Simon, Archbishop of Rostov, as well as the bishops of Suzdal, Ryazan, Terek, Kolomna and Sarsk.

Royal wedding

Two archbishops presented the metropolitan with the grand ducal regalia - barmas and a crown, and the metropolitan handed them over to the grand duke, who placed the Monomakh cap on Dmitry's head. 50 years later, young Ivan IV was crowned with her, who finally approved the royal title for the Russian sovereigns.

Monomakh's hat is similar in shape to skufia, only it has a sharper top. Its golden surface is covered with a lace filigree pattern of Greek work, in which graceful spiral curls, star-shaped rosettes and six-petaled lotus flowers were gathered into a single whole.

Korolev Oleg. Monomakh's Hat

The “apple” is cut along the lower belt and minted in the middle parts. There is a smooth golden cross installed on it, and four pearl grains are inserted at the ends and at the base of it: the top one is oblong, the sides are round, the bottom one is somewhat compressed and larger than the others.
On each of the eight planks, in nests, three of which are decorated with enamel, there is a large stone in the middle: four rubies and four emeralds.
Initially, Monomakh's hat was decorated with pearl and gold pendants; later it was trimmed with dark sable fur and crowned with a gold engraved pommel with a cross. The height of the hat with a cross is about 25 centimeters, and its diameter is about 20 centimeters.

Symbols on Monomakh's Cap

Star of Veles. Monomakh's hat (13th century, Russia).
Symbol of the crowning of Russian tsars to power.
Symbolism of the hat: “Star of Veles”
means power over Heaven (“Cross of Dyya”),
above the Earth (“Bee-Makosh”), above the Waters (“Mara”).

"THE STAR OF VELES is a Slavic religious symbol of the god Veles.
Despite the fact that Veles is a native Slavic god, and the symbol of Veles
- a primordially Slavic symbol, this symbol, like all
Slavic religious dogmas and other symbols were taken over and
modern Kabbalistic occultism, and Judeo-Christian teaching
generally. Historically, this symbol does not belong to the Jewish religion,
the Jews simply borrowed the Star of Veles."
(Tyunyaev Andrey Aleksandrovich, President of the Academy of Fundamental Sciences, Head of the Historical Symbols Sector of the Institute of Ancient Slavic and Ancient Eurasian Civilization of the AFS and the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, full member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences) .

Contrary to legends and myths, Monomakh's hat - one of the symbols of the Russian autocracy - hardly had anything to do with Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh, the former Grand Duke of Kyiv in the period from 1113 to 1125.

_

As follows from the “Tale of the Princes of Vladimir,” written around 1518, this headdress was presented by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh to Prince Vladimir Monomakh, who was his grandson.

However, this version is extremely doubtful. Emperor Constantine IX died in 1055, when Vladimir was only two years old. In addition, the shape and nature of the sewing and decorations - all this does not fit with the origin of the headdress from Byzantium. It exactly corresponds to the borik, which is still the national headdress in Kazakhstan and is popular in a number of other regions inhabited by peoples of the Turkic linguistic group.

One of the most plausible versions of the real origin Monomakh hats there is an assumption that this is a gift from Uzbek Khan to Yuri Danilovich, Grand Duke of Moscow, or Ivan Kalita. Thus, the Khan of Ulus Jochi could reward one of the Moscow princes for loyalty, after which the increase in the importance of the Moscow principality began, which occurred at the beginning of the 14th century.

The story of the gift from the Byzantine Emperor was invented due to the emergence of an orientation toward Byzantium and the emergence of the concept of Moscow inheriting the traditions of the Second Rome and declaring it the Third Rome.

Only for royal weddings

Received the status of a crown and was used accordingly. Kings wore hats only at the time of their appointment to reign. This was the case until the coronation of Ivan V, who for some time was co-ruler of Peter I. Peter was crowned in a specially made Second Attire hat, and Monomakh’s hat was part of the Great Attire. The first king who was crowned to rule wearing this hat was Ivan IV.

What is Monomakh's hat?

This headdress weighs about a kilogram and is decorated with sapphires, spinels, rubies, emeralds and pearls. Total 43 stones. The hat is lined with gold planks, trimmed with sable trim, and in the upper part is crowned with a smooth gold cross. Currently it is kept in the Armory, a museum, and is the most ancient regalia.

Passion for Byzantium

Regardless of the versions of various historians, we have reason to consider Vladimir Monomakh the first Russian ruler, under whom an orientation towards Byzantium began to take shape. On the surviving seals of this prince, already in those days there was the title “Archon of all the Russian Land”, traditional for Greece and Byzantium. Moreover, it would be strange if a prince from the Rurik family purely by chance received the nickname Monomakh, after the nickname of his mother’s family. Whether she was the daughter of the Emperor of Byzantium is unknown, but it is impossible to deny that she was his relative. The family of Constantine IX was quite small; it is unlikely that he sent some distant relative to Rus' with an embassy. The name of Prince Vladimir's mother is unknown, but her appearance coincides with the reign of Constantine IX Monomakh.

Vladimir II Monomakh was an active ruler, from a very young age he was involved in military campaigns. He took part in clashes with the Polovtsians, a campaign in Poland, where he helped the Poles in the fight against the Czechs. In 1078, his father Vsevolod Yaroslavich became the Grand Duke of Kyiv, and Vladimir occupied Chernigov, which he successfully defended. During this period there were also campaigns against the rebellious Vyatichi, which were also victorious.

In 1093, his father died, but Vladimir did not take the Kiev throne, fearing family conflict and civil strife. He becomes the Grand Duke of Kyiv only after the death of his cousin Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, whose great reign he did not challenge. And even then not immediately, but after much persuasion and even threats from the Kyiv boyars. They threatened Vladimir that the popular revolt that was taking place during that period would become even more violent if Vladimir did not take the throne and find a way to calm the slaves. Several years preceding the great reign were spent in constant skirmishes with the Polovtsians - the Russian squads either won or suffered defeat.

Having become the Grand Duke, Vladimir II Monomakh slightly improved the situation of ordinary people through legislation. The years of the last strengthening of Kievan Rus in history began. However, no more than 3/4 of its territory was under his control.

March on Byzantium

The last years of the life of a possible descendant of the Byzantine emperor were associated with the war with the Second Rome. A certain False Diogenes II appeared in Rus'. For political reasons, Vladimir pretended to recognize him, married his daughter to him and began a campaign on the Danube. Rus' gathered quite large forces and received the support of the Polovtsians, with whom at that time there were no active hostilities. The squad was led by False Diogenes. At first, she captured one city after another on the Danube, but then hired assassins sent by Emperor Alexei I were able to kill the impostor. Vladimir Monomakh did not stop the war and now acted in the interests of Vasily, the son of False Diogenes, his grandson. The war was long, more and more squads were sent to the battlefields. It ended already under Emperor John II. Peace was concluded, and the granddaughter of Monomakh was married to the son of the Byzantine emperor. From that moment on, Rus' never again fought with Byzantium.

Vladimir Monomakh died on May 19, 1125 in Kyiv, at the age of 71, and was buried in St. Sophia Cathedral. Heavy or light Monomakh's hat, the prince hardly knew, but he proved himself to be one of the most powerful leaders in Rus'.

Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village

A new travel season for groups of schoolchildren is opening at the ethnographic park-museum “ETNOMIR”. You can walk along the roads of the Great Silk Road, through Central Asia, mountainous Nepal, legendary India, and see China, Korea and Japan. Plunge into the world of the Slavic calendar. Get acquainted with the homes of the peoples of the world, find out what materials a home can be built from, what shape and size houses are, how natural and climatic conditions and a person’s lifestyle are taken into account.

Consists of an excursion and a handicraft master class.

During the excursion, which will take place in the Russian hut of the ethno-yard “Museum of the Russian Stove”, in the Ukrainian mud hut and on the Belarusian farm, the children will learn how a family of 10-12 people used to live in one hut with an area of ​​20 square meters. m. How they maintained harmony in the family, where they slept, how they ate; Who are “Bolshak” and “Bolshakha” and who is more important in the family? Schoolchildren will see everyday objects of our ancestors, which they previously only read about in Russian fairy tales, and they will be able to use some objects: take a cast iron pot out of the stove, adjust the firewood in the firebox with a poker, try to iron fabric with a ruble. Following the master's stories, the children will create a small souvenir - a hut, decorate it and cover it with a thatched roof.

The symbol of the crown of autocracy in Russia. It is a gold filigree pointed headdress, presumably of oriental workmanship of the late 13th - early 14th centuries, with a sable edge, decorated with precious stones: pearls, rubies, emeralds and a cross.

“Monomakh's Cap” is one of the most ancient regalia kept in the Moscow Kremlin. Starting from , in all the spiritual letters of the Moscow princes, the “golden cap” is mentioned.

Legend and history

The hat is a Central Asian headdress. It is possible that this hereditary regalia of the Moscow sovereigns was a gift from Uzbek Khan to Yuri Danilovich or Ivan Kalita, whom he patronized. It is widely believed among historians that Monomakh’s hat is a relic of the Moscow-Horde alliance, which became the key to the political rise of Moscow at the beginning of the 14th century. N. S. Borisov, for example, writes:

“He rewarded those who faithfully served the khan with clothes and shoes. There is an opinion among historians that the famous Monomakh cap is nothing more than a golden skullcap, which Uzbek Khan awarded to Ivan Kalita for his devotion.”

In connection with the reorientation of the Moscow principality from the Golden Horde to Byzantium, a rethinking of the meaning of the cap is taking place in line with the concept of “Moscow - the Third Rome”. The “Tale of the Princes of Vladimir” (circa 1518) formulates the official version of its origin: this gift from the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomakh to his grandson, the Kyiv prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh, was supposed to symbolize the continuity of power of Russian rulers from the Byzantine emperors. In fact, this origin of the headdress is extremely doubtful - both because Constantine died in 1055, when Vladimir was only 2 years old and the likelihood that he would receive Kyiv was quite modest, and from an art historical point of view.

For the first time, the name “Monomakh’s hat” appears in Russian sources in the Chronicle edition of the rank of installation of Dmitry, the grandson of Ivan III, to the great reign, compiled in 1518. The hat appears in the legend according to which the Byzantine emperors, before transferring it and other regalia to Rus', They themselves sent an expedition to Babylon to get it, where they found it among other treasures remaining from King Nebuchadnezzar near the tomb of the Three Youths (see Three Youths in the Cave of Fire).

The special status of the crown dictated its use until the end of the 17th century when placing all Russian sovereigns on the throne. The Tsar put on Monomakh's hat only on the day of his royal crowning; subsequently he used his personal headdress - the “crown”. This crown was part of the Great Dress.

The last Russian tsar to be crowned king with the cap of Monomakh was Ivan V, whose co-ruler was his brother Peter I, in 1682. Peter I himself, crowned together with his brother as a junior co-ruler, was crowned king with a specially made “cap of the second outfit,” which reproduced the shape and decoration of the historical Monomakh cap, but with simplifications and not at such a high artistic level. The cap of the second outfit is also kept in the Armory.

Description

The weight of Monomakh's cap is 993.66 grams. In the detailed inventory of the royal treasury of 1696, stored in the archives of the Armory Chamber, the description of Monomakhova’s cap is given as follows:

“The royal hat is gold, scanned. Monomakhov, on it there is a smooth golden cross, on it at the ends and at the bottom there are four grains of Gurmitsky, and in it there are stones, in golden nests: above the apple, a yellow yakhont, an azure yakhont, lal, between them there are three grains of Gurmytsky; Yes, there are four emeralds on it, two lalas, two yakhont barks, in golden nests, twenty-five grains of gurmitsky, on golden backs; near the sables: lined with worm-like satin: the vagina is wooden, covered with grass velvet, bookmarks and hooks are silver.”

Inventory of used jewelry

The cap's planks are made of gold. According to the 1884 inventory, there are copper screws inside the cap. And according to the 1696 inventory, the bookmarks and hooks inside the hat were made of silver. Gems:

• Blue sapphire (“yakhont azure”) - one stone on an apple.
• Yellow sapphire (“yakhont yellow”) - one stone on an apple.
• Red spinel (“lal”) - one stone on the apple and two stones on the tablets, 3 stones in total.
• Ruby (“worm-shaped yakhont”) - two stones on tablets.
• Emerald - four stones on tablets.
• Pearls (“Burmite grain”, “Gurmite grain”). There are four pearls on the golden cross and at its base; on the apple there are three pearls and on seven tablets, three pearls each, arranged in a triangle with the apex up, on the eighth, front - four pearls, arranged in a rhombus; in total - 32 pearls.

In total, there are six types of stones on the cap with a total of 43 pieces.

, emeralds and cross.

In connection with the reorientation of Moscow statehood from the Horde to Byzantium under Ivan III, there is also a rethinking of the meaning of the cap in line with the concept “Moscow - the Third Rome”. In “The Tale of the Princes of Vladimir” (circa 1518), the official version of its origin is formulated: this gift from the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomakh to his grandson, the Kyiv prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh, was supposed to symbolize the continuity of power of Russian rulers from the Byzantine emperors. In fact, this origin of the headdress is extremely doubtful - both because Konstantin died in , when Vladimir was only 2 years old and the likelihood that he would receive Kyiv was quite modest, and from an art historical point of view.

For the first time, the name “Monomakh’s cap” appears in Russian sources in the Chronicle edition of the rank of installation of Dmitry, grandson of Ivan III, to the great reign, compiled in 1518. The cap appears in the legend according to which the Byzantine emperors, before transferring it and other regalia to Rus', They themselves sent an expedition to Babylon to get it, where they found it among other treasures remaining from King Nebuchadnezzar near the tomb of the Three Youths (see Three Youths in the Cave of Fire).

Description

The weight of Monomakh's cap is 993.66 grams. In the detailed inventory of the royal treasury of 1696, stored in the archives of the Armory Chamber, the description of Monomakhova’s cap is given as follows:

HERITABLE OF THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENTS ROYAL GOLDEN CROWN, CALLED THE CAP OF MONOMACHS. Gold and decorated with precious stones, it consists of eight oblong triangular tablets, covered on the front side with filigree, connected by sharp ends under the apple. The filigree pattern on the tablets, representing the general character of Greek curls, differs in detail so that on one tablet, which served as the front, there is a completely special pattern, on the other three it is somewhat similar to the pattern of the first tablet, on the other four it is completely separate from the pattern of details of the first tablets . The design of each plank is bordered at the bottom with a belt like a coal chain, and near the seams with side frames: holes are punched along the open seams to strengthen the planks. The apple is cut along the lower belt and minted in the middle parts. There is a smooth golden cross on the apple; at the ends and at the base there are four Burmite grains, the top one is oblong, the sides are round, and the bottom one is somewhat compressed and larger than the others. On the apple, in nests decorated with rings on the side, on long bent backs, there are three large stones: azure yakhont, yellow yakhont and drilled lal; between them in the burrs, on the same long bent backs, are three Burmite grains, equal in size to those described above. On each of the eight tablets, in nests, three of which are decorated with enamel on the side, there is a large stone in the middle: two worm-shaped yachts, two lalas, one faceted in loose, one spoiled, and four emeralds. The stones are furnished with Burmite grains, in the form of triangles: on seven tablets there are three grains, and on the eighth, front, there are four grains. Inside the cap there are copper screws and six gold nuts are missing. The edge of a sable hat. Weight with edge and lining two pounds forty-one spool. Price one thousand nine hundred ninety-two rubles.

Translated into modern language, Golden and decorated with precious stones, it consists of eight oblong triangular tablets, covered with filigree on the front side, connected by sharp ends under an apple. The filigree pattern on the tablets, representing the general character of Greek curls, differs in detail so that on the front tablet there is a completely special pattern, on the other three it is somewhat similar to the pattern of the first tablet, on the other four it is completely separate from the pattern of details of the first tablets. The design of each plank is bordered at the bottom with a belt like a coal chain, and near the seams with side frames: holes are punched along the open seams to strengthen the planks. The apple is cut along the lower belt and minted in the middle parts. There is a smooth golden cross on the apple; at the ends and at the base there are four pearls, the top one is oblong, the sides are round, and the bottom one is somewhat compressed and larger than the others. On the apple, in nests decorated with rings on the side, on long bent clasps, there are three large stones: blue sapphire, yellow sapphire and drilled red spinel; between them in burrs, on the same long bent clasps, are three pearls, equal in size to those described above. On each of the eight tablets, in nests, three of which are decorated with enamel on the side, there is a large stone in the middle: two rubies, two red spinels - one faceted in bulk, one spoiled - and four emeralds. The stones are set with pearls in the form of triangles: on seven tablets there are three grains, and on the eighth, front, there are four grains. Inside the cap there are copper screws and six gold nuts are missing. The edge of a sable hat. Weight with edge and lining 993.66 grams (1 pound = 409.5 grams, 1 spool = 4.26 grams; converted to “two pounds forty-one spools”).

Inventory of used jewelry

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