Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich and Patriarch Nikon.

Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich and Patriarch Nikon. "The Wise Two"

Equestrian portrait of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich
Russia, 1670-1680. Fragment
Council constitution in a case
Text - Moscow, 1649. Case - Moscow, 1767
Icon "Alexis, Man of God"
Moscow, 1629, painting of the XVIII-XIXth century.
Wood, gesso, fabric, tempera; gold, precious stones, pearls, glass, chasing, niello
Moscow Kremlin Museums
Wedding crowns
Russia, XVIIth century.
Silver, chasing, engraving, carving, gilding
Moscow Kremlin Museums
Chain
Moscow, Kremlin workshops, first half of the XVIIth century.
Gold, chasing, carving
Moscow Kremlin Museums
Throne
Iran, Isfahan, late XVIth century.
Gold, precious stones, pearls, wood, velvet
Moscow Kremlin Museums
Sakkos of Metropolitan Peter
Pearl embroidery - Russia, 1322 (?), gold embroidery - Russia, XVIIth century; tape - Byzantium, ХIIIth century; damask - Western Europe, ХV-XVIth century; metal plates - Russia, ХIV-ХVIIth century.
Moscow Kremlin Museums

September, 29, 2005 - January, 22, 2006

The One-Pillar Chamber of the Patriarch's Palace

Organized by:: Moscow Kremlin Museums with participation of the State History Museum, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State A.S. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Historical and Architectural Museum-Preserve "The New Jerusalem", Russian State Library, Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts

Equestrian portrait of Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich Deep interest in the today society to two statesmen of the XVIIth century - Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich and Patriarch Nikon - have been proved by a series of exhibitions and monographs of these years. In contradistinction to them, the key of the new display in the Kremlin is the period of 40s-50s of the XVIIth century: till Nikon's leaving the Patriarchal throne in 1658. This short, but very notable period of Russian history was marked with the most eminent events in biographies of the Tsar and the Patriarch.

This time was characterized by complete understanding and successful collaboration of the secular and church powers in various fields of the internal and external policy of eth Russian State. It became the time of realization of "the Wise Two" idea - harmonic balance of power of the Tsar and the Patriarch in the country. That was the idea Nikon declared in the first years of his patriarchate, relying on Byzantine authors' statements.

That time Alexis Mikhailovich had an idea of particular significance of royal power both in Russia and in the world Orthodoxy. Idea of a particular mission of Russian Tsar in the Orthodox world, coming from the Greek world, in 1740-1750-s achieved its apogee. It found reflection in bringing of relics to Moscow from Orthodox Orient and a lot of messages by Greek ideologists calling for taking of Constantinople by Russian Tsar and regaining from the Islam of the whole Orthodox world. In connection with the last point, in Constantinople there were executed regalia for Alexis Mikhailovich.