Regalia of Russian Tsars in the Armoury collection

Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich on a throne
Murals on the southern wall of the Faceted Chamber. Fragment.
1881-1882
The Treasury Court in the Kremlin
From the book "On the Election of Tsar MichaelMikhail Romanov to the Most High Throne of the russian Realm". Miniature. Fragment.
Moscow, 1672-1673
View of the old building of the Armoury Chamber
P.A. Gerasimov. Watercolours.
Mid XIXth century
The Armoury building 1849-1851
Architect K.A. Ton
The Crown Hall of the Armoury
D.M.Strukov. Watercolours. Fragment.
Moscow, mid XIXth century
Exposition of state regalia in the State Armoury Chamber nowadays

Regalia (from Latin "regalis" — belonging to the Tsar (rex) are signs of monarchal power. The ceremony of setting for reigning is impossible without these objects, traditionally forming a separate part of the state treasury. The treasury of the Russian rulers has always been admired by foreign diplomats. It was damaged while the Hard Time, in the early XVIIth century in the time of Pole-Swedish intervention. By the end of the intervention in 1613, the royal treasury possessed only two royal crowns: the Crown of Monomakh, the inheritable crown of Russian rulers, and the Kazan Crown of Ivan the Terrible, executed in 1553. The filling up of the treasury was initiated by the new ruling Romanov Dynasty.

While the XVI-XVIIth centuries, the state regalia were preserved in the storages of the Treasury Court of the Kremlin, situated between the Archangel’s and the Annutiation Cathedrals. The Treasury Court was used as a royal treasury repertory. For any ceremony they used to take regalia from boxes adorned with red velvet and brought to the royal chambers or to the Assumption Cathedral.

After the Nishtadt Peace Treaty Russia was declared the Russian Empire, and the state regalia of the past were replaced by new ones. The ancient regalia became museum items. During the XVIIIth century the rulers tried to exhibit the regalia and to create a museum. However, such attempts had no success. Although the treasures were placed in the Kremlin in a separate room. Only "official persons" were allowed to observe them.

In the days of coronations, traditionally held in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the state regalia of the Russian Tsars were available for everyone.

Only in the XIXth century a special museum building was erected at the Trinity Tower. The museum was based on the royal treasury.

In the mid XIXth century, the modern museum building was constructed. For the state regalia collection’s preservation there was a special rotund hall on the second floor.

The state regalia collection of the museum influenced on the formation of its present name the State Armoury Chamber, achieved a particular status of a treasure-house. The collection is rather small, however, it is considered to be of most importance and value in the museum. A special part of the state regalia collection is presented with artworks of the XVIIth century. Ancient symbols of power presented here — crowns, scepters, orbs and thrones — are both magnificent monuments of art reflecting artistic taste of various countries and epochs and witnesses of eminent changes in the political life of Russia.