Large Russian imperial crown. The most famous crowns in the history (11 photos)

History of the Russian Empire... Peter I

There are names in history that are followed by rumors, gossip, and speculation. There are personalities so extraordinary that interest in them has not waned over the centuries. Peter the Great is one of them. It would seem that his biography has been studied to the finest detail, his role in world history has been confirmed, and the most intimate details of his personal life are known. And yet, and yet... Both the birth and death of the first Russian emperor are associated with mysterious and enigmatic circumstances...

“He will be famous throughout the world and will earn such glory that none of the Russian tsars had. He will be a great warrior and will defeat many enemies. He will meet the resistance of his subjects and in the fight against them will tame a lot of unrest and unrest. By eradicating the villains, he will encourage and love the hardworking, will keep the faith and will accomplish many other glorious deeds, which is undeniably testified to and which the heavenly bodies absolutely foretell and predict. I saw all this as in a mirror, and I present all this in writing.”

Simeon of Polotsk...

Whether the tsar had any reason to doubt the astrologer’s words, or for some other reason, a guard was assigned to the house of the learned monk, which the cautious and suspicious Alexei Mikhailovich ordered to be removed only when he received indisputable evidence of his wife’s actual pregnancy.
On May 28, the Queen felt the approach of childbirth, and Simeon was called to the royal chambers. The birth was long and painful, the king was about to fall into despair... The queen was so exhausted that on the third day they considered it necessary to introduce her to the Holy Mysteries, but Simeon of Polotsk encouraged everyone, saying that she would give birth safely in five hours. That's how it all happened... At baptism the baby was given the name Peter... also on the advice of the Monk...

The Crown of the Russian Empire was preceded by the Monomakh Cap. But this was before the accession of Peter I. For the first time, the crown was used for the coronation of Peter Alekseevich....

The Imperial Crown is created from more than 5 thousand luxurious diamonds from India and is crowned with a magnificent red spinel of 398.72 carats. It became not only a symbol of power, but also a work of art. Today the Crown of the Russian Empire can be seen in Diamond Fund Kremlin. However, some historians claim that this is a copy, and the real Crown is hidden....
“You are heavy, Monomakh’s cap,” said Boris Godunov, meaning the severity of the responsibility of the Tsarist Power. The most famous Royal headdress, like all the Crowns and Imperial Crowns, was indeed heavy....

Monomakh's Cap is a Symbol of the Russian Monarchy... All Russian Tsars were crowned with it in the 16th-17th centuries.

There is a legend 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.

True, there is a version that the hat was a gift from Uzbek Khan to Yuri Danilovich or Ivan Kalita, whom he patronized. The hat could have been made to their order by oriental craftsmen. It has been established that for the first time the grandson of Ivan III, Dmitry, who was never destined to become a monarch, was crowned king with the Monomakh's cap in 1498.

The large Imperial Crown with which Emperor Nicholas I was crowned king on August 22, 1826 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin was not easy either.

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 approximately 20 centimeters.

Kazan Cap...

Kazan Cap - Golden Crown, made according to legend by jewelers of the conquered Kazan Khanate, for Ivan the Terrible. Spare headdress of Russian monarchs. The hat was made around 1553, for Ivan the Terrible, immediately after the conquest and annexation of the Kazan Khanate to the Russian state and the consolidation of the title of the Kazan Tsar.

Gold, silver, rubies, emeralds, pearls, and fur were used in its production. The cap is crowned with a 90-carat yellow sapphire. By the way, in the modern coat of arms of Kazan it is this headdress that is crowned with a shield...

Astrakhan Hat – Crown Large outfit...

The Astrakhan hat was made in 1627 especially for Tsar Mikhail Romanov. It is named the Astrakhan cap in honor of the conquest of the Astrakhan Khanate.

The two-tiered crown has a massive metal body, with an eight-pronged tiara added to the lower part of the outer frame. At the bottom of the crown is attached sable fur, traditional for this type of crown - “hats”. The hat is decorated with 177 stones and pearls. Today this crown is crowned with the coat of arms of Astrakhan.

Siberian cap or Altabasnaya

The altabass hat was named after the brocade-like fabric from which it was sewn in 1684 for Tsar Ivan V Alekseevich. To ensure that the hat did not wrinkle and retain its shape, it was reinforced from the inside on a frame made of smooth silver arches.

Against the slightly shimmering background of the fabric, a pattern of openwork gold spikes, colored with bright enamels and precious stones, is clearly visible.
Diamond hat of Ivan V
The Diamond Cap is a spare headdress of Ivan V. It was designed for everyday use.

The hat was also richly decorated with precious metals and diamonds, some of which Ivan transferred to his favorite Siberian hat.
The Altabasnaya (Siberian) hat and the Almaznaya hat are currently in the Armory Chamber.

Imperial CROWNS

One of the first imperial crowns was the crown with which Peter I crowned Catherine I. Alas, only the frame remained from it, since subsequent Russian emperors used the diamonds decorating it at their discretion.
Crown of the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna...

The crown of the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna is a precious crown made in St. Petersburg in 1730-1731, presumably by the master Gottlieb Wilhelm Dunkel. About two and a half thousand diamonds, rubies and tourmalines, skillfully selected in size, are mounted into the silver frame of the crown. Most of them previously adorned the crown of Empress Catherine I, as well as the dark red tourmaline placed under the irregularly shaped diamond cross.

Great Imperial Crown of the Russian Empire
A jewelry miracle that personified imperial power in Russia from Catherine II to the last Russian emperor Nicholas II...

Commissioned by Catherine the Great for her coronation in 1762, it was created from a design by Georg-Friedrich Eckart and under the direction of Jeremiah Pozier in just two months. The Empress set only one condition - the weight should not exceed 5 pounds. All subsequent Russian emperors after Catherine II were crowned with this crown. After the October Revolution, the Crown served as collateral for Ireland for a loan of $25,000. Until 1938, the valuables were kept in the house of the mother of Irish Ambassador Harry Boland. The jewelry was returned to Russia in 1950 after following the loan repayment procedure. The Great Imperial Crown is the main exhibit of the Diamond Fund.
Small Imperial Crown
The Small Imperial Crown was created specifically for the coronation of Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Alexander II

Vladimir tiara
An amazing story is connected with the Vladimir Tiara, which received its name from the English form of the title of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna - The Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia, who was the wife of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, brother of Tsar Alexander III.

Until 1920, the tiara belonged to Maria Pavlovna, who ordered it from jewelers in 1890. The Vladimir tiara was made of diamonds and pearls. Left along with the entire jewelry collection of the Grand Duchess during the revolutionary events in the safe of the Vladimir Palace in St. Petersburg, the tiara was taken out by British intelligence via diplomatic pouch.
After the death of Maria Pavlovna, the tiara was bought by Queen Mary from Princess Elena Vladimirovna, Maria's daughter.
It was Queen Mary who came up with the idea to improve the tiara so that the pearl pendants were replaced with emerald ones, so that it could be worn with different outfits.

The beloved tiara was inherited by Queen Mary’s granddaughter Elizabeth II, who gave it to Princess Diana to wear... Elizabeth II herself wears the Vladimir tiara during unofficial special occasions as a replacement for the official royal crown, but that’s another story - the history of British crowns...

Any jewel has great value. In the case when this product is also a generally recognized work of art, its value increases many times over. And precious works of art, which also have historical and ritual significance, receive absolutely priceless status. First of all, these include, of course, all kinds of crowns and tiaras of numerous monarchs, emperors, kings and kings.

One of the most prominent places in the list of such royal regalia is occupied by the Great Imperial Crown of the Russian Empire, which is not only a cultural and historical heritage, but also a masterpiece jewelry art.

First, a short historical excursion: in pre-Petrine Russia, autocrats were crowned with special crowns, the most famous of which was the well-known “Monomakh’s hat.” Real crowns, in the European style, appeared in our country during the time of Peter I, when in 1724 the first such crown was created for the coronation of the emperor’s wife, the future Empress Catherine I. Subsequently, this crown was remade several times in accordance with the tastes and requirements of the new emperors and empresses, until in 1762, especially for the coronation of Catherine II, the Great Imperial Crown was made there, which was placed on the heads of all Russian autocrats down to the last of them, Nicholas II.

The authors of the Great Imperial Crown were the famous jewelry masters Georg-Friedrich Eckart and Jeremy Pozier, who were given almost complete freedom of creativity only under one condition - the crown should not weigh more than two kilograms. The division of labor between the two jewelers was as follows: Eckart was the author of the sketch of the work and the frame maker, and Pauzier was engaged in the selection of precious stones. The work was completed in record time, two months, and was estimated at 8,200 rubles. Because of difficult relationships between two jewelers for a long time it was believed that the only author of the crown was Eckart, who in every possible way kept silent and hid the fact of Pozier’s participation in the creation of the masterpiece.

The shape of the crown was borrowed from the headdresses of eastern rulers, more reminiscent of the turban of an Indian sultan than the traditional crown of medieval Europe. Two large silver hemispheres symbolize two parts of the world, Europe and Asia, West and East, united within the Russian Empire. Almost five thousand (to be statistically accurate - 4936) small diamonds weighing a total of 2858 carats, as well as 54 large Indian pearls (they were set into the crown for the coronation of Paul I, in the original, “Catherine’s” version there were 72) are set into these large hemispheres pearls smaller size). The largest and most famous precious stone of the Great Imperial Crown is a ruby ​​(spinel) weighing almost 400 carats, mounted on a golden arc and topped with a diamond cross. This bright red stone is a traditional treasure of the royal house of the Romanovs: it fell into their hands almost 100 years before the making of the Great Imperial Crown, in 1676, having been acquired by Russian diplomats from the Chinese Emperor Kangxi, and was an invariable part of all Russian crowns used in enthronement ceremonies. This ruby ​​is part of the symbolic ensemble of the Russian imperial regalia: being a large red stone, it was complemented by a blue sapphire set in the orb and a shining (white) diamond located on the scepter. So these three are the biggest gems denoted the colors of the state white-blue-red flag of the Russian state.

The large imperial crown of the Russian Empire was naturally considered the main treasure of the royal family, and already at the end of the 19th century its net jewelry value, excluding symbolic historical value, amounted to a million gold rubles. For the coronation of Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, the legendary jeweler Faberge made a small copy of the crown, especially for the Empress, which was called the Small Crown of the Russian Empire, which later became the subject detective stories and a film about the “elusive Avengers”.

Unlike its “younger relative,” the Great Imperial Crown did not leave Russia and after the revolution of 1917 became the property of the state; currently stored in the Diamond Fund. True, at the beginning of 2009, American newspapers put forward a version that a copy was kept in Russia, and the real Great Imperial, along with other treasures of the Romanovs, was hidden in the Mongolian Gobi Desert. These assumptions are based on the statements of the American descendants of Russian emigrant aristocrats, but are considered unfounded by historians both due to the lack of documentary evidence and because of the logical contradictions of the voiced version.

Alexander Babitsky

In January, the world press exploded with another sensation related to the mystery of the disappearance of the treasures of the last Russian Tsar. It seems that the symbol of royal power must be sought in the Gobi Desert.

As you know, the Great Imperial Crown of the Russian Empire was used for the coronation of tsars, starting with Peter I, and replaced the Monomakh cap, which was used by Russian tsars and grand dukes (note that historians also have many ambiguities with it). The last Emperor Nicholas II was also crowned with the Great Imperial Crown. The latest version of the crown was made by order of Empress Catherine II for her coronation. Today the crown is on display in the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin.

The new version of the Americans, of course, could be neglected. If only there weren’t a huge number of mysteries around the treasures of the last Russian Tsar, which historians have not been able to solve to this day.

Americans: The Crown of the Russian Empire is in the Gobi

So, in January, the Los Angeles Times published a story by US resident Patt Barham, who is confident that the crown and other jewelry Russian emperors buried in the Gobi Desert. Barham has been moving among the Los Angeles elite for 80 years. She also served as a correspondent during the Korean War and co-authored books about the mysterious deaths of Marilyn Monroe and Grigory Rasputin.
“Diamonds, Fabergé eggs, crowns and tiaras of Russian emperors, jewel-encrusted gold frames, pearl, ruby, sapphire and diamond necklaces are hidden in seven coffins in a 7x10 foot hole in the middle of the Mongolian desert,” Barham claims.
All this, according to her, was buried there on October 3, 1917 by her stepfather, the former Russian prince Georgy Meskhi-Gleboff. He often talked about the treasures after he came to the United States and married his mother, Patt Barham, a silver mining heiress. According to Patt, shortly before his death in 1960, her stepfather gave her a sealed envelope with a drawn map that pinpointed the location of the treasure. But he asked that nothing be done until the Russian government acknowledges the execution of the Romanov family and arranges an official funeral for the murdered (which happened in 1998). But the map soon mysteriously disappeared, although Barham assures that she remembered the coordinates of the treasure, since at one time she personally copied the document for her stepfather.

Now Barham plans to find the treasure and return it to the Russian people. She says, according to her stepfather, that he was an assistant custodian of the imperial treasury, and on February 28, 1917, Tsarina Alexandra instructed him to take the Romanovs’ personal jewelry to a bank in Beijing. “Valuables were hidden in 7 coffins, and two, for cover, also contained the dead bodies of children who were being taken to China for burial,” Barham claims, referring to Meskhi-Gleboff’s diary. In the Gobi Desert, a caravan was attacked by robbers. Meskhi-Gleboff repelled the attack, but decided not to take any more risks and buried the treasures on the spot. A year later he moved to the USA. According to Barham, in the 1930s, he and her mother equipped an expedition, spending $300,000 on preparations, but the authorities did not allow them to go further than Turkey.
Barham herself believed in the treasure after she became closely acquainted with Rasputin’s daughter Maria Grigorievna, with whom she wrote a cookbook and a story about her father. Maria told Patt that the queen, in her presence, instructed Meskhi-Gleboff to take the treasures to Beijing. In 1999, Barham herself tried to organize an expedition to the Gobi, but problems arose with financing.

As for the missing card, it is hidden in the coffin of Meskhi-Gleboff himself, who is buried in the Hollywood Forever cemetery, Barham says. But it also does not exclude the possibility that the card accidentally ended up in a heap of papers from the family archive, donated to some educational institution.

Barham herself is confident that she will be able to find out the right place from a bird's eye view, since her stepfather's map exactly coincided with the topographic map of Mongolia from 1912. The American plans to fly over the desert in a helicopter, record the GPS coordinates of the supposed treasure, and then find it together with Mongolian authorities.

Version 1: the crown was among the Romanov treasures

Commenting on Barham's version, an American expert on Russian history J. Arch Getty expressed doubts that the Russian Tsarina would want to send treasures to China rather than to Europe: “In 1917 there was no more unreliable bank than the Chinese.”

Also in Barham’s memoirs, Barham is alarmed by the date of sending the royal treasures to China - February 1917. While historians always indicate August 1917 - it was then that the family of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II, by order of the Provisional Government, was sent into exile in the Siberian city of Tobolsk. The Romanovs took with them all the family jewels, which were packed in several chests. All other valuables remaining in the Alexander Palace were sent by the Provisional Government to Moscow, to the basements of the Historical Museum.

In Tobolsk, the Romanovs allegedly secretly transferred some of the jewelry for safekeeping to local church ministers, nuns from the monastery and members of their retinue.

When Nikolai, Alexandra and their daughter Maria were sent to Yekaterinburg in April 1918, the treasures were again divided: part was taken to the capital of the Urals, and part remained with the daughters. After the execution of the royal family on the night of July 16-17 in Yekaterinburg, it turned out that almost nothing was left of the huge collection of family jewelry. Only diamonds sewn into the clothes of the Grand Duchesses and the Tsarina (half a pound), and several dozen small gold items (in three small boxes).
Where did most of the royal treasures disappear to? Researchers have been struggling with the answer to this question for 90 years. One of the latest versions is set out in the Russian investigative film “The Gold of the Royal Family” (2008). It suggests that the most valuable part of the royal jewelry was hidden deliberately - to save it from the Bolsheviks who came to power. Here, if we follow Patt Barham’s version, we can assume that among them could well be the crown of the Russian Empire. In addition, it is almost a stone's throw from the Siberian taiga to the Gobi Desert.

Version 2: the crown was kept along with the empire’s gold reserves

The second path along which the crown of the Russian Empire could get to Mongolia is the path along which the gold reserves of the Russian Empire disappeared. But for this we must admit that, in addition to money, the storerooms of the Kazan Bank (where, starting in 1915, almost the entire gold reserve of the empire was brought) could also contain treasures of the royal court.

According to official history, in August 1918, the 40,000-strong Czechoslovak Corps, which rebelled in May of the same year, traveling along the Trans-Siberian Railway to Vladivostok, seized the gold reserves of the Russian Empire (in the form of money) - the equivalent of 507 tons 144 kg of gold. True, historians admit that the gold had already arrived in Kazan “without the appropriate inventory documents” - that is, no one knew how much of the gold reserves were lost along the way. At the end of 1918, the gold arrived in Omsk, where it came into the possession of Admiral Kolchak, who by that time had declared himself the supreme ruler of Russia.

When on May 3, 1920 the gold reserves returned to the Kazan office People's Bank RSFSR, it amounted to the equivalent of only 318 tons 848 kg of gold. The missing 189 tons still haunt historians and Russian politicians, and even more so to the illegal owners of these treasures abroad. True, this calculation excluded 4.6 tons of precious metals that the Bolsheviks managed to remove from Kazan when the Whites began fighting for this city in August 1918. In addition, there is a version that several tens of tons of Kolchak’s gold still rest in the Siberian taiga, stolen and hidden by someone unknown.

Another part of Kolchak’s gold disappeared along with the Czech corps. According to the entourage of the Minister of Finance of the Government, Kolchak Novitsky, the legionnaires’ production amounted to 63 million gold rubles. However, according to researcher V. Wrangel, the Prague military archive contains a document about the transfer into the hands of legionnaires... of 18 carriages (!) with Russian valuables.

According to another Russian researcher V. Cherepakhin, “Czechoslovak legionnaires took out 30,563 pounds of gold (1 pood is equal to 16 kg) in coins, bars and jewelry.”

There are also known cases of theft of gold reserves. They occurred at a time when the train was guarded by mixed Czechoslovak-Russian forces. For example, 13 boxes of gold disappeared at Tyret station alone (discovered on January 14, 1920).

Did Lenin know where Kolchak's gold was?

This is where the ground arises for assumptions that may seem inappropriate, although they may shed light on the fate of the royal treasures.

For example, while talking once in the 1970s with a local historian, an employee of one of the Ural local history museums, I was faced with the fact that the official story about the execution of Kolchak (as well as the death of Chapaev) in his eyes looked suspicious, and even implausible. The main thing that aroused distrust among this researcher was that Kolchak’s body was drowned in the Angara River after the execution. Why was this done, if even the bodies of the executed royal family were buried in the ground, albeit hidden? But for some reason, it was necessary not to leave any trace of Kolchak. The local historian believed that the Bolsheviks could secretly release Kolchak in exchange for his commitment not to wage war against Soviet Russia (a similar thing had previously been done in relation to other tsarist generals).
The version, of course, absolutely does not fit into official history. However, if you look at it through the prism of the discoveries of recent decades, when it turned out that often the dogma of the official Soviet history were far from actual events and from science as a whole, then it has a right to exist.

Moreover, she could help clarify the mystery of the disappearance of Kolchak’s gold. For example, how did it get to Manchuria to the famous Ataman Semenov? In favor of the existence of such a version, I once heard the opinion of one of the party officials of the Soviet era, who, in turn, referred to the Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee G. Razumovsky, and he referred to M. Suslov and, at times, A. Gromyko. So, according to the Kremlin legend, Lenin personally participated in the search for the missing Kolchak gold. And in the early 1920s, he sent his special commissioner somewhere to Northern China to notify the leaders of the Chinese revolutionary movement about the transfer to them by the government of Soviet Russia of all rights to own that part of Kolchak’s gold that went to Manchuria. And the Chinese revolutionaries allegedly used the legendary gold for the needs of their revolution.

By the way, it is precisely this unclear historical trace that suggests that Patt Barham’s version of the burial of the crown of the Russian Empire in the Gobi Desert is not without foundation. But in order to answer this question, we must first find out the fate of part of Kolchak’s gold, which, in some unknown way, was transported (or not) to Manchuria.

Version 3: the crown was hidden in Chuguev

And here is another version, where is the real crown of the Russian Empire located (accordingly, the one exhibited at the Diamond Fund in Moscow is again declared a copy). It is defended by Kharkov amateur local historian Elena Chernyshova, who argues that the symbol of royal power should be looked for... in Chuguev.

The legend, of course, is not officially confirmed. However, rumors that the crown of the Russian Empire was buried somewhere in these places were supported by more than one generation of Chuguevites. Many were even convinced of their authenticity - after all, representatives of the royal dynasties visited Chuguev and its environs more than once. The residents of Chuguev themselves even began to consider the crown an energy symbol of the city, capable of attracting people to these places. famous people and important events.

According to Chernyshova, the royal crown is buried somewhere in the central part of the city. Excavations have not yet been carried out here, and attempts to find the crown by treasure seekers have led nowhere. Although, according to historians, the stories about the crown of the Russian Empire buried in Chuguev most likely resemble a beautiful legend.

In conclusion, it remains to add that the Bolsheviks never made the Diamond Fund, where the crown of the Russian Empire is displayed today, a sacred cow. It is well known that in the 1920s and 1930s, most of the items in the collection were sold to the West (569 items out of 773). Moreover, they did not settle in any of the famous collections peace. Nowadays, treasures of the Romanov house have appeared several times at Western auctions, but these were things from the 18th century, sold at auction in 1927.
Therefore, is it any wonder that some researchers to this day cannot agree that Soviet Russia managed to preserve the main values ​​of the Russian tsars, including the Great Imperial Crown of the Russian Empire?

Prepared by Oleg Lobanov
based on materials by V. Sirotkin “Foreign Klondikes of Russia”, “Echo of Moscow”, ATN, “Wikipedia”, “ChKS”, I. Bunich. “Gold of the Party”, Los Angeles Times, Inopressa.ru, InoSMI.Ru

- the main symbol of the power of Russian monarchs; all Russian autocrats were crowned with it, starting with the founder of the Hermitage, Catherine II in 1762.
Splendor and splendor have always distinguished the Russian court, especially during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine II. He was one of the most brilliant in Europe. The best jewelers worked at the court, such as I. Pozier, father and sons Duval, L. Pfisterer, G. Eckart. They created works of high jewelry.
The Great Imperial Crown became a real world masterpiece of jewelry art. It has no equal among European crown values. It was created for the coronation of Catherine II in 1762 by Jeremiah Pozier with the participation of other masters. Work on the Crown lasted two months and was carried out without the use of high technology. The original Great Imperial Crown is made of silver and gold, encrusted with diamonds (4936 pieces), decorated with pearls (75 pieces), and the Crown is crowned with a rare precious stone of bright red color - a noble spinel weighing 398.72 carats.
The last time the crown was used was in government events for its intended purpose in 1906 - on solemn ceremony opening of the first State Duma with the participation of the last Emperor Nicholas II.
Nowadays, the original is kept and can only be seen in the Diamond Fund Russian Federation in Moscow on the territory of the Kremlin.

In honor of the 250th anniversary of the world-famous museum, the Official Hotel of the State Hermitage and the Smolensk Diamonds jewelry group are giving you unique opportunity touch the historical greatness of Russia. The brilliant age of Catherine, the luxury and grace of Imperial Russia, the splendor and glory of authentic St. Petersburg. Feel the unique atmosphere in which the past and present are skillfully merged!
These days, a real jewelry masterpiece of our days from a Russian is freely available on the hotel premises. jewelry brand– a replica of the Great Imperial Crown, created by Smolensk jewelry craftsmen!

These are the words used by the chief custodian of the Russian Diamond Fund, Evgeniy Gapanyuk, to describe the modern incarnation of the Great Imperial Crown: “It’s hard to call this masterpiece a replica. This is an independent work of jewelry art itself the highest level, created with obvious love for Russia and respect for its great history. One cannot fail to note the magnificent sound of amazing Smolensk diamonds.”
The new Great Imperial Crown is interesting because modern technologies allowed us to use the entire arsenal of technical capabilities and create a work of jewelry art of the 21st century. An unprecedented jewelry project was carried out by OJSC "PO Kristall" and the jewelry group "Smolensk Diamonds" using Russian diamonds cut according to ideal parameters Triple and DoubleExcellent classifications. The play and brilliance of the famous “Russian cut” diamonds with their ideal geometry, symmetry and quality of polished surfaces made it possible to maximize the natural beauty of the diamond in the modern incarnation of the Crown.
The replica of the Great Imperial Crown was created to commemorate the half-century anniversary of the Russian diamond processing industry, the flagship of which is the Smolensk production association “Crystal” and the 10th anniversary of its subsidiary, the Smolensk Diamonds jewelry group. The appearance of the new Crown coincides with a number of significant historical anniversary dates that fell in 2012-2013: the 250th anniversary of the coronation of Empress Catherine II, the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty and the 200th anniversary of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812.
When creating a replica, the authors did not set out to accurately replicate the original; simple copying would not have allowed them to demonstrate technological progress and the highest degree of skill achieved by jewelers and cutters today. The replica of the Great Imperial Crown stylistically repeats original product, but is superior to it in many respects.
More than 60 Smolensk craftsmen worked on the new jewelry masterpiece for six months. The Great Imperial Crown, recreated by Smolensk craftsmen, uses 11,352 diamonds of ideal cut and the highest quality characteristics. The crown is made of white gold, the sparkle of diamond lace is emphasized by two rows of 74 natural large pearls white. The crown is crowned with a rare size jewelry stone noble ruby-red color – natural rubellite (tourmaline), weighing 384.71 carats. A new precious miracle appears before the public, truly dazzling with its brilliance and play of stones!
Also on the territory of the Hermitage Hotel in jewelry salon“Smolensk Diamonds” You can see other unique products from jewelry craftsmen from Smolensk. This is a great opportunity to purchase exquisite pieces and replicas of famous treasures! Get in touch with the living history and riches of Russia!
Within the framework of the project “Smolensk Diamonds in the Hermitage”, unrealized original sketches of the Faberge company from the museum’s collections were realized for the first time. Sketches of brooches, pendants, necklaces, tiaras, rings, cufflinks, and various accessories from the Faberge firm are executed at the highest professional level and reflect almost the entire range of artistic tastes and preferences of the wealthy public at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. The implementation of some of them by the craftsmen of the Smolensk Diamonds jewelry group is an interesting experiment that makes it possible to revive the projects of jewelry artists, perhaps the most famous Russian jewelry company of the last century. Products from the “Unknown Faberge” collection, created based on these unique sketches, as well as the “Scythian Gold” collection (replicas of gold items from the Scythian era from the collection of the State Hermitage) are presented in the new salon of the “Smolensk Diamonds” jewelry group on the territory of the hotel.
Have you ever dreamed - like a royal privileged person - to spend the night in the luxurious chambers of the Hermitage? Celebrate a significant event in your life in the palace interiors or spend pleasant evening with exquisite dishes and drinks among friends in the atmosphere of the imperial residence, enjoying the enchanting sounds of live music? Now for the first time this has become possible - give yourself unforgettable moments in a unique hotel of the famous museum - in the world's only official hotel of the Hermitage.
Come to the Hermitage Hotel and you will see with your own eyes the majestic radiance of a collectible piece of jewelry - a stunning embodiment of the Great Imperial Crown from Smolensk Diamonds! Your unforgettable moments in the palace interiors in the radiance of thousands of Crown diamonds!
In addition, for you at the Hermitage Hotel:
— “Scythian Gold” and “Unknown Faberge” from the series “From the Treasury of the State Hermitage”, other exclusive jewelry collections from Smolensk Diamonds;
- beautiful selected porcelain products from the Imperial Porcelain Factory;
— bronze, sculpture, albums, reproductions, souvenirs and other exclusive official products of the Hermitage Store!
And finally, also for you - unique rooms, Imperial cuisine in the Catherine the Great restaurant, a variety of dishes in the Michelangelo restaurant, a cozy Lobby bar with a wide selection of snacks and drinks, 8 stunning rooms for festive and business events, a stunning panorama St. Petersburg from the spacious terrace, live music and much more. The best traditions Russian hospitality and the authentic atmosphere of the real St. Petersburg! Another pearl in the Hermitage collection is the Art of Hospitality, Hermitage Hotel.