The coronation of the emperor of Russia (generally referred to as the Tsar) from 1547 to 1917, was a highly developed religious ceremony in which he was crowned and invested with regalia, then anointed with chrism and formally blessed by the church to commence his reign. Although rulers of Muscovy had been crowned prior to the reign of Ivan III, their coronation rituals assumed overt Byzantine overtones as the result of the influence of Ivan's wife Sophia Paleologue, and the imperial ambitions of his grandson, Ivan the Terrible.Muscovy, Sections "The Evolution of the Russian Aristocracy" and "Ivan IV". For crownings of earlier rulers of Muscovy, see Alfred Rambaugh Rambaud on the Rise of the Grand Princes of Moscow . The modern coronation, introducing "Western European-style" elements, replaced the previous "crowning" ceremony and was first used for Catherine I in 1724.Scenarios of Power. Princeton University Press. Since tsarist Russia claimed to be the "Third Rome" and the replacement of Byzantium as the true Christian state,Moscow the Third Rome. See also Moscow Becomes the Third Rome. the Russian rite was designed to link its rulers and prerogatives to those of the so-called "Second Rome" (Constantinople).Wortman, pg. 10. A political theory prevalent amongst many Orthodox Russians into the twentieth century postulated that there were three "Romes": the first (Rome) had allegedly apostatized from true Christianity after the Great Schism of 1054 between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy; the second (Constantinople) had equally apostatized by accepting Roman Catholicism at the Council of Florence and had subsequently fallen to the Turks; Moscow and "Holy Russia" were the third Rome, and (according to this doctrine) "a fourth there shall never be". A History of Russia, Chapter 1: Medieval Russia, Section "Ivan the Great".

While months or even years could pass between the initial accession of the sovereign and the performance of this ritual, church policy held that the monarch must be anointed and crowned according to the Orthodox rite to have a successful tenure.New York Times, May 31, 1896. Quoted in Wortman, Introduction. See also Blech, Annalise, The Russian Orthodox Church: History and Influence , University of Texas at Austin, 2008, pg. 9. As the church and state were essentially one in Imperial Russia, this service invested the Tsars with political legitimacy; however, this was not its only intent. It was equally perceived as conferring a genuine spiritual benefit that mystically wedded sovereign to subjects, bestowing divine authority upon the new ruler. As such, it was similar in purpose to other European coronation ceremonies from the medieval era.

Even when the imperial capital was located at St. Petersburg (1713–1728, 1732–1917), Russian coronations were always held in Moscow at the Cathedral of the Dormition in the Kremlin. The last coronation service in Russia was held on 26 May 1896 for Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, who would be the final Tsar and Tsaritsa of Russia. The Russian Imperial regalia survived the subsequent Russian Revolution and the Communist period, and are currently on exhibit in a museum at the Kremlin Armoury.

Starting with the reign of Ivan IV, the ruler of Russia was known as "Tsar" rather than "Grand Prince"; "Tsar" being a Slavonic equivalent to the Latin term "Caesar". This continued until 1721, during the reign of Peter I, when the title was formally changed to Imperator (Emperor). Peter's decision reflected the difficulties other European monarchs had in deciding whether to recognize the Russian ruler as an emperor or a mere king, and reflected his insistence on being seen as the former.Francois Veldi, The Title of Emperor, section "Russia". See also Chancery of the Committee of Ministers, St. Petersburg: Statesman's Handbook for Russia: 1896, Section "On the Prerogatives of the Sovereign Power". However, the term "Tsar" remained the popular title for the Russian ruler despite the formal change of style, thus this article utilizes that term, rather than "Emperor".

Symbolism In medieval Europe, the anointed Christian ruler was viewed as a mixta persona, part priest and part layman, but never wholly either. The Russian Orthodox Church considered the Tsar to be "wedded" to his subjects in the Orthodox coronation service.

The Orthodox concept on this subject was explained by Russian bishop Nektarios (Kontzevich), a prelate of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad:

Since no Orthodox layperson, regardless of societal or political rank, was ever permitted to pass through the Royal Doors or partake of communion in both kinds separately, the permission given to the Tsar to do both during his coronation ritual was intended to demonstrate both the solemn nature of the ritual, and the spiritual duties and authority devolving upon the new monarch. Sacred and secular, church and state, God and government were all welded together by the coronation service in the person of the anointed Tsar—or so many Russians believed.Tauschev, Archbishop Averkey, , See also Royal Family Regalia , quote after paragraph 3; and Tsar-Martyr Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov II .

Since the newly ascended sovereign was permitted all the privileges of rule immediately upon his accession, coronations were not necessarily held right away. Instead, one or more years might be permitted to elapse between the initial accession of a Tsar and the ceremony itself. This allowed the court to finish its mourning for the new sovereign's predecessor, and permitted completion of the immense arrangements involved in staging the ritual.Massie, pg. 52.

Imperial regalia

As in most European monarchies, the Tsars of Russia retained a sizable collection of Imperial regalia, some of which was used in their coronation ceremonies. The most important items included:

The sovereign's crown

Russian rulers from Dmitri Donskoi to Peter the Great utilized the Cap of Monomakh, a fourteenth-century gold filigree cap with sable trimming, adorned with pearls and other gemstones. Although Russian legend held that it had been given to Vladimir Monomakh by the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX, more modern scholarship assigns an Asian origin to this diadem.Crown of Monomach. See also Royal Family Regalia , which contains photos of the Crown of Monomach and several other items of Russian regalia.

With the accession of Peter the Great as Emperor of Russia in 1721, he undertook a programme of "westernizing" various aspects of Russian society. In line with this, the regalia also became influenced by Western-style. He replaced Monomakh's diadem with one modelled on the private crowns of the Holy Roman emperors, of which the Imperial Crown of Austria is one example. Peter's wife, who succeeded him as Catherine I, was the first to wear this type of diadem. For the coronation of Catherine the Great (Catherine II) in 1762, court jewelers Ekhart and Jérémie Pauzié decided to create a new crown, known as the Great Imperial Crown, which used the style of a mitre divided into two half-spheres with a central arch between them topped by diamonds and a 398.72-carat red spinel from China.Russian Crown Jewels . The crown was produced in a record two months and weighted only 2.3 kg. This crown was used in all coronations from Paul I to Nicholas II—although the latter tried (but failed) to replace it with Monomakh's Crown for his ceremony.Buxhoeveden, Chapter 7, "The Coronation". It survived the subsequent revolution, and is considered to be one of the main treasures of the Romanov dynasty, now on display in the Kremlin Armoury Museum in Moscow.

The consort's crown A smaller crown, virtually identical in appearance and workmanship to the Great Imperial Crown, was manufactured for the crowning of the Tsar's consort. It was encrusted with diamonds, and first used for Tsaritsa Maria Feodorovna, wife of Paul I, being last used at the coronation of Nicholas II by Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. An identical new consort crown was made for Alexandra Feodorovna. The reason for this was that an already-crowned dowager empress outranked a new empress consort at the Russian court. The consort crown was often referred to as the "Smaller Imperial Crown", to differentiate it from the Tsar's Great Imperial Crown.. See Royal Family Jewelry for a photo of the Empress's crown, together with the orb, sceptre and Great Imperial Crown.

Sceptre and orb The Imperial sceptre was manufactured during the reign of Catherine the Great, and comprised "a burnished shaft of three sections containing eight rings of brilliant-cut diamonds", topped by the Orlov Diamond which was itself surmounted by a double-headed eagle with the coat of arms of Russia at its center.Burton, E. (1986). Legendary Gems or Gems That Made History, pp. 45-47. Chilton Book Company, Radnor, PA. See also The Orlov, which contains photos of the sceptre itself and a portrait of Catherine the Great holding it.

The orb was manufactured in 1762 for Catherine II's coronation, and consisted of a polished hollow ball made from red gold encircled by two rows of diamonds and surmounted by a large sapphire topped by a cross.

The banner of state Each Tsar had a Banner of State manufactured for his coronation and reign. This banner was blessed on the eve of the coronation, in the Kremlin Armoury, and was present at his crowning the next day, as well as at significant events during his reign thereafter.Finial of the Russian National Banner . See also Nicholas II's Throne Speech, 1906 , which contains photos from Nicholas II's opening of the first State Duma in 1906; the Imperial Banner is being held by a Grand Duke to Nicholas's left (a close-up photo may be seen by scrolling down this page).

The coronation

Entry into Moscow

Russian coronations took place in Moscow, the country's ancient capital. The new ruler made a great processional entrance on horseback into the city, accompanied by multiple cavalry squadrons, his consort (in an accompanying carriage) and the pealing of literally thousands of church bells. The new Tsar stopped at the Chapel of Our Lady of Iveron, home of the Icon of the Blessed Virgin of Iveron, one of the most revered icons in Moscow. It was a tradition with Russian Tsars that every entry to the Kremlin be marked by the veneration of this image.Last Coronation of a Russian Tsar .

Following his entry into the city the new Tsar and his entourage took time to rest and prepare for the following day's ceremony, while heralds in medieval clothing read out special proclamations to "the good people of Our first capital". Receptions were held for foreign diplomats, the Banner of State was consecrated, and the imperial regalia were brought from the Kremlin Armoury to the throne hall for the procession to the cathedral. In conjunction with the Tsar's entry into Moscow, fines were remitted, prisoners pardoned, and a three-day holiday was proclaimed.Tsar-Martyr Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov II .

Coronation procession