The Kremlin Armory is one of the most famous museums in Russia. The first museum in Russia is the Kunstkamera. It was founded in St. Petersburg by Tsar Peter I in 1714. However, in terms of the value of the collection and the historical importance of the exhibits, the Armory Chamber in the Moscow Kremlin has no equal.
The Armory contains valuables that for several centuries belonged to the Russian tsars. These are state regalia, coronation robes, carriages, armor, and much more. Previously, they were kept in the Royal Treasury and were not available to the public. The collection is based on the works of the masters of the Moscow Armory Order, as well as gifts from foreign rulers, which were presented to the Russian tsars.
The collection of the Armory was formed over several centuries, but the building for the museum in the Moscow Kremlin was built only in 1851 by the architect Konstantin Ton. Its construction was made simultaneously with the Great Kremlin Palace on Borovitsky Hill.
Monomakh`s cap in the Armory
The main value of the Armory is the royal crowns and regalia. The most famous exhibit - the Monomakh`s Cap is kept here. It is a royal cap made of gold, decorated with sable fur. According to legend, the Moscow princes received it as a gift from the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomakh.
It appeared in the Moscow Principality when Moscow had already united the scattered Russian principalities under its rule. The title of the Moscow princes was not royal, but the Monomakh`s Cap was a royal regalia. The prince "received" it from the hands of the Byzantine Emperor, which allowed him to claim a major role among the Russian principalities.
Studies have shown that the Monomakh Cap was made in the early 16th century and not in Byzantium, but in Russia. The Russian tsars were crowned with the Monomakh Cap for 178 years. Tsar Peter I conducted the rites of coronation, for which precious crowns were made according to the type of royal crowns of Western Europe. Some of the crowns can be seen next to the Cap of Monomakh, and the most valuable ones are kept in the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin.
Royal carriages in the Armory
The collection of carriages in the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin is of high historical value. Here you can see 17 carriages that belonged to the Russian tsars. All the carriages are presented in the form that they were made by the masters of Western Europe and Russia.
The carriages in the Armory`s collection date from the 16th and 18th centuries. According to their design, forms and decor, you can trace the development of the carriage workmanship over the course of 3 centuries. Russian tsars ordered carriages from the most famous masters of Russia and Western Europe: Johann Buckendahl (St. Petersburg), Johann Hoppenhaupt (Berlin), Nicolas Pinot (Paris), A. Drilerossa (Paris), Philippe Caffieri (Paris) and others.
The oldest carriage in the collection is a carriage of English masters of the 16th century, which was presented to the Russian tsar Boris Godunov by the English King James I in 1603. This carriage still has an imperfect design. There was no place for the coachman; he had to sit astride the first horse. There were no turning mechanisms either. On sharp turns, the rear wheels had to be moved by servants.
There are both winter carts and summer strollers in the collection. The carriages of those years are not just vehicles for kings – they are a work of art. Some carriages were used for the coronation ceremonies of Russian emperors.
Gifts of foreign embassies in the Armory
The Armory houses one of the world`s largest collections of decorative and applied art made of silver and gold. All these items belong to the period from the 13th century to the 19th century. They came to Russia as gifts from foreign embassies.
The rulers of European states, through their ambassadors, presented gifts to the Russian tsars in connection with important events: the conclusion of peace treaties, the conclusion of marriage unions, and others. There are gifts from England, France, and Holland, the German principalities, the Scandinavian states and other countries.
There are objects of decorative and applied art made of gold and silver, made in Russia by craftsmen and jewelers of the Moscow Armory Order. In a separate room, you can see the richly decorated horse harness, which was most often presented by the ambassadors of Eastern countries.
Of great interest is the Olympic porcelain service for 40 people, consisting of 166 items. It was made at the Sevres Porcelain Manufactory in France and is considered a masterpiece of porcelain painting. The service was presented by Napoleon to Emperor Alexander I in honor of the conclusion of the Peace of Tilsit in 1807. In return, Alexander I gave Napoleon two fur coats made of precious fur.
Coronation dresses, thrones, and armor
Russian tsars` thrones, dresses and clothing used for the coronation ceremonies can be seen in the separate halls of the Moscow Kremlin Armory. In two halls you can see a collection of armor of medieval knights. Some armors also have rich decorative embellishments and look more like works of art than battle regimental.
The oldest Royal throne in the Armory belonged to Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. It was made by masters of Western Europe in the 16th century. The entire throne is covered with ivory plates. There is a throne made by Iranian craftsmen and decorated with diamonds. It belonged to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. There is also a double throne that belonged to tsars Peter I and Ivan V when they ruled together.
In a separate hall, the coronation dresses of the Russian tsars are placed. Here you can see 17 coronation dresses, 10 of which belonged to women. This is quite logical, since women`s dresses richly decorated with jewelry are of greater artistic value than men`s suits. The Armory`s collection can be compared to similar collections that can be seen in museums in Stockholm, Vienna, Copenhagen and London.
