Regalia of the Russian tsars are the insignia of tsars and emperors of Russia, who ruled from the 13th to the 19th century. Over the centuries, the specific items used by Tsars changed greatly; the largest such shift occurred in the 18th century, when Peter the Great reformed the state to align it more closely with Western European monarchies.
After the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks sold the majority of the Romanovs' regalia, but the most important items, including the key coronation regalia, were placed in the Kremlin Armoury. Since 1967, they have been available for public viewing through the Diamond Fund permanent exposition.
Oldest Russian regalia
From the 13th up to the end of 14th century the main insignia of knyaz power were the decorated barmas and the knyaz belts. A barma is a neck-piece or a mantle made of gold, encrusted with gems and diamonds. Such treasured items were hereditary and closely connected to the knyazs' names; as such, they were always mentioned in the wills.
The Barmas
Barmas of Old Ryazan were produced by masters of Old Ryazan in late 12th - early 13th century. They are one of the greatest masterpieces of ancient jewellery. The barmas belonged to the local knyaz family, but in 1237 the city was completely destroyed by Batu Khan, so the forsaken jewellery laid underground for nearly 600 years. In 1822, the royal barmas were found by archeologists and brought to the Kremlin Armory. These precious barmas are the high-craft masterpieces, enamelled and encrusted with gems. Some of the barmas have gold medallions with engravings in Greek, presumably of the Byzantine origin.
The Monomakh's Cap
"Cap of Monomakh" The oldest crown is the "Cap of Monomakh" or Crown of Monomakh, used in the ceremony of crowning a monarch in Russia. Its name is connected with a Russian legend of the 15th century, according to which it has been brought to Russia in ancient times as a gift from the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomachos. The cap is of oriental workmanship of the late 13th or early 14th century. The question of its origin is still unspecified. The oldest section of the crown consists of eight gold plates adorned with very fine gold lace in a pattern of six-pointed rosette-stars and lotus blossoms. The semi-spherical top with a cross, the sable trimming and the pearls and gemstones belong to a later period. It weighs 698 grams and is the lightest Russian crown. Since the late 14th till the late 17th century, the Cap of Monomakh a symbol of power, was used in the ceremony of setting the ruler of the Russian State for reigning. In the first quarter of the 18th century, after Peter the Great's reforms, the ceremonial setting for reigning was replaced by coronation, the main attribute of which became the imperial crown. Since the 18th century the Cap of Monomakh served as the heraldic crown of the "Tsardom of Great, Little and White Russia".
The Kazan Crown
Kazan crown This 16th century crown is the second oldest in Russia. The gold crown is studded with pearls, garnets, and turquoises. The sable-fur trimming was for comfort. The Kazan Crown is dated by 1553. It was first mentioned in the treasury of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, whose reign was marked by a series of important events in Russian history. Among them is the capture of Kazan in October 1552 and annexation of the Kazan khanate to the Russian state. The precious crown might have been executed by Moscow Kremlin jewelers on the successful solution of "The Eastern problem", so important for Muscovy. Its name might have immortalized the memory of the glorious victory of Russian warriors. The crown's look combines national and eastern artistic traditions. Some elements are reminiscent of the decor traditions of Russian churches of the epoch. At the same time, the combination of stones, e.g. red tourmalines and rubies with blue turquoise and the carved ornament of knitting herbs on a niello background represent oriental artistic influence. It may have belonged to Ediger Mahmet, the last ruler of the Tatar (Tartar) state of Kazan. Since the 18th century this crown served as the heraldic crown of the "Tsardom of Kazan".