By Zinaida Osipova
Defiantly judging the book by its cover, I chose to explore the massive and colorful Coronation Collection (Koronatsionniy sbornik) of 1899 dedicated to Nicholas II’s ascension to the throne and its accompanying events. The book was edited by Vasilii Krivenko and features sections outlining past coronation ceremonies as well as details concerning the latest one. Much like a yearbook contains a compilation of a year’s worth of events of importance to the student body, Coronation Collection presents a variety of photographs, descriptions of festivities and transcriptions of edicts that affected many of Nicholas’ subjects during the coronation year. As seen from the extensive preparations and accompanying procedures, the occasion was of utmost importance to the country and bore not only symbolic but also directing value. Emphasizing traditions, divinity of the right to rule, Russianness of the event, and inclusion of benevolences towards various estates, Coronation Collection commemorates the ceremony that sought to instill patriotism and gain support of the Empire’s citizens for the new ruler.
Nicholas’ book consists of two volumes: the first volume connects the present event with the tsar’s ancestral rule by providing an overview of coronation ceremonies from the time of Ivan III to that of Alexander III, followed by a more detailed account of Nicholas’s own ceremony. The second volume is a very descriptive account of the order, attire, the carriages and gifts of guests, photographs of international delegations, Nicholas’ edicts in connection with the event and reproductions of menus, tickets and programs.[1] Much like class pictures in yearbooks, the second volume of Coronation Collection starts with the photographs of numerous delegations that visited Moscow for the ceremony, illustrating the international recognition of the event.
Part of the North-American United States Delegation
Noticeably, the coronation of a new monarch was an event that was more than placing the crown on the head of the new Tsar; it was a celebration lasting weeks and bringing new titles to officials, improvements to worker’s and students’ conditions and gifts for commoners. The second volume features Nicholas’s edicts dated to May 14, 1896, all of which either addressed the ceremonial procedures or granted various benevolences to people of the country. Among the many officials that were honored by Nicholas on the day of his coronation, was Sergei Witte, the Minister of Finance, to whom the Tsar wrote: “In order to pay just attention to your work and to express my special goodwill to you, I grant you the title of my State Secretary”.[2] State officials were not the only ones to benefit from His Majesty’s grace: for instance, students were allowed to move up to the next grade based on final marks only and without further testing that was the usual practice:
In order for a great impression to be left in the hearts of children, boys and girls, of the joyful event for the whole of Russia, in the current academic year, it is allowed to be moved up to the next grade in all male and female secondary and elementary educational institutions of the Empire based on annual marks, without testing, which will be scheduled after the holidays only for poor students who have not achieved satisfactory results during the year.[3]
Following Nicholas’ decrees concerning various officials and organizations, Coronation Collection contains many pages worth of organizational descriptions, outlining what happened when and in what order. The ceremony incorporated numerous procedures that underlined connectedness of the event with the past, thus trying to demonstrate the legitimacy of the current monarch’s ascension to the throne. Taking place at the Assumption Cathedral (Uspenskii Sobor), “upon entrance to the cathedral, Their Majesty will bow at the Royal Gates three times and will kiss the Holy Icons, and then, [they] will follow to the center of the Cathedral to the prepared Throne and will sit down on the throne of Tsars: Mikhail Fyodorovich and Ioann III.”[4] Thus, Nicholas’s sitting on the throne of his ancestors in the Church where Russian monarchs had been crowned, among the highest clergy and officials, symbolized Nicholas’ divine right to rule. Interestingly, guests had to wait their turn congratulating the newly crowned Tsar, with representatives of Higher Clergy and Ministers being the first ones in line and foreign ambassadors and representatives of rural population having to wait a day before they could offer their greetings.[5]
The next section of the book features reproductions of entrance tickets to the festivities, menus and programs. Much like yearbooks incorporate school spirit in their prints, Coronation Collection was designed in a recognizable “Russian” style. Depicting famous sites with traditional motifs, leaflets sought to evoke feelings of national pride in the event of utmost importance to the Empire. Correspondingly, Ladies of the Court were instructed to wear “Russian dresses” for many of the celebrations.[6] Since the festivities of May 18 on Khodynka Field witnessed a human stampede that resulted in death of over a thousand of people, I looked for mentions of the tragedy in the book. The first volume dedicates three paragraphs to the tragic event that “threw a sad shadow on the fete”, but proceeds with describing the common people’s delight upon seeing Nicholas and Alexandra greet people from the balcony.[7]
Coronation Collection allows us to see what the coronation of a Russian monarch entailed aside from having a crown placed on his head as well as what those in power wanted to be remembered. A very detailed organization following established traditions underlined the legitimacy of Nicholas’ rule, while his edicts bestowing various kinds of generosity sought to secure the goodwill of both prominent figures and the masses. Thus, Coronation Collection is not only a colorful book capturing one event but also a testament to the ceremony’s importance in asserting the monarchy’s power.
The program for opera Life for Tsar
The menu for May 19, 1896
Bibliography:
Krivenko, V. S. Коронационный Сборник. [Coronation Collection]. 2 vols. St. Petersburg: Expedition of Preparation of State Papers, 1899.
[1] V.S. Krivenko, Коронационный Сборник, [Coronation Collection], 2 vols, (St. Petersburg: Expedition of Preparation of State Papers, 1899).
[2] V.S. Krivenko, Коронационный Сборник, [Coronation Collection], 2 vols, Vol. 2, (St. Petersburg: Expedition of Preparation of State Papers, 1899), 79.
[3] V.S. Krivenko, Коронационный Сборник, [Coronation Collection], Vol. 2, 19.
[4] V.S. Krivenko, Коронационный Сборник, [Coronation Collection], Vol. 2, 161.
[5] V.S. Krivenko, Коронационный Сборник, [Coronation Collection], Vol. 2, 184-185.
[6] V.S. Krivenko, Коронационный Сборник, [Coronation Collection], Vol. 2, 207-208.
[7] V.S. Krivenko, Коронационный Сборник, [Coronation Collection], 2 Vol. 1, 323-325.