Monomak's cap
The Monomakh's cap ( Russian Шапка Мономаха , Shapka Monomaha ) is one of the symbols of Russian autocracy and is currently on display in the treasury of the Moscow Kremlin . It was the coronation insignia of all crowned Grand Dukes of Moscow and Tsars from Dmitri Donskoy to Peter I.
history
The Monomachian hat is a goldsmith's work from the 14th century, adorned with precious stones and a sable fur hem . It was probably a gift from Uzbek Khan , a prince of the Golden Horde , to Ivan Kalita of Moscow during the Tatar rule in Russia . According to Boris Uspensky , this Tatar hat was a symbol of Moscow's submission to the Khan of the Golden Horde. During the 15th or 16th century it was given a cross on top to symbolize the god-given power of the tsar.
During the reign of Ivan III. the claim to the succession of the Eastern Roman Empire arose in Moscow. During this time the legend arose that the cap was a gift from the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX. to his grandson Vladimir Monomakh , founder of Vladimir and ancestor of Ivan III. The name "Cap of Monomach" was first mentioned in 1518.
Ivan the Terrible told the Polish king that anyone who crowns himself with Monomakh's cap can call himself tsar, since the cap was also a gift from a tsar (Emperor Constantine IX) to crown Vladimir Monomakh in Kiev. In reality, Vladimir Monomakh was only two years old when Constantine IX. died and he later inherited the throne of Kiev.
In 1721 Peter I assumed the title of emperor and replaced the Monomakh's cap with the tsar's crown .
The shape of the Monomakh's cap was used again and again later by the grand dukes and tsars. The following crowns were showered with more and more diamonds in the course of time and thus corresponded to the oriental splendor that was also widespread in parts of Russia.
There is a Russian proverb: “Monomachs cap is heavy”, which is still used in Russian. The saying goes to point out to someone that they have taken on too much responsibility, that they have overestimated themselves.
In the coat of arms of Smolensk , as in the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Siberia, this cap takes on the function of a crown. The Grand Duchy of Kiev , Vladimir and the Grand Duchy of Novgorod also show this shield covering in the great coat of arms of the Russian Empire .
