"The Tsar takes his sceptre in his right hand and his orb in his left, and sits upon his throne, the Tsarina still standing. He has next to kneel and repeat a special prayer; and then he stands erect and crownless while the whole congregation kneels and prays for his welfare. . . ."
LONDON, ENGLAND — PALL MALL GAZETTE — May 19, 1896
THE TSAR'S CORONATION.
THE CEREMONY OF NEXT TUESDAY.
The solemn fasting and prayer in which the Tsar and Tsarina spend the three days before their coronation are eminently characteristic of the conscientiousness of Russian religious feeling. But they also have the effect of heightening by contrast the splendour of the fourth morning's ceremonies.
Overnight every one of the three hundred churches, chapels, and monasteries of Moscow has been the scene of a religious service; but on the coronation morning Uspenski Sobor, the Cathedral of the Assumption, absorbs the whole of Moscow's interest. Unfortunately, this chapel, of which a plan is appended, will only accommodate a very limited number of people, the width of it being only thirty yards, and its length not forty; and the space is further curtailed by the construction of a large crimson-cloth-covered platform, which occupies all the quadrangular area between the four main pillars.
The sanctuary at the east end is shut off by the iconostasis, a wall covered with gorgeous ecclesiastical paintings and repousse work in beaten gold; to the altar and the relics, including a portrait of the Virgin attributed to St. Luke, a tunic of the Saviour presented in 1626 by the Persian Ambassador, and a nail of the Cross, no woman may approach.
So small, in fact, is the standing room (sitting is not permitted in a Russian church) that the Diplomatic Corps may not bring any members of their staffs, and that the people who are crowded between the lines of the pillars and the side walls number only 500 in all.
For the few present the spectacle is a magnificent one. Within a church, adorned with frescoes, gold, and precious stones of more than even the usual Greek splendour, is gathered a gorgeous crowd of Royal personages, nobles, diplomats, ladies attired in the old Russian headgear, etc.; three hundred clergy of all grades stand by the iconostasis; the sword and flag of State, guarded by four officers, are placed on either side of the altar step, while the great bell of Ivan Veliki clangs out from time to time overhead.
The ceremony begins with the blessing of the crown, sceptre, sword, and globe of the Empire by the chief Metropolitan; and then a short speech of welcome is made to the Imperial pair. The cross and holy water are presented to them, and then they both bow thrice to the altar, kiss the sacred images, and ascend the dais. The nobles lay their drawn swords at the Tsar's feet in token of homage.
Then the Tsar is called upon to read aloud the Lord's Prayer and the Orthodox creed, which of course differs from that of Western Christianity in the omission of the filioque clause. No other declaration is required of the Tsar; he is responsible to Heaven alone. The Metropolitan then turns to the congregation, saying:—
"If there be any of you here present knowing any impediment for which Nicholas, son of Alexander, should not be crowned by the grace of God Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias, of Moscow, of Kieff, of Vladimir, of Novgorod, Emperor of Kazan, of Astrakhan, of Poland, of Siberia, of Kherson Taurida, of Grousi; Gosondar of Pskoff; Grand Duke of Smolensk, of Lithuania, of Volhynia, of Podolia, and of Finland; Prince of Estonia, of Livonia, of Courtland, of Semigalia, of the Samoyedes, of Bielostok, of Corelia, of Foer, of Ingor, of Perm, of Viatka, of Bulgaria, and of other countries; Master and Grand Duke of the Lower Countries in Novgorod, of Tschernigoff, of Kazan, of Polotsk, of Rostoff, of Jaroslaff, of Bielosersk, of Oudork, of Obdorsk, of Rondisk, of Vitebsk, of Ustiloff, and of all the countries of the North; Master Absolute of Iversk, of Kactalnisk, of Kabardinsk, and of the Territory of Armenia; Sovereign of Mountain Princes of Tscherkask; Master of Turkestan; Heir Presumptive of Norway and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, of Stormarne, of BIthmarse, and of Oldenburg, let him come forward now, in the name of the Holy Trinity, and show what the impediment is, or let him remain dumb for ever!"
Three times is this repeated, and, no one coming forward, the Imperial mantle of cloth of gold, bordered with ermine, is then placed upon the Tsar's shoulders, while a prelate says, "Cover and protect thy people as this robe covers and protects thee." "I will, I will, God helping," says the Tsar; and then he places the crown upon his own head, in true autocratic fashion. It is of gold, richly studded with pearls and diamonds, and surmounted by a splendid ruby, once the companion of the Koh-i-noor, from the eye of a golden idol at Delhi.
The Tsar takes his sceptre in his right hand and his orb in his left, and sits upon his throne, the Tsarina still standing. He has next to kneel and repeat a special prayer; and then he stands erect and crownless while the whole congregation kneels and prays for his welfare.
With a short address to the Tsar, the Te Deum and the bells and cannon which signalize all the most vital moments of the ceremony, and the return of their swords to the nobles ("It is thy country's," says the Tsar to each one; "and my Emperor's," replies the noble), the first part of the ceremony concludes, and the celebration of Mass succeeds.
In crowning the Tsarina, the Tsar first removes his own crown and touches her upon the forehead as she kneels before him, and then places her own crown upon her head; after which she is solemnly robed.
The final ceremony is the anointing of the Tsar. A prelate sprinkles his forehead, eyelids, nostrils, lips, ears, breast, and hands with holy oil from a golden twig, and another prelate wipes the anointed spots. The Tsarina is only sprinkled upon the forehead. Then the Tsar partakes of the Communion alone in the sanctuary, whither the Tsarina may not follow him, and afterwards returns with her to the dais.
With the kissing of the Cross the coronation service is at end, and the Tsar and his consort leave the church amid a further clamour of cannon, bells, and shouts of acclamation.
Next: May 21, 1896 - The Tsar's Entry Into Moscow
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