Coronation dresses of Russian empresses. Ceremonial vestments of Russian emperors and empresses
Coronation dresses. Most of this article is devoted to the Russian empresses. Well, not exactly to them, but to their magnificent dresses made of precious fabrics, embroidered with silver threads and decorated with lace. Stop! Here, the lace on the coronation dresses has not been preserved, or almost not preserved. In any case, these beautiful vestments are much more beautiful and interesting than the current examples of "Haute couture", not to mention the "Casual".
Coronation dresses in the State Armory of the Kremlin
Imperial vestments are stored in the Armory, because originally it was a workshop where precious items of the sovereign's household were made and stored.
Coronation celebrations have always taken place in Moscow, which is why the tradition was born here to transfer the coronation robes of emperors to the collection of the Armory.
In total, there are five such collections in the world, the Moscow collection is not the largest among them. The most representative selection of imperial costumes is presented in Sweden. There are similar meetings in London, in the Tower of London. In Vienna, in the Hofburg Palace, you can see the coronation costumes of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. Another collection exists in Denmark.
The Armory has 17 costumes, 10 of them are for ladies. The uniqueness of the Moscow collection lies in the fact that it is quite complete and allows you to trace the change of traditions and fashion.
The exhibition, in addition to coronation dresses, presents the wardrobe of Peter II, one wedding dress and two masquerade costumes. In addition, many clothes of Russian emperors are stored in the funds of the Armory.
Coronation of Catherine I. Coronation dresses
The first coronation of an empress in the history of Russia took place in May 1724. It was from this date that the tradition was born to transfer ceremonial vestments to the Armory. Peter decided to crown his second wife, Catherine I. He himself was not crowned as emperor. Undoubtedly, preparations were made ahead of time for the coronation ceremony. Peter, traveling around Europe, observed and studied the traditions of the coronation of European monarchs.
Especially for this event, in November 1723, Peter issued the highest manifesto on the coronation of his wife.
Marta Skavronskaya
The future Russian Empress Marta Skavronskaya was born in 1684. In 1708 she converted to Orthodoxy with the name Catherine, and in 1712 she became the wife of Peter. Despite her low origin, she took a fairly strong position at court due to her intelligence, tact and cheerful disposition. The coronation was necessary for many reasons. Thus, the prestige of the Russian court increased, because in Europe the ignoble origin of the wife of the Russian Tsar was not a secret. Peter thought about the future of his daughters Elizabeth and Anna. To give daughters the title of princess, both parents must be emperors.
The form for the imperial crown was chosen similarly to those with which European sovereigns were crowned. Two hemispheres mean church authority, they are similar to the miter of church hierarchs. The raised band between the two hemispheres means secular power, which rises above the spiritual and governs the state.
Coronation dress I. (Coronation in 1724). coronation dresses
The dress for the Empress was ordered in Berlin. Berlin at that time was the European center of embroidery. The dress was embroidered with silver thread using various techniques.
They brought to Russia not a finished dress, but a “cartridge”. "Cartridge" is a pattern of clothes, fastened with seams in only a few places. Usually men's clothes were brought in the form of "cartridges". Apparently, in Berlin they were very afraid not to guess the size of the suit, so they decided to play it safe and not fasten the clothes with seams so that they could fit it to the figure. 
Catherine's dress was brought three days before the coronation and completed in a hurry. Indeed, German dressmakers greatly exaggerated the size of the Russian Empress, the skirt was too wide. The Russian court seamstresses were in such a hurry that the fold behind the skirt was done very carelessly. As a result, the pockets were so displaced that they could not be used. And the pockets in the ladies' closet were very necessary and functional.
Roba - this is how a foreign envoy at the Russian court called the empress' outfit. “She was wearing a magnificent crimson robe embroidered with silver thread,” he wrote in a report.
The whole costume consists of several parts - the bodice, skirt and train are separate parts of the costume. The folds along the bottom of the bodice are called "piccadils" - they were invented by tailors in order to hide the connection of the skirt and bodice. The bodice is stiff, all quilted with whalebone. The waist circumference of the Empress is 97 cm.
Parts of an 18th century woman's dress
The myth that a corset could double the waist is not true. In fact, the maximum that you can pull yourself up to is 5-6 cm. Girls were taught to wear corsets from childhood. It was very difficult to breathe in them, hard corsets squeezed my lungs and did not allow me to breathe deeply. Due to the stagnation of air in the lungs (actually due to corsets), ladies often got sick and died from tuberculosis.
The tablet is a front, triangular plate - an overlay on the bodice. It was made separately, at that time this detail was very fashionable.
The lace trim on the dress has not been preserved. Lace trimmed the neckline and short sleeves. They were so expensive that they were most likely torn off to be reused in other toilets, because the coronation dress was worn only once in a lifetime.
The lower part of the dress is called "pannier" - in French, literally "basket". The shape of the skirt was kept with the help of numerous petticoats that have not survived to this day. The current shape of the skirt is the result of the work of restorers.
Embroidery on dresses. coronation dresses
The embroidery technique on the skirt is attached. Sketched on the fabric. This sketch was sheathed with threads and only embroidered on top with silver thread. The appliqué technique was also used - false embroidered crowns. They do not correspond to the shape of a real crown. Its form was kept in the strictest confidence, the craftswomen did not know what the crown would be and embroidered it in accordance with their imagination. The tablet is embroidered with the most difficult technique - on a substrate or a card.
Cotton wool or fabric was placed under the embroidery pattern, and embroidered with silver on top. This type of embroidery was done by men. The craft of an embroiderer was very much appreciated in Europe, it was prestigious and men did not disdain them.
The dress is not very long. The length of the skirt was made in such a way that when walking, a leg in a shoe with a beautiful crimson ribbon-bow tied around the ankle would be shown.
Coronation mantle of Russian empresses. coronation dresses
During the coronation, Catherine was wearing a mantle over the dress, but it has not been preserved. The collection of the Armory Chamber includes a late ermine mantle of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas II.
The ends of the mantle were fastened with a diamond buckle. It's called an agraph. A real detective story is connected with the agraph made for the coronation of Catherine I.
There were very few good jewelers at that time. One of them, named Rokentin, assumed that he would receive a coronation order from the king. Roquentin made an excellent graph. But the master himself liked the work so much that he did not want to part with it. He persuaded dashing people and staged an attack and theft, even asked to leave bruises and abrasions on his body. Agraf hid. Peter made an investigation and discovered the deception. At that time, Rokentin was not punished very severely: he was not executed, but simply exiled to Siberia.
Masquerade costume of Catherine I. Coronation dresses
In 1723, a public masquerade was held in Moscow in honor of the anniversary of the Treaty of Nystadt. He passed on Maslenitsa, lasted several days. Many courtiers dressed in Russian costumes, among the masks there were even characters from the Most Joking and Most Drunk Cathedral.
Catherine dressed in an Amazon costume. Accompanying Peter in many military companies, she undoubtedly had the right to do so. Her travesty from the point of view of the fashion of the XVIII century is a man's suit, even despite the skirt. The image was completed by a hat and a sword on the side. Camisoles, similar to the top of the attire, were worn by men throughout Europe. This fancy dress is made in Moscow. They say that it was altered from a tablecloth, because good fabrics were very expensive. The costume was decorated with an ostrich feather, which was borrowed from the Holstein ambassador, but not returned. Diplomatic correspondence has been preserved, in which the envoy insistently asks to return the pen to him.
In 1728 took place coronation of the 12-year-old emperor, who entered the history of Russia under the name of Peter II.
Coronation costume of Peter II . coronation dresses
His coronation costume was made of glazete, an expensive and heavy brocade fabric. This camisole is NOT presented in the main exhibition, it is in the funds. The young sovereign died in January 1730, before he even reached the age of 15. They suspect. that Peter II died of smallpox.
The Armory houses his entire wardrobe. The lad grew very quickly and grew out of his clothes, barely having time to put them on.
The showcase displays almost the entire wardrobe of a Russian nobleman in the first half of the 18th century. The most interesting men's dressing gown. It is called a dressing gown, it was sewn from patterned French silk.
Wardrobe of Emperor Peter II At that time there was a special fashion to drink coffee in the morning in a dressing gown.
There are also ceremonial men's camisoles made for Peter II. France, where these outfits were sewn, formed the standard of men's fashion for the whole of Europe. The fashion for such camisoles lasted almost 100 years until the end of the 18th century. Men's camisoles were sewn from bright fabrics, their color even rivaled women's dresses.
Fan
In the 18th century, there was a special language of gestures and accessories. For example, with the help of a fan, one could explain himself without saying a word. There was a special sign language and noble maidens were taught it. By opening and closing the fan, it was possible to conduct a dialogue with the gentleman. An open fan with a mask in the collection of the Armory means: “The lady’s heart is busy”, the gentleman should only rely on friendly relations.
Moreover, all gestures must be very fast so that others do not notice what signs the lady gives to the gentleman.
Coronation of Anna Ioannovna
Coronation of Anna Ioannovna took place in April 1730, two months after her arrival in Russia from Courland. (A fragment of the fan can be seen in the picture below).
Coronation dress of Anna Ioannovna. coronation dresses
sewn in Russia from Lyon brocade. He was sewn by his tailor, whom Anna brought with her.
The tablet on her dress is not very prominent, this detail is starting to go out of fashion as well as embroidery. Initially, the dress was a very beautiful pink-terracotta color. But the dye turned out to be unstable and the dress faded over time. The train is unusual, triangular in shape. The lace trim on the neckline and sleeves has not been preserved.
Next to exhibited
Coronation dress of Elizabeth Petrovna. coronation dresses
This dress is the only thing reminiscent of the events of the winter of 1741, because the crown of Elizabeth Petrovna has not survived to this day. The dress was made in Russia from Russian brocade. Elizaveta Petrovna specifically decided to wear a dress made of domestic precious fabric in order to support Russian industrialists. The empress also ordered her court ladies to appear at the coronation in dresses made from domestic fabrics. 
After the coronation, the dress could be viewed in the Faceted Chamber. During the time that the imperial robe was presented there, 37 thousand people watched it. People of all classes were allowed to view, except for the meanest, that is, serfs.
Skirt design. coronation dresses
The dress is made of brocade fabric called “eyelet”. By the beginning of the 40s, ladies' fashion had changed and the skirt became prohibitively wide. This is a manifestation of the Rococo style that prevailed at that time. The width of the fizhm corresponded to the court rank. The Empress personally made sure that none of the ladies of the court put on tanks wider than they were supposed to. Wearing such wide skirts was extremely uncomfortable. It was impossible to get into a carriage in them, and in the palaces the doorways had to be specially widened. It was impossible even to sit down in them, so the ladies simply lay down on the floor to rest, and a special maid of honor, standing at the door, guarded their peace. Corsets were made from different materials - metal, wicker. The most expensive corsets were made from whalebone.
They even came up with special levers that regulated the width of the skirt. If the ladies found out that the empress herself would be present at the ball, they could lower the fizma with a lever and reduce the width of the skirt.
Officially, Elizaveta Petrovna was not married and already in 1744 she invited her nephew, the son of Anna's sister, to the court. Soon the bride of the heir, Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst, also arrived in St. Petersburg. In 1745, their wedding took place in the Winter Palace.
Wedding dress of the future Empress Catherine II. coronation dresses
sewn from silver brocade. Silver darkens strongly over the years, and the new brocade looks very impressive, shimmering with reflections of candlelight, glare of sunlight. It seemed that such dresses were forged from silver, and not sewn with needles and threads. The dress was embroidered with silver thread. The embroidery stitches are placed at different angles, and when moving, the dress shone like diamonds.
The wedding dress of Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst is in very poor condition. Brocade is woven on a silk basis, with a silver weft. The silk threads broke in many places and the silver threads sagged.
Sovereign Pavel Petrovich transferred the dress to the collection of the Armory for an unknown reason, since it was originally stored in the capital. The dress was torn open, the restorers sewed it again.
In 1762, the coronation of Catherine II took place.
Coronation dress of Catherine II. coronation dresses
also presented in the Armory. It is distinguished by oval figs. In addition, this dress is the only one on which lace has been preserved. The dress is decorated with double-headed eagles, there are about 300 of them all over the field.
Apparently, in such a visible way, Catherine wanted to emphasize the legitimacy of her accession to the throne.
The empress was distinguished by a very thin waist for her 33 years old, with a circumference of only 62 cm. In this dress, the tailors used a new constructive detail - the so-called schnig. It is assumed that he was supposed to visually make the stomach flatter.
Coronations of the imperial couple. Male coronation suit. coronation dresses
After the death of Catherine II, for the first time in the history of the Russian Empire, the imperial couple, Emperor and Empress, Paul I and his wife were crowned. In this ceremony, much was borrowed from the ceremony of 1724. First, the crown was placed on the emperor, then, turning to the kneeling empress (just like Catherine I before Peter), Paul touched her with his crown and then placed the small imperial crown on the head of his wife. Unlike the large imperial crown, which was the property of the state, the small crown became the property of the empress. Her Majesty could dispose of the small crown at will, even remake it into other jewels.
From the beginning of the 19th century, emperors began to be crowned in military uniform. It was either a guards general's uniform or the uniform of a general of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In the funds of the Armory, 7 sets of coronation military uniforms have been preserved. 
Coronation dress of Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I. Coronation dresses
The dress is made in a transitional style from Empire to historicism.
There is a special ruffle at the bottom of the dress to make the bottom of the dress heavier and keep the shape of the bell. The dress is embroidered with colored glass plates to make it shine and shimmer.
In the middle of the century, they began to wear the so-called Frenchized sundress. It was the order of Emperor Nicholas I to court ladies to wear Russian dress.
Gloves were an indispensable addition to the costume. They were changed very often, each courtier had a lot of gloves. They did not serve long, quickly stretched, lost their shape. And the shape of the gloves was carefully monitored, they had to fit the hand like a second skin, so the expression “change like gloves” is quite appropriate. They sewed gloves made of elk skin or silk.
Coronation dress of Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II. coronation dresses
is the aforementioned Frenchized sundress. Stylistically, this dress can be attributed to the national revival or “Russian style”. They sewed it in Petersburg. For the first time, sleeves appeared on the coronation dress. The wide placket was not preserved, which was sewn in front of the dress and made it look like a sundress. The plank was adorned with diamonds, diamonds and other precious stones, so it was torn off. A kokoshnik, also adorned with diamonds, was attached to the costume.
Last coronation
G ornostae mantle, presented in the Armory, belonged to Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas II. All 14 coronation robes have been preserved in the funds of the Kremlin museums. The mantle of Alexandra Feodorovna is made of 800 ermine skins, they were bought from Siberian merchants.
The last coronation took place in May 1896.. Emperor Nicholas II was crowned with his wife Alexandra Feodorovna. Nicholas was dressed in the uniform of a Colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. He was not a general, which is why he was embarrassed to put on a general's uniform.
Coronation robe of Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas II. coronation dresses
The dress of Alexandra Feodorovna was sewn in St. Petersburg, in the workshop of Olga Bulbennikova.
"Madame Olga" - so in the French manner her studio was called. Embroidered dress in Moscow, the nuns of the Ivanovo monastery. Coronation shoes are made of silver brocade.
Carnival costume of Nicholas II
Carnival costume of Nicholas II. The initiator of the carnival of 1903, which took place in the capital, was Alexandra Fedorovna. She really liked the traditional Russian costume. This carnival was held under the sign of the 17th century, the time of Alexei Mikhailovich. All those present were dressed in Russian dress, corresponding to the era. 
The costume of Nicholas II was sewn in the theater workshops of St. Petersburg. The emperor's travesty was handed over to the Armory because it is decorated with genuine 17th-century cufflinks and buckles. To decorate the carnival costume, 25 pieces of antique jewelry were transferred from the Armory to St. Petersburg. The costume used 16 parts and, after the carnival, they were not torn off, but simply sent back a part of the costume.
Alexandra Feodorovna's expenses
Five tailors are mentioned in the List of the reigning Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. In 1902, a certain Morin-Blossier became Alexandra Feodorovna's first "own" St. Petersburg dressmaker. In 1907, the ladies' tailor Mikhailov added to the personal list of the Empress. It is noteworthy that some of the tailors of the two empresses "intersected". So, Pavel Kitaev, who “automatically” inherited the title of court supplier from his teacher Ilya Krylov (supplier since 1878), simultaneously entered the Lists of both empresses in 1903. His workshop was located on Nevsky Prospekt, 68/40, near Anichkov Bridge .
In May 1896, the coronation of Nicholas II took place in Moscow. In the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, three thrones were installed on the platform. Two of them were intended for the dowager and the current empresses. For them, an important part of the preparation of celebrations was the sewing of ceremonial dresses for the coronation ceremony. The entourage of the empresses jealously followed the preparation of the solemn robes of the empresses.
The dress of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna cost 4040 rubles. This amount included the purchase of material from the "silver edge" made at the weaving factory of the suppliers of the Imperial Court of the Sapozhnikovs (855 rubles). The main amount was paid for the artistic embroidery of this fabric, made in the workshop of Mrs. Zaleman (3000 rubles). Sewing the dress itself became the cheapest item in the total cost of dresses (185 rubles). The dress was sewn by "craftswoman Ivanova".
The coronation dress of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna cost 5857 rubles. It is noteworthy that the sketches of the coronation dress for the Empress were prepared by both recognized fashion designers and amateurs. The maid of honor M.N. was responsible for this “site of work”. Yermolov, she presented Alexandra Fedorovna with a choice of four designs for drawing a dress. Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna chose the design of the maid of honor Yermolova herself, based on those gleaned from the ancient sacristy of the Novospassky Moscow Monastery. The maid of honor-amateur for a successful sketch was paid 300 rubles. The final drawing of the sketch, sewing on paper and fabric was done by Mrs. (Ms.) Teyhart (200 rubles). The material was bought at the Moscow factory of the Sapozhnikovs (747 rubles). By tradition, the fabric was with a "silver edge" and very heavy. Taking into account the fact that the coronation ceremony was very long in the overcrowded Assumption Cathedral, and Alexandra Feodorovna's legs hurt, the factory owners Sapozhnikovs were given the task of making a special "lightweight" fabric. They successfully coped with the task, but it cost the customers money. The fabric was embroidered by the nuns of the Ivanovo Monastery in Moscow (4,000 rubles). The dress was sewn by the most famous craftswoman, specializing in ceremonial dresses, Ms. Bulbenkova (M-me Olga firm). Sewing cost 610 rubles. After the coronation, the uniform of Nicholas II and the dress of Alexandra Feodorovna were handed over to the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin.
Over time, the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna developed a circle of fashion designers who sewed on her. Of these, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna preferred things "from Brizak." The fashion house, founded by the French citizen Brizak, also appeared in the Lists of both empresses. In 1914, René Brizak became the head of the Trading House, confirming the title of court supplier.
The name of Albert Brizak, or, as he was called in Russia, August Lazarevich, was widely known in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In his memoirs, the last owner of the company, Rene Brizak, mentions that he was born in 1885 in St. Petersburg. A few years earlier, his "grandparents had founded a large fashion house in this city." By 1885, Rene's parents, Albert Brizak and his wife, were already at the helm of the company. Already in the 1880s. Among the clients of the Albert Brizak Trading House were “Her Imperial Majesty Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Tsar Alexander III, and the entire imperial family. Later, Her Imperial Majesty Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Tsar Nicholas II, as well as their four daughters, the Grand Duchesses: Maria, Olga, Tatiana and Anastasia became a client of the House ... All clothes, from the sailors worn by the little Grand Duchesses, to dresses and mantles , which they wore as young girls, were issued by the House of A. Brizak.
It should be noted that not only Albert Brizak performed the duties of the chief fashion designer of the company. Judging by the memoirs of A.A. Vyrubova, his wife also worked actively in the family firm. Moreover, Vyrubova directly mentioned that the dressmaker of the female half of the family of Nicholas II was precisely “M-me Brizaak”. A talented fashion designer created such styles that later gave memoirists reason to mention that the female half of the family of Nicholas II dressed simply, but with taste. René Brisac also writes that "the Empress loved my mother very much, she treated her with great confidence and often consulted with her regarding her children."
/.../ Empress Alexandra Feodorovna closely followed the appearance of her daughters, and the same tailors sewed their costumes as the Empress herself. As a rule, the costumes were ordered in the same cut for all four daughters. Or two pairs of costumes for the "senior" - Olga and Tatyana, and two identical ones for the "younger" ones - Maria and Anastasia. The girls reacted differently to the endless fittings. For example, Grand Duchess Tatyana was very fond of dresses, and any dress, even the simplest, looked great on her.
If you look at the accounts of the Empress for only one year (1914), then according to the accounts of “V. Brisac, who sewed “for girls”, paid very decent sums.
When ordering each new dress, Alexandra Fedorovna was really always interested in its price and complained about the high cost. This was not petty, it was a habit absorbed from the time of a poor childhood and enshrined in the English puritan court of Queen Victoria. The closest friend of the Empress wrote that “raised in a small court, the Empress knew the value of money and therefore was thrifty. Dresses and shoes passed from the older grand duchesses to the younger ones. Surprisingly, the royal daughters literally wore out clothes one after another. This memoir evidence is also confirmed by invoices to tailor-suppliers who altered children's clothes. /.../
Among the personnel who served the Russian emperors, there are also very narrow specialists. Thus, since 1881, two Russian emperors - Alexander III and Nicholas II - had their shirts washed and "repaired" by a certain Clara G. Koiffevre. She also embroidered monograms on shirts and washed the royal socks. On occasion, the venerable Clara also took care of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna's nightgowns. The royal family was really economical, since not only collars, but also sleeves were “repaired” on shirts.
It should be noted that the prices for these works were very high. So, only in May 1903, the laundress earned 104 rubles “on socks”. 40 kop. In June, everything was more modest: the sleeves of 8 shirts (8 rubles) were resewn; darned 4 shirts (6 rubles); redesigned 8 pairs of shirt sleeves (8 rubles); 8 shirts (2 rubles 80 kopecks) and 4 pairs of black suspenders (7 rubles) were washed; transportation of shirts to Peterhof (3 rubles). Hats and gloves were also purchased from suppliers of the Imperial Court. For Nicholas II, during 1903, gloves were ordered several times "from Morrison" for a total of 222 rubles. 30 kop. (53 rubles 35 kopecks; 111 rubles 75 kopecks; 107 rubles 20 kopecks). The supplier of the Imperial Court since 1872, Fabrizio Bruno (the Bruno Brothers firm), earned in 1903 only 36 rubles on royal orders, selling a silk top hat for 16 rubles. and a soft hat for 12 rubles, taking 8 rubles. for delivery. http://www.litmir.co/br/?b=202859&p=17B
Nicholas II was impressed by his wife's weakness for jewelry. The Empress knew how to impress, appearing at official exits studded with diamonds. Since the royal spouses were few places, leading a secluded life, having moved to live in the Alexander Palace of Tsarskoye Selo, the empress used her jewelry collection to appear daily at dinner (at 8 pm) “in an open dress and diamonds
The tradition of “putting on diamonds” for dinner was preserved regardless of where the imperial couple was, in their permanent residence or on vacation, on the imperial yacht Shtandart. On the yacht, as in the palace, dinner began at 8 pm. By dinner, all those invited changed their clothes, and after everyone gathered in the large dining room of the yacht, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna came out. Unlike Nicholas II, who in everyday life was quite democratic, of course, not for a second forgetting that he was the emperor and dozens of eyes were constantly fixed on him, Alexandra Feodorovna always demonstrated that she empress and she is came out“in the mass of precious stones, and this assortment changed every day; if the empress was wearing diamonds, then they were on her head, in a diadem, and on her hands, in bracelets and various brooches. If these were emeralds, then everything consisted of them, as with sapphires and rubies.
S.K. Buksgevden emphasized that Alexandra Fedorovna "never devastated the State Treasury with immoderate spending and the purchase of expensive jewelry." The most favorite stones of the Empress, in her opinion, were relatively inexpensive amethyst and aquamarine. But at the same time, Alexandra Feodorovna constantly wore very expensive pearls and in various combinations, Lily Den, who was part of the "inner circle" of Alexandra Feodorovna in the last years before the revolution, testified that “She really loved rings and bracelets and always wore a ring with a large pearl, as well as a cross studded with precious stones (apparently, sapphires The officer of the Shtandart yacht mentions that “usually the empress wore, in addition to a wedding ring, only one huge pearl and an emerald , rather unimportant, but probably expensive for some memory.
In the jewelry collection of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, along with items of colossal value, there were rather cheap gizmos, dear to members of the imperial family not for their cost, but for the memories associated with them. For example, in the summer season of 1909, the officers of the imperial yacht Shtandart “took up the custom of bringing small gifts to the princesses on the day of the angel and their birthday, and this year Tatyana Nikolaevna received the first brooch, which depicted a lifebuoy made of white enamel, with a wind vane. The Grand Duchess was very proud that she was the first to receive this trifle, and not any jewel from Faberge. The memoirist especially emphasizes that the trinket was ordered by the officers not from the officially familiar Faberge, but from the “ordinary” St. Petersburg jeweler Kortman. Judging by the date, they were gifts for Christmas. If we look at the accounts of the Empress for 1914, we will also see three solid bills from Carl Faberge's shop: August 17 - for 1245 rubles; August 22 - by 25,560 rubles and December 18 - by 1,845 rubles.
One of the key moments at the royal courts at all times was considered the coronation. The person preparing to enter the throne was to appear in all her splendor and grandeur. This review presents the luxurious coronation dresses of Russian empresses.
The first Russian empress to ascend the throne and rule independently was Catherine I. Her coronation took place on May 7, 1724. Since the second wife of Peter I was not of noble birth, the emperor wished to crown her, taking care of the future of his daughters (they received the title of crown prince only if both parents were crowned).
The coronation dress of Catherine I is made of red silk, decorated with silver embroidery. The dress was ordered in Berlin. Not a ready-made outfit was brought to Russia, but a “cartridge”, that is, fastened with only a few seams. The tailors were afraid not to guess the size of the Empress. As a result, the dress turned out to be too wide, and three days before the coronation, Russian seamstresses hastily adjusted it to the figure of Catherine. As a result, folds formed on the back of the skirt, and the pockets shifted.
One of the foreign ambassadors described the empress' dress as "a magnificent crimson robe embroidered with silver thread." The skirt was made so long that a shoe with a crimson ribbon peeked out when walking.
Portrait of Anna Ivanovna.
Anna Ivanovna's coronation took place two months after her arrival in Russia from Courland on April 28, 1730. The dress was made from Lyon brocade in Russia, but by a German tailor. If you compare the photo and the portrait, then the different finishes of the dress immediately catches your eye. Most likely this is due to the fact that the outfit was changed several times in accordance with the trends of the then fashion.
Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.
Elizabeth Petrovna's coronation dress is made of Russian fabric. The Empress also ordered all the courtiers to appear at the coronation in outfits made by domestic tailors. Elizabeth Petrovna's dress was made of silver brocade (eye). The width of the dress is fully consistent with the then rococo fashion. At that time, ladies could not even sit down in such dresses, so many of them, wanting to relax, lay down directly on the floor in their dresses (of course, not in the presence of the empress). Elizaveta Petrovna herself never went out in the same outfit twice. After her death, 15 thousand dresses remained.
Russian Empress Catherine II.
The coronation of Catherine II (born Sophia Augusta Frederick of Anhalt-Zerbst) took place in 1762. The dress of the empress was made of silver brocade, decorated with double-headed eagles. The outfit of Catherine the Great is the only one on which lace has been preserved. The waist of the Empress, unlike her predecessors, was narrow - only 62 cm.
Our online environment- Until the end of the 18th century, there were no significant changes in fashion, and only starting from the 70s, under the influence of innovations in Western fashions, did the Russian noble costume also undergo strong changes. Fashions were distributed not so much by means of fashion magazines, which were published irregularly, but by ready-made outfits ordered from Paris and London. Among the Russian nobility, not only gallomania flourished - imitation of French fashions and etiquette, passion for the French language - in the last quarter of the century, Anglomania also begins.
Under Catherine II, in the 70-90s of the XVIII century, the costume of the capital's nobility reached extraordinary splendor. One of the nobles of the XVIII century, Prince Kurakin (Russian ambassador to France), was even called the "diamond prince" for the abundance of jewelry that adorned his costume. An example of wastefulness was given by the numerous favorites of the queen - Potemkin, Orlovs and others.
The petty nobility followed the capital, but, of course, they dressed with some lagging behind fashion. In Moscow, they also followed fashion less strictly than in St. Petersburg. Some simplifications of the silhouette and form of clothing occur in the last years of the 18th century. The caftan narrows and acquires a stand-up collar and sloping floors, and is sometimes replaced by a tailcoat. True, tailcoats of this time are sewn not only from cloth, but also from velvet and heavy silk.
In the wardrobe of the Empress there were “uniform dresses”, in which she received officers of the guard regiments on holidays. These costumes combined the forms of the dominant French fashion with elements of the old Russian costume. The Empress is depicted in a uniform dress in the form of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment.
At the end of the 18th century, the assortment of clothes of the nobility was enriched with clothes for their intended purpose. European fashion trends are reflected not only in formal dress. Even in the wardrobe of Peter I, dressing gowns, dressing gowns, occupied a special place. Known for his eccentricities, Prokofy Demidov, a representative of the dynasty of the richest Ural industrialists, is depicted in the portrait in a home suit, or as he was called in the French manner - “neglizhe”. He is wearing a terracotta dressing gown over a waistcoat that is not fastened with all the buttons, and comfortable slippers. His exotic look is completed by a green nightcap on his head.
Women's costume was decorated with all sorts of lace. Along with those imported from the West, Russian-made lace was used, which was made in large quantities in monasteries. The assortment of braided lace was very rich: “blonde” lace, silver with white silk, gold, decorated with glass beads, just white were supplied to the court. Glafira Alymova, a graduate of the Smolny Institute, who enjoyed the special patronage of Catherine II, is dressed in a luxurious satin dress richly decorated with lace.
During the 18th century, men's costume underwent changes only in details, becoming lighter and more elegant by the middle of the century. At the beginning of Catherine's reign, caftans (justocors), camisoles (vests) and trousers (culottes) were still worn. The suit worn by the first director of the Academy of Arts A.F. Kokorinov, was sewn specifically on the occasion of his assumption of office. A knee-length white groudetur caftan with sable trim is worn over a satin camisole with gold embroidery. It took the architect a year's salary to make this luxurious toilet.
The 18th century was characterized by the convergence of the external features of a man and a woman, their pampered, even puppet-like appearance, and disregard for age-related features. Young and old wore the same costumes, used the same decorative cosmetics. Alexei Bobrinsky, illegitimate son of Count G.G. Orlov and Empress Catherine II, dressed in a camisole and green cloth caftan with narrow sleeves and wide cuffs. The costume is decorated with a decorative ornament embroidered with silver thread.
Five granddaughters of Empress Catherine II dressed according to the latest fashion of their time, and the crowned grandmother paid great attention to their upbringing. At the end of her reign, the color scheme of the women's costume becomes light, soft, slightly saturated: pink, blue, salad, lemon, mother-of-pearl brown and gray in all shades. Monochromatic fabrics prevail over patterned ones.
The type of women's ceremonial dress, consisting of a tight bodice with a neckline, has been preserved for almost the entire century. The ornamentation of fabrics was dominated by floral patterns, depicted naturalistically, in perspective. Lilacs, jasmine, branches of blossoming apple trees, cherries, wild flowers were naturally placed over the entire surface of the fabric, intertwining with the winding lines of ribbons, lace, and stripes. The wife of Admiral Samuil Greig in the portrait is dressed in an elegant dress made of silver herbal damask, decorated with lace cuffs. In the 1770s complex structures on the head made of ribbons, flowers and feathers came into fashion. The hair above the forehead was combed smoothly, and divided into curls at the back. Hairpieces were used quite often.
The portrait depicts a young dandy, the younger brother of the favorite of Catherine II. In terms of cut and color, his suit corresponds to the uniform worn by the officers of the Potemkin army. However, the quality of the cloth and the elegance of tailoring testify to the far from ordinary position of the young man. His helmet is adorned with a rich ostrich feather crest and a gilded browband. On the baldric of the elk-leather is the gilded monogram of Catherine II. In the buttonhole - a badge of the Order of St. George IV degree, received for participation in the assault on Ishmael.
Empress Catherine II attempted to regulate the ceremonial court costume and give it a national character. On especially solemn occasions - the end of the war, a wedding, a new year - the ladies came to meetings at court in Russian dresses, and the empress herself often and willingly put on a similar costume, which resembled an old Russian dress and a traditional headdress - a kokoshnik. Costumes of this kind "according to the queen" became widespread in Europe.
Based on school-collection.edu.ru and marafon.piterart.ru
It has always been a mystery to me how women of the past could handle such a detail of a women's costume as a train? However, women then knew how to do a lot - and make hairstyles of extraordinary beauty, and wear dresses with corsets, and “play” with a fan at the right moments, and charm men only by showing a shoe from under a long dress, and a fly where to attach. Our time has simplified and simplified everything, which is why the fashion of the past seems so mysterious to us.
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Artist (?) Ceremonial portraits of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, late 19th century
The history of the plume does not know the exact date of its birth. Like many items of clothing and everyday life, it most likely came to us from the East, as evidenced by the images of women in long dresses with tails in old Japanese and Chinese engravings. In Europe, the honor of the invention of the train is attributed to the mistress of the King of France Charles VII Agnes Sorrel and it was in the 15th century. A favorite, adultery, a train... well, how can the churches of that time not combine all this together and not recognize the train as the tail of the devil. Dresses with a "devil's tail" were outlawed and ladies were forbidden to appear in them in church. But fashion is stronger than any prohibitions and the train is still victoriously marching around the planet, decorating the outfits of elegant ladies...
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Before the Coronation, old French engraving 1805
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Laurits Tuxen Anointing of Queen Alexandra at the coronation of Edward VII 1903
Due to its "courtly" origin, the train became an attribute of the outfits of royal ladies and ladies of high society. Especially often this accessory of the ladies' toilet can be seen in the coronation and wedding portraits of that time. Later, years later, in a slightly modified form, all other classes will also have it in their outfits, but still, initially it was the privilege of only higher ones. The length of the train was judged on the position of the lady in society. So for queens, the length of this piece of clothing could reach six to seven meters.
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Coronation dress of Catherine the Great, Russia, Moscow Kremlin Museum
The train came to Russia along with European fashion. Any coronation and court celebrations showed the world empresses and court ladies in dresses with "devil's tails". So the coronation dress of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna had a train 2.4 meters long. And Catherine II had it already 3.5 meters long. At the same time, it is worth considering that there was also a special coronation mantle, the "tail" of which was also far from small.
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Coronation dress of Catherine II, Russia, Moscow Kremlin Museum
So a fair question arises: how did the ladies wear such outfits? But it's easy, because. even the furniture was made adapted to this type of women's clothing. That very famous canape is a product of the fashion for outfits with trains. Of course, a certain training was needed in order not to get confused in your own "tail", but what can not be done for the sake of beauty! Of course, our Russian empresses were special fashionistas, whose outfits can now be seen in the Hermitage, the Kremlin and other museums.
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Ceremonial dress of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Paul I, 1820
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Makovsky V.E. Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Alexander III 1912
(State Russian Museum)
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Ceremonial dress of Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Alexander III
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Ceremonial dresses of Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Alexander III, 1880
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Makovsky K.E. Portrait of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna
(State Artistic and Architectural, Palace and Park Museum)
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Coronation dress of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, 1896
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Evening dress of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, N.P. Lamanova, 1906
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Evening dresses of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Auguste Brisac's Fashion House (Auguste Brisac "s), 1906
The outfits of court ladies were also strictly regulated. Women's court attire was a European open dress with a fluffy skirt, which since the time of Catherine II began to be "redrawn" into the Russian national style. The photographs below demonstrate these outfits: they were velvet neckline dresses with folding sleeves and a white embroidered insert on the corsage, a wide slit went from the waist, which opened the embroidered white skirt. The whole dress was decorated with rich embroidery, which had the same pattern as the court dress uniforms of men. Trains were also an indispensable attribute of ladies' outfits. In addition, there was a whole hierarchy of colors of dresses. So the ladies-in-waiting of the Empress had to be dressed in a crimson dress, and the ladies-in-waiting of the Grand Duchesses had dresses of light blue color.
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Russian court lady in full dress, 1900
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Court ladies - Elizabeth Tolstaya and Olga Naryshkina - in full dress, 1900
Russia did not lag behind the whole world with its quirks and court etiquette. Russia followed the Parisian, English and American fashion, in which trains, although they belonged to formal and festive dresses, were still quite common ... And they are still found. Fashion designers of our time cannot pass by such a luxurious detail of a ladies' toilet, and no, no, and they use the "devil's tail" in their design developments ...
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Typical ceremonial outfits-suits for special occasions (both in Russia and in England)
in the first photo - Princess Paley, in the second - Consuelo, Duchess of Marlborough
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Ball gown, France 1805
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Reception dress, France, 1809
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Bengali silk wedding dress, France, 1860
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Ceremonial dress, 1860
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Reception dress, France, Charles Frederick Worth Fashion House, 1896
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Ball gown, England, 1880
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Evening dress, USA, 1880
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Dinner dress, France, Charles Frederick Worth Fashion House, 1883
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Wedding dress, 1884
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Evening dress, 1888
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Ball gown, France, Fashion House of Charles Frederick Worth, 1900
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Ball gown, France, Fashion House of Charles Frederick Worth, 1905