Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich ruled the country for thirty-two years and died, “living the earthy tsardom” on 12 July 1645. Already the next day, his son of sixteen, Prince Alexey Mikhailovich was announced as the new monarch.
The coronation ceremony of Alexey Mikhailovich was held only after the mourning for the perished tsar and his wife, mother Eudokia Lukyanovna, who had died shortly after her husband, was over. The order of the ceremony practically repeated the one of his father.
Early in the morning, on 28 September 1645, the new tsar passed to the cathedral, followed by the chimes, and was crowned there. It was Patriarch Joseph, who held the ceremony again. The only difference was its greater splendour, since the royal treasury had not been devastated as it had been in 1613.
Addressing Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich, Patriarch Joseph called him the grandson of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, thus underlining the succession of the new dynasty of the Russian tsars from the previous one. Besides, he praised the father of Alexey Mikhailovich, saying that he had observed piety and faith, arranged his realm in peace, quietness, and welfare, managed to earn the respect and love of his subjects, established peaceful relations with neighbouring monarchs, and some of them even brought into subjection. He also said that he blessed Alexey Mikhailovich crowning him to rule over great and glorious states that had belonged to his ancestors, i.e. “of Vladimir, Muscovy, Novgorod and tsardoms of Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia”, and over the newly annexed lands. Then, he anointed Alexey Mikhailovich with the holy chrism “according to ancient royal order and heritage”. Laying crown and barmy on the sovereign, the patriarch wished him: “From You, great sovereign, from your royal beautiful blossoming root, the most wonderful branch to flourish into the hope and heritage of all great Russian tsardoms, from genus to genus, forever and ever”.
The state ideology of the 17th century inherited the idea, proclaimed during the rule of Grand Prince Ivan III, that Moscow sovereigns succeeded the power from Byzantine monarchs. The 'Byzantinism' tendency was reflected in different aspects of court life during the rule of the first tsars from the Romanov dynasty and found its real incorporation in new symbols of supremacy. There has survived the regalia of Alexey Mikhailovich that carry similar ideological message. These are the orb and barmy (regalia collar), created upon the tsar’s order in Istanbul between 1660 and 1662.
The order of this regalia had a significant meaning for Alexey Mikhailovich since he saw himself not only as a defender of the universal Orthodoxy, faith successor of Byzantine emperors but also as their political heir.
Portrait of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich
Unknown artist. Russia.
The portrait of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich reproduces the type of parsuna, which had already become archaic in the second half of the 18th century. An important novelty that made a secular portrait different from an icon was the masters’ desire to reflect the likeness that, despite smoothed features of Alexey Mikhailovich, transpire in this portrait.
Barmy (Regalia Collar) of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich
Istanbul, 1660–1662. Gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, fabric; chasing, enamel, carving.
Beyond debate is that this precious collar is a wonderful piece of jewellery art. It was created in Istanbul in 1660-1662 upon the order of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich. According to archive documents, the barmy were made on the pattern given to Ivan Yuriev from the prikaz (office) of the Golden Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin. Obviously, it was a drawing that first of all showed precisely the scene compositions which were aimed to decorate the medallions of the barmy.
The images on the barmy, made of transparent enamels, comply with the idea of glorification of the supreme power. Such wise, one of the medallions depicts the figure of biblical Tsar David, anointed to rule by Prophet Samuel. No less important are the images of Saints Constantine and Helen on the other medallion. Constantine the Great, the first Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, who had adopted Christianity, was always conceived as an ideal monarch. In eulogistic compositions, Alexey Mikhailovich was always likened to him.
Orb of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich
Istanbul, 1660–1662. Gold, diamonds, rubies, sapphires; casting, chasing, carving, enamel.
The orb or ‘apple’, as it was called in treasury inventories of the 17th century, was created together with the barmy upon the order of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich in Istanbul in 1660-1662. According to archive documents, the orb was produced after ‘a sample’, prepared in Kremlin workshops. The sample must have defined only its form, while the ornamental decoration was obviously accomplished after the design of its creators – it has oriental features and is close to the works of Istanbul masters.
Diamond throne
Iran, 1659. Gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fabric, wood; casting, chasing, carving, stamping, pictorial and decorative needlework, lacquer miniature on wood.
One of the most expensive thrones in the collection of the Armoury Chamber is a so-called Diamond Throne that was presented to Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich by the Armenian commercial company in Iran with a petition to trade without commission on the territory of Russia. The throne is made of sandalwood, coated with gold and silver plates. A fanciful floral ornament is chased on them. A carved stripe with a large design, depicting elephants’ procession with drivers sitting on them, borders the bottom of the throne. On the back of the throne in the cartouche with pearl frame, there is an embroidered inscription: “To the most powerful and invincible Emperor of Muscovy Alexey, ruling prosperously on the land, this throne, made with great art, to be the omen of future eternal bliss in heaven. The Year 1659 after Christ”.