Alexander Nevsky is a very bright historical figure who did a lot for the greatness of Russia. Having entered the principality at a rather difficult time, he managed not only to preserve the territories entrusted to him, but also to strengthen relations with the Golden Horde, and also to fight the crusaders on Lake Peipsi. All these facts are well known, but besides this, there are many secrets and mysteries around the prince canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church that disturb the minds of historians and archaeologists. Most of all, scientists are concerned about the helmet of Alexander Nevsky, which looks very unusual for Slavic culture. Although until now this item, stored in the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin, was considered a genuine element of the military uniforms of the Grand Duke, scientists have expressed several different versions of its origin. Today we will try to unravel the mystery that Alexander's helmet has kept for many centuries. Nevsky.
Helmet description
The helmet of Alexander Nevsky, whose photo can be seen on the pages of school history textbooks, has been kept in the Armory for many years. It is one of her most precious treasures. And it really does look very impressive. Approximately it dates from the thirteenth century, but it is known that in the seventeenth centuries the helmet underwent some alteration and received additional decorations.
Alexander Nevsky's helmet is made of reddish iron and has a semicircular shape. It is covered with gold and silver ornate ornaments, the entire circumference of the helmet is decorated with precious stones and pearls. A skilled court craftsman placed more than two hundred rubies, almost a hundred diamonds and ten emeralds on it. On the nose of the helmet there is a lacquer miniature depicting the Archangel Michael, and around the perimeter royal crowns and an Orthodox cross are engraved. But this is not what makes the museum exhibit so unique, the whole mystery lies in the inscription printed around the pointed top. Do you want to know what is written on the helmet of Alexander Nevsky? You will be very surprised, because the inscription is made in Arabic and contains a verse from the Koran. Why is there Arabic script on Alexander Nevsky's helmet? How could an Orthodox prince wear armor with inscriptions of the Gentiles? Let's try to reveal this secret a little.
What is written on Alexander Nevsky's helmet?
So what secret does thishistorical artifact? As we have already mentioned, scientists have studied the helmet of Alexander Nevsky for a very long time. Arabic inscriptions (we have included the photo in this article) were translated quite easily, and their coincidence with the Quran was known in ancient times. The following is written in a beautiful pattern on the helmet of the Russian prince: "Rejoice the faithful with the promise of God's help and speedy victory."
It is worth noting that this verse is very popular among Muslims. It is considered one of the main verses of the Quran. With what intent did the master put it on the helmet of the Russian prince? This is the secret we have yet to discover.
Mysteries of Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky is an extraordinary personality of his time. As the son of Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodich, he appears to posterity as a wise and far-sighted ruler who managed to establish relations with the Golden Horde and even influence its foreign policy.
Surprisingly, this strange friendship with the Tatars caused many questions even among the contemporaries of the prince. At one time there were even rumors that Alexander Nevsky was the son of Batu Khan. Most likely, this legend was born from the fact that the prince visited the Horde four times in his entire life and called Sartak, the son of Batu, his named brother. It is known that in the horde, Prince Alexander dreamed of creating a stronghold of a Christian state and even persuaded Sartak to accept Orthodoxy. This extraordinary influence and friendship between peoples could explain where the Arabic script on the helmet of Alexander Nevsky came from, if not for one thing."but". It is hard to imagine that the Russian prince went into battle for Russia in armor with inscriptions in Arabic and Orthodox symbols. It was simply not possible at the time. In addition, Russian craftsmen could not forge this product, which so ideally coincides with all the traditions of oriental forging. Where, then, did this helmet come from and who is its author?
Helmet Forger: Who is he?
Scientists have been arguing for a long time about who forged the helmet of Alexander Nevsky. The Arabic inscriptions seemed to point quite clearly to its Eastern origin. But one should never be so sure about anything in history.
In Russia, blacksmithing was quite developed, Slavic masters often even taught this craft to representatives of various peoples. Therefore, it is not surprising that Russian armor turned out to be very durable and skillfully made. But it was not customary to decorate them with Arabic script. And how can this be possible - after all, in the thirteenth century, the Tatar-Mongol yoke dominated Russia. Then why is the inscription on the helmet of Alexander Nevsky made in Arabic? Scientists have made several assumptions about this.
According to one of them, the helmet was a gift from the Khan of the Golden Horde to the Russian prince, symbolizing friendship and respect. The received gift Alexander Nevsky did not disregard and put it on every military campaign. It is likely that the helmet was created in Sarai-Batu, the capital of the Golden Horde. This version has the right to exist, because it has been proven that the Khan's warriors never killed skilled craftsmen. They stayed in the capitalThe hordes produced simply real masterpieces of art. Foreign craftsmen made excellent jewelry, wonderful weapons and, of course, armor.
If you stick to this version, then only one question arises - why does the helmet of Alexander Nevsky, made by oriental masters, contain Orthodox symbols? This is where scientists had to seriously rack their brains before they put forward a new hypothesis.
Historical value of the helmet
The helmet of Alexander Nevsky, the Arabic inscriptions on which raise so many questions, played a very significant role in the history of the Russian state. In the seventeenth century, it was presented to Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov as a gift. Funds from the royal treasury were allocated for its decoration, and as a result of the work of the court master Nikita Danilov, he gained unprecedented luxury.
From that moment on, the helmet became an indispensable attribute of Russian tsars. And in the middle of the nineteenth century, it was even placed on the coat of arms of the state. Scientists believe that such an unprecedented attachment of the Romanovs to this subject is explained quite simply - it meant the continuity of the Romanov dynasty, who became rulers after the Rurikovichs. This is what made the ancient helmet so important and significant, as if it asserted a new royal power. The jeweled helmet was named "Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich's Jericho Hat".
Erichon hats: the meaning of the name
There are several Jericho hats in the Armory. They are helmetsworn by Russian princes. These products always had a formal appearance and numerous decorations. Historians believe that these items were not so much used in battles as they served as attributes in parades or during palace rituals.
The origin of the name of these "caps" is interesting. The fact is that the Russian tsars associated themselves with Jesus and the victory over Jericho. They considered themselves the governors of the highest forces on earth and in battles were ready to crush any enemy who encroached on Russia. To intimidate the enemy, inspire your army and give significance to your person, ceremonial helmets, nicknamed "Ericho caps", were put on.
An interesting fact is that the very first Jericho hat, which is the oldest, is also the most expensive. Its value exceeds the prices of five other similar items combined.
The Secret of Alexander Nevsky's helmet
History, as you know, often throws scientists more riddles than answers. Therefore, it is not surprising that many archaeological finds turn out to be completely different from what they were originally taken for. Unfortunately, a similar story happened with Alexander Nevsky's helmet.
In the middle of the twentieth century, technology reached such a level that they could accurately indicate the date of manufacture of an item. The famous helmet, which haunted historians with its uniqueness, was also subjected to research. After much manipulation, it was found that the version of the helmet belonging to Alexander Nevsky is justlegend. Experts determined that the item was made in the seventeenth century, almost four hundred years after the death of Prince Alexander.
Surprisingly, this did not make it easier for scientists to determine the master who made the helmet and its purpose. The mysteries continued to multiply.
Disputes about the origin of the helmet
Interestingly, research scientists have not put an end to the history of the helmet. Many experts continue to claim that it still belonged to Alexander Nevsky, and the laboratory assistants simply made a mistake in the calculations.
Their main argument is the fact that the Romanovs would not turn an unknown helmet that has no historical value into a relic and depict it on the state emblem. Of course, there is still a grain of truth in these arguments. It is hard to imagine that the new king spent so much money decorating an ordinary helmet with Arabic inscriptions, and then began to use it as the main festive paraphernalia.
No matter how attractive this story is in the eyes of patriots who stand up for sensational discoveries, we cannot refute serious scientific research and will focus on them in the article.
Versions about the appearance of Mikhail Fedorovich's Jericho hat
If we take as a basis the version that the helmet appeared at the court of the king only in the seventeenth century, then discovering the secret of its origin is no less interesting than learning about its master. Most historians are inclined to believe that the oriental helmet was a gift from a very importanthuman.
Perhaps he was a diplomatic gift, which the king simply could not accept. But how to put on a helmet with a foreign inscription? This question, most likely, seriously disturbed Mikhail Fedorovich. In those days, there were enough educated people at the court who spoke several foreign languages. Therefore, the assumption that the king did not know about the translation of the inscription is simply ridiculous.
Many experts are inclined to the version according to which Romanov found the best way out of a rather delicate situation - he ordered to decorate the object with Orthodox symbols, which diverted attention from the inscription in Arabic, and turned a dangerous gift into the property of the state.
Of course, this is just another version, but it is quite plausible and does not go beyond historical events.
Mysterious East: a mix of two cultures
The explanations of the origin of the inscription on the helmet stored in the Armory given in this article are proven scientific facts. But one mystery of the Arabic inscriptions still remained - Russian weapons, various objects, and even Orthodox church paraphernalia were often inscribed with Arabic script. It seems incredible, but the facts speak for themselves - Arab and Slavic cultures were very closely related.
The Armory has enough copies of weapons, which are engraved with various phrases in Arabic. Moreover, all these weapons are not trophy, they were made either by Slavic craftsmen, or received as a gift. But the number of given items is simplyamazing.
Many historians even put forward a rather bold hypothesis that in ancient times Arabic was used as a church language. This allows us to approve the bishop's headdress, on which there is a beautiful gem with an Arabic inscription. A lot of similar finds have been made by archaeologists.
Of course, neither the scientific world nor the Orthodox Church officially recognize this fact, because it can completely change the perception of Russian history.
Conclusion
But what about the real helmet of Alexander Nevsky? Where is he located? It might upset you, but it hasn't been found yet. Therefore, archaeologists and historians have every chance to someday touch the real helmet, which belonged to the great son of Yaroslav Fedorovich.
