The throne of Ivan the Terrible, carved from bone, is one of the few items from a distant era that has survived to this day. It is considered the earliest of all known thrones. A legend about his appearance in the Moscow Kremlin is associated with him, according to which he was brought from Rome by the wife of Tsar Ivan III and the niece of the last emperor of Byzantium, Sophia (Zoya) Paleolog.
Where is it
Currently, there is the bone throne of Ivan the Terrible in the Armory. The Russian tsar had several thrones. They were located in a log dining hut, the Golden Chamber and the Church of the Intercession of the 16th-17th centuries, located in the Alexander Sloboda (now a museum-reserve), where its exact copy is now exhibited. It was here that the sovereign arranged magnificent receptions for foreign ambassadors, at which the highest clergy and boyars were present in magnificent clothes decorated with gold and gems. The price of such dresses was incredibly high. Foreign diplomats were amazedluxury, however, as well as the dishes that were served on the table.
Where the throne was made
There is another version, according to which the throne was made by the time of the wedding of Ivan IV to the kingdom, so it is called the throne of Ivan the Terrible. How it got to Russia and where it was made remains unknown. According to some reports, it was made by masters in Germany, according to others - in Italy. In the description of the exhibit, specialists from the Armory noted that the throne (throne) belonged to Ivan the Terrible, so the version of his appearance at the time of his crowning the kingdom is fully justified.
Description
The throne of Ivan the Terrible is completely pasted over with ivory plates, on which wonderful drawings on biblical scenes are carved. It is decorated with mythical birds and animals typical of the European Renaissance. Most of the drawings sing of the courage, virtue and wisdom of the biblical King David. Researchers suggest that the carvings depicting battle scenes were added in the 17th century during the restoration of the throne.
The throne is a chair with armrests, a footrest and a straight high back, semicircular at the top. A double-headed eagle is depicted in the center, and on the upper part of the back of the throne is a gilded figurine of the symbol of the Russian Empire, which was adopted under Ivan III. On the drawings of the plates, the researchers found the signs of the zodiac, in which, according to one version, the date of the wedding of Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog was encrypted, and according to another, the year of birth of Ivan the Terrible, which until nowtime is not known for certain.
The small size of the chair suggested that it served as a traveling throne. It would be uncomfortable for a modern person to sit on it, since they would have to squeeze into it. This gives the right to assume that people of that time were much smaller, that is, the growth of Ivan the Terrible was approximately 1 m 50 cm.
Legends related to the Bone Throne
Like any ancient thing that has survived to our time, the throne of the last of the Rurik family of the king is surrounded by traditions and legends. The first of them concerns the appearance of this chair. He, according to legend, was brought by Sophia Paleolog, who was from the Byzantine imperial family. Her father, Thomas Palaiologos, was the brother of the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine XI, and Sophia was the mother of Tsar Vasily III and the grandmother of Ivan the Terrible.
According to this version, the throne was made by the masters of Europe at the request of the Pope Paul II and brought to Russia as a gift to Tsar Ivan III. It is known that the niece of the last Byzantine emperor and her two brothers lived in Rome and were supported by the Pope. She was sent to Russia with a special mission - to persuade Ivan III to accept the Catholic faith. In Rome, she converted to Catholicism.
But the tsar and his wife Sophia, who returned to the old faith, remained devoted to Orthodoxy. The fact that this throne was in the Kremlin chambers during the time of Tsar Ivan III is confirmed by S. von Herberstein, who wrote Historical Notes on Muscovite Affairs. He writes that he was received by the king, who was seated onbone throne, which confirms the version that it was brought by Sophia Paleolog.
Another legend
There is a version that this gift from the Vatican was provided with a special secret that was supposed to affect the he alth of Ivan III. The legend is not confirmed by research, but it has a right to exist. According to her, a metal was added to the gilded emblem, which gives strength to steel - radioactive thorium. Ivan III rarely used the throne, and Ivan the Terrible often sat on it. It is known that he had problems with the spine, it is possible that this was the reason. He allegedly accelerated not only his death, but also affected the he alth of his children and grandchildren. Maybe that's why it was taken down. Subsequently, there was no metal coat of arms, judging by the sculpture of P. Antakolsky, which depicts Ivan the Terrible on the throne. The name of the sculpture is Ivan the Terrible.
Afterword
When sending Sophia to Russia, Pope Paul II gave her 6,000 ducats and gifts as a dowry. These were precious reliquaries and liberium - a huge library, which later became the legendary library of Ivan the Terrible. After all, the purpose of the wedding was to conclude a union between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, to persuade Ivan III to accept Catholicism. Whether there was a throne among them is unknown.
In Russia there have always been craftsmen-bone cutters who could make any pattern. History has preserved the legend about the master Kuzma, who made the princely throne from bone 200 years before Ivan the Terrible. But Kuzma was taken prisoner by the Tatars, and hedisappeared in slavery.
