The tyranny of fashion and Russian style in the second half of the 18th century. Dresses in which Russian empresses were crowned (9 photos)
But I want this beauty to be with me.
A few years ago, I saw it all live at an exhibition in Pushkin.
Dresses of Empresses Maria Feodorovna and Alexandra Feodorovna from the collection of the Hermitage
Dress of Maria Feodorovna.
Worth Firm, Paris. 1898
Moire with woven satin pattern, chiffon, lace; length bodice 26 cm, length. skirts 132 cm.
Dresses of Maria Feodorovna
Evening Dress. Fromon, Paris. 1880s
Black satin; embroidery with silk and glass beads.
Business dress. Firm Maureen Blossier, Paris. Late 19th century
Velvet, glass beads; embroidery. Length bodice 53 cm, length. skirts 123 cm
Firm of Charles Frederick Worth, Paris. 1880s
Silk, velvet, chiffon, lace, gilded metal aglets, ribbon; length bodice 64 cm, length. skirts 115 cm
Satin, tulle, lace, chiffon, threads of faceted beads, glass beads; embroidery. Length bodices 37 and 33, length. skirts 140, length train 161 cm
Worth Firm, Paris. 1880s
Satin, velvet, plush, lace, shaped fringes; length bodice 61 cm, length. skirts 203 cm.
Satin, silk, velvet, metal thread; length bodices 72 and 35, length. skirts 160 cm
Worth Firm, Paris. 1890s
Velvet, silk and metal threads, moire ribbon; embroidery. Length bodices 42 and 55, length. skirts 174 cm
Firm of Worth, Paris 1894.
Moire, satin, lace, beads from faux pearls, silver thread, beads; embroidery. Length bodices 52 and 74, length. skirts 150 cm
Worth Firm, Paris. 1898.
Chiffon, taffeta, satin, lace; printed pattern. Length bodice 71 cm, length. skirts 159 cm
Dresses of Alexandra Feodorovna
Alexandra Feodorovna's ball gown. Workshop N.P. Lamanova, Moscow. Early 20th century
Velvet, chiffon, satin, lace, chenille; applique, embroidery. Length bodice 30 cm, length. skirts 154 cm
Ball gown. Workshop N.P. Lamanova, Moscow. Late 19th century
Chiffon, satin, sequins, beads, artificial flowers; embroidery. Length 180 cm
Business dress. Workshop N.P. Lamanova, Moscow. Second half of the 1890s
Cloth, velvet, silk thread, sequins; embroidery. Length 184 cm
Evening dress Workshop N.P. Lamanova, Moscow Early 20th c.
Tulle, chiffon, lace, satin, silver brocade, sequins, shaped dies; embroidery. Length bodice 39 cm, length. skirts 184 cm
Business dress. Workshop of August Brizak, St. Petersburg. Early 20th century
Cloth, silk, lace; embroidery. Length bodice 53 cm, length. skirts 155 cm
Silk and silver threads, sequins, rhinestones, satin, lace; embroidery. Length bodice 34 cm, length. skirts 175 cm
Workshop of August Brizak, St. Petersburg. Early 20th century
Satin, tulle, silk and metal threads, metal, artificial flowers; embroidery. Length bodice 38 cm, length. skirts 169 cm
Evening dress. Workshop of August Brizak. Saint Petersburg. Early 20th century
Satin, tulle, lace, beads, sequins; embroidery. Length bodice 30 cm, length. skirts 135 cm.
Evening dress. Workshop of August Brizak, St. Petersburg. Early 20th century
Raspberry and alencon lace, silk, sequins, rhinestones; embroidery. Length bodice 38 cm, length. skirts 173 cm
Publications in the Traditions section
Uniform dresses of empresses
In a tradition dating back to the 18th century, monarchs regularly wore military uniforms. However, for most of the same century, the Russian throne was occupied by women. And at the imperial court, such a specific phenomenon arose as ladies' uniforms. Catherine II, who introduced them, such dresses helped create the image of not just the empress, but also the commander of the troops. We remember how the women of the royal family wore uniform dresses in the XVIII-XX centuries.
18th century: men's suit became women's
Virgilius Eriksen. Empress Catherine II on horseback Brilliant. 1762. Grand Peterhof Palace
Unknown artist. Portrait of Princess Ekaterina Dashkova. Year unknown
Georg Grooth. Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on a horse with a black boy. 1743. State Tretyakov Gallery
At that time, there was a clear distinction between women's and men's costume. Violation of these boundaries society did not approve. True, European ladies increasingly borrowed elements of men's clothing. She was more comfortable than women, especially when traveling and hunting. Thus, a women's hunting suit was formed, consisting of a caftan and a camisole. It differed from the men's in the presence of a skirt and in the fact that it fit the figure more tightly. They also wore it in Russia.
Sometimes at masquerades, ladies appeared in full men's outfits, including short culottes. Such disguises became especially popular during the reign of Empress Elizabeth. She was not indifferent to the men's suit in general and to uniforms in particular. Possessing magnificent forms, Elizabeth nevertheless looked great in tight tight pants and often showed off her slender legs. However, the empress's love for uniforms was explained not only by the desire to show off. The military uniform was a way to maintain the popularity that she enjoyed among the guards, to express her favor to them.
Catherine also sought to get support from the army. During the coup d'état, she was in the uniform of the Semyonovsky regiment. A friend of the Empress, Princess Ekaterina Dashkova, recalled: “The Empress borrowed a uniform from Captain Talyzin, and I took it from Lieutenant Pushkin for myself - both of these guards officers were approximately the same height as us”. In this form, Catherine, leading the troops, went to Peterhof - to take power. In the early years of her reign, the empress often wore men's suit e.g. for horseback riding. However, decency had to be observed. Women's uniform dresses became a compromise between the need - or desire - to wear a military uniform and not break the rules.
Six copies of Catherine's uniform dresses have survived to this day, however, there may have been more. The oldest of them was created in the form of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and probably dates back to 1763. The last - 1796 - in the form of the Navy. Judging by the palace records, they were simply called "uniforms" or "long uniforms". Each corresponded to a certain regiment. With all the diversity, these outfits combine several features. Firstly, the color is the same as that of the regular uniform of the corresponding military unit. Secondly, the cut of the sleeves, back and collar resembled a man's. Although they were swing dresses, under which they wore either a combination of a bodice and a skirt, or bottom dress. The decoration was in military style - uniform sewing and buttons.
Over the years, Catherine abandoned the cut, which emphasized the waist. Under the upper dress, which became more free, she put on a lower one, reminiscent of a sundress. On the one hand, this style helped to hide the fullness, on the other hand, Catherine, a German by birth, took the opportunity to emphasize her commitment to Russian traditions.
In 1783 she wrote to Grigory Potemkin: “In my opinion, there is no robe more honorable and more expensive than a uniform”. She wore uniforms on the days of regimental holidays, at military reviews, on the days of the feast of the Epiphany and on the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist (Day of the Fallen Defenders of the Fatherland), on the anniversaries of Russia's military victories, when launching ships, sometimes on the days of order holidays. Once, at a ball with Count Peter Rumyantsev, Catherine appeared "not in a fancy dress, but in a women's cuirassier uniform." In a word, the empress had enough reasons to put on a uniform dress, and she wore them throughout her reign. Catherine the Great was the first to wear them, but not the last. She started a new tradition.
19th century: uniforms outside the imperial palace
Alexandra Fedorovna in the uniform of Her Majesty's Life Guards Ulansky Regiment. Photo: ruspekh.ru
Olga Romanova and Nicholas II. Photo: e-reading.club
Maria Fedorovna in a robe with elements of a male uniform. Photo: ruspole.info
The next century was the era of male rulers, so the wives of kings, their daughters and sisters wore uniform dresses. The rest of the representatives of the vast imperial family, even if they were the chiefs of the regiments, usually did without them - with the rarest exceptions.
During the time of Alexander I, the so-called era of the Napoleonic Wars, women's fashion was so influenced by military themes that interest in the uniform captured many ladies outside the imperial palace. They wore hats in the form of shakos, trimmed outerwear brandenburgs - double loops of cord or braid, borrowed from the hussar uniform - and invented others fashion news in the same vein. At this time, the military style was born, which, changing, has survived to this day.
Military uniforms, and not just a ladies' variation on military theme women of the Romanov family began to wear again under Nicholas I. This emperor highly valued the form - both military and civilian. Under him, the Regulations on civilian uniforms were approved. Even court ladies were ordered to wear a special costume on holidays, all the details of which were clearly regulated, right down to embroidery. Ladies' uniforms fit perfectly into the lifestyle of the imperial family.
Nikolai's daughter, Olga, recalled in her memoirs how Empress Alexandra Feodorovna led the cavalry guards during the parade of 1835 "in dress uniform and with a white cap on his head. Olga herself had a chance to put on a uniform when in 1845 she was appointed chief of the 3rd Yelisavetgrad Hussar Regiment: “Then Uncle Mikhail led my hussars in front of me in their wonderful white uniform, with a white mentic. Dad certainly wanted to dress me up the same way, including the embroidered chakchira of the general. I protested against the trousers, the Pope insisted on it, and for the first time in his life he was angry with me. Finally, a solution was found: the embroidery was to be sewn onto my riding skirt; with everything else, including the saber, I agreed. Dad introduced me different persons in the form of my regiment and ordered for the regiment my portrait in the form of Elisavetgrad hussars.. It was no longer so much about a dress, as in the time of Catherine, but about a uniform sewn on female figure, with a skirt instead of trousers.
Maria Fedorovna, wife of Alexander III, returned to the idea of a uniform dress. she wore fashion suits, decorated with military elements: galloon trim, coat of arms, high stand-up collar and cuffs - all in the colors of the sponsored regiment.
This tradition was continued under the last emperor, Nicholas II. His wife, Alexandra Feodorovna, although she was the chief of several regiments, rarely wore uniform dresses. But a new generation was growing up - four daughters. The senior grand duchesses, Tatyana and Olga, were the first to put on uniform dresses. However, they became the chiefs of their regiments in 1909, and put on the uniform only a few years later, when they matured.
Cover of the book by Xenia Borderiou “The dress of the Empress. Catherine II and the European Costume in the Russian Empire (New Literary Review Publishing House, 2016)
The New Literary Review publishing house publishes a book in the series Theory of Fashion Library Library Xenia Borderiou "Dress of the Empress. Catherine II and the European Costume in the Russian Empire". The author explores the fashionable space and canons of the "Golden Age": from court and urban costume to body care practices. “Making an excursion into the history of court and urban costume, the author comes to the conclusion that in the formation of the original character of Russian fashion key role played by Empress Catherine II. The unique style of the Russian court, combining the traditional love of luxury with the empress's attitude towards restrained and elegant style clothing, shaped the image of the country beyond its borders,” the publishers say.
Xenia Borderiou - historian, doctor of the Sorbonne, author of a number of monographs on the development of national costume in the Catherine era.
With the kind permission of the publisher, we present one of the chapters of the book for reading.
Virgilius Eriksen. Portrait of Catherine II in front of a mirror, between 1762-1764 / State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Fedor Rokotov. Portrait of Catherine II, 1763 / State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Vladimir Borovikovsky. Catherine II on a walk in Tsarskoye Selo Park (with the Chesme Column in the background), 1794 / State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The influence of hostilities on the birth of new fashions and the dissemination of information about them is undeniable. In Europe in the second half of the 18th century, wars were a regular occurrence, glorifying the military successes of one's country by inventing a new hairstyle and hat is not only a fashionable gesture, but also a patriotic one. For example, one of the most replicated images from the turn of the 1770s-1780s is the à la Belle-Poule 26 hairstyle. It owes its origin to the events of the Revolutionary War in North America. Another example is the “Polish dress” (robe à la polonaise), which is extremely common in Europe. There is reason to think that the geopolitical changes of the era influenced the idea of such a style. According to F. Boucher, “Polish-style dress, it seems, was never worn in Poland” 27 , but the time of its appearance in the wardrobe of fashionable ladies (not earlier than 1772 and not later than 1774) coincides with the first partition of Poland (1772) . Separation top skirt into three parts, one at the back and two at the sides, doesn’t it symbolize the Polish lands divided between Prussia, Austria and Russia, the author asks? Similarly, the Middle East direction of European politics is represented by styles, the appearance of which fixed the key events and stages of French-Turkish relations: à la levite, à la turque, à la sultane.
Associations quite common in Europe between women's clothing and military actions, apparently, are fixed especially firmly in Russia. "Long live our national Goddess of fashion, which is the cause of hostilities," wrote Fashion Magazine 28 . In another issue we read: "... the main reason for these [our mods] are military operations" 29 . In 1795, a publication of fashions offered the attention of Russian ladies the Warsaw cap and the Suvorov cap. The magazine did not mention the event that gave rise to these fashions, but for contemporaries the meaning of the new outfits was quite obvious. The source of inspiration was the suppression of the Polish uprising by T. Kosciuszko. In the autumn of 1794, troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov took Warsaw. The fact that military-political events were covered in a few months fashion magazine, suggests that its publication was carried out not without the participation of the authorities. The engravings are made in the form of "busts", that is, the models are depicted to the waist. Headdresses are small hats, vaguely reminiscent of a soldier's cap.
“Figure 1. Warsaw cap (le bonnet à la Varsovie), which is now worn by quite a few ladies. Its crown is made from satin folded in different folds, which is white, scarlet or purple. The edge is made of narrow satin ribbons laid in small folds, as green is usually the color, like laurel wreath; but often fawn. Front and back bows of the same color. Of the possible color combinations, the author of the model published in the magazine chooses a combination of gray and yellow. Gray, black and yellow, the colors of gunpowder and metal, are associated with military operations: these are the colors of the Order of St. George, established by Catherine II in 1769, these are the colors of the so-called anti-revolutionary fashion presented in a Russian magazine in 1791 31 .
“Figure 2. Suvorov cap (le chapeau à la Souvarove), pale red in color. The right side of it is pinned, bottom edge pubescent with black feathers, which are also twisted obliquely near the crown” 32.
Europe's infatuation with Russia was not fleeting. Catherine II is once again mentioned on its pages by the magazine Magasin des modes nouvelles. In one of the issues of 1789, a story was printed about a fashionable occupation, needlework and an exchange of gifts between the Russian Empress and Voltaire. In response to the presented box, which Catherine II made with her own hands, the philosopher sent her a stocking that he personally knitted. The philosopher explained his joke as follows: in order to thank for the male needlework performed by the lady, I presented her with the ladies' work performed by male hands. This anecdote is at least half true: the Empress's letter dated December 19 (30), 1768 33 that accompanied the box, and Voltaire's gratitude in a letter dated February 26, 1769 34 have survived to this day. A few years later, at the very beginning of the 1790s, "the empress of all Russians and all hearts is definitely in vogue" 35 in connection with the Treaty of Verel, which ended the Russo-Swedish war of 1788-1790**.
European fashion to the Russian costume - a consequence of the popularity of the Empress and an integral part of the French fascination with Russia and Russians. Catherine II stated with satisfaction: “...it's funny that fashion comes from the north. It's even funnier that the north, and specifically Russia, are in vogue in Paris. Does she refer in these lines to Voltaire's ode "C'est du Nord aujourd'hui que nous vient la lumiere" (Today the light [Enlightenment] comes to us from the North)?
Notes:
* The trade agreement was signed on January 11, 1787 in St. Petersburg. This document provided for maritime neutrality between the powers and, most importantly, finally approved French merchants in the rights and privileges that only the British had previously enjoyed.
** The war was started by Sweden in order to regain territories lost during previous wars with Russia. Great Britain took the side of Sweden.
1. Grot Ya.K. Catherine II and Gustav III. Supplement to the XXX volume of notes Imp. Academy of Sciences. No. 6. SPb., 1877. S. 37.
2. Boucher F. Histoire du costume en Occident: de l "Antiquite à nos jours. Paris: Flammarion, 1965. P. 329.
3. Grotto. Decree. op. S. 38.
4. Ibid. S. 46.
5. Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti. 1778. No. 19, 41, 47, 86, 96. Addition to No. 4, 68. No. 41. S. 364.
6. Bachaumont (de) L. P. Mémoires secrets pour servir à l "histoire de la république des lettres en France. Londres: J. Adamson, 1783. T. XX. P. 296.
7. Oberkirch H.-L. de W. de F. Mémoires de la baronne d "Oberkirch sur la cour de Louis XVI et la société française avant 1789 / éd. présentée et annotée par Suzanne Burkard. Paris: Mercure de France, 2000. P. 237.
8. Collection of the Imperial Russian Historical Society. Letters from Grimm to Empress Catherine II (1774-1796). T. 44. St. Petersburg, 1885. S. 240.
9. Oberkirch. Decree. op. P. 228, 233, 250, 281.
10. Relation des fêtes données au grand-duc et à la grande-duchesse de Russie pendant leur séjour à Venise, en janvier 1782, sous le nom de comte et comtesse du Nord. S.l., n. d.
11. Stroev A. L’art d’être grand-mère: les écrits pédagogiques de Catherine II // Femmes éducatrices au siècle des Lumières / sous la direction de Isabelle Brouard-Arends et Marie-Emmanuelle Plagnol-Diéval. Rennes: Presses universitaires de Rennes, 2007, pp. 299-319.
12. Collection of the Imperial Russian Historical Society. Letters from Grimm to Empress Catherine II (1774-1796). T. 44. St. Petersburg, 1885. S. 226.
13. Ibid. S. 303.
14. Magasin des modes nouvelles. 1787-1788 (3e année). P. 68.
15. Archive of Prince Vorontsov / ed. P.I. Bartenev. M.: Type. A.I. Mamontov, 1870-1897. T. 25. C. 452.
16. Collection of the Imperial Russian Historical Society. Letters from Grimm to Empress Catherine II (1774-1796). T. 44. St. Petersburg, 1885. S. 305.
17. Magasin des modes nouvelles. 1787-1788 (3e année). P. 98.
18. Ibid. No. 13, 83.
19. Note on the Amazon company [written by G. Dusi] // Moskvityanin. 1844. No. 1. pp. 266–268.
20. Materials on the history of the Russian military uniform 1730-1801. Collection of documents in 2 volumes / comp., entry. K.V. Tatarnikov. Moscow: Russian panorama, 2009.
21. Kibovsky A.V. Amazonian company // Zeughaus / Zeughaus. 1997. No. 6. pp. 16–20.
22. Magasin des modes nouvelles. 1787-1788 (3e année). No.9, pp. 68–69.
23. Galerie des modes et costumes français dessinés d "après nature, gravés par les plus célèbres artistes en ce genre; et colorés avec le plus grand soin par Madame Le Beau: ouvrage commencé en l" année 1778. Paris: chez les Srs Esnauts et Rapilly, rue St-Jacques, à la Ville de Coutances, 1778-1785. Cahier 56.
24. Journal des Luxus und der Moden / Carl Bertuch. Weimar: Verl. des Landes-Industrie-Comptoirs, 1787-1812. 1788, Juin, P. 223.
26. Galerie des modes… Cahier 6.
27. Boucher. Decree. op.
28. Shop of general knowledge and inventions: With the addition of a Fashion magazine, colored drawings, and musical notes. SPb.: Type. I.K. Shnore, 1795. June. S. 397.
29. Decree. op. July. S. 65.
30. Decree. op. No. 1, p. 61.
31. Shop of Aglin, French and German new fashions, described clearly and in detail and presented in engraved on copper and illuminated drawings: With the addition of a description of the lifestyle, public amusements and pastimes in the noblest cities of Europe; pleasant anecdotes, etc.: Monthly publication. M.: Univ. type., V. Okorokov, 1791. August. S. 108.
32. Store of generally useful knowledge and inventions ... No. 1, S. 61.
33. Voltaire - Catherine II, Correspondance 1763-1778 / ed. Alexandre Stroev. Paris: Non Lieu, 2006. P. 73.
34. Ibid. P. 75.
35. Collection of the Imperial Russian Historical Society. Letters from Grimm to Empress Catherine II (1774-1796). T. 44. St. Petersburg, 1885. S. 405.
36. Collection of the Imperial Russian Historical Society. Letters of Empress Catherine II to Grimm (1774-1796). T. 23. St. Petersburg, 1878. S. 270.
One of key points at royal courts, coronation was considered at all times. The person preparing to enter the throne was to appear in all her splendor and grandeur. This review presents luxurious coronation dresses 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).
coronation dress Catherine I 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.
Anna Ivanovna
Coronation Anna Ioannovna 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.
Elizaveta Petrovna
coronation dress Elizabeth Petrovna sewn from 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.
Catherine II
Coronation 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.
Each empress was not only a trendsetter, but also clearly regulated court etiquette. Sometimes that modern laymen would call such behavior absurd.
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 samples. haute couture”, not to mention “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 of transmitting 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.
brought to Russia finished dress, and "cartridge". "Cartridge" is a pattern of clothes, fastened with seams in only a few places. Usually in the form of "cartridges" they brought men's clothing. 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 hard, all quilted 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.
Lace trim not preserved on the dress. Lace decorated 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 a graph. 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 sewn 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. Most interesting men's bathrobe. 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 male 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 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. wear such wide skirts it 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, willow twigs. 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 sun rays. It seemed that such dresses were forged from silver, and not sewn with needles and threads. The dress was embroidered with silver thread. Embroidery stitches are placed under different angles and when moving, the dress shone like diamonds.
The wedding dress of Sophie Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst is in a very bad 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 bar was adorned with diamonds, diamonds and other precious stones so it was torn down. 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, ancient Jewelry, number of 25 pieces. The costume used 16 parts and, after the carnival, they were not torn off, but simply sent back a part of the costume.
