1.
House of Romanov
–
The Romanovs achieved prominence as boyars of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, later the Tsardom of Russia. In 1613, following years of interregnum, the zemsky sobor offered the Russian crown to Mikhail Romanov and he acceded to the throne as Michael I, becoming the first Tsar of Russia from the House of Romanov. His grandson Peter I established the Russian Empire and transformed the country into a continental power through a series of wars, the direct male line of the Romanovs came to an end when Elizabeth of Russia died in 1762. After an era of crisis, the House of Holstein-Gottorp, a cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg which reigned in Denmark, ascended the throne in 1762 with Peter III. All rulers from the middle of the 18th century to the revolution of 1917 were descended from that branch, though officially known as the House of Romanov, these descendants of the Romanov and Oldenburg dynasties are sometimes referred to as Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov. In early 1917 the Romanov dynasty had 65 members,18 of whom were killed by the Bolsheviks, the remaining 47 members went into exile abroad. In 1924, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, the senior, surviving male-line descendant of Alexander II of Russia by primogeniture, since 1991, the succession to the former Russian throne has been in dispute, largely due to disagreements over the validity of dynasts marriages. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia claims to hold the title of empress in pretense with her child, George Mikhailovich. There is also a rival non-Romanov claim put forth by Prince Karl Emich of the House of Leiningen supported by the Monarchist Party, according to the Almanach de Gotha, the name of Russias ruling dynasty from the time of Peter III was Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov. However, the name Romanov and House of Romanov were often used in references to the Russian imperial family. The coat of arms of the Romanov boyars was included in legislation on the imperial dynasty, after the February Revolution all members of the imperial family were given the surname Romanov by special decree of the Provisional Government of Russia. Their earliest common ancestor is one Andrei Kobyla, attested around 1347 as a boyar in the service of Semyon I of Moscow, later generations assigned to Kobyla an illustrious pedigree. An 18th-century genealogy claimed that he was the son of the Prussian prince Glanda Kambila, indeed, one of the leaders of the Old Prussian rebellion of 1260–1274 against the Teutonic order was named Glande. His actual origin may have been less spectacular, not only is Kobyla Russian for mare, some of his relatives also had as nicknames the terms for horses and other domestic animals, thus suggesting descent from one of the royal equerries. One of Kobylas sons, Feodor, a member of the boyar Duma of Dmitri Donskoi, was nicknamed Koshka and his descendants took the surname Koshkin, then changed it to Zakharin, which family later split into two branches, Zakharin-Yakovlev and Zakharin-Yuriev. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the family became known as Yakovlev. The family fortunes soared when Romans daughter, Anastasia Zakharyina, married Ivan IV, since her husband had assumed the title of tsar, which literally means Caesar, on 16 January 1547, she was crowned the very first tsaritsa of Russia. Her mysterious death in 1560 changed Ivans character for the worse, suspecting the boyars of having poisoned his beloved, Tsar Ivan started a reign of terror against them
House of Romanov
–
A 16th-century residence of the Yuryev-Zakharyin boyars in
Zaryadye, near
the Kremlin.
House of Romanov
–
House of Romanov House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov
House of Romanov
–
A crowd at the
Ipatiev Monastery imploring Mikhail Romanov's mother to let him go to Moscow and become their tsar (
Illumination from a book dated 1673).
House of Romanov
–
Peter the Great (1672-1725)
2.
Russian Orthodox Church
–
The Russian Orthodox Church, alternatively legally known as the Moscow Patriarchate, is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches, in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox patriarchates. The Primate of the ROC is the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus and it also exercises ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the autonomous Church of Japan and the Orthodox Christians resident in the Peoples Republic of China. The ROC branches in Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova and Ukraine since the 1990s enjoy various degrees of self-government, in Ukraine, ROC has tensions with schismatic groups supported by the current government, while it enjoys the position of numerically dominant religious organisation. The ROC should also not be confused with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, headquartered in New York, New York, the two Churches reconciled on May 17,2007, the ROCOR is now a self-governing part of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to one of the legends, Andrew reached the location of Kiev. The spot where he erected a cross is now marked by St. Andrews Cathedral. By the end of the first millennium AD, eastern Slavic lands started to come under the influence of the Eastern Roman Empire. There is evidence that the first Christian bishop was sent to Novgorod from Constantinople either by Patriarch Photius or Patriarch Ignatios, by the mid-10th century, there was already a Christian community among Kievan nobility, under the leadership of Byzantine Greek priests, although paganism remained the dominant religion. Princess Olga of Kiev was the first ruler of Kievan Rus′ to convert to Christianity and her grandson, Vladimir of Kiev, made Rus officially a Christian state. The Kievan church was a metropolitanate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Ecumenical patriarch appointed the metropolitan, who usually was a Greek. The Metropolitans residence was located in Kiev itself, the capital of the medieval Rus state. Following the tribulations of the Mongol invasion, the Russian Church was pivotal in the survival, despite the politically motivated murders of Mikhail of Chernigov and Mikhail of Tver, the Mongols were generally tolerant and even granted tax exemption to the Church. Such holy figures as Sergius of Radonezh and Metropolitan Alexis helped the country to withstand years of Tatar oppression, the Trinity monastery founded by Sergius of Radonezh became the setting for the flourishing of spiritual art, exemplified by the work of Andrey Rublev, among others. The followers of Sergius founded four hundred monasteries, thus extending the geographical extent of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. However, the Moscow Prince Vasili II rejected the act of the Council of Florence brought to Moscow by Isidore in March 1441, Isidore was in the same year removed from his position as an apostate and expelled from Moscow. The Russian metropolitanate remained effectively vacant for the few years due largely to the dominance of Uniates in Constantinople then. In December 1448, Jonas, a Russian bishop, was installed by the Council of Russian bishops in Moscow as Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia without the consent from Constantinople. Subsequently, there developed a theory in Moscow that saw Moscow as the Third Rome, the successor to Constantinople
Russian Orthodox Church
–
The
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in
Moscow Russian: Храм Христа Спасителя [Khram Khrista Spasitelya]
Russian Orthodox Church
–
Russian Orthodox monks defended the
Trinity Lavra monastery against Polish-Lithuanian troops during the
Time of Troubles.
Russian Orthodox Church
–
An Old Believer Priest,
Nikita Pustosviat, Disputing with Patriarch Joachim the Matters of Faith. Painting by
Vasily Perov
3.
Maria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess of Russia
–
Maria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess of Russia, has been a claimant to the headship of the Imperial Family of Russia who reigned as Emperors and Autocrats of All the Russias, since 1992. Although she has used Grand Duchess of Russia as her title of pretence with the style Imperial Highness throughout her life and she is a great-great-granddaughter in the male-line of Emperor Alexander II of Russia. Her paternal grandparents were Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Victoria Fyodorovna and her godfather was Prince Nicholas of Romania and godmother, Queen Ioanna of Bulgaria. Maria was educated in Madrid and Paris, before studying Russian history, as it happened, Vladimir Kirillovich, who died in 1992, outlived all the other male Romanov dynasts, and his daughter had no occasion to assume curatorship. In Madrid on 22 September 1976, Maria married Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia, her third cousin and he is a Hohenzollern great-grandson of Germanys last emperor Wilhelm II and a great-great-great grandchild of Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom. Franz Wilhelm converted to the Orthodox faith prior to the wedding, taking the name Michael Pavlovich and receiving the title of a Grand Duke of Russia from Marias father. The couple separated in 1982, a year after the birth of their only child George Mikhailovich, following the divorce on 19 June 1985, Franz Wilhelm reverted to his Prussian name and style. Maria Vladimirovna lives in France and Spain and she is fluent in Russian, English, French and Spanish, and also speaks some German, Italian and Arabic. At the present time, not one of the Emperors or Grand Dukes of Russia has left living descendants with unchallengeable rights to the Throne of Russia. His younger brother, Prince Dimitri Romanov, said of Marias assumption of titles, including de jure Empress of all the Russias and they can only go and pray at the grave, as can any other Russian, who so wishes. At the behest of the Russian Orthodox Church Maria did not recognise the authenticity of the remains and declined to attend the reburial ceremony in 1998. She has also said regarding some of her Romanov cousins, that My feeling about them is now that something important is happening in Russia, they suddenly have awakened and said. There might be something to gain out of this, Maria hopes for the restoration of the monarchy someday and is ready to respond to a call from the people. In either case, there is unscrupulousness at work, the only thing that causes me regret is that some of our relatives waste their time and energy on little intrigues instead of striving to be of some use to their country. I have never quarreled with anyone about these matters and I remain open to a discussion and cooperation with all, including, of course, but there can be no foundation for cooperation without respect for our dynastic laws, fulfilling these laws, and following our family traditions. In 2002, Maria became frustrated with the strife within the Russian monarchist movement. The March 2013 recognition of her claim by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill I Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, seems to have drawn further supporters. In an interview, he rejected the claims of the other Romanov descendants and stated, Today
Maria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess of Russia
4.
Order of St. George
–
The Order of Saint George is today the highest purely military decoration of the Russian Federation. Originally established November 26,1769 as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire by Empress Catherine the Great and it was revived in the Russian Federation on August 8,2000 by Decree №1463 of the President of Russia. The current award criteria were amended on September 7,2010 by Presidential Decree 1099, the Order of Saint George is divided into four classes, from the First Class to the Fourth class, the highest degree being the Order First class. The four classes are awarded sequentially from the fourth to the first and these four classes are individually identified by the size and manner of wearing the two principal insignia of the Order, the cross and the star. Cross, A white enamelled cross pattée with a medallion bearing the image of Saint George on horseback slaying the dragon. The cross measures 60mm across in the case of the Order first class and is worn on a sash in the colours of Saint George. The same 60mm cross is worn around the neck on a 45mm wide ribbon also in the colours of Saint George for the Order second class. The cross is 50mm across for the Order third class and is worn around the neck. The Order fourth class is a 40mm cross worn on the left breast hanging from a pentagonal mount covered with a 24mm wide ribbon of Saint George, the star is worn on the left breast for both the Order first and second classes. Ribbon, The ribbon of the Order of Saint George is orange with three stripes, commonly called Georges Ribbon. It symbolises fire and gunpowder, the Russian colors of military glory and it was subsequently associated to the colors of the Russian Guard units. Unlike the other classes, the Order of Saint George fourth class can be awarded to junior officers while the rest is for senior and flag officers. When an individual is entitled to use multiple post-nominal letters, those of the Order of Saint George appear before all others, except Bt or Bart, the ribbon bar for the Order first class is adorned with a miniature golden star. The ribbon bar for the Order second class is adorned with a silver star. The ribbon bar for the Order third class is adorned with a white cross. The ribbon bar for the Order fourth class has no device, moskva 2004, ISBN 5-89577-059-2 The Commission on State Awards to the President of the Russian Federation Herbermann, Charles, ed
Order of St. George
–
The Order of Saint George IV class
Order of St. George
–
Georgi Pulevski wearing a cross of the Order of Saint George, conferred for his part in the
Russo-Turkish War (1877–78)
Order of St. George
–
Order of Saint George, first class Breast Star and Sash
Order of St. George
–
Order of Saint George, second class, neck badge and breast star
5.
Order of St. Anna
–
The motto of the Order is Amantibus Justitiam, Pietatem, Fidem. Its festival day is 3 February, originally, the Order of Saint Anna was a dynastic order of knighthood, but between 1797 and 1917 it had dual status as a dynastic order and as a state order. The Head of the Imperial House of Russia always is Master of the imperial Order of Saint Anna, the Order of St. Anna continued to be awarded after the revolution by Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich, and Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna. Today, the Russian Imperial Order of St, membership of the Order was awarded for a distinguished career in civil service or for valour and distinguished service in the military. The Order of Saint Anna entitled recipients of the first class to hereditary nobility, for military recipients, it was awarded with swords. It is now awarded for meritorious service to the Imperial House of Russia. At first, the Order had but one class and was named the Order of Anna. I. P. F, the same letters also abbreviate the Latin motto. In 1742, Karl Peter Ulrich, Duke Karl Friedrichs son, was declared the Russian heir apparent, after arriving in Russia, he presented the Order to several courtiers. Emperor Alexander I added a class in 1815. Recipients of the Order of St. Andrew simultaneously received the first class of the Order of Saint Anna, the Emperor himself was the hereditary chief of the Order. The title of Chekhovs well-known story Anna on the Neck refers both to the Order and to the heroine, the medal ribbon was red with narrow yellow edging. A recipient of higher classes of the Order would not wear insignia of lower classes, alan W. Hazelton, The Russian Imperial Orders, New York, The American Numismatic Society,1932. Order of St. Anna History of the order of St. Anna
Order of St. Anna
–
Star with crown to Order St. Anna.
Order of St. Anna
–
Order of St. Anna, 2nd class (The example shown is "with swords", for bravery in battle, and crown)
Order of St. Anna
–
Order of St. Anna, 3rd class
Order of St. Anna
–
Order of St. Anna, 4th class (The insignia with imperial eagle would have been awarded to a non-Christian, for whom a Christian cross was deemed inappropriate)
6.
Russian language
–
Russian is an East Slavic language and an official language in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and many minor or unrecognised territories. Russian belongs to the family of Indo-European languages and is one of the four living members of the East Slavic languages, written examples of Old East Slavonic are attested from the 10th century and beyond. It is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia and the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages and it is also the largest native language in Europe, with 144 million native speakers in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Russian is the eighth most spoken language in the world by number of native speakers, the language is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Russian is also the second most widespread language on the Internet after English, Russian distinguishes between consonant phonemes with palatal secondary articulation and those without, the so-called soft and hard sounds. This distinction is found between pairs of almost all consonants and is one of the most distinguishing features of the language, another important aspect is the reduction of unstressed vowels. Russian is a Slavic language of the Indo-European family and it is a lineal descendant of the language used in Kievan Rus. From the point of view of the language, its closest relatives are Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Rusyn. An East Slavic Old Novgorod dialect, although vanished during the 15th or 16th century, is considered to have played a significant role in the formation of modern Russian. In the 19th century, the language was often called Great Russian to distinguish it from Belarusian, then called White Russian and Ukrainian, however, the East Slavic forms have tended to be used exclusively in the various dialects that are experiencing a rapid decline. In some cases, both the East Slavic and the Church Slavonic forms are in use, with different meanings. For details, see Russian phonology and History of the Russian language and it is also regarded by the United States Intelligence Community as a hard target language, due to both its difficulty to master for English speakers and its critical role in American world policy. The standard form of Russian is generally regarded as the modern Russian literary language, mikhail Lomonosov first compiled a normalizing grammar book in 1755, in 1783 the Russian Academys first explanatory Russian dictionary appeared. By the mid-20th century, such dialects were forced out with the introduction of the education system that was established by the Soviet government. Despite the formalization of Standard Russian, some nonstandard dialectal features are observed in colloquial speech. Thus, the Russian language is the 6th largest in the world by number of speakers, after English, Mandarin, Hindi/Urdu, Spanish, Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Education in Russian is still a choice for both Russian as a second language and native speakers in Russia as well as many of the former Soviet republics. Russian is still seen as an important language for children to learn in most of the former Soviet republics, samuel P. Huntington wrote in the Clash of Civilizations, During the heyday of the Soviet Union, Russian was the lingua franca from Prague to Hanoi
Russian language
–
Russian language street sign in
Russia.
Russian language
–
Russian minimarket in
Limassol, Cyprus; translation: "Teremok market. Russian goods. Phone number: 96 74 19 63"
Russian language
–
This page from an "ABC" book printed in Moscow in 1694 shows the letter
П.
Russian language
–
The
Ostromir Gospels of 1056 is the second oldest
East Slavic book known, one of many medieval
illuminated manuscripts preserved in the
Russian National Library.
7.
Imperial Russia
–
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until it was overthrown by the short-lived February Revolution in 1917. One of the largest empires in history, stretching over three continents, the Russian Empire was surpassed in landmass only by the British and Mongol empires. The rise of the Russian Empire happened in association with the decline of neighboring powers, the Swedish Empire, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Persia. It played a role in 1812–14 in defeating Napoleons ambitions to control Europe. The House of Romanov ruled the Russian Empire from 1721 until 1762, and its German-descended cadet branch, with 125.6 million subjects registered by the 1897 census, it had the third-largest population in the world at the time, after Qing China and India. Like all empires, it included a large disparity in terms of economics, ethnicity, there were numerous dissident elements, who launched numerous rebellions and assassination attempts, they were closely watched by the secret police, with thousands exiled to Siberia. Economically, the empire had an agricultural base, with low productivity on large estates worked by serfs. The economy slowly industrialized with the help of foreign investments in railways, the land was ruled by a nobility from the 10th through the 17th centuries, and subsequently by an emperor. Tsar Ivan III laid the groundwork for the empire that later emerged and he tripled the territory of his state, ended the dominance of the Golden Horde, renovated the Moscow Kremlin, and laid the foundations of the Russian state. Tsar Peter the Great fought numerous wars and expanded an already huge empire into a major European power, Catherine the Great presided over a golden age. She expanded the state by conquest, colonization and diplomacy, continuing Peter the Greats policy of modernisation along West European lines, Tsar Alexander II promoted numerous reforms, most dramatically the emancipation of all 23 million serfs in 1861. His policy in Eastern Europe involved protecting the Orthodox Christians under the rule of the Ottoman Empire and that connection by 1914 led to Russias entry into the First World War on the side of France, Britain, and Serbia, against the German, Austrian and Ottoman empires. The Russian Empire functioned as a monarchy until the Revolution of 1905. The empire collapsed during the February Revolution of 1917, largely as a result of failures in its participation in the First World War. Perhaps the latter was done to make Europe recognize Russia as more of a European country, Poland was divided in the 1790-1815 era, with much of the land and population going to Russia. Most of the 19th century growth came from adding territory in Asia, Peter I the Great introduced autocracy in Russia and played a major role in introducing his country to the European state system. However, this vast land had a population of 14 million, grain yields trailed behind those of agriculture in the West, compelling nearly the entire population to farm. Only a small percentage lived in towns, the class of kholops, close to the one of slavery, remained a major institution in Russia until 1723, when Peter I converted household kholops into house serfs, thus including them in poll taxation
Imperial Russia
–
Peter the Great officially renamed the Tsardom of Russia the Russian Empire in 1721, and himself its first emperor. He instituted the
sweeping reforms and oversaw the transformation of Russia into a major European power.
Imperial Russia
–
Flag
Imperial Russia
–
Empress
Catherine the Great, who reigned from 1762 to 1796, continued the empire's expansion and modernization. Considering herself an
enlightened absolutist, she played a key role in the
Russian Enlightenment.
Imperial Russia
–
Catherine II Sestroretsk Rouble (1771) is made of solid copper measuring 77 millimetres (3 3 ⁄ 100 in) (diameter), 26 millimetres (1 1 ⁄ 50 in) (thickness), and weighs 1.022 kg (2.25 lb). It is the largest copper coin ever issued.
8.
Russia
–
Russia, also officially the Russian Federation, is a country in Eurasia. The European western part of the country is more populated and urbanised than the eastern. Russias capital Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world, other urban centers include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod. Extending across the entirety of Northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe, Russia spans eleven time zones and incorporates a range of environments. It shares maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, the East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants, in 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire, beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium. Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of states, most of the Rus lands were overrun by the Mongol invasion. The Soviet Union played a role in the Allied victory in World War II. The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century, including the worlds first human-made satellite and the launching of the first humans in space. By the end of 1990, the Soviet Union had the second largest economy, largest standing military in the world. It is governed as a federal semi-presidential republic, the Russian economy ranks as the twelfth largest by nominal GDP and sixth largest by purchasing power parity in 2015. Russias extensive mineral and energy resources are the largest such reserves in the world, making it one of the producers of oil. The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, Russia is a great power as well as a regional power and has been characterised as a potential superpower. The name Russia is derived from Rus, a state populated mostly by the East Slavs. However, this name became more prominent in the later history, and the country typically was called by its inhabitants Русская Земля. In order to distinguish this state from other states derived from it, it is denoted as Kievan Rus by modern historiography, an old Latin version of the name Rus was Ruthenia, mostly applied to the western and southern regions of Rus that were adjacent to Catholic Europe. The current name of the country, Россия, comes from the Byzantine Greek designation of the Kievan Rus, the standard way to refer to citizens of Russia is Russians in English and rossiyane in Russian. There are two Russian words which are translated into English as Russians
Russia
–
Kievan Rus' in the 11th century
Russia
–
Flag
Russia
–
The
Baptism of Kievans, by
Klavdy Lebedev
Russia
–
Sergius of Radonezh blessing
Dmitry Donskoy in
Trinity Sergius Lavra, before the
Battle of Kulikovo, depicted in a painting by
Ernst Lissner
9.
Catherine the Great
–
Catherine II of Russia, also known as Catherine the Great, was a Russian monarch. She was the female leader of Russia, reigning from 1762 until her death in 1796 at the age of 67. She came to following a coup détat when her husband. Russia was revitalised under her reign, growing larger and stronger than ever, in both her accession to power and in rule of her empire, Catherine often relied on her noble favourites, most notably Grigory Orlov and Grigory Potemkin. In the west, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, ruled by Catherines former lover, king Stanisław August Poniatowski, was eventually partitioned, in the east, Russia started to colonise Alaska, establishing Russian America. Catherine reformed the administration of Russian guberniyas, and many new cities, an admirer of Peter the Great, Catherine continued to modernise Russia along Western European lines. However, military conscription and the continued to depend on serfdom. This was one of the reasons behind several rebellions, including the large-scale Pugachevs Rebellion of cossacks. The period of Catherine the Greats rule, the Catherinian Era, is considered the Golden Age of the Russian Empire. The Manifesto on Freedom of the Nobility, issued during the reign of Peter III and confirmed by Catherine. Construction of many mansions of the nobility, in the classical style endorsed by the Empress and she enthusiastically supported the ideals of The Enlightenment, thus earning the status of an enlightened despot. Catherine was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Kingdom of Prussia as Princess Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg, she was nicknamed Figchen. Her father, Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, belonged to the ruling German family of Anhalt, two of her first cousins became Kings of Sweden, Gustav III and Charles XIII. In accordance with the then prevailing in the ruling dynasties of Germany, she received her education chiefly from a French governess. She once wrote to her correspondent Baron Grimm, I see nothing of interest in it, although Catherine was born a princess, her family had very little money. Catherines rise to power was supported by her mothers relatives who were both wealthy nobles and royal relations. Catherine first met Peter III at the age of 10, based on her writings, she found Peter detestable upon meeting him. She disliked his pale complexion and his fondness for alcohol at such a young age, Peter also still played with toy soldiers
Catherine the Great
–
Catherine II by
Dmitry Levitsky
Catherine the Great
–
Young Catherine soon after her arrival in Russia, by
Louis Caravaque
Catherine the Great
–
Portrait by George Christoph Grooth of the Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseyevna around the time of her wedding, 1745
Catherine the Great
–
Tsar Peter III reigned only six months; he died on 17 July 1762.
10.
Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev
–
Vladimir Sviatoslavich the Great or Volodymyr was a prince of Novgorod, grand prince of Kiev, and ruler of Kievan Rus from 980 to 1015. Vladimirs father was prince Sviatoslav of the Rurik dynasty, in Sweden, with the help from his relative Ladejarl Håkon Sigurdsson, ruler of Norway, he assembled a Varangian army and reconquered Novgorod from Yaropolk. Originally a follower of Slavic paganism, Vladimir converted to Christianity in 988, born in 958, Vladimir was the natural son and youngest son of Sviatoslav I of Kiev by his housekeeper Malusha. Malusha is described in the Norse sagas as a prophetess who lived to the age of 100 and was brought from her cave to the palace to predict the future, malushas brother Dobrynya was Vladimirs tutor and most trusted advisor. His place of birth is identified by different authors either as Budyatychi or Budnik, transferring his capital to Pereyaslavets in 969, Sviatoslav designated Vladimir ruler of Novgorod the Great but gave Kiev to his legitimate son Yaropolk. After Sviatoslavs death at the hands of the Pechenegs in 972, in 977, Vladimir fled to his kinsman Haakon Sigurdsson, ruler of Norway, collecting as many Norse warriors as he could to assist him to recover Novgorod. On his return the next year, he marched against Yaropolk, on his way to Kiev he sent ambassadors to Rogvolod, prince of Polotsk, to sue for the hand of his daughter Rogneda. The high-born princess refused to affiance herself to the son of a bondswoman, so Vladimir attacked Polotsk, slew Rogvolod, Vladimir continued to expand his territories beyond his fathers extensive domain. Although Christianity spread in the region under Olegs rule, Vladimir had remained a pagan, taking eight hundred concubines. He may have attempted to reform Slavic paganism by establishing the thunder-god, Perun, open abuse of the deities that most people in Rus revered triggered widespread indignation. A mob killed the Christian Fyodor and his son Ioann, immediately after the murder of Fyodor and Ioann, early medieval Rus saw persecutions against Christians, many of whom escaped or concealed their belief. However, Prince Vladimir mused over the incident long after, the result is described by the chronicler Nestor. Of the Muslim Bulgarians of the Volga the envoys reported there is no gladness among them, only sorrow and he also reported that Islam was undesirable due to its taboo against alcoholic beverages and pork. Vladimir remarked on the occasion, Drinking is the joy of all Rus and we cannot exist without that pleasure. His emissaries also visited Roman Catholic and Orthodox missionaries, ultimately Vladimir settled on Eastern Orthodox Christianity. If Vladimir was impressed by this account of his envoys, he was more attracted by the political gains of the Byzantine alliance. In 988, having taken the town of Chersonesos in Crimea, he negotiated for the hand of emperor Basil IIs sister. Never before had a Byzantine imperial princess, and one born in the purple at that, married a barbarian, as offers of French kings
Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev
–
Vladimir the Great
Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev
–
Icon of Saint Vladimir,
Novgorod, 16th century
Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev
–
Gold zlatnik (coin) of Vladimir
Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev
–
The Baptism of Saint Prince Vladimir, by
Viktor Vasnetsov (1890)
11.
Vitreous enamel
–
Vitreous enamel, also called porcelain enamel, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C. The powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, so in technical terms fired enamelware is an integrated layered composite of glass and metal. Enamelling is an old and widely adopted technology, for most of its history mainly used in jewelry, enamelled and enamelling are the preferred spellings in British English, while enameled and enameling are preferred in American English. The term enamel is most often restricted to work on metal, enamelled glass is also called painted, and overglaze decoration to pottery is often called enamelling. The word enamel comes from the Old High German word smelzan via the Old French esmail, or from a Latin word smaltum, used as a noun, an enamel is usually a small decorative object coated with enamel. Since the 19th century the term also to industrial materials and many metal consumer objects, such as some cooking vessels, dishwashers, laundry machines, sinks. The ancient Egyptians applied enamels to stone objects, pottery, and sometimes jewellery, the ancient Greeks, Celts, Georgians, and Chinese also used enamel on metal objects. Enamel powder could be produced in two ways, either by powdering coloured glass, or by mixing colourless glass powder with pigments such as a metallic oxide, designs were either painted freehand or over the top of outline incisions, and the technique probably originated in metalworking. Once painted, enamelled glass vessels needed to be fired at a high enough to melt the applied powder. Ancient Persians used this method for colouring and ornamenting the surface of metals by fusing over it brilliant colours that are decorated in an intricate design and called it Meenakari. Gold has been used traditionally for Meenakari Jewellery as it holds the enamel better, lasts longer, initially, the work of Meenakari often went unnoticed as this art was traditionally used as a backing for the famous kundan or stone-studded jewellery. This also allowed the wearer to reverse the jewellery as also promised a special joy in the secret of the hidden design, the Byzantine enamel style was widely adopted by the barbarian peoples of Migration Period northern Europe. The Byzantines then began to use cloisonné more freely to create images, the champlevé technique was considerably easier and very widely practiced in the Romanesque period. In Gothic art the finest work is in basse-taille and ronde-bosse techniques, from either Byzantium or the Islamic world, the cloisonné technique reached China in the 13-14th centuries. The first written reference to cloisonné is in a book from 1388, cloisonné remained very popular in China until the 19th century and is still produced today. Starting from the century, the Japanese also produced large quantities of very high technical quality. A resurgence in enamel-based art took place near the end of the 20th century in the Soviet Union, led by artists like Alexei Maximov, in Australia, abstract artist Bernard Hesling brought the style into prominence with his variously sized steel plates. Enamel was first applied commercially to sheet iron and steel in Austria, industrialization increased as the purity of raw materials increased and costs decreased
Vitreous enamel
–
Cloisonné enamel plaque,
Byzantine Empire, ca. 1100
Vitreous enamel
–
Detail of painted enamel dish, Limoges, mid-16th century, attributed to
Jean de Court,
Waddesdon Bequest
Vitreous enamel
–
The murder of
Thomas Becket, detail from a reliquary in
champlevé enamel,
Limoges
Vitreous enamel
–
Chinese
cloisonné enamel wine pot, 18th century
12.
Ermine (heraldry)
–
Ermine in heraldry is a fur, or varied tincture, consisting of a white background with a pattern of black shapes representing the winter coat of the stoat. When ermine is specified as the tincture of the field, the spots are part of the tincture itself, the ermine spot, however, may also be used singly as a mobile charge, or as a mark of cadency signifying the absence of a blood relationship. On a bend ermine, the follow the line of the bend. In the arms of William John Uncles, the field ermine is cut into bendlike strips by the three bendlets azure, so the ermine tails are depicted bendwise, though ermine and vair were the only two furs known to early armory, other variations of these developed later. Ermines is the reverse of ermine – a field sable semé of ermine-spots argent, erminois is ermine with a field Or instead of argent, and pean is the reverse of erminois. Erminites is supposed to be the same as ermine, except that the two lateral hairs of each spot are red, james Parker mentions it, as does Pimbley, though by the formers admission this is of doubtful existence. Arthur Charles Fox-Davies describes it as a silly of former heraldic writers, other combinations of tinctures are explicitly stated, as in gules ermined argent. Flag of Brittany Flag of Norfolk Fox-Davies, A. C, the Art of Heraldry, An Encyclopædia of Armory. Continued, from Every Womans Encyclopaedia, an article detailing the fashion and history of ermine coats and cloaks
Ermine (heraldry)
–
A
stoat in winter fur.
Ermine (heraldry)
–
The
coat of arms of the former
Duchy of Brittany
13.
Mantle (vesture)
–
A mantle is an ecclesiastical garment in the form of a very full cape that extends to the floor, joined at the neck, that is worn over the outer garments. Unlike the Western cope, the mantle is only by monastics. The klobuk is worn over the mantle, the mantle was originally a cape worn simply to ward off the cold. The mantle was first mentioned in the Old Testament, as a garment worn by several prophets including Elijah, and Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more, and he took hold of his own clothes, and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither, and Elisha went over. Depictions of monks on icons show the mantle in use from the earliest Christian times, the original monastic mantle was of simple material, black, brown or grey, depending on what was at hand. As time went on, the use of mantles of a particular color, in the contemporary practice of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Monks & Nuns wear solid black mantles. They also wear veils, differing between traditions and rank, in common practice, monks wear a black veil that covers a Kalimavkion, a cylindrical hat. Abbesses also wear this same veil and hat while nuns only wear the veil, Nuns have been wearing a veil, in addition to the mantle since at least the 11th Century. The monastic mantle is worn by Orthodox Christian monks and nuns of the Lesser Schema, in the Greek practice the use of the mantle by those of the Lesser Schema is less common. The mantle worn by a monk or nun is black, joined at the neck. In the Russian tradition, the mantle is usually pleated and it may or may not have a train. Over the centuries, much symbolic meaning has come to be attributed to the mantle, mantle is a monastic vestment, the mantle is bestowed a second time if he becomes a Schemamonk. An Hegumen or Hegumenia wears the monastic mantle. When an Orthodox monk or nun dies, they are vested in their religious habit, a strip of cloth is torn from the bottom of their mantle and is used to bind their body three times, around the chest, around the waist, and around the feet. The upper two tablets will often be embroidered with crosses, the tablets symbolize the fact that the Archimandrite will guide the brethren according to the commandments of God. The four tablets being symbolic of the Old and the New Testaments, when an archimandrite dies, his mantle is laid on his coffin in place of a funeral pall. Among the Greeks, it is common for all regardless of rank, to wear a red mantle, however
Mantle (vesture)
–
Bishop Mercurius of
Zaraisk wearing the episcopal mantle (Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral, New York).
Mantle (vesture)
–
Portrait of
archbishop Gavriil wearing an episcopal mandyas (Alexey Andropov, 1774,
State Russian Museum,
Saint Petersburg).
Mantle (vesture)
–
Painting of the monk
Isidore of Pelusium, wearing a black mantle, from the Menologion of Basil II, 11th Century.
Mantle (vesture)
–
Icon of Saint
Sergius of Radonezh wearing the black monastic mantle.
14.
Monogram
–
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, a series of uncombined initials is properly referred to as a cypher and is not a monogram. Monograms first appeared on coins, as early as 350BC, the earliest known examples are of the names of Greek cities who issued the coins, often the first two letters of the citys name. For example, the monogram of Achaea consisted of the letters alpha, a famous example of a monogram serving as an artists signature is the AD used by Albrecht Dürer. Over the centuries, monograms of the name of Jesus Christ have been used as Christian symbols, the IX monogram consists of the initial Greek letters of the name Jesus Christ, I for Ιησούς, and X for Χριστος. The IHS Christogram, denoting the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus, is written as a cypher. Perhaps the most significant Christogram is the Chi Rho, formed from the first two letters of Χριστος, monograms of the names of monarchs are used as part of the insignia of public organizations in kingdoms, such as on police badges. This indicates a connection to the ruler, however, the royal cypher, so familiar on pillar boxes, is not technically a monogram, since the letters are not combined. Royal monograms often appear on coins, frequently surmounted by a crown, countries that have employed this device in the past include Bulgaria, Great Britain, Russia, Sweden and many German states. Today, several Danish coins carry the monogram of Margrethe II, the only countries using the Euro to have a royal monogram as their national identifying mark are Belgium and Monaco. In Thailand royal monograms appear on the flag for each major royal family member. An individuals monogram is often a very fancy piece of art used for stationery, for adorning luggage, for embroidery on clothing and these monograms may have two or three letters. Married or engaged couples may use two-letter monograms of their entwined initials, married couples may also create three-letter monograms incorporating the initial of their shared surname. For example, the monogram MJA might be used for Michael, however, monogramming etiquette for the married couple varies according to the item being monogrammed. Linens, for example, typically list the womans given initial first, followed by the shared surname initial. Monograms can often be found on dress shirts where they can be located in a number of different positions. Some companies and organizations adopt a monogram for a logo, usually with the letters of their acronym, for example, as well as having an official seal, and the Texas Longhorns logo, the University of Texas at Austin uses a UT monogram. The New York Yankees baseball team uses a monogram on their ball cap insignia
Monogram
–
Monogram of the
Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie), formerly above the entrance to the
Castle of Good Hope in
South Africa.
Monogram
–
The
Chi-Rho, a monogram of the first two letters of the Greek word for
Christ.
Monogram
–
Speciedaler of
Denmark, bearing the double C7 monogram of
Christian VII.
Monogram
–
Logo on cover of 1896 edition of
The American Claimant by
Mark Twain
15.
Sash
–
A sash is a large and usually colorful ribbon or band of material worn around the body, draping from one shoulder to the opposing hip, or else running around the waist. The sash around the waist may be worn in daily attire, ceremonial sashes are also found in a V-shaped format, draping from both shoulders to the stomach like a large necklace. In Latin America and some countries of Africa, a presidential sash indicates a presidents authority. Sashes traditionally form part of military attire. Most of the European Royal families wear sashes as a part of their royal regalia, some orders such as the Légion dhonneur include sashes as part of the seniormost grades insignia. Likewise Italian military officers wear light blue sashes over the shoulder on ceremonial occasions. Sashes are a feature of some regiments of the modern French Army for parade dress. In its traditional Franco-Algerian or zouave form the sash was four metres in length, in the historic French Army of Africa, sashes were worn around the waist in either blue for European or red for indigenous troops. At the time of the American Civil War silk sashes in crimson were authorized for officers, generals continued to wear buff silk sashes in full dress until 1917. In the Confederate Army of the Civil War period sash colour indicated the corps or status of the wearer. For example, gold for cavalry, burgundy for infantry, black for chaplains, red for sergeants, green or blue for medics, and grey or cream for general officers. With the exception of the West Point Band Drum Major, today the West Point cadet officer is the person in the US Army who wears a sword and sash. The modern British Army retains a scarlet sash for wear in certain orders of dress by sergeants and above serving in infantry regiments, over the right shoulder to the left hip. A similar crimson silk net sash is worn around the waist by officers of the Foot Guards in scarlet full dress, the same practice is followed in some Commonwealth armies. The present day armies of India and Pakistan both make use of waist-sashes for ceremonial wear. The colours vary according to regiment or branch and match those of the turbans where worn. Typically two or more colours are incorporated in the sash, in vertical stripes, one end hangs loose at the side and may have an ornamental fringe. The practice of wearing distinctive regimental sashes or cummerbunds goes back to the nineteenth century
Sash
–
A painting of
Captain Kidd with a red sash around his waist.
Sash
–
Prince Louis, Duke of Nemours wearing a red sash (Legion of Honour) as part of a ceremonial military uniform. Date 1840s.
Sash
–
The sashes of the
French Foreign Legion are blue.
Sash
–
Elaborately emboroidered sash from 1635-1642.
16.
Necklet
–
A neck order is a type of decoration which is designed to be worn and displayed around a persons neck, rather than hung from the chest as is the standard practice for displaying most decorations. Most of the insignia of orders are issued in several degrees which include a neck order version for Commanders. In countries which do not typically bestow orders with degrees, neck orders are usually considered to be high-ranking decorations. In the Middle Ages most orders were worn on a collar – see livery collar, later, in the 16th century the insignia of the French Order of the Holy Spirit were worn on a ribbon. For comfort, the ribbon was put under one shoulder when riding, giving birth to the sash order. When, in the late 17th century, orders were divided into several classes, a decoration in that rank is usually awarded to high-ranking officials like brigadiers, consuls and secretaries of State. A female usually wears her commanders cross on a bow on the shoulder of her dress, in chivalric orders like the Order of Malta or the German Order the insignia of the knights is worn hanging from a ribbon around the neck. The same is true of the Order of the Golden Fleece, a number of nations confer honors which are signified in the form of an insignia on a collar or chain, including, Order of the Garter. Order of the Seraphim Order of St Olav, Order of the Chrysanthemum, Collar Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, Collar. Order of the National Coat of Arms, Collar, Order of the White Star, Collar. Order of the Three Stars, Collar, Order of the Seal of Solomon. Order of the Queen of Sheba, Order of the Liberator General San Martin. Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, chain of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary Order of Merit. Order of Saint James of the Sword, Order of the Pioneers of Liberia. Order of the Tower and Sword, Order of the Star of Romania. The Order of Merit or Order of the Companions of Honour, knights Cross of the Iron Cross Grand Cross of the Iron Cross Commanders Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary Royal Order of Sahametrei, if rank of Commander. Order of Ontario Medal of Honor, Legion of Merit, if at the rank of Commander. The Legion of Merit is awarded in degrees only to foreign nationals, presidential Medal of Freedom Texas Medal of Valor Order Chivalric orders Livery collar Duckers, Peter
Necklet
–
Chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Necklet
–
The
Medal of Honor of the United States is worn hanging from a light blue neckband ribbon.
17.
Ribbon
–
A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of materials such as silk, velvet, cotton, and jute and of synthetic materials, such as polyester, nylon. Ribbon is used for innumerable useful, ornamental, and symbolic purposes, cultures around the world use ribbon in their hair, around the body, and as ornamentation on non-human animals, buildings, and packaging. Some popular fabrics used to make ribbons are satin, organza, sheer, silk, velvet, the word ribbon comes from Middle English ribban or riban from Old French ruban, which is probably of Germanic origin. Along with that of tapes, fringes, and other smallwares, the essential feature of a ribbon loom is the simultaneous weaving in one loom frame of two or more webs, going up to as many as forty narrow fabrics in modern looms. A loom in which several narrow webs could be woven at one time is mentioned as having working in Dantzig towards the end of the 16th century. Similar looms were at work in Leiden in 1620, where their use gave rise to so much discontent and rioting on the part of the weavers that the states-general had to prohibit their use. The prohibition was renewed at intervals throughout the century. In 1676, under the name of the Dutch loom or engine loom, it was brought to London, in 1745, John Kay, the inventor of the fly-shuttle, obtained, conjointly with Joseph Stell, a patent for improvements in the ribbon loom. Since that period, it has benefited by the applied to weaving machinery generally. Ribbon-weaving is known to have been established near St. Etienne as early as the 11th century, and that town has remained the headquarters of the industry. During the Huguenot troubles, ribbon-weavers from St. Etienne settled at Basel, krefeld is the centre of the German ribbon industry, the manufacture of black velvet ribbon being there a specialty. In England Coventry is the most important seat of ribbon-making, which is also prosecuted at Norwich and Leicester. While satin and other sorts of ribbon have always used in lingerie. This upsurge led to increased ribbon manufacturing as well as new, presently, the North American continent remains the largest importer of ribbon and ribbon derivative products. Inspired by European silk ribbons obtained through trade, Great Lakes, typewriters and dot matrix printers use a cloth or plastic ribbon to hold the ink. Pieces of ribbon are used as symbols of support or awareness for social causes and are called awareness ribbons. Ribbons are used in ceremonies, such as in a ribbon cutting ceremony
Ribbon
–
Ribbons
18.
Order of Merit for the Fatherland
–
The Order For Merit to the Fatherland is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on March 2,1994 by Presidential Decree 442, until the re-establishment of the Order of St. Andrew in 1998, it was the highest Order of the Russian Federation, though it is still the highest Civilian decoration of the state. The Order of St. Andrew decoration is given to Military personnel only, the statute of the Order was modified on January 6,1999 by Presidential Decree 19 and again on September 7,2010 by Presidential Decree 1099. The Order For Merit to the Fatherland is a mixed civilian, the highest of the four classes is the Order I class, the lowest being the Order IV class. These classes are awarded sequentially from the IV to the I class, in exceptional cases, the President of the Russian Federation may decide to award the Order For Service to the Fatherland to persons not previously awarded state awards of the Russian Federation. Soldiers receiving the Order For Merit to the Fatherland for distinction in combat will receive the Order with Swords, the order has a collar and four classes. The collar is the insignia of the President of the Russian Federation. The four classes of the Order are individually identified by the size, cross, Is a silver-gilt ruby-enamelled cross pattée bearing the gilt state emblem of the Russian Federation on its obverse. On the reverse of the cross is a circular medallion surrounded by the motto BENEFIT, HONOUR, in the center of the medallion, the year of the establishment of the Order 1994. On the reverse of the arm of the cross, laurel leaves. The cross for the Order I class measures 60mm across and is affixed to a 100mm wide red sash worn over the right shoulder. The cross of the II and III classes measures 50mm across and is worn on a 45mm wide red neck ribbon for the II class, the cross for the IV class measures 40mm across and hangs from a standard pentagonal mount covered by a red 24mm wide ribbon. Star, The star of the Order is eight pointed, 82mm across and of highly polished silver. At its center on the obverse if a circular medallion bearing the gilt state emblem of the Russian Federation. Around the medallion, a red enameled band with the motto of the Order BENEFIT, HONOUR, the reverse has the serial number of the Order engraved on the lower arm. A cavalier of an order is an individual who as received a grade of an order, a full cavalier of an order is an individual who has sequentially earned every class of that order. The individuals listed below are among those who have been so honoured, Awards and decorations of the Russian Federation The Commission on State Awards to the President of the Russian Federation
Order of Merit for the Fatherland
–
Star and Badge of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"
Order of Merit for the Fatherland
–
Cross with Swords
Order of Merit for the Fatherland
–
Order III class Neck Cross
Order of Merit for the Fatherland
–
Political and state security figure
Nikolai Patrushev
19.
Boris Yeltsin
–
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was a Soviet and Russian politician and the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999. Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the reforms as one of Gorbachevs most powerful political opponents. During the late 1980s, Yeltsin had been a member of the Politburo, no one had resigned from the Politburo before. This act branded Yeltsin as a rebel and led to his rise in popularity as an anti-establishment figure, on 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of the Russian Supreme Soviet. However, Yeltsin never recovered his popularity after a series of economic. He vowed to transform Russias socialist economy into a capitalist market economy and implemented economic shock therapy, price liberalization, due to the sudden total economic shift, a majority of the national property and wealth fell into the hands of a small number of oligarchs. The well-off millionaire and billionaire oligarchs likened themselves to 19th century robber barons, in October 1993, troops loyal to Yeltsin stopped an armed uprising outside of the parliament building, leading to a number of deaths. Yeltsin then scrapped the existing Russian constitution, banned political opposition, on 31 December 1999, under enormous internal pressure, Yeltsin announced his resignation, leaving the presidency in the hands of his chosen successor, then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin left office widely unpopular with the Russian population, Yeltsin kept a low profile after his resignation, though he did occasionally publicly criticise his successor. Yeltsin died of heart failure on 23 April 2007. Boris Yeltsin was born in the village of Butka, Talitsky District, Sverdlovsk, USSR, growing up in rural Sverdlovsk, he studied at the Ural State Technical University, and began his career in the construction industry. In 1934 Nikolai Yeltsin was convicted of anti-Soviet agitation and sentenced to hard labour in a gulag for three years, Nikolai remained unemployed for a period of time and then worked again in construction. His mother, Klavdiya Vasilyevna Yeltsina, worked as a seamstress, Boris studied at Pushkin High School in Berezniki. In 1949 he was admitted to the Ural Polytechnic Institute in Sverdlovsk, majoring in construction, the subject of his degree paper was Construction of a Mine Shaft. From 1955 to 1957 he worked as a foreman with the building trust Uraltyazhtrubstroy, from 1957 to 1963 he worked in Sverdlovsk, and was promoted from construction site superintendent to chief of the Construction Directorate with the Yuzhgorstroy Trust. In 1963 he became chief engineer, and in 1965 head of the Sverdlovsk House-Building Combine, responsible for sewerage and he joined the ranks of the CPSU nomenklatura in 1968 when he was appointed head of construction with the Sverdlovsk Regional Party Committee. In 1975 he became secretary of the committee in charge of the regions industrial development. In 1976 the Politburo of the CPSU promoted him to the post of the first secretary of the CPSU Committee of Sverdlovsk Oblast, Yeltsin was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 17 March 1961 to 13 July 1990, and a nomenklatura member from 1968
Boris Yeltsin
–
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
–
Boris Yeltsin (second from left) with childhood friends
Boris Yeltsin
–
Boris Yeltsin with
Raisa Gorbacheva.
Boris Yeltsin
–
Yeltsin on 21 February 1989
20.
List of Metropolitans and Patriarchs of Moscow
–
The following is a list of Metropolitans and Patriarchs of Moscow, spiritual heads of the Russian Orthodox Church, since 1308. In 1316 the Metropolitan of Kiev changed his see to the city of Vladimir, in 1589, the see was elevated to a Patriarchate. The Patriarchate was abolished by the Church reform of Peter the Great in 1721 and replaced by the Most Holy Governing Synod, the Patriarchate was restored in 1917 and suspended by the Soviet authorities in 1925. It was reintroduced for the last time in 1943, during World War II by the initiative of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus List of Metropolitans and Patriarchs of Kiev List of current patriarchs List of current Christian leaders List of Orthodox churches
List of Metropolitans and Patriarchs of Moscow
–
Domestic church of the Patriarchs of Moscow.
List of Metropolitans and Patriarchs of Moscow
–
St. Job, the first patriarch of Russia.
List of Metropolitans and Patriarchs of Moscow
–
Patriarch Philaret.
21.
Soviet Union
–
The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a socialist state in Eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991. It was nominally a union of national republics, but its government. The Soviet Union had its roots in the October Revolution of 1917 and this established the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and started the Russian Civil War between the revolutionary Reds and the counter-revolutionary Whites. In 1922, the communists were victorious, forming the Soviet Union with the unification of the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, following Lenins death in 1924, a collective leadership and a brief power struggle, Joseph Stalin came to power in the mid-1920s. Stalin suppressed all opposition to his rule, committed the state ideology to Marxism–Leninism. As a result, the country underwent a period of rapid industrialization and collectivization which laid the foundation for its victory in World War II and postwar dominance of Eastern Europe. Shortly before World War II, Stalin signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact agreeing to non-aggression with Nazi Germany, in June 1941, the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, opening the largest and bloodiest theater of war in history. Soviet war casualties accounted for the highest proportion of the conflict in the effort of acquiring the upper hand over Axis forces at battles such as Stalingrad. Soviet forces eventually captured Berlin in 1945, the territory overtaken by the Red Army became satellite states of the Eastern Bloc. The Cold War emerged by 1947 as the Soviet bloc confronted the Western states that united in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949. Following Stalins death in 1953, a period of political and economic liberalization, known as de-Stalinization and Khrushchevs Thaw, the country developed rapidly, as millions of peasants were moved into industrialized cities. The USSR took a lead in the Space Race with Sputnik 1, the first ever satellite, and Vostok 1. In the 1970s, there was a brief détente of relations with the United States, the war drained economic resources and was matched by an escalation of American military aid to Mujahideen fighters. In the mid-1980s, the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, sought to reform and liberalize the economy through his policies of glasnost. The goal was to preserve the Communist Party while reversing the economic stagnation, the Cold War ended during his tenure, and in 1989 Soviet satellite countries in Eastern Europe overthrew their respective communist regimes. This led to the rise of strong nationalist and separatist movements inside the USSR as well, in August 1991, a coup détat was attempted by Communist Party hardliners. It failed, with Russian President Boris Yeltsin playing a role in facing down the coup. On 25 December 1991, Gorbachev resigned and the twelve constituent republics emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union as independent post-Soviet states
Soviet Union
–
Vladimir Lenin addressing a crowd with Trotsky, 1920
Soviet Union
–
Flag
Soviet Union
–
Stalin and
Nikolai Yezhov, head of the
NKVD. After Yezhov was executed, he was
edited out of the image.
Soviet Union
22.
Abbasgulu Bakikhanov
–
He was an officer in the Imperial Russian Army from 1820 and participated in the Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828. He later retired and settled in Quba, but traveled extensively within Russia, according to other sources, Bakikhanov was born on 10 June 1794. His childhood contemporized with an epoch in the history of the Caucasus—the era of battles between Russia and Persia over political domination in the region. Bakikhanov was the son of the 9th khan of Baku, Mirza Muhammed II and he began his academic studies at the age of 7 and soon excelled in Persian. In 1813, seven years after the loss of the sovereignty, the family moved to Quba, where Bakikhanov studied social and life sciences, humanities. Within the next ten years, he learned Arabic, Turkish, in 1818, he established the first Azeri literary society Golestan-i Iram. His poetry at this early phase displayed Bakikhanovs deep moral and philosophical involvement in Islam, in 1820, he enlisted in the Russian army as an interpreter and got a commission for taking part in suppressing the rebellious Kazikumukh Khanate. In 1826, Bakikhanov married Sakina, daughter of Kalb Huseyn agha, Bakikhanov actively participated in political life of the Caucasus. He was a member of the Russian diplomatic mission that was in charge of negotiating border issues between Russia and Persia in the 1820s, in 1823, he assisted in gathering ethnographic information for the Description of the Province of Karabakh. In 1828, he was among the Russian military command under General Paskevich that took part in negotiations with Persia. He managed to convince Khan Ehsan of Nakhchivan, as well as a number of Kurdish leaders of Persia to ally with Russia, the year after Bakikhanov was awarded the 4th Degree Medal of St. Vladimir for participating in the siege of Kars in the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829. Bakikhanovs religious views were generally liberal due to major European influences and he criticized fanaticism among the religious masses and the Obscurantism of the clergy. He promoted the Islamic culture in the region and in Russia as a whole and his ultimate goal was to establish a Muslim college in Baku and an Oriental languages school in Tblisi. In 1832, he came up with a project for establishing an educational institution for Muslims, where subjects would be taught in Russian, Persian. He went further, and wrote a number of textbooks through which students were expected to study, the project was sent to the governor of the Caucasus for approval but unfortunately was disregarded and never looked into. Bakikhanov also translated several fables by Ivan Krylov into Azeri — however and his greatest accomplishment in the field of education was writing Qanun-i Qudsi, the first Persian grammar manual published in history. Bakikhanov wrote his first book under religious influence from the Muslim communities of Quba, at the same time, Riyadh al-Quds was Bakikhanovs reflection piece on Shia mystic literature, such as Jila al-Uyun by Muhammed Baghir Majlisi. Golestan-e Eram is one of his works and dedicated to the history of the East Caucasus from Ancient Times to 1813
Abbasgulu Bakikhanov
–
Abbasgulu Bakikhanov
Abbasgulu Bakikhanov
–
Bakikhanov's Memorial in
Baku
23.
Charles Broke Vere
–
Major-General Sir Charles Broke Vere KCB KCH, né Broke, was a British soldier and Conservative Member of Parliament. He was the son of Philip Bowes Broke and the brother of Rear-Admiral Sir Philip Broke. After service during the Battle of Castricum, Broke fought under the Duke of Wellington in the Napoleonic Wars, for his gallantry at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 he was awarded the Russian Order of St. Vladimir and the Dutch Order of Wilhelm. In 1822 he took the surname of Vere in addition to Broke then in 1825, upon Wellingtons recommendation, he was then appointed aide-de-camp to King William IV and he also represented East Suffolk in the House of Commons between 1835 and 1843. Broke Vere died in April 1843, at the age of 64, hansard 1803–2005, contributions in Parliament by Sir Charles Vere
Charles Broke Vere
–
Portrait by William Salter
24.
Angus Buchanan (VC)
–
Buchanan was the son of a doctor from Coleford, Gloucestershire. He was educated at Monmouth School, where he was head boy, in 1913 he went to Jesus College, Oxford to study Classics. One of his tutors described him as Thoroughly Scotch and rather reserved and he rowed for the College in 1914, played rugby and was Secretary of the Athletics Club. He then joined the army, where he served in Gallipoli and he was awarded the Military Cross in 1916, and was mentioned four times in despatches. The award was announced in a supplement to the London Gazette of 26 September 1916 and his Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to award the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned Officers, Non-commissioned Officers and Men, — Lt. Angus Buchanan, S. Wales Bord. During an attack an officer was lying out in the severely wounded about 150 yards from cover. Two men went to his assistance and one of them was hit at once, Captain Buchanan, on seeing this, immediately went out and, with the help of the other man, carried the wounded officer to cover under heavy machine gun fire. He then returned and brought in the man, again under heavy fire. A newsreel film shows him being invested with the Victoria Cross, in July 1916 he was also awarded the Russian decoration of the Order of St. Vladimir 4th Class. Buchanan was shot in the head in 1917 by a sniper and he returned to Jesus College after the war and read law, rowing for the college in 1919 despite his blindness. After graduating in 1921, he worked in an office in Oxford before returning to Coleford to work until his death in 1944. He returned to Monmouth School in 1921 for the marking the dedication of the schools war memorial. Funds were raised in Coleford to mark his bravery, which he asked to be used to give children somewhere to play and he is buried in Coleford Cemetery, next to the recreation field named in his honour. His Victoria Cross was displayed at the South Wales Borderers Museum in Brecon but is now in the Lord Ashcroft VC Collection in The Imperial War Museum]. Monuments to Courage The Register of the Victoria Cross Captain Angus Buchanan of Coleford, Gloucestershire, who is invested by the King with the Victoria Cross and the Military Cross
Angus Buchanan (VC)
–
Angus Buchanan VC MC
25.
Robert Henry Dick
–
Sir Robert Henry Dick KCB KCH KOV was a Scottish soldier, son of a doctor in the East India Companys service. He entered the British Army in 1800 serving in the 75th Regiment and he was lieutenant in the 42nd Regiment of Foot in 1804. He served as an officer in the 42nd Regiment of Foot serving in the Peninsular War and he fought at Buçaco, Fuentes de Oñoro, and Salamanca. He distinguished himself at Quatre Bras and Waterloo 1814 he received his C. B.1832 he received his K. C. H, in 1837, he was promoted to be major general, and in 1841–1842 was acting Commander-in-Chief at Madras. In 1846, he assumed command of the Third Infantry Division in the Sikh War and he fell while leading a second charge against Sikh entrenchments at Sobraon. He is buried at Ferozepore, Here lies in the hope of joyful resurrection Sir Robert Henry Dick of Tully Mett, major-General Knight Commander of the Orders of the Bath and of Hanover, Knight of the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa and of the Russian Order of Vladimir. For his country he fought & bled, in Egypt at Maida throout the Peninsula at Waterloo & in India, for his valour and skill at Fuentes donor Busaco Salamanca and Waterloo he received two medals and two honorary clasps. Honoured and beloved he lived honoured and lamented he died, february 10th 1846 Raised in grateful admiration by the public of the Presidency of Madras, where, for some time, he held tho Chief Military Command. Michael, Portugal, Quatre Bras, Waterloo, Sobraon, a memorial also exists in St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. His portrait, by William Salter, is in the National Portrait Gallery and this article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, Gilman, D. C. Thurston, H. T. Colby, F. M. eds. article name needed
Robert Henry Dick
–
Robert Dick
26.
Ivan Gannibal
–
Ivan Abramovich Gannibal was an eminent Afro-Russian military leader. He was the son of military commander and politician Abram Petrovich Gannibal, as well as the great-uncle of Russias most famous poet, Gannibals ultimate military rank was Général en Chef. Gannibal was the oldest of 10 children born to Abram Gannibal and his Swedish wife Christina Regina Siöberg in Karjaküla, Reval Governorate, Gannibal was destined for a military career from an early age, entering the Naval Artillery School in the imperial capital at the age of 9. He would eventually graduate from the Naval Academy and join the Imperial Russian Navy as an officer, at the height of the Russo-Turkish War, the 34-year-old Gannibal, in the rank of Brigadier, took a leading role in the siege and capture of the Ottoman fortress of Navarin. The Russian Mediterranean Expeditionary Force under the command of Count Alexey Grigoryevich Orlov, three of the vessels were sent toward shore with a forward force of 300 men and a number of artillery pieces, under Gannibals command. The forward force commenced an artillery barrage on the fortress, eventually forcing its surrender after several days of bombardment, the Russians would use Navarin as a temporary naval base for the following several months. Gannibal was awarded the Order of St. George, third degree, Gannibal also took part in the Battle of Chesma later on in 1770. During the battle he was aboard the battleship St. Eustathius, Gannibal had to be rescued from the water after the explosion. In 1772 Gannibal was promoted to Major-General, and in 1776 he was given in the command of the naval artillery in the Imperial Navy. The following year,1777, he was appointed by Empress Catherine II to a seat in the Russian Admiralty, in 1778 Gannibal was appointed commander of the Kherson fortress, which he was tasked with building along with the surrounding city, on the order of Catherine II. He took to the task with zeal, erecting a functioning fortress, Gannibal is considered to be one of the founders of the city of Kherson. One of the squares of Kherson bears his name, Gannibal retired from the army in 1784, having fallen out with Prince Grigory Potyomkin. His ultimate rank was Général en Chef, the rank as his father two decades before. Gannibal retired to his fathers estate in the village of Suyda near the capital city, there he died, childless and a lifelong bachelor, in 1801. He was buried in the Lazarevskoe Cemetery in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra
Ivan Gannibal
–
Portrait of Ivan Gannibal
Ivan Gannibal
–
Another portrait
27.
Alexander Kolchak
–
Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak CB was a polar explorer and commander in the Imperial Russian Navy, who fought in the Russo-Japanese War and the First World War. His government was based in Omsk, in southwestern Siberia, for a year and a half, Kolchak was the internationally recognised leader of Russia. As his White forces fell apart, he was betrayed and captured by independent units who handed him over to local Bolsheviks, Kolchak was born in Saint Petersburg in 1874 to a family of minor Russian nobility. His father was a retired major-general of the Marine Artillery and a veteran of the 1854 siege of Sevastopol, Kolchak was educated for a naval career, graduating from the Naval Cadet Corps in 1894 and joining the 7th Naval Battalion. He was soon transferred to the Russian Far East, serving in Vladivostok from 1895 to 1899 and he then returned to western Russia and was based at Kronstadt, joining the Russian Polar expedition of Eduard Toll on the ship Zarya in 1900 as a hydrologist. After considerable hardship, Kolchak returned in December 1902, Eduard Toll with three other explorers continued further north and were lost, Kolchak took part in two Arctic expeditions and for a while was nicknamed Kolchak-Poliarnyi. For his explorations Kolchak received the highest award of the Russian Geographical Society, in December 1903, Kolchak was en route to St. In the early stages of the Russo-Japanese War, he served as officer on the cruiser Askold. He made several sorties to lay naval mines, one of which succeeded in sinking the Japanese cruiser Takasago. He was decorated with the Order of St. Anna 4th class for the exploit, as the blockade of the port tightened and the Siege of Port Arthur intensified, he was given command of a coastal artillery battery. He was wounded in the battle for Port Arthur and taken as a prisoner of war to Nagasaki. His poor health— led to his repatriation before the end of the war, Kolchak was awarded the Golden Sword of St. George with the inscription For Bravery on his return to Russia. He served on the Naval General Staff from 1906, helping draft a shipbuilding program, a program, and developing a new protection plan for St. Petersburg. Kolchak took part in designing the special icebreakers Taimyr and Vaigach, based in Vladivostok, these vessels were sent on cartographic expedition to the Bering Strait and Cape Dezhnev. Kolchak commanded the Vaigach during this expedition and later worked at the Academy of Sciences with the materials collected by him during expeditions. His study, The Ices of the Kara and Siberian Seas, was printed in the Proceedings of the Russian Imperial Academy of Sciences and is considered the most important work on this subject. Extracts from it were published under the title The Arctic Pack, in 1910 he returned to the Naval General Staff, and in 1912 he was assigned to the Russian Baltic Fleet. The onset of the First World War found him on the flagship Pogranichnik, commanding Admiral Essen was not satisfied to remain on the defensive and ordered Kolchak to prepare a scheme for attacking the approaches of the German naval bases
Alexander Kolchak
–
Admiral Kolchak
Alexander Kolchak
–
Kolchak on Zarya
Alexander Kolchak
–
Signature Supreme Ruler Alexander Kolchak
Alexander Kolchak
–
Draft Russian government Сoat of arms
28.
Mikhail Lermontov
–
His influence on later Russian literature is still felt in modern times, not only through his poetry, but also through his prose, which founded the tradition of the Russian psychological novel. Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov was born in Moscow into a noble family. He had been captured by the Russian troops in Poland in the early 17th century, family legend asserted that George Learmonth descended from the famed 13th-century Scottish poet Thomas the Rhymer. Lermontovs father, Yuri Petrovich Lermontov, like his father before him, having moved up the ranks to captain, he married the sixteen-year-old Maria Mikhaylovna Arsenyeva, a wealthy young heiress of a prominent aristocratic Stolypin family. Lermontovs maternal grandmother, Elizaveta Arsenyeva, regarded their marriage as a mismatch, on October 15,1814, in Moscow where the family temporarily moved to, Maria gave birth to her son Mikhail. The marriage proved ill-suited and the couple grew apart. There is no evidence as to what had precipitated the quarrels theyve had. An earlier biographer, Pavel Viskovatov, suggested the discord might have been caused by Yuris affair with a woman named Yulia. Apparently it was her husbands violent, erratic behavior and the stresses that accounted for Maria Mikhaylovnas early demise. Her health quickly deteriorated, she developed tuberculosis and died on 27 February 1817, nine days after Marias death a final row broke out in Tarkhany and Yuri rushed away to his Kropotovo estate in Tula Governorate where his five sisters resided. Yelizaveta Arsenyeva launched a formidable battle for her grandson, promising to disinherit him if his father took the boy away. Eventually the two agreed that the boy should stay with his grandmother until the age of 16. Father and son separated and, at the age of three, Lermontov began a spoilt and luxurious life with his grandmother and numerous relatives. This bitter family feud formed a plot of Lermontovs early drama Menschen und Leidenschaften, in June 1817 Yelizaveta Alekseyevna moved her grandson to Penza. In 1821 they returned to Tarkhany and spent the six years there. The doting grandmother spared no expense to provide the young Lermontov with the best schooling and he received an extensive home education, became fluent in French and German, learned to play several musical instruments and proved a gifted painter. While living with the grandmother, Mikhail hardly met with his father, but the boys health was fragile, he suffered from scrofula and rickets and was kept under close surveillance of a French doctor, Anselm Levis. Colonel Capet, a Napoleon army prisoner-of-war who settled in Russia after 1812, was the boys first, a German pedagogue, Levy, who succeeded Capet, introduced Mikhail to Goethe and Schiller
Mikhail Lermontov
–
Mikhail Lermontov in 1837
Mikhail Lermontov
–
Signature
Mikhail Lermontov
–
Maria Mikhaylovna Lermontova (1795–1817), the mother of the poet
Mikhail Lermontov
–
Yuri Petrovich Lermontov (1787–1831), the poet's father
29.
Nicholas I of Russia
–
Nicholas I was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855. He was also the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland and his biographer Nicholas V. Riasanovsky says that Nicholas displayed determination, singleness of purpose, and an iron will, along with a powerful sense of duty and a dedication to very hard work. He saw himself as a junior officer totally consumed by spit. A handsome man, he was nervous and aggressive. Trained as an engineer, he was a stickler for minute detail, in his public persona, says Riasanovsky, Nicholas I came to represent autocracy personified, infinitely majestic, determined and powerful, hard as stone, and relentless as fate. His reign had an ideology called Official Nationality that was proclaimed officially in 1833 and it was a reactionary policy based on orthodoxy in religion, autocracy in government, and Russian nationalism. He was the brother of his predecessor, Alexander I. Nicholas inherited his brothers throne despite the failed Decembrist revolt against him and his aggressive foreign policy involved many expensive wars, having a disastrous effect on the empires finances. He was successful against Russias neighbouring southern rivals as he seized the last territories in the Caucasus held by Persia by successfully ending the Russo-Persian War and he ended the Russo-Turkish War successfully as well. Later on, however, he led Russia into the Crimean War with disastrous results, historians emphasize that his micromanagement of the armies hindered his generals, as did his misguided strategy. Fuller notes that historians have concluded that the reign of Nicholas I was a catastrophic failure in both domestic and foreign policy. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its zenith, spanning over 20 million square kilometers. Nicholas was born at Gatchina Palace in Gatchina to Grand Duke Paul, five months after his birth, his grandmother, Catherine the Great, died and his parents became emperor and empress of Russia. He was a brother of Emperor Alexander I of Russia, who succeeded to the throne in 1801. Riasanovsky says he was, the most handsome man in Europe, Nicholas was not brought up to become the Emperor of Russia, he had two elder brothers. However, as both of them failed to produce sons, Nicholas remained second in the line of succession, in 1825, when Alexander I died suddenly of typhus, Nicholas was caught between swearing allegiance to his second-eldest brother, Constantine Pavlovich, and accepting the throne for himself. The interregnum lasted until Constantine, who was in Warsaw at that time, additionally, on 25 December, Nicholas issued the manifesto proclaiming his accession to the throne. That manifesto retroactively named 1 December, the date of Alexander Is death, during this confusion, a plot was hatched by some members of the military to overthrow Nicholas and to seize power
Nicholas I of Russia
–
Portrait by
Franz Krüger
Nicholas I of Russia
–
Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich (ca. 1821).
Nicholas I of Russia
–
Nicholas I "Family Ruble" (1836) depicting the Tsar on the obverse and his family on the reverse:
Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna (center) surrounded by
Alexander II as
Tsarevich,
Maria,
Olga,
Nicholas,
Michael,
Konstantin, and
Alexandra [2]
Nicholas I of Russia
–
Monument to Nicholas I on
St. Isaac's Square
30.
Fyodor Matisen
–
Fyodor Andreyevich Matisen was an officer of the Russian Imperial Navy, hydrographer, and explorer. Matisen explored and mapped wide areas of the coast of the Kara Sea and he was a friend of Alexander Kolchak and a member of the Russian Geographical Society and the Russian Academy of Sciences. After having been senior officer and second-in-command, Matisen became the captain of Polar ship Zarya during the last part of the Russian polar expedition of 1900–02 led by Baron Eduard Toll, Fyodor Andreyevich Matisen graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps in 1897. Barely two years later he took part in the 1899 Russian expedition to Svalbard, owing to the experience in polar exploration he acquired in Svalbard Matisen was chosen for Tolls Polar expedition on behalf of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He was named assistant to commander of Polar ship Zarya Nikolai Kolomeitsev, matisens friend Alexander Kolchak accompanied the expedition as third naval officer and hydrographer. All leading officers were from military background, during the first wintering of Zarya close to Taymyr Island, the disagreements between Toll and Kolomeitsev became unsurmountable. Finally Eduard Toll sent Kolomeitsev away on a long trip overland with the mission of organizing coal depots for the ship. When the former captain was gone Matisen was appointed by Toll as Zaryas commander, in March, while Zarya was still stuck in ice, Matisen explored the Nordenskiöld Archipelago on dogsled through the frozen sea as far as Russky Island. From there he swung SW, then south through another region of the large archipelago, after the thaw, Matisen led Zarya across the Laptev Sea to the New Siberian Islands. The aim of Tolls expedition was to explore well the area north of the New Siberian Islands, however, Zarya was trapped in fast ice and was unlikely to be freed that winter. Leaving the ship, Eduard Toll and three companions went in search of Sannikov Land on foot and kayaks and they vanished in November 1902 while travelling away from Bennett Island towards the south on loose ice floes. The Zarya was able to set sail only on 11 August 1902, finally Captain Matisen abandoned the attempt and sailed towards the Lena river delta. Baron Eduard Toll and his party were never found, despite this tragedy, the expedition was not a failure. Many important oceanographic investigations were carried out, so that the study of data continued till 1917, besides, the Expedition plotted about 200 new geographical names on the map of the Arctic region. After exploring the mouths of the Lena River Commander Matisen left a badly leaking Zarya to sink at Tiksi Bay, on 6 August 1903, after forwarding all scientific equipment to Saint Petersburg, the ship was stripped and its hull was allowed to fill with water. Matisen lowered the flag of the Neva Yacht Club for the last time, Matisen returned to Yakutsk on board ship Lena with Captain Yershevskiy. Apparently Zaryas remains still lie close to Brusneva Island at Bukhta Tiksi, in 1904-1905 Matisen saw active service in the Russo-Japanese War. He was a navigator on cruiser Zhemchug which was rushed to Tsushima to assist the Russian fleet
Fyodor Matisen
–
Fyodor Matisen in uniform
Fyodor Matisen
–
The mouths of the
Lena River, another complex area surveyed by Matisen. (Photo:
Landsat 2000)
Fyodor Matisen
–
Russian Polar ship Zarya in 1910
Head of the House of Romanov
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
