Description
Foreign Orders of Russian Emperors in the Collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museums (Иностранные ордена российских императоров в собрании музеев Московского Кремля) by Liudmila Gavrilova IN RUSSIAN
Published 2018 (УДК 629.628.7 ББК 63.211-3 Г12 ISBN 978-5-88678-321-6) Hardback, high/quality illustrations
The Kremlin collection of foreign orders of Russian emperors and empresses dates back to the reign of Peter the Great and spans the period until the end of the reign of the Romanov dynasty, covering the most interesting and significant events in the history of the Russian state. The highest European orders of knighthood awarded to Russian sovereigns, beginning with Peter the Great, as well as the awards of the Middle and the Far East, Asia and America, marked the Russian Empire’s period of strengthening on the international arena, its great foreign policy achievements and the confirmation of its status as a world power. Each admission of the Russian emperors into the ranks of European chivalrous orders was a sign of the country’s recognition as an equal and its inclusion into the circle of the most powerful and influential European states. We should not forget that the exchange of highest state awards was one of the epoch’s most important instruments of foreign policy, ensuring the improvement of diplomatic relations and guaranteeing the acquisition of political allies. Each order bestowed upon the Romanovs, marked a new stage in the strengthening of imperial power in Russia, increasing its significance and authority on the international stage. Foreign orders’ insignia of the Russian rulers are remarkable not only as jewel craft masterpieces executed in gold and silver, decorated with multicolored enamel and precious stones but also as symbols of Russia’s diplomatic and military victories.
