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This permanent exhibition sets out the history of the coat of arms as a special, multifaceted symbol signifying individuals, communities, cities and state, tracing it back to its very origins. The language of symbols began early in history and over the course of time has been a universal medium of human communication and of state policy. A large part of the exhibition is devoted to Russian heraldry – state, family and territorial. The Museum of Heraldry includes exhibit items from the pre-existing exhibition called “State Symbolism of Russia.” The history of the Russian state coat of arms can be traced through its various depictions in medals, Byzantine and Russian coins, banners, heralds’ emblems and uniforms. Visitors to the exhibition can see the coats of arms of the most illustrious Russian princely families – the Sheremetievs, Yusupovs, Stroganovs, Bobrinskys, Paskeviches and Naryshkins. The wide-ranging material on display includes tokens and service plates, works of silver and porcelain – all showing the heraldry of Russia. One of the unique items shown here is the Konstantin ruble. Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich (1778-1831) was the second son of Emperor Paul I and as such was tsarevich and official heir to the throne. However, in 1822 he renounced his rights to the crown. Konstantin reconfirmed his abdication after hearing of the death of Alexander I. Nonetheless, the State Council insisted on taking the oath of allegiance to the official successor of the dead emperor, tsarevich Konstantin Pavlovich. During the short period of the interregnum, the St Petersburg Mint prepared dies and produced six test (proof) coins with the portrait of Konstantin. On 14 December 1825, following the firm refusal of Konstantin to ascend to the throne, the oath of allegiance was transferred to his younger brother, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich. The minted proof coins, preparatory drawings and three sets of dies (of which two were incomplete, as it turned out) were withdrawn from the St Petesrburg Mint and for more than 50 years were stored in the archives of the Ministry of Finances. In 1878, at the behest of Emperor Alexander II, five of these very rare sample Konstantin rubles were distributed among the Emperor’s closest relatives, while one was given over to the Coins Cabinet of the Imperial Hermitage. The remarkable collection of Western European coins from the Hermitage traces the developmental stages of heraldic symbols in numismatics over time from their appearance in the middle of the 13th century to our own day. The coins on display show the basic (shield, variations on the segmentation of the field, helmet) and supplemental (crown, Orders and signs of distinction, ribbons, mantle) elements of a coat of arms, heraldry on the coins of emperors and kings, lay and ecclesiastical feudal lords, coins with heraldry of republics and cities. The coins are grouped by country, which enables the visitor to follow the evolutionary process of state heraldry in England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, the countries of Scandinavia and Poland. The depiction of coats of arms on coins serves special political goals. It reflects military and political alliances, the ascent to the throne of rulers from other states, and marital alliances. One can see here coins from Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome The exhibition also displays coins with the portraits and seals of famous historical personalities such as the Emperor Maximilian I, Empress Maria Theresa, Frederick II, Oliver Cromwell, Albert Wallenstein and many others. Objects of decorative and applied art like arms, dishes and tableware, jewelry were typically richly decorated with heraldry. |
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Copyright © 2006 State Hermitage Museum |
