On the sacred ceremony of the wedding and anointing of kings to the kingdom

Article by A.V. Gorsky. Written in 1856. Tsar-loving Russia deeply feels and expresses with overwhelming solemnity the joy of its Tsar on the day of his sacred crowning. And in the high light the royal majesty of God’s anointed appears on this wedding day. In the sanctuary of God, among the elected members of the state, sovereign power, based on the law of succession to the throne, is sealed by sacred rites; the Autocrat of a powerful monarchy receives the blessing from the King of Kings in order to be a living instrument of God’s providence, a servant of God. By the sacred anointing, the spiritual strength of God's chosen one is renewed, so that he can bear the burden of great service, so that through his direction in the earthly kingdom the citizens of the heavenly kingdom are prepared. A visible participant in the royal power of Him, to Him was given all power in heaven and on earth, approaches the throne of the Almighty and becomes the closest participant in the Divine meal. Imagining the significance of the sacred wedding and anointing of our Orthodox kings, we involuntarily feel the desire to explain to ourselves the beginning and origin of this institution of the Orthodox Church and the Orthodox state. For this we need to turn to the institutions of the Greek Church and Empire and to the ancient national monuments. The times of the first Christian emperors do not provide any indication of special church rites upon their accession to the throne. This is explained, among other things, by the consideration that the first sovereign patrons of the church ascended the throne even before the adoption of St. baptism. Only some hint of church rituals has been preserved in the legend of Emperor Theodosius the Great. Church historian, bl. Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus, narrates that when Theodosius, after the famous victories over the Goths, appeared at the court of Emperor Gratian, then, as a sign of his reign, he saw in a dream that St. Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, clothed him with royal purple and placed a crown on him. This circumstance would hardly have been noticed by history if St. Meletius did not really take part in the crowning of Theodosius. True, Theodoret himself notes that Theodosius received signs of royal dignity from Gratian 1: but having been baptized in Solun and then arriving in Constantinople, he could also accept the church blessing for the feat of reign from St. Meletius, who then, at the head of the second ecumenical council, was engaged in organizing the affairs of Orthodoxy in Constantinople. The royal wedding then was not separate from the accession to the throne, or from the proclamation of the emperor. In this haste of coronation and in other circumstances that accompanied it, one can discern traces of the custom of those times when accession to the throne was associated with the vague movement of the Praetorians. Here are some features from the coronation rites of the Eastern emperors, in the fifth and sixth centuries. After the death of Marcian, Leo 2 was elected to the throne by the general consent of the Senate. The proclamation of his election was to take place on the vast Field of Mars, in the presence of all military and civil officials and Patriarch Anatoly. Countless crowds of people and troops gathered here with them. Banners and banners, as a sign of grief over the deprivation of the emperor, lay thrown to the ground. Voices began to be heard in the meeting: “Hear, O God, we pray to you, let Leo be king.” Leo also appeared. They elevated him to a higher place. Banners and banners immediately rose from the ground. Greetings thundered from everywhere: “Leo Augustus! God gave you. May God protect you. Let the Lion reign for many years." Following this, the newly elected king, surrounded by closed ranks of soldiers, was dressed in royal clothes, and then a diadem was placed on him. In such decoration, with a shield and a spear in his hands, he again appeared to the people and made a speech to them, in which he promised tireless activity in the government and announced his favors to the troops. The ancient description of these rites 3 does not say anything about church prayer, when conferring the distinctions of royal dignity: but the presence of Patriarch Anatoly at this suggests that he took part in this, corresponding to his rank. At the end of these rituals, the emperor solemnly marched into the city. On the way, he brought thanks to the Lord God, first in the camp church, then in the famous church of St. John the Baptist, where his venerable head was kept, finally in the great church of Constantinople. When entering the church, the emperor usually took off his crown each time; and in the church of St. John the Baptist and in the great church, placing it on St. the throne, at the same time, brought its gifts to the sanctuary, which consisted of church utensils. In the great church he listened to the liturgy, and at the end of the prayer the patriarch himself placed a crown on his head. In a similar way, the election and crowning of Emperor Anastasius 4 took place, only not on the Field of Mars, but in the hippodrome, for greater visibility. At first, he was raised on a shield; then in one of the palace chambers he put on the royal decorations: a mantle and a crown. At the same time, it is noted in the description that Patriarch Euthymius performed a prayer and the song was: “Lord have mercy.” After the coronation, Anastasius also brought thanksgiving to the Lord in the great church, entering it without a crown; brought his crown into the sanctuary and honored the church with his gifts 5 . The peculiarity of Anastasiev’s coronation, which was retained during the wedding of subsequent emperors, was that, before the coronation, the patriarch recognized it as necessary to ask the newly elected Sovereign for a confession of faith and a promise to preserve Orthodoxy on the throne, and Anastasius fulfilled what was required 6 . His successor, Anastasia Justin, was also proclaimed emperor at the hippodrome 7. In the presence of Patriarch John and all the ranks, they raised him on a shield; then, in the ranks of the soldiers, he was clothed in royal clothes, and the patriarch laid a crown on him 8. Justinian the Great, due to the illness of Emperor Justin, was proclaimed emperor in the palace. on Maundy Thursday, and the coronation took place on the first day of St. Easter 9. The modern description directly states that the bishop, i.e., the Patriarch of Constantinople, was present; he prayed and laid a crown on Justinian 10. These were the characteristics of the wedding ceremony of Greek emperors for subsequent times, as the Greek chronicles show. Only more often the wedding took place not on the field, or in the hippodrome, or in the palace, but in the church. Preferably, sovereigns were crowned in the magnificent church of St. created by Justinian. Sofia, but sometimes in other churches of Constantinople. Emperor Phocas was crowned in the church of St. John the Baptist 11. Heraclius himself was crowned 12 and crowned his son Heraclius in the court church of St. Stefan 13. The reigning sovereign usually crowned his wife, placing the crown on her himself. This is how Emperor Justin I crowned his wife Lupicia, who at the coronation was renamed Euphemia 14, Justin II - Sophia 15, Tiberius - Anastasia 16, Phocas - Leontia 17. Often, even during the life of the emperor, we placed a crown on the heir to the throne, despite his youth and even infancy. Sometimes this honor was shared with the father by not one, but two and three of his sons. So Emperor Basil the Macedonian crowned his children Constantine, Leo and Alexander 18. The sovereign laid the crown on his children himself, with the assistance of the patriarch, who performed the prayer. Emperor Constantine, the restorer of icon veneration, was crowned for another five years at the hippodrome. The Patriarch said a prayer, and Constantine's father Leo laid a crown on him 19. In the 10th century, when the rites of various rites performed at the court of Constantinople were collected, the sacred wedding of the kings was given this form: the emperor enters the church of St. Sophia together with the patriarch. In the golden gates leading from the vestibule to the church, he lights candles; goes to salty; prays before the holy gates and, together with the patriarch, ascends to the pulpit. Here the royal purple and crown are already prepared on a special table. The Patriarch prays over the purple, and at the end of the prayer, the closest officials of the court place it on the sovereign. Then he proclaims a prayer over the crown and places it on the head of the sovereign. At the same time, the people exclaim: Holy, Holy, Holy. Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth. After the threefold proclamation of this doxology, there follows the proclamation of many years to the newly crowned king. Then the crowned sovereign returns to his throne and receives worship from all ranks. And the rest,” added in the order of rites, “concerning the supper of love (ἀγάπη) and communion, is performed according to the custom of the holidays 20, i.e. both on great holidays and on the day of coronation, the emperor communed with St. Tain, and a meal was arranged at the court for the highest dignitaries and the patriarch. On the same basis, the oldest church order of the royal wedding in Greek that has come down to us is affirmed. It is brief; consists of only two prayers said by the patriarch. Both of these prayers were included in the rites for the coronation of Russian sovereigns. After the first prayer, the purple is placed on the king, after the second - the crown. Following the coronation, the rites mention the communion of the presanctified saints. gifts and the shouting of the people: glory to God in the highest. The order of rank also indicates some features in the coronation of the emperor's wife or their children. The crown is placed on them not by the patriarch himself, but by the emperor, to whom the patriarch gives it with his blessing 21 . But neither in the chronicles, nor in the court rites for the coronation of Greek emperors, nor in the rites of church rites is there any mention of the anointing of the crowned person with St. peace from the patriarch. However, in the 10th century we also find mention of the anointing of the Greek kings, precisely in the conciliar act of the Church of Constantinople, under Patriarch St. Polyevkte. Some words from this decree were quoted by the interpreter of church rules, Theodore Balsamon, Patriarch of Antioch 22. Here, in terms of its effect, the anointing of kings is compared with the anointing of chrism, which everyone is awarded according to St. baptism. After this, the Greek chroniclers spoke about the accession of sovereigns to the throne. Along with the coronation, they mention anointing, although not always. This is how Nikita Choniates speaks about the anointing of St. peace of Emperor Manuel Komnenos from Patriarch Michael 23; Nicephorus Grigora on the anointing and wedding of the Nicene sovereign Theodore Laskar 24; George Pahimer - about the anointing of Andronikov's son Mikhail 25. The original basis for the connection of the royal wedding with the anointing is, without a doubt, in the Old Testament anointing of the kings of the people of God, according to the Divine through Samuel. This prayer is carried to the Christian kings, which is proclaimed by the patriarch before the laying of the purple. In this prayer, after mentioning the anointing of King David by the prophet Samuel, it reads: “You yourself and now... anoint your faithful servant with the oil of gladness on his clothes with power from on high, place on his head a crown from the honorable stone, and grant him long days, place in his right hand the scepter of salvation, seat him on the throne of righteousness.” As in the words of the prayer following the mention of the anointing with the oil of gladness, one can clearly see the application to various circumstances of the royal wedding - here we mean the vestment of purple, the laying of the crown. the proclamation of many years, the reception of the scepter, the enthronement: it was so natural that the words: anoint with the oil of joy corresponded not only to the spiritual, invisible anointing from the Holy One, but also to the visible anointing with the consecrated chrism from the sacramental celebrant of the Mysteries. How the coronation of the Greek emperors was carried out in conjunction with sacred chrismation is explained in his history by John Cantacuzene, who himself wore the royal crown 26. His description is so detailed and correct that Kodin used it in his presentation of the rituals of the Greek court. 27 Simeon, Archbishop of Thessaloniki, explained the same rite in his interpretation of church rituals. Using these instructions, we can imagine the sequence of the wedding and anointing of the Greek kings in this form. Before being crowned, the sovereign prepared a confession of his faith, which he had to proclaim in the church and then hand over to the patriarch with his own signature. It contained the Nice-Tsargrad symbol of faith and a promise to preserve the apostolic traditions and the establishment of ecumenical and local councils. “I equally promise,” added the crowned sovereign, “to remain and always be a faithful and true servant (δȣ̃λος) and the son of St. the church, its protector and intercessor, and to merciful and philanthropic subjects, as much as possible and proper.” On the morning of the day when the coronation was scheduled to take place, from the steps of the palace, the so-called epicomvia, or bundles containing three gold coins, the same number of silver and the same number of oxen, were thrown to the people, numbering several thousand. Then, in the sight of the people, the crowned sovereign was raised on a shield. This shield was supported by the emperor himself - if his son was crowned - and by the first persons in the state, including the patriarch. Having descended from the shield, the sovereign marched to the church of St. Sofia. Here a special wooden chamber was prepared for him, in which, with the blessing of the bishops, he was dressed in royal clothes: a dalmatic (σάκκος) and a diadim, or a wide girdle 29 . In this vestment, he came out of the palace, took a place on a golden throne placed on a dais, and listened to the liturgy. Before singing: The Holy God, the Patriarch, having ascended to the pulpit, through selected clergy, invited the crowned sovereign to sacred anointing, and, upon his entry into the pulpit, performed the prescribed prayers, calling on the mercy of God on the anointed 30. Along with this, he anointed the head of the sovereign with chrism in the shape of a cross and proclaimed loudly: Holy. This proclamation was repeated three times by the altar servers standing with him on the pulpit, and then by the people. According to the explanation of Simeon of Thessalonica, this word suggested that the king was sanctified by the Holy One, and was consecrated by Christ as the king of the sanctified 31. Then the patriarch laid a crown on the anointed one, exclaiming: ἄξιος (worthy), which was also repeated three times by the clergy and the people. At the same time, the coronation of the empress took place. Having descended from her throne, she stops in front of the salt. The emperor, coming down to her from the pulpit, took the crown blessed by him from the hands of the patriarch and placed it on the head of his wife, while the patriarch proclaimed a prayer for the sovereign, empress and all subjects. But there is no mention of the empress’s anointing. Returning to their thrones, the emperor held a cross in his hand, and the empress held a golden branch. When the time for the great entrance to the liturgy approached, the emperor put on a gold-woven mantle and, with a cross in his right hand and a narphix in his left 32, walked at the head of the clergy carrying St. gifts from the offering in St. altar. Having entered the solea, he greeted the patriarch standing at the royal doors, and the patriarch of the sovereign greeted him with mutual worship. At the same time, one of the deacons burned incense to him and proclaimed loudly: “May the Lord God remember the power of your kingdom in his kingdom, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen.” Then the sovereign, having laid aside his robe, again retreated to his place. When the time came for the communion of St. Tain, the patriarch, through his deacons, invited the sovereign to participate in the holy. meal and the Emperor entered the altar through the holy gates, censing St. a meal around, and then the patriarch. After this, putting off his crown, he accepted from the hand of the patriarch a part of the Body of Christ and a cup with life-giving Blood. Upon the communion of St. Tain, the emperor, having again placed the crown on himself, proceeded from the altar to his throne. At the end of the liturgy, having received the blessing from the patriarch and the bishops present and kissed their hands, the emperor ascended to the elevated chambers of the church (τὰ κατηχȣ́μενα), from where he could be seen by everyone. When he appeared here, many years were publicly proclaimed to him. This is how the royal wedding rites in later times of the Greek Empire are described. But Archbishop Simeon of Thessaloniki, in addition to other distinctions of royal dignity with which the anointed king is adorned, also mentions akaki, or a silk scarf with earth, which was placed on the left hand of the sovereign during coronation, as a reminder of the perishability of earthly greatness. It is known that the Greek emperors used this symbolic sign at other solemn times, holding a cross in their right hand and an acacia in their left 33 . Thus, the description of the rituals of the court of Constantinople, compiled in the 10th century, speaks of the use of acacia on Easter day, but with a different meaning. It says here: “the king has in his right hand the victorious sign of the cross, and in his left - the sign of our earthly being, who has to rise” 34. The same thing was observed on the day of Pentecost 35, the Nativity of Christ, Epiphany and Transfiguration 36. In accordance with the meaning given to Akaki in the explanation of Simeon of Thessaloniki. One Russian traveler, who was in Constantinople during the coronation of Emperor Manuel Palaeologus and his wife, talks about another custom that was then observed during the wedding of sovereigns. He says that at the end of the liturgy and after instructions from the patriarch, before any congratulations from his subjects, “marble makers and grave makers” approach the newly crowned sovereign and, presenting him with various types of marble, ask which one he will order to build his tomb from? 37. However, the name ἀκακία or ἀνεξικακία in its meaning could also convey other edifying thoughts, for example, about kindness. Having reviewed the rituals of the sacred wedding and anointing of the Greek emperors, let us now see how these institutions gradually came to us. The Greek autocrats strictly protected the advantages of their rank from the formidable warriors of the north, who, often invading the borders of the empire, coveted not only its treasures, but also demanded the distinctions of royal dignity: porphyry and a crown. Constantine Porphyrogenitus, in “instructions to his son Roman how to reign,” gives, among other things, a lesson that if the Khazars, Turks, Russians, or some other northern, Scythian people, demand royal clothes or crowns for some services, then answer them that these decorations are provided only to emperors, but they are not always used by them, but only on solemn holidays, and are usually kept in the leading church capitals; that Constantine the Great also placed a spell not to pass them on to others, under threat of excommunication. Declaring the distinctions of the royal rank inaccessible to other rulers, Constantine Porphyrogenitus at the same time prohibits persons of the imperial house from entering into marriage alliances with the leaders of the warlike squads of the north. 38 But the weakness of the empire betrayed its greatness and inviolability. Also the grandson of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, Romanov’s daughter, Anna had to leave the royal palaces and go to the Russian land to be the wife of the sovereign ruler of Russia, St. Vladimir. And the descendants of St. Vladimir, according to the arrangement of God's destinies, gradually rising in their power, inherited from the Greek power both its charters and its royal distinctions. Our ancient historical monuments do not provide definitive indications with which church rites the accession to the throne of our princes, great and appanage, was connected. Most often it is indicated in chronicles by the expression: gray on the table. Our ancestors meant the throne as the supreme throne of the King of all, God: and the table was the throne of earthly kings and princes 39 . So whoever became a prince 40 sat on the princely table. This took place in the cathedral church of the main princely city, with the blessing of the Saint or other clergy. So about V. Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich the chronicle says: “he sat in Kiev on the table of his grandfather and his father, with great honor.” Where this happened is evident from the following words: “Izyaslav went from St. Sophia, and with his brethren, to the Yaroslavl courtyard, and invited the Ugrians with him to dinner and the Kiyans, and that dinner with them in the great courtyard Yaroslavl" 41. So Izyaslav was elevated to the forefather’s throne in the Kiev St. Sophia Church. In a similar way, Vyacheslav Vladimirovich, called to occupy the throne of the Grand Duke, barely entered Kyiv when he went to the church of St. Sophia and there he sat on the table of his grandfather and father 42. In 1206, Grand Duke Vsevolod sent his eldest son Constantine to reign in Novgorod. When releasing him from Vladimir, his father gave him a cross and a sword, saying: “The cross will be your guardian and helper, and the sword will be your storm. God gave you eldership among brothers: and Novgorod the Great is the senior reign in all the Russian land. According to your name, so is your praise.” Upon arrival in Novgorod, Constantine was met by many people and Bishop Mitrofan. It was on a Sunday. We went straight to St. Church. Sofia, and here Constantine was seated with honor on the princely table 43. The Prince of Vladimir in Volyn, Vladimir Vasilkovich, chose Danilov’s son Mstislav as his successor and gave him a letter to do so. Mstislav immediately went to Vladimir, convened the princely boyars and the noblest inhabitants of Vladimir, Russians and foreigners, and entered the cathedral church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Here he ordered the reading of the letter, with which the throne of Vladimir was confirmed for him, and Bishop Evsigny blessed him with a cross erected for his reign 44. In the ancient lists of liturgical books we also find a prayer that was said when blessing the prince on the throne. This prayer is the same as that which is now proclaimed when the saint’s hand is laid on the head of the crowned king. Let us cite it according to the list of the 14th century: “O Lord our God, to the reigning King and Lord of lords, who, like Samuel the prophet, chose His servant David, and anointed him king over Your people Israel! Hear now the prayer of us unworthy, and look down from Thy holy dwelling, and Thy faithful servant (name), whom Thou hast deigned to raise up a king on Thy holy tongue, who hast provided with the honest blood of Thy Only Begotten Son, to anoint with the oil of joy, clothe him with power from above, place on his head a crown from an honorable stone, grant him longevity days, give in his right hand the scepter of salvation, establish him on the throne of righteousness, protect him with the armor of the Most Holy Spirit, strengthen his arm, subdue all filthy tongues in him, plant Thy fear in his heart, and be merciful to the obedient, keep him in immaculate faith, show him the known guardian of Thy Holy Catholic Church's commandments, for let Thy people judge with righteousness and Thy poor with judgment, and save the sons of the poor, and be the heir of Thy heavenly kingdom.” In the manuscript this prayer is inscribed as follows: prayer to bless the king and prince 45. Along with the saint's blessing, of course, the awards of princely dignity were bestowed on the newly appointed prince. What were the differences? In the chronicles of the 13th century, they differ from the accessories of the royal rank. Speaking about the offer of Pope Innocent IV to Daniel, Prince of Galich, to accept the rank of royalty, the chronicler expresses himself as follows: “the pope sent honest ambassadors, wearing a crown and a scepter and a crown, to be called a royal rank” 46. From these words of the chronicler it must be concluded that Daniel, having been a prince for a long time, did not yet have such decorations as were sent to him by the pope. The distinctions of princely dignity included: mania or koch, and a richly decorated hat or hood. Prince Mikhail of Chernigov, preparing to sacrifice for Christ not only his dignity, but also his life, threw himself to the ground in front of his tormentors, saying: “Receive the glory of this light, but I do not want it” 47. When the relics of St. Martyrs Boris and Gleb, Prince of Chernigov Svyatoslav, to heal the ulcer on his body, applied the hands of St. Gleb to the sore spot on the neck, to the eyes and to the crown of the head. During the liturgy service, Svyatoslav felt something piercing his head. And having removed the hood, Svyatoslav found that it was a nail from the hand of the saint. Gleba 48. So the hood was on the prince’s head and in the church during the service. In the ancient list of legends about Boris and Gleb, with depictions of their sufferings and miracles in paintings, St. Boris at prayer in the tent also with his head covered 49. The shape of Svyatoslavov’s hood can be seen in the famous collection bearing the name of this prince, where he himself is depicted with his entire family. Svyatoslav's hood looks like a low, round hat, yellowish in color with a dark red edge. Let us add to this that in the copies of the ancient translation of the Old Testament books, the name klobuk means the high priest's turban 50, and in one place it is given the meaning of a crown 51. From this it is clear that in ancient times the word klobuk did not have the particular meaning that it is currently given; and the closeness of the hood to the mitre gives it the character of a sacred decoration, which could not be added to the church, because it was placed in the church. In that disastrous time, when the Mongol yoke weighed heavily on Russia, and the will of the khan controlled the inheritance of the princely throne, the princes, entering into the administration of their principalities, still turned to the church for blessings. Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich, returning from the horde “with a royal grant,” that is, with approval from the Khan for the great reign, arrived in Vladimir, Metropolitan Kirill, accompanied by the clergy and people, met him with holy icons at the Golden Gates and seated him on the table of his father Yaroslav 52. Even if special officials were sometimes sent from the horde to install the Grand Duke on the throne, this could not interfere with the fulfillment of the church requirement: for the civil rite was performed at the doors of the cathedral church, therefore, either on the way of the prince to the church, or upon leaving the church, where a blessing from above was invoked on the new sovereign 53. But the Mongol yoke has finally been overthrown. The Moscow Grand Dukes, with the blessing of the Lord and the constant assistance of country-loving shepherds, gradually prepared Russia for triumph over its enslavers. John III completed the works of his predecessors. And the same powerful autocrat, the husband of Sophia Palaeologus, the last branch of the Orthodox imperial house, with royal solemnity crowns his grandson with the 54 crown and barmas inherited from the Greek emperors. In the family traditions of the great princes of Moscow, the news was preserved that their ancestor Vladimir Monomakh, the son of a Greek princess, received royal dignity as a gift from the Greek emperor. And this gift, like a precious heritage, together with tradition, passed from one generation to another, from Kyiv to Vladimir, from Vladimir to Moscow. Since the spiritual wills of the great princes have become available to us, we see this inheritance assigned from the father usually to the eldest son. In these wills, the heir to the Moscow throne, with a different property, is given a golden cap and barmas, although they are not called monomachs 55. For the state celebration, John invited a council of saints: Metropolitan Simon, Archbishop of Rostov and five bishops: Suzdal, Ryazan, Tver, Kolomna and Sarsk. An elevation was built in the Assumption Cathedral, just like at the hierarchical installation; and on this dais three chairs have been prepared: for the Grand Duke, for his grandson Demetrius and for the Metropolitan. On a chosen Sunday, February 4, in the morning the barmas and Monomakh's cap were brought to the cathedral and placed on a lectern in the middle of the church. Upon the arrival of the Grand Duke, the Metropolitan with a council of bishops and other clergy began a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos and St. Peter. Before the end of the prayer service, when the last troparia were sung, the Metropolitan and the Grand Duke entered the dais and sat down in their places, and young Demetrius only approached his place and stood in front of them. Then the Grand Duke addressed the Metropolitan with the following speech: “Father Metropolitan! According to the will of God and the ancient custom of our ancestors, the great princes and fathers passed on the great reign to their eldest sons. And I was still with me, blessing my first son Ivan with a great reign: but, by the will of God, my son Ivan was no longer alive. After him, his first son Dimitri remained: and I bless him with me and after me with the great reign of Vladimir, Moscow and Novgorod.” After this speech, the Metropolitan directed Prince Demetrius to take his place, blessed him with the cross and, placing his right hand on his bowed head, proclaimed the prayer that has been used since ancient times when placing kings and princes on the throne, which we cited above. At the end of the prayer, two archimandrites presented it to the metropolitan, and the metropolitan gave it to the Grand Duke to place on the person being supplied. During the imperial wedding in Constantinople, the royal robe was laid on: and here the Grand Duke laid her mantles, or barma, on his grandson. Following the rite of the same royal wedding, the Metropolitan said another prayer, a secret one: “Lord God Almighty and King of the ages! Like earthly man, created by You as King, bow your head and pray to You, Lord of all. Keep him under Your roof, preserve his kingdom, always worthy of You to do this, shine in his days the truth and abundance of peace, so that in his quietness we may live a quiet and silent life in all piety and purity.” Following this prayer, the Metropolitan gave the Grand Duke Monomakh's cap, and the Grand Duke placed it on his grandson, with the saint's blessing. Then followed the end of the prayer service: a special litany and a prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos. After the proclamation of this prayer, when the Metropolitan and the Grand Duke again sat down in their places, the archdeacon on the pulpit proclaimed many years to both great princes. And the Metropolitan with the spiritual council, as well as the other children of the Grand Duke, the boyars and all the people brought congratulations to both sovereigns. The sacred rite is concluded with the metropolitan’s teaching to the newly installed Grand Duke and the Grand Duke’s teaching to his grandson. The Metropolitan’s teaching was brief and simple: “Sir and son, Great Prince Demetrius, by the will of God, your grandfather the Great Prince granted you, blessed you with a great reign. And you, my lord and son, have the fear of God in your heart, love truth, mercy, and righteous judgment; remain obedient to your sovereign and grandfather and prince, and care with all your heart about Orthodox Christianity. And we, our master and son, bless you and pray to God for your health.” The Grand Duke's instructions to his grandson consisted of the same expressions. The great princes then listened to the liturgy: but the chronicle does not speak about the anointing of Demetrius with the holy myrrh and the communion of the holy Mysteries. When leaving the church, Grand Duke Demetrius was showered with money, gold and silver, three times, and the same number of times before the cathedrals of Arkhangelsk and Annunciation, which he visited for worship 56. From this description it is clear that the wedding of Grand Duke Demetrius was arranged and performed according to the ancient Tsaregrad order, which did not mention the anointing of those appointed to the kingdom. And fifty years later, another grandson of John III, having laid on himself the crown of Monomachos, wanted to be anointed with the holy myrrh and take the title of king, with which we have been accustomed since ancient times to designate the Greek autocrats. The son of Grand Duke Vasily Ioannovich, John, having remained three years after the death of his father, was even then blessed to the throne by Metropolitan Daniel. The chronicle recounts this event in remarkable detail. “And the sovereign began,” she says, “to appoint Prince Ivan Vasilyevich to the great reign in the cathedral church of the Most Pure Mother of God, Metropolitan Danilo, and archbishops and bishops, and archimandrites and abbots, and the entire church rank, and princes and boyars and all Orthodox Christianity. The Metropolitan bless him with the cross, and begin to say to him in the highest voice: “God, sir, the great prince Ivan Vasilyevich, Vladimir, Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, Ugra, Perm, Bulgarian, Smolensk and many other lands, tsar and sovereign of all Russia, bless you!” Be good and healthy in your great reign, on your father’s table.” And I began to sing to him for many years” 57. Not crowned then, of course due to his youth, Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich in December 1546 announced to Metropolitan Macarius and the boyars his intention to solemnly crown the kingdom. After a month of 58, this wish was fulfilled. The first half of the ceremony, the wedding itself, took place in the same order as it was done before 59. Only the signs of royal dignity were placed on John by the Metropolitan, and first of all he laid a cross from the life-giving tree, then the barma and Monomakh’s cap; finally handed the scepter into the hands of the new king. The Metropolitan took him to the prepared royal place and seated him on it; and after all he taught him a very extensive lesson. During the liturgy, after the song of the Cherubim, he placed on the king another decoration from Monomakh’s heritage, a gold chain. All these newly mentioned signs of royal dignity were taught without special prayers. After communion with the Holy Mysteries, the Metropolitan, through two deacons, called the Tsar to sacred Chrismation and to communion of the body and blood of Christ. Archbishops and bishops gave St. myrrh, and the Metropolitan anointed the king with it on his forehead, on his ears, on his chest, on his shoulders and on his hands, proclaiming each time: the seal and gift of the Holy Spirit. Finally, the holy gifts were presented to the newly anointed king, but not inside the altar, but in the same place where the anointing took place 60. For ten years John bore the title of Tsar, without worrying about the thought that he had accomplished something unheard of in Rus'. At this time, he accomplished many truly royal feats: he overcame himself, established legislation, and conquered the kingdom of Kazan. In the midst of the labors of his glorious reign, he suddenly had the desire to ask the Patriarch of Constantinople for a “blessing for the wedding” and, as it were, confirmation of the royal dignity he had perceived. Perhaps this desire was aroused in him by Metropolitan Joasaph of Kizi, who was then in Moscow. He could point out that, according to the Greek rule of the royal wedding, the crown should be placed on the appointed king either by the previously crowned sovereign, or by the patriarch, and he alone 61. This local custom, established for centuries and supported in the form of state prosperity, could instill doubt in the soul of John. Be that as it may, as soon as he released the Metropolitan of Kizi to Constantinople, the tsar instructed him to talk with the patriarch “about his royal business,” and at the same time send the former archimandrite of Suzdal Theodorit to ask the patriarch for a conciliar blessing for the royal wedding performed by Metropolitan Macarius 62. Theodoret returned from Constantinople with a reassuring promise that what was required would be fulfilled as soon as the opportunity opened to gather bishops. 63 Four years later, the expected letter was actually received from Patriarch Joasaph and the Council of Greek Saints. In this letter, the patriarch confirms the idea that what was accomplished by Metropolitan Macarius cannot be strong, that only the Roman and Constantinople high priests are given the privilege of crowning kings. But bearing in mind the origin of John from the family of St. Vladimir, who had the Greek princess Anna as his wife, and the granting by Emperor Constantine Monomakh to Grand Duke Vladimir Vsevolodovich of the royal crown and other decorations (as the Russians testified); Equally taking into account the great virtues and benefits of John and the benefits of the requested approval for all Orthodox Christianity, the patriarch and the council, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, allowed John to be and be called a legally crowned king 64. At the same time, the patriarch, as evidenced by Prince. Kurbsky, sent the king a book of the royal wedding 65: but this book did not make any changes in the coronation of kings. The rite of the crowning of Theodore Ioannovich is completely in accordance with the rite of coronation of his parent 66. During the coronation of Boris Feodorovich Godunov, whose accession to the throne was outside the boundaries of the ancient royal order, it also went beyond the limits of the ancient church rite, namely: some additions were made to the previous rank, which, however, were not maintained in subsequent times, except for being taught to the king along with the scepter and orb 67. After laying the royal crown, the patriarch presented the king with an apple or orb, with the following words: “This apple is a sign of your kingdom. Just as we hold this apple in our hands, so hold all the kingdoms given to you from God, keeping them unshakably from your enemies.” Other additions included new prayers and activities. Before performing St. Confirmation, the patriarch said two prayers for the anointed king. Then, having performed the anointing and introduced the king to St. Tain, the patriarch again laid a crown on him with his hand, with the exclamation: axios, and made two more prayers, intensified by prayers, as if wanting to more firmly establish the crown on the head of Boris. The prayers before anointing do not seem harmoniously composed. Of the two prayers during the second laying of the crown on the head of the king, the first is remarkable in its composition, however, with the exception of some expressions. Here it is: “God of Gods and Lord of Lords, Creator of fire-like ranks, Creator of intangible forces, Creator of all things visible and invisible! Everything is accomplished by your power. You commanded the prophet Moses in the Sinai desert to appoint princes and rulers for the correction of Your people Israel. Thou didst deign that the prophet Samuel, from the horn of Thy oil, should anoint Saul as king, and then himself as prophet of the Divine David; - so that the prophet Nathan anoints Solomon king for the correction of the Jewish race and for the glory of Your goodness. In the last summer, You sent down Your Only Begotten Son, the King of the invisible and visible creation, our Lord Jesus Christ, to save the human race from the deception of the devil. He, by his ineffable goodness, for our salvation, gave himself up to crucifixion, tasted death, was resurrected on the third day, and after forty days ascended into heaven, sending his Divine and sacred disciples to preach to the whole world the grace and power of the Divine and worshiped Spirit, in order to establish principles and power throughout the entire earth, for the correction and perfection of Christ-named people... Having been vouchsafed the same grace, I, the sinful and unworthy Patriarch Job, by the goodness of the Most High Spirit, crown the pious autocrat Boris Feodorovich as king, and I pray that the grace of Your Holy Spirit may come upon him. And just as You, Lord, anointed the ancient kings through Your holy prophets, in the new Testament through the most blessed patriarchs, so now, anointed by the grace of the Holy Spirit, Your servant Boris Feodorovich, the autocrat of all Russia, is crowned king, for the building of Your verbal Orthodox flock. Make him worthy to abide in Your Divine commandments. Speak in his heart all that is good about Your Church and about all Your people, so that we too may abide in peace in His peace, strengthened in faith in meekness and truth by the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Ever-Virgin Mary, the glorious and all-praised Apostle saints, the divinely crowned saints and Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine and his mother Helen and all Your saints.” The second prayer, said at the laying of the royal crown, has the form of a general prayer for the king and his wife, who is here called the “newly crowned bride,” although the order does not speak of laying a crown on her. Tsar Vasily Ioannovich Shuisky, and then Tsars Mikhail Feodorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich were crowned in accordance with the original rite of royal wedding adopted under John 68. On the eve of the coronation of Mikhail Feodorovich, at the all-night vigil, a service was held to the life-giving Trinity, the Moscow wonderworkers and St. Sergius. And on the very day of the wedding, a prayer service was performed to the life-giving Trinity, the Mother of God, St. Peter, etc. Sergius. In some details of the wedding of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, a characteristic feature of the time of Patriarch Joseph is visible, when in church rituals they liked to determine everything according to their own reasoning. For example, during the Cherubic song, during the transfer of St. gifts, the Metropolitan of Novgorod, walking with a cross, blessed the king with it 69. The anointing of the king was performed both on the fence and under the fence. The newly anointed king communed with St. gifts immediately after the patriarch, so that after the anointing and communion of the king, the royal chamber was closed again. gates, and the patriarch communed St. The Mysteries of Metropolitans and Other Concelebrants with Him. After the prayer behind the pulpit, the king was presented with the antidor, or “the foot of the holy communion, which is the holy dora, on three dishes: on one - the bread of the Savior, on the other - the bread of the Most Pure Mother of God, on the third - the bread of John the Baptist.” In the ordering of the wedding of Tsar Theodore Alekseevich 70 one can see the peculiarity of a different time, one can see concern for bringing the royal wedding into the closest conformity with Greek institutions and customs. After a speech in which the sovereign expressed his desire to be crowned according to the custom of his ancestors, the patriarch asks him a question: how do you believe and confess the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? And the sovereign answers: for this is my faith: I believe in one God the Father, the Almighty, and so on. Upon confession of faith, the patriarch says: may the grace of the Most Holy Spirit be with you! Following the example of the Greek kings, the crowned sovereign is entrusted with royal clothing; then St. cross, barmas and crown with the same prayers that were proclaimed before. Holy Confirmation began immediately after the communion of the patriarch, all bishops and priests, but before the communion of the deacons. For the communion of St. gifts, the newly anointed king was led through the royal doors into St. the altar was placed near St. I throne “And you will shut the doors of kings,” says the order. - and the most holy patriarch took part of the holy body, put it on the jasper paten, and also put the blood of Christ in the potirium (and that paten and potirium from Rome, by the command of God, sailed by water on the day, to the great Novgrad, under St. Anthony the Roman, I still live for him). And then the most holy patriarch commanded the pious king, saying: I believe, Lord, and I confess, and your secret Supper, etc. And from the paten I gave a part of the life-giving body into the hands of everyone, and the pious sovereign partook of the body of Christ; likewise the offering, the chalice, and the blood of Christ. The communion of the king at the altar was performed with the royal doors closed.” According to the same corrected order, the coronation of the co-reigning John Alekseevich and Peter Alekseevich took place 71. Thus, the rite of the royal wedding, at the end of the 17th century. combined all the institutions and customs of the wedding of Greek emperors and Russian grand dukes and the first tsars and the significant ceremony of presenting the newly installed sovereign with acacia, if not performed literally in our country, then it was replaced by another similar custom. Immediately after the coronation, our sovereigns followed from the Assumption Cathedral to the Arkhangelsk Cathedral. where, according to the ancient expression, “saying goodbye at the graves” of their royal ancestors, they saw the end of the passing away 72. With Peter the Great, the throne of the Russian state acquired new greatness. The rulers of Russia adopted the title of Emperor. The new name did not, however, change the church rites of enthronement. If there are some changes and additions in it, then they depended on other reasons. From this time on, the priesthood of the wedding received its final education. We have seen that even under the great princes, the coronation to the throne was preceded by prayer singing. But this prayer service was not adapted to the sacred rite that was about to begin. And during the coronation of Tsar Theodore Alekseevich and two co-reigning sovereigns, it was performed only by the celebrants. The crowned sovereigns entered the church after the end of the prayer service. In order to prepare everyone through prayer for the great sacred rite, the rite was given a full form of prayer singing 73 . It is preceded by the proclamation of Psalm 100 and the confession of faith. As the crowned sovereign enters the church, the psalm is proclaimed: I will sing mercy and judgment to Thee, Lord. In it, the royal prophet, in the image of his action, prescribes the image of a righteous king. It is noteworthy that the All-Russian Metropolitan Nikifor pointed out this very psalm to the Grand Duke Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh in his instructive message. “I’ll tell you one more thing, my Christ-loving prince,” wrote Nikephoros, “remember the third psalm of the first hour, that is, the hundredth, and sing it with attention: I will sing mercy and judgment to you, Lord, and so on.” This is the true image of what a king and prince should be” 74. So, the proclamation of this psalm before the beginning of the royal wedding is, as it were, the fulfillment of an ancient will. The confession of the symbol of faith by the crowned sovereign aloud to the whole church - as we have already seen - is the fulfillment of another testament of Orthodox antiquity. The composition of the wedding rite, according to the order of prayer singing, had to include some additions, and included: litany, troparion, paremia from the prophets and readings from the Apostle and the Gospel. The petitions of the litany are concentrated in one main subject, the prayer for the king crowned to the kingdom. The troparion is also a short prayer for the king and the kingdom. Reading from the prophet Isaiah 75 about the deliverance of Zion from enemies by the hand of God indicates the basis of the greatness of the Orthodox state. The words of the Apostle, spoken by the Holy Spirit, and the words of our Lord Jesus Christ himself are proclaimed in the church, as the law of the King of Kings himself regarding royal power, and as the basis for the crowning of the king in the name of the Lord and anointing with the mysterious myrrh. This is followed by the wedding itself. Imperial mantle or porphyry with chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was replaced with ancient royal clothing, with barms and a golden chain; the imperial crown replaced the ancient cap or crown of the Monomakhs. But the saint’s prayers with the sign of the cross and the laying on of hands on the head of the sovereign being crowned are the same as those chanted in ancient times. According to the ancient rite, the autocrat, decorated with purple and a crown, accepts the scepter and the orb, sits on his imperial throne and loyally accepts congratulations. But here is a remarkable feature of the imperial coronation: a touching prayer proclaimed by the sovereign kneeling in purple 76. Previously, she could only invisibly ascend from the depths of the crown-bearer’s soul to God, who knows everything; now the entire church council hears and shares this prayer with the king praying. The porphyry-bearing prayer book thanks the King of Kings for conferring the greatest title on earth and together asks, following the example of the wisest of kings, wisdom from above for the improvement of the kingdom entrusted to him for the glory of the All-Holy Name. In accordance with the prayer offered by the monarch, the subjects also offer a prayer with kneeling: a prayer of gratitude for the gift of a king according to God’s heart, and a propitiatory prayer for the sending down to him of everything useful for the passage of a great service, and for the manifestation of Divine goodness to him and through him to all. The “teaching,” previously monotonously repeated at each new crowning ceremony, gave way to the freely spoken speech of the officiating hierarch. The wedding ceremony is completed by the grace-filled renewal of the newly crowned emperor’s strength through St. the sacraments of anointing and communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. Having accepted the sacred anointing, in the way of the sanctified, he enters the sanctuary and begins the Divine meal, as if he had been sanctified. Thus, the essential unity of the imperial wedding with the ancient royal wedding is obvious. But what, due to the nature of the times, our ancient tsars did not dare to do, was worthily introduced by the autocratic will of the first Russian Emperor - namely, the coronation of the wife of the reigning sovereign. Based on ancient examples in the Greek Empire and in commemoration of the high valor of his wife, shown especially amid the dangers of the Turkish war, Peter the Great was pleased to introduce her to the sacred rites of wedding and anointing 77 . The Archbishop of Novgorod officiated. The emperor, himself holding the scepter in one hand, placed the imperial mania and crown on the empress with the other, and handed her the orb. And during the reading, the canon led her to the royal doors, where she was anointed by St. peace on the forehead, on the chest and on both hands, and partook of the life-giving Body and Blood of Christ. From this review it is clear how the sovereign rulers of Russia, constantly taking care that everything was “to the sovereign’s name for honor and advancement,” gradually adopted the institutions and customs of coronation of Greek emperors. At first we see only the royal wedding prayers in use, then the decorations of the royal office. With the adoption of the name of the Tsar, the Russian autocrats are anointed with St. peace. The last anointed kings are introduced into the sanctuary for communion. The first of the Russian emperors places the crown on his wife. Theodoreti histor. Eccles. L. V, pp. 6. Βασιλέα κεχειροτόνηκε. Constantini Porphyrogeniti de cerimoniis Aulae Byzantinae. L. I, p. 91. Ed. Niebuhr. vol. I, p. 410. De cerimon. aul. Byzant. Cap. 92, p. 417. Euagr. Histor. Eccl. III, p. 32. The demand arose due to doubts about the Orthodoxy of Anastasius. De cerimon aul. Byzaut. L. I, p. 93, p. 426. Theophanis Chronographia. Ed. Paris 1855, p. 243. De cerimon. aul. Byzant. 1. II, p. 27, p. 627. Theophan Chronogr., p. 141. Constantin. Porphyrogen, de vita Basilii Imperatoris, cap. 34, 35. Theophan. Chronograph, p. 379. De cerimon. aul. Byz. L. I, c. 35, p. 191. The coronation of Nikephoros Phocas (963) is in accordance with this order, but the end is missing (ibid., p. 433). In the chronicles of the coronation in the church on the pulpit is mentioned in the history of Emperor Michael (811) Theoph. Chronogr., p. 418. Goar, Euchologium Graec. Venet. 1730, p. 726. It is in the interpretation of the 12th rule of the Council of Ancyra. Beveregii Pandectae canonum. Τ. 1, p. 385. ἁμαρτήματα ἀπαλείφει, οἷα καὶ ὅσα ἄν ὦσι, πάντως καὶ τὸ χρίσμα ???? ἐξῆλειψεν. Nice. Choniat. Histor. Ed Paris 1647, p. 36. See also about the coronation of Alexius III Komnenos, b. 294. Nicephori Gregor. Histor. Ed. Paris 1702. T. I, p. 32. 32. Georgii Pachymeris Histor. Andronici. L. 3. Ed. Paris 1666, p. 134. De efficiis curiae Constantinople, cap. 17. De divin. templo eiusque inavguratione, cap. 143–147. In this meaning, the word: diadima is found quite often among later Greek writers. Ducang. Glossar. Graec. T. I, p. 290. ὃ δὲ νῦν καλεῖται διάδημα, ἐλέγετο πάλαι ζώνη στρατιωτική. Codin. de offic, cap. 6, p. 34. Ὁ δὲ πατριάρχης τὰς ἐπὶ χρίσει τῶν βασιλέων συντεϑειμένας δίεισιν ἐυχάς. Ioh. Cantacuzenus. Ἱκετεύει δὲ καὶ εὐμενίζει τὸν Θεὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μέλλοντος χρισϑήσεσϑαι βασιλέως, adds Kodin. The threefold proclamation of the Holy, as we saw above, is found in the “Description of the Rituals of the Court of Constantinople - Constantine the Porphyrogenitus.” But there it appears only as a popular exclamation, and, moreover, apparently does not refer to the person being crowned, but stands alongside prayerful appeals to the Lord God. Moreover, this exclamation, Holy, Holy, Holy, is also mentioned in the coronation of the Empress. De ceremon. aul. Byzant. Lib. 1, cap. 40? p. 202. Νάρϑηξ was the name of a branch or small rod, with an image of a cross at the top, resembling a scepter. Codin. de offic. C VI, p. 37. De ceremon. aul. Byzant. LII. Cap. 52, p. 766. Ibid. L.I.C.I.p. 22, 25. Russian vremennik, part I, p. 311, ed. 1820. The coronation described here dates back to 1392. De administratione imperii. P. XIII. We see this in the Sixth Day of John, Exarch of the Bulgarian. An expression in our chronicles corresponding to the word: reigned. Full collection Russian Chronicle, vol. 2, p. 159. Complete collection of Russian. Chronicle, vol. 2, p. 56. Complete collection of Russian. Chronicle, vol. 2, p. 57. Full collection Russian Chronicle, vol. 1, pp. 177, 178. See also vol. 3, p. 33. Full collection let., vol. 2, p. 215. Synod. librarian Consumer No. 675, p. 166. Full collection Chronicle, vol. 2, p. 191. Full collection Russian let., vol. 5, p. 185. Full collection Russian let., vol. 5, p. 146. See also. 2, page 72, which speaks of Yaroslav of Galich, sitting in “some place in the klobutz.” 14th century manuscript belongs to the Library of the Moscow Synodal Printing House. See pages 69, 74. On page 58 it is depicted how the Lord Jesus Christ “gives crowns to Boris and Gleb.” And here the princes are represented in hats; and in the hands of the Savior for each of them is a crown. Namely: Ex.28:39,40, 29:9, 36:36; Lev.8:13, 16:4; Ezek.21:26, 44:18. The Slavic translation of the Pentateuch and the Prophets belongs to the deepest antiquity. It is in the translation of Zechariah 8:5. It reads here: and place the crown and the clean cowl on his head, whereas the Greek text only speaks of the mitre. Full collection Russian letop., vol. 1, p. 202. Nikonov. let., vol. 3, p. 34. “When the great prince Vasily Vasilyevich left the Horde, and with him the ambassador Mansyr Ulan Tsarevich, he placed him in a great reign - at the Most Pure One at the Golden Doors” Complete. collection let., vol. 5, p. 264. Assembled. state gram., vol. 1. No. 21, 25, 34, 41, 42, 86 and 87. Spiritual wills of Ioann Danilovich, Ioann Ioannovich, Dmitry Ioannovich, Vasily Dmitrievich, Vasily Vasilyevich. Full collection Russian let., vol. 6, pp. 241–243. Full collection Russian let., vol. 4, p. 293. Additional to act. history, vol. 1. No. 39. Ancient vivliof. ed. 2, part VII, page 4. Royal book, page 129. The description of the coronation in the Royal Book is not complete. The narrator seems to have followed the rites of Dimitriev’s wedding in the description of the rituals. Later, someone saw the need to add to the story: but did not know the order of the ritual. Codin (de officiis Constantinopol, cap. XVII. 21) directly says: στέμμα ἐπιτίϑησι τῇ κεφαλῇ τοῦ νέου Βασιλέως) μόνος ὁ Πατριάρχης. See also the story of Nikephoros Gregoras (Lib. 2, cap. 2, 1. 1.), where he condemns the Bulgarian Archbishop Demetrius for arrogating to himself the right to anoint St. peace of the king. {a strange-looking footnote sign without the text of the footnote itself. Edition of the ABC of Faith. } Conciliar charter of the clergy of the Eastern Church, confirming the rank of king for V.K. John IV Vasilievich, ed. book Obolensky. 1850, art. 30. Cathedral Charter, p. 11, and its literal translation, p. 17. Tales of the book Kurbsky. Ed. 2, p. 138. The rite of the crowning of Fyodor Ioannovich in the Collection. State gram. G. 2, No. 51. The rite of the crowning of Boris Godunov in the Addendums to the Acts of History. G. 1, No. 145. The rite of the royal wedding of Vasily Ioannovich in the Act. archaeogr. forwarding T 2. No. 47 - Mikhail Fedorovich - to the state. literacy T. 3. No. 16 – Alexey Mikhail. – in ancient Vivliof., part VII, p. 234. “When he made his way out at the cherubic song, Metropolitan Affony came to the sovereign king and blessed his great sovereign with the honorable and life-giving cross of the Lord, which he carried on his carrier.” Printed in ancient times Vivliof., part VII, p. 301. Ancient Vivliof. Part VII, p. 405. In this form the coronation of Empress Catherine I took place. Acts. Petra Vel. Ed. 2. G. 10, p. 62. Russian Remember. Part 1, page 74. This prayer is not included in the rite of coronation of Empress Catherine I, since this prayer is proclaimed on behalf of the actual reigning ruler. But she is already in the rank of coronation of Empress Anna Ioannovna. You might be interested in: