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Art, Culture & Society
Kremlin Treasures of the Moscow Kremlin at the Topkapı Palace

2010

Russia at the Ottoman Palace…
The Topkapı Palace which had been the center of the state administration of the Ottoman Empire for nearly four centuries, is preparing to host the masterpieces of the Kremlin Palace. The exhibition “Kremlin Palace Treasures are in the Topkapı Palace” is inviting all residents of Istanbul to be the witnesses of the great meeting of the two palaces.
After the “Ten Thousand Years of Iranian Civilization, Two Thousand Years of Common Heritage” exhibition which was financially supported by the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, this second exhibition was formed with the objects that belong to the 16th-17th centuries, the peace period between the Ottoman and Russian empires. Approximately one hundred objects will be displayed in the exhibition, showing the czars with their different sides like being the head of the state and the army commander; during the palace ceremonies and their private lives and also their religious positions.
In the exhibition there are the ceremonial, warfare and hunting weapons which were produced for the czar in the armory, one of the first workshops of the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, which is still operated as the Armory Museum. There are also the ceremonial harnesses for the horses which were produced in another workshop named ‘the Superiority of Stables’; the objects produced by the craftsmen of the gold and silver workshops for the usage of the czars in their private and common lives; the coverings and clothes for both religious and casual usage which were sewed and ornamented with pearls and silver threads by the master tailors and embroiderers, most of them were the daughters of the noble Russian families, under the supervision of the czarina in the Chamber of Czarina.
It is known that the woven, weapons, harnesses and golden jewelry which were imported from the Ottoman lands in 16th and 17th centuries were being registered at the private inventory of the ‘Chamber of External Affairs’ and the most valuable ones were separated for the state treasury; while some of them were used according to their principal functions in the official and casual life of the Palace, some others were used properly with domestic conditions. It is also known that in the 16th century, the Cavalry Units of Russian Army were equipped with the Ottoman weapons and armor and also the harnesses of the Ottoman army were used by the Russians with appreciation; Ottoman fabrics were used by Russian tailors for casual or religious clothing and interior place coverings and also were used at the surface coatings of the horse blankets, saddles, scabbards, shields and armbands of the armors; Ottoman jewelry was used at the daily and the religious life. The objects forming a little part of the Turkish art collection including the weapons like swords, helmets, daggers and the harnesses, jewelry, pocket watches, basins, ewers, ink-holders which had been added to the inventories of Kremlin Palace pursuant to the diplomatic and trade relations between two countries are meeting with the visitors in Istanbul where they were first produced at.
The exhibition: “Kremlin Palace Treasures are in the Topkapı Palace” is open to visit every day between 09:00 - 19:00 in the Topkapı Palace except Tuesdays until 7th of June, 2010.

Information from the Exhibition Visiting
1. Treasures of the Moscow Kremlin at the Topkapı Palace
The exhibition brings together exhibits from the collections of the State Historical and Cultural Museum, The Moscow Kremlin. The exhibit include secular and ecclesiastical vestments embroidered with pearls and precious Stones as well as magnificent gold and silver Works that once adorned the interiors of the Kremlin’s cathedrals and the state and private apartments of the rulers of Moscow. These items, once treasures of the rulers of Russia, include sumptuous harnesses, jewellery, luxurious textiles and elements of the Tsar’s regalia sent from the Ottoman Empire to Moscow in the 16th-17th centuries, as part of the diplomatic and commercial contacts between the two countries.
The exhibition includes weapons produces for ceremonial and military purposes by the Tsar’s armory which was one of the first workshops of the Moscow Kremlin Palace and is now the Armoury Museum. Also displayed are ceremonial harnesses for horses produced by the Stables Office, articles produced and by master jewellers and silversmiths for use in the public and private lives of the tsars, as well as secular garments, church vestments and other textiles embroidered with gold and pearls by skilled seamstresses and embroiderers, most of them daughters of noble Russian families working under the supervision of the Tsaritsa in the Tsaritsa’s Chamber.
Items imported from Ottoman lands into Russia in the 16th and 17th centuries were used in the official and daily lives of members of the Moscow court. Some items were used in keeping with their original function while others were adapted to local customs with –or without- changes. Secular garments and religious vestments, as well as an assortment of upholstery covers for interior use were made from Ottoman textiles adapted to the aesthetic requirements of the Russian court. These textiles were also made into horse blankets, upholstering for saddles, and coverings for scabbards and the inner surfaces of shields and vambraces. Ottoman jewellery exported to Russia and destined for ecclesiastical or secular use included items made with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. Visitors to the Topkapı Palace Museum will have an opportunity, for the first time and in the city where they were created, to view sabres and swords, helmets, harness sets, jewellery, pocket watches, bowls, and writing sets constituting only a small portion of the Turkish arts included in the inventory of the Kremlin Museum- products of the diplomatic and commercial relations between the two states.

2. Diplomatic Relations
Diplomatic relations between the Tsardom of Moscow and the Ottoman Empire went on for almost 500 years. Unlike countries such as Venice, Britain, France, Poland and the Habsburg Empire, Russia had no permanent embassy or representative in Istanbul until 1700. The responsibility of contacts with Moscow was mainly left to the Crimean Khanate. However, we know that Russian envoys on an exchange basis came to the Ottoman Empire at various dates and for a long time, Ottoman envoys went to Russia on a temporary basis. Temporary ambassadors are known to have been sent to Ottoman lands during the rules of Peter I the Great, his daughter Grand Duchess Yelizaveta and Catherine II the Great. The Russian Sefaretnames (the book of embassy) of Mehmed Agha and Mehmed Şehdi Efendi are important sources on this issue and the reports of ambassadors such as Mustafa Raşih Pasha contain important observations on the period of Catherine II the Great.
Relations between the two empires started to change following the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699. The first Russian permanent ambassador sent to Istanbul according to the Istanbul Treaty of 1700 was Pjotr Tolstoy, one of the eminent officers of the navy of Peter I the Great. Pjotr Tolstoy was also the great- grand-father of the famous writer Lev Tolstoy. Tolstoy's reports on the Ottoman empire of the 18th century are important sources for historians. In 1775, according to the exchange agreement, Repnin was exchanged at the Ottoman Russian border with the Turkish ambassador Abdulkerim Pasha and presented his letter of credence. The important Russian ambassadors in the Russo-Ottoman foreign policy were Ignatyev in the 19th century and Zinovyev in the early 20th century. Charikov, who was the undersecretary of the Russian embassy in the last quarter of the 19th century, was a knowledgeable diplomat who wrote quite accurate reports on the Ottoman Empire and was the last Russian ambassador before World War I.
Various works of art were sent to the Ottoman sultans as gifts within the framework of diplomatic relations. The works from the collections of the Dolmabahçe Palace, the Military Museum and the Topkapı Palace that are displayed in this exhibition include medals, porcelain sets sent as diplomatic gifts, silver objects and jewelry as well as objects manufactured by the Faberge Company that made a major impact on the world of jewelry from the second half of the 19th century to the first quarter of the 20th century.

3. Russian Painters in Ottoman Lands And Aivazovsky
Influenced by a passion for Turquerie in the 18th century and Orientalism in the 19th century, numerous European artists came to Ottoman lands and Istanbul and played a major role in the cultural and artistic life of the period. However, with the exception of a few important names, it can hardly be said that Russian painters had a major impact on the artistic milieu of Istanbul at this time. Russian painters did not rush to Eastern cities probably because their country was a close neighbor of the East.
Karl Pavlovich Biyullov (1799-1852;), one of the important Russian romantic painters, came to Istanbul in 1835 and depicted his impressions in his paintings.
The second important Russian painter who came to Istanbul several times and played a major role in the artistic environment of the period was Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (1817-1900). The artist, one of the best known seascape painters of Russia, is also famous for his depictions of naval scenes and ships as well as scenes from the antique world, urban scapes, landscapes and paintings of religious subjects. He won the recognition of the Ottoman Palace with his paintings of Istanbul and received several medals from the sultans.
The famous Russian painter Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin (1842-1904), who was sent to the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78) during the period of Sultan Abdülhamid II (1876-1909) to paint his observations, holds an important place in the art world of the period. The artist, who depicted the war scenes with almost a documentary character, is known in Russia for his paintings of ethnographic and religious subjects. In 1864, Vereshchagin went to Paris and worked in Jean Léon Gérome's (1824-1904) atelier at the same period as Osman Hamdi Bey.

4. Inscription of Sukhumi Fortress
Inscription of the Sukhumi Fortress built on the Black Sea coast at the time of Sultan Ahmed 111 (1708-3o) was brought to the Ottoman palace during the Russian-Ottoman war (1877-78). The inscription is now located in the second courtyard of the Topkapı palace, between the imperial council hall and the gate of felicity.

5. The Tsar as Military Commander
Among th e most important ceremonies at court were those designed to emphasize the Tsar’s status as the chief military leader. These ceremonies made use of various items of weaponry, which had acquired the function of state military regalia. Pride of place amongst these was the Tsar’s saadak. Intended originally to contain his bow and arrows, the saadak had been an important part of a mounted warrior’s equipment, but after the invention of firearms had lost its military purpose and, by the middle of the 16th century, has a purely ceremonial function.
One of the most important court ceremonies was the review of the troops, which generally took place before a military campaign. It took place at Devich’ye Pole, just outside Moscow, and lasted several days. The regiments were issued with armour from the Armoury for this purpose. The Armoury also furnished the best examples of arms and armour, both Russian and foreign.

Processions also played a large part in the ceremony for receiving ambassadors. The ambassadors were received in the Kremlin. Their route through the streets of Moscow was lined with soldiers wearing kaftans of various colours and armed with long rifles or muskets. When they reached the Kremlin their route was lined by courtiers in ceremonial dress, and, from the 1660s on, special officials dressed in a special uniform called a terlik.
The many foreign ambassadors to Moscow always took special note of the richness of the Tsar’s apparel. The attention of many foreign ambassadors to Moscow was also drawn to the ambassadorial or “golden” axes borne on their shoulders by the Tsar’s bodyguard.

6. Harnesses
Goods imported into Russia from the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries were used in the official ceremonies and private life of the Russian court. Some items retained their original functions while others were adapted to local requirements and conditions. Weapons and harnesses were used without adaptations in official ceremonies. Ottoman textiles were usually shipped in fabric bolts and were used to make garments or caparisons, and to upholster saddles, and to cover scabbards and the inner surfaces of shields and vambraces.
In official ceremonies the horses were caparisoned with richly decorated saddles with gold and silver fittings, the entire harness set with precious Stones, and horse blankets threaded with pearls. The stables Office possessed ceremonial accoutrements for horses of both Russian and foreign manufacture, which had been acquired as ambassadorial gifts. Turkish items were much in demand. The exhibition includes several Turkish saddles with silver opravy decorated with precious and semi precious stones, silver and gold mouldings set with diamonds, rubies and emeralds.
Russian saddles, some of which are exhibited, were decorated somewhat differently. Most characteristic of them is the silver oprava (pommel) decorated with jewels. The oprava of one of the displayed saddles which is covered with golden patterned Turkish velvet, has a vegetal pattern in high relief, in the middle of which is the double- headed eagle, the emblem of the Russian state.
In addition to blankets, examples of horse adornments such as stirrups brow bands (reşmi), neck tassels (nauzi) and special leading reins made of silver chains which were attached to the saddle and chimed melodiously when the horse moved are also displayed in this section.

7. Palace Receptions
In all times and in all places, a meticulously ordered court ceremonial was an essential part of the political life of Russia, a visible incarnation of state power. The most significant of these ceremonies were the Tsar’s coronation, his ceremonial public appearances or visits to other parts of his dominions, and the reception of foreign ambassadors. Besides the Tsar and his immediate entourage, these ceremonies involved a multitude of courtiers of all ranks and the unfailing participation of the Orthodox clergy.
Many of the ceremonies at the Russian court ended with a feast. Long tables covered with red cloth were placed in richly decorated halls and laid with gold and silver plate. These imitated the forms of traditional Russian wooden and ceramic vessels, but were made of precious metal, in accordance with their function in the court ceremonial.
Mead, Russia’s favorite drink, was drunk out of shallow bovshy which resemble a duck swimming on the water. Large golden bovshy with wide, flat bottoms decorated with precious Stones and pearls were used to offer drink to honored guests at the banquet. Kvas and wine were drunk fro round vessels with a small foot, called bratiny which were passed round the table “from brother to brother”. For water and non-alcoholic drinks, both short hemispherical cups, known since ancient times, and tall conical glasses were used.
During the reception ceremonies, the most valuable examples of plate were displayed on special dressers called postartsy. These were also used for precious vessels of semi-precious Stone and crystal made in Russia, and similar examples brought by Ottoman embassies.
8. Private life
All the object used b the Tsar and his family in the palace and at official receptions are made of gold and create an impression of fabulous wealth and luxury, with their particular selection of precious Stones and their specific arrangement. The basin and ewer given to the Tsarevich Aleksey Petrovich by his grandmother, the Tsaritsa Natalya Kirillovna, and a lapis lazuli writing set (kalemdan), consisting of an inkwell and a case for reed-pens, and pocket-watches in gold cases decorated with enamel and diamonds displayed here make up only a few examples of these valuable objects. Used in private life by the Tsar and his family, these items were kept in their private apartments. Evidence from the Russian archives points to the capital of the Ottoman state, traditionally known in Russia as Tsar’gad, the Imperial City, as the place where they were made.
Patriarch Nikon’s kaftan, made of fine patterned Ottoman fabric exhibited in this section, is a typical seventeenth-century Russia, the term kaftan was used for a whole group of loose-fitting ankle- length secular garments and were worn in both summer and winter, and were made of different fabrics according to their purpose.
The Kremlin jewellers were masters of all types of enamelling, which became the dominant technique in Russian goldsmiths’ and silversmiths’ work in the second half of the 18th century. The icon of The Old- Testament Trinity commissioned by Tsar Fedor Aleksoevich exhibited in this section has a gold cover covering almost the whole surface of the icon apart from the faces, hands and feet of the holly figures.