Etiquette, protocol, and various ceremonies occupy a significant place in public life and accompany a person throughout all of it. In recent years, interest in the history of Russia’s ceremonial culture has noticeably grown—above all, in court and state rituals of the imperial era. Among works devoted to this topic, a special place belongs to the books of Oksana Yuryevna Zakharova. Here is her new study, opening new pages in the past of our country.
Each era creates its own rituals and, as if in a mirror, reflects them. For the ruling elite, ceremonial practice served as a way to present themselves to society and the world, to express ideas about what is proper and honorable, about beauty and nobility. The book examines exits of the highest dignitaries, equestrian carousels, military parades, ceremonial marches, court balls, diplomatic receptions, coronations, and wedding celebrations—as special forms of public representation. It is emphasized that Russian ceremonies, complex and refined, always contained hidden meanings; they were an external expression of the rich spiritual life of society and reflected the moral level and virtues of the participants.
The edition is addressed to a wide range of readers interested in Russian history, and especially it may be useful for state and public-political figures involved in shaping national ideas, doctrines, and new spiritual directions of the Russia that is reviving.