IMPERIAL POWER

Gold, diamonds, sapphire (200 carats), diamond (46.92 carats), silver
Height with cross 24 cm Circumference of the ball 48 cm 1762

In preparation for the coronation of Catherine II, only two weeks before the significant event they remembered the power, and then it turned out that the precious stones from the power of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna had long been removed, and the gold was “put into use.” In extraordinary short term court jeweler G.-F. Eckart created a new state.
In the form of a small ball with an immaculately polished gold surface, on a low profiled base, the orb gave the impression of a luxurious product thanks to the belt studded with diamonds and a half-hoop with a cross at the top. These diamond garlands are taken directly from Catherine's dress.
In the early 70s of the 18th century, the state was decorated with two stones that changed it general form. Between the openwork diamond cross and the half-hoop, a huge sapphire weighing 200 carats was placed surrounded by diamonds, and at the junction of the half-hoop with the belt was a large diamond weighing 46.92 carats, a completely clear stone with a bluish tint.

LARGE IMPERIAL CROWN

Made in 1762 for the coronation of Empress Catherine the Great by court jewelers Georg Eckart and Jeremiah Pozier. The crown contains 4,936 diamonds weighing a total of 2,858 carats and 75 pearls. The most expensive crown in the world is crowned with a red spinel, which has no equal in the world. Acquired in 1676 from the Chinese Emperor Kangxi, this stone was long mistakenly considered a ruby.
In the movie "The Elusive Avengers: Crown" Russian Empire“The action unfolds precisely around this regalia. In reality, the crown diamonds also had to travel. The stones spent about 30 years in Ireland, where they arrived immediately after the Russian Revolution as collateral for financial support from friendly Irish Republicans.

V. Borovikovsky. "Paul I wearing the crown, dalmatic and insignia of the Order of Malta." 1820 (?)

SMALL IMPERIAL CROWN
Diamonds, silver.
Height with cross 13 cm, 1801. Masters Y. Duval and J. Duval
It was made by the Duval brothers for the coronation of Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna.

Crown of the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna 1730-1731, master Gottlieb Wilhelm Dunkel.

About two and a half thousand diamonds, rubies and tourmalines, skillfully selected in size, are mounted into the silver frame of the crown. Most of them previously adorned the crown of Empress Catherine I, as well as the dark red tourmaline placed under the irregularly shaped diamond cross. It was purchased in 1676 from the Chinese Bogdykhan by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and subsequently adorned several royal crowns in turn. The weight of this unique piece is one hundred grams.

Heinrich Buchholz (1735-1781. Portrait of Empress Anna Ioannovna.

LARGE AGRAF BUCKLE
Diamonds silver
Length 25 cm, width from 8 to 11 cm 1750s.
Master I. Pozier
This buckle was used to fasten coronation robes lined with ermine on ceremonial days.

DIAMOND HAT
Gold, silver, precious stones 1682 - 1687 Belonged to Tsar Ivan Alekseevich.

Altabasnaya (Siberian) hat. 1684. Belonged to Tsar Ivan Alekseevich

MONOMACH'S HAT

The most famous of all the royal headdresses of the Russian Tsars is the Monomakh Cap.

All Russian tsars and princes, right up to Fyodor Alekseevich, were crowned with this hat. The hat was made in Central Asia, in Bukhara, in the first half of the 14th century, 300 years after the death of Vladimir Monomakh. It also turned out that no connection between the headdress and Monomakh was noted until the beginning of the 16th century; and the Moscow princes, leaving it to their heirs, talked about the “golden cap”. It has also been proven that its first owner was Ivan Kalita. Both the hat and the horse harness (“golden horse tackle”) were presented to Ivan Kalita by his contemporary, the Golden Horde Uzbek Khan.
So there is no way this crown could have belonged to Prince Vladimir Monomakh (c. 960 - July 15, 1015)
Other hats - crowns - are made in the same likeness.

Crown. "Large outfit." Astrakhan hat. 1627. Gold, precious stones, pearls, fur; casting, chasing, engraving, carving, shotting. Height 30.2 cm, circumference 66.5 cm. Belonged to Tsar Mikhail Romanov. Work of the Moscow Kremlin Workshops.

It was named the Astrakhan cap because by the reign of the 1st king from the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, the conquest of the Astrakhan Khanate and the erection of the cross on both banks of the Volga, and access to the Caspian Sea, had been completed. And also, this crown is present on the coat of arms of Astrakhan.

BADGE BADGES
Gold, silver, enamel, diamonds 8 x 4.5 cm Early 18th century
Breastplates with a miniature of Peter I were personal awards from the Tsar and were considered the highest award for services to the state.

BRACELET with a portrait of Alexander I under a flat diamond
This is the largest portrait diamond ever used in the world. A stone of rare beauty and purity.

Signs of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called - an oblique cross with the image of the crucified St. Andrew and the star worn on the left chest

Portrait of Count Grigory Grigorievich Kushelev with children. 1801

DECORATION OF THE ORDER'S HAT
Diamonds, rubies, gold, silver 8.5 x 8.5 cm Late 18th century
A semicircle with a cross was one of the signs of the Order of St. Catherine.

The Golden Fleece is the oldest Spanish order, established in 1429.3
Gold, diamonds, silver, topazes
6.2 x 6.2 cm Mid XIX century

MEDALLION WITH EMERALD
Gold, silver, 250 carat emerald, diamonds
Mid-19th century

In the past, the court jeweler Jeremiah Pozier, who worked for Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine the Great, two avid collectors, took a significant part in the creation of the Diamond Fund. For Elizabeth, he created a series of bouquets of colored Brazilian diamonds, emeralds, pearls, crystal and gold.

"BIG BOUQUET"
Diamonds, emeralds, gold, silver 16 x 21 cm Around 1760
Served as decoration for the bodice of a ceremonial dress. For the first time he decorated the toilet of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.

Parure Bandeau tiara and earrings
Diamonds, gold, silver, enamel 1750s

BOUQUET OF NARCISSUS
Diamonds, gold, silver, enamel 18.8 x 8.5 cm Second half of the 18th century
Decoration for the corsage of a lady's dress.

1750s Egret - decoration for hair or hat

PORTBOUQUET
Diamonds, gold, silver, enamel
13.5 x 8 cm Around 1770
The portobouquet was attached to the bodice using a wide pin. Hollow from the inside, it served as a miniature vase for fresh flowers.

TOURMALINE pink, gold, enamel 4 x 2.7 x 2.3 cm
A stone of rare beauty and color, weighing about 255 carats, probably taken from Burma, unusually cut in shape bunch of grapes. Tourmaline was given to Empress Catherine II by the Swedish King Gustav III in 1777.

PANDORA DOLL HAT
Diamonds, emeralds, rubies, gold, silver, enamel 8 x 6.5 x 4 cm
1770s

This hat is a miniature example of ladies' fashion from the 1770s. Since fashion magazines appeared in Russia only at the end of the 18th century, before that, court fashionistas used dressed up dolls to select outfits, which became known as “Pandoras” (ruiners). In ancient Greek mythology, there is a legend about how the gods created the beautiful Pandora to take revenge on the people who angered them. Hephaestus molded her from the best clay, and Athena dressed her in a luxurious silver dress and crowned her with a golden crown. According to Zeus, the beauty was supposed to bring misfortune, temptation and ruin to people. And so it happened. Ball gowns from the 18th century sometimes cost a fortune. The Pandora doll brought temptation to secular fashionistas, and ruin to their fathers and husbands.

Parure BOW-CLAVAGE and EARRINGS of Empress Catherine II.
Silver, diamonds, spinels, gold
11.5x11 cm. 1764. Master Leopold Pfisterer.

BROOCH “Ceylon sapphire”
Diamonds, Ceylon sapphire. Ser. 19th century
260 carat stone of exceptional purity and brightness.
“Ceylon Sapphire” was purchased by Alexander II at the World Exhibition in London in 1862 as a gift to his wife, Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

CHUBUK

EMERALD - table of deep dark green background with a bluish overcolor. Its weight is 136.25 carats. No stone in the world can compete with the rare purity of the Emerald Table. But not a single line of the archive reveals his past, nor the name of the maker of the elegant brooch with diamonds in which it is inserted. It is only known that the brooch was made in early XIX century for Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, heir to Paul I.

CHRISOLITE weight 192.6 carats

DIAMOND “SHAH”

An 88-carat stone of a yellowish tint, found in the river, it has retained its original shape: only some of its edges have been polished. The names of its three first owners - eastern rulers - are written on it using carvings and diamond powder.
In 1824, it was brought to Nicholas I from Persia to pay off the murder of the great author of “Woe from Wit” A.S. Griboyedova...

DIAMOND "ORLOV"

According to one version, this is one of the large fragments of the Great Mogul stone, originally weighing 400 carats, after cutting - 189 carats. As legend has it, for a long time the diamond was the third eye (located between the eyebrows) of the Brahma statue in the Seringapatam temple. Traces of the famous diamond were lost until it ended up in the hands of the Armenian merchant Gregory Safras. In 1767, he deposited the diamond in an Amsterdam bank, and five years later he sold the stone for 125,000 rubles to his wife’s nephew, court jeweler Ivan Lazarev, who resold it to Count G.G. Orlov already for four hundred thousand rubles, a lifelong pension in the amount of two thousand rubles and a letter of nobility.

Grigory Orlov
Andrey Ivanovich Cherny

G.G. Orlov, in the hope of regaining the favor of Catherine II, on her name day, November 24, 1773 (old style), presented the empress with a precious diamond. Prince von Solms, the Prussian ambassador to Russia, in 1773 reported to his emperor about the celebrations on the occasion of the festivities in honor of the name day of Catherine II: “Among the gifts presented to the queen, one could see a large diamond of amazing beauty, a gift from Count Grigory Orlov.”

Ivan Petrovich Argunov Portrait of Catherine II


Goskhran. Imperial Jewels. 1923

In the 70s of the last century, a jewelry laboratory appeared in Gokhran. In the boring 70s, when our women wore stamped “signets”, rings with huge artificial stones and the same poor earrings in the form of diamonds, squares and “tulips”, here artists worked miracles and created works of art

TIADE “RUSSIAN BEAUTY” 1987
Platinum, 1000 diamonds, 25 large teardrop pearls

TIADE “RUSSIAN FIELD”
Gold, silver, diamonds, roses
Master V. Nikolaev. 70s of the twentieth century

DECORATION “Diamond Rose”
Diamonds, platinum 10 x 15 cm; 222, 11 g 1974
Artist V. Nikolaev Jewelers V. Nikolaev, G. Aleksakhin

nikolayrahmanov.com;

russia.ru/NSMOLENTSEV/

http://www.liveinternet.ru/community/2281209/post264041440/

Anyone who has ever been interested knows about the Kremlin’s Diamond Fund. Few galleries in the capital evoke such admiration and interest.

The Kremlin's Diamond Fund is a unique collection of art from the 18th to 20th centuries. His collection also includes nuggets of stunning precious metals, examples of the rarest gems. Each of the exhibit items is of great scientific and artistic interest, as well as enormous material value.

A little history of the museum

The foundation's collection began to be created in the eighteenth century. Peter I, taking an example from the monarchs of Europe, issued a decree stating that the treasures stored in the royal chambers are not recognized as the property of the Russian tsars, they belong to the state, being a common property. national treasure. After Peter’s “rentery,” the valuables were stored in premises allocated for this purpose, and from 1839 - in the Winter Palace (in the Diamond Cabinet). Jewelry and regalia were issued to the reigning persons only “for temporary use.”

Wanting to outshine foreign rulers with luxury, Russian queens and tsars tried to increase the wealth of their court. Particularly large contributions were made under Catherine II and Elizabeth.

After the outbreak of the First World War, all valuables were randomly and hastily, without an inventory, taken out of Petrograd. They were accepted into the Moscow Kremlin (where they remained in obscurity for about eight years.

After the October Revolution, the Hermitage collection and Kremlin treasures miraculously survived. At the beginning of the last century, no country had such a stock of jewelry, jewelry like Russia.

Five years later, commissions began to work to examine and identify objects of jewelry and applied art. Thanks to them, the unique artistic and historical value of the former Diamond Cabinet was confirmed. In addition, the commission noted the need to preserve and study the collection intact, including it in the State Repository.

Despite this, a total sale of relics began. Thus, 1923 became the most dramatic year in the entire history of the fund. At that time, a real political scandal arose because of Russian jewelry that appeared at auctions in London, Berlin, Amsterdam and Antwerp. Further, in 1925, at the House of Unions it was decided to open an exhibition of unsold relics returned from abroad in order to demonstrate them unharmed and intact, to hush up the scandal, thereby convincing the world of its own solvency.

The sales of antiques and jewelry did not end there. From 1925-1936 The bulk of the works with unique gems and diamonds were sold. These masterpieces will remain only in photographs, and will never return to Russia.

In 1967, an exhibition of the Diamond Fund was opened. At the same time, everyone was interested in the excursion to the Kremlin. The exhibition aroused incredible interest and was extended several times without ever becoming a museum. The untouchable part of the country's gold and foreign exchange reserves remained subordinate to the Ministry of Finance.

Every leader of the USSR considered it necessary to contribute to the Diamond Fund of Russia. Khrushchev almost gave the Monomakh cap to one of the young developing states, and under Brezhnev one of the orders with diamonds disappeared. In 1989 it was sold at auction great amount valuable icons.

Of course, there were also items from modern jewelers, collections of platinum and gold nuggets, and Yakut diamonds. But many more unique works went to museums and private collections in different countries. The whereabouts of various priceless creations are still unknown.

The Kremlin's Diamond Fund today

At the moment, the historical part of the collection consists of about seventy items. The main part of the exhibition has been replenished since 1967 after the discovery of diamond deposits in Yakutia, as well as after the government’s decision to send stones weighing more than fifty carats for storage to the Kremlin Diamond Fund.

For museum visitors, viewing the exhibition usually begins with a display case in which precious minerals are displayed. This place displays large technical and jewelry stones weighing tens of thousands of carats. In addition to diamonds, an excursion to the Diamond Fund includes viewing sapphires, emeralds and other jewelry, as well as ornamental stones and Ural gems. The excursions, which pour into the halls daily in a continuous stream, also stop at the exhibits of the “7 Wonders of the Diamond Fund.” This includes the “Shah” diamond (88.70 carats), which has retained its own natural shape, the “Count Orlov” diamond (189.62 carats), which previously occupied a place of honor on the emperor’s scepter, a flat unique diamond, and a blue sapphire (258. 18 carats), as well as the largest peridot in the world.

The Great Imperial Crown is rightfully considered the main value among the treasures of the Russian treasury. Jeremiah Pozier, court jeweler, made it in 1762 by order of Catherine II. The crown is decorated with pearls and a scattering of diamonds, but its most valuable part is considered to be a huge ruby ​​(398.72 carats), which is one of the 7 unique stones of the fund.

Many guests of the capital are extremely interested in the Diamond Fund, for obvious reasons it has become one of the most visited.

Great Imperial Crown

This is a crown created in 1762 by Eckart (a jeweler) and Jeremiah Pozier (a diamond maker) for Catherine II. The master set 4936 diamonds in silver, emphasizing the sparkle of the lace from them with two rows of matte large pearls. The noble design of the crown is beautiful, and at the same time filled with the deepest meaning. The grid of hemispheres is supported below by laurel branches, which are symbols of glory and power. And between the hemispheres in the garland design there are acorns and oak leaves, symbolizing the strength and strength of power. Also on the crown is a very rare deep red gemstone. This is one of the most important works of art that the Kremlin Diamond Fund contains.

Small Imperial Crown

It was created in 1856 by the jeweler Seftigen for the coronation of Maria Alexandrovna. It is made in the likeness of a large crown; on both sides of the lattice are decorated with quatrefoils, a diamond cross rises on the arch, while the lower edge of the crown is decorated with 22 large diamonds. It attracts the attention of everyone who visited the Kremlin Diamond Fund (photos can be seen in this article).

Imperial scepter

It was made for Catherine II in the early 1770s. Materials used: Orlov diamond, gold, diamonds, enamel, silver.

Imperial power

It was created in 1762 by G.-F. Eckart (court jeweler) for Catherine II. Materials: gold, sapphire, diamonds, silver, diamond. In the early seventies of the eighteenth century, it was decorated with two stones, which changed its appearance. Between the half-hoop and the diamond openwork cross, surrounded by diamonds, a huge sapphire (200 carats) was placed, and at the junction of the belt with the half-hoop there was a large diamond (46.92 carats), an exceptionally clear stone with a slight bluish tint. The state acquired its current form under Paul I. Under the cross was a huge sapphire, and a large diamond was placed between the diamond belts.

Diamond "Shah"

This is an 88.7 carat diamond from India. A completely transparent, slightly brownish-yellowish stone. The groove on it indicates that it was worn instead of a talisman. The 3 names of its owners engraved on it, as well as the corresponding dates, are clearly visible.

"Caesar's Ruby"

The stone is a juicy pinkish-raspberry color, which is perfectly combined with green enamel with gold leaves located on a forked stem neatly covered with black and white enamel. The stone is cut like a bunch of grapes.

Diamond badge with star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called

The first Russian order to appear, which was the highest award of the empire until 1917. A star and cross decorated with diamonds became the highest order granted at the discretion of Peter I.

Excursions to the Diamond Fund

For those wishing to see the exhibitions, excursions are held here daily, except holidays and Thursday. The work is carried out in the form of sessions. Foreigners can also buy tickets to the Kremlin Diamond Fund - individual tours are conducted in different languages.

The exhibition will be of interest to everyone, regardless of nationality and age.

It's quite difficult. To achieve this, we almost had to accomplish a feat, namely, to get up on the weekend at 8 am (!). What do you want? There is no other way, there are many people who want to get into one of the most famous museums in Russia - the Diamond Fund, especially on weekends. There is another option to book tickets from specialized companies; they usually also offer excursions, but this will, of course, be more expensive.

By 10:00 we were in the Alexander Garden. The most inconvenient thing is that buy tickets to the Diamond Fund It is possible only at the ticket office of the museum itself, i.e. at, and not at the box office near. Not only do you have to stand in line to get into the museum (through a metal detector), but you also have to stand in line for tickets at the Diamond Fund itself. In addition, tickets for some sessions have already been sold out by enterprising companies, so it is not a fact that you will be able to buy tickets for the next session.

We are, one might say, lucky. In the queue, we met a representative of one of these companies - a guy about 50 years old. He invited us to join his group, because... some who signed up (and paid for the visit and excursion!) did not come. So we didn't have to queue.

Ticket price to the Diamond Fund– 500 rub. Oh, and just recently its cost was only 100 rubles. Ticket prices were raised at the same time for the Diamond Fund, and in, and in. It's a pity we didn't catch the time when tickets were cheap!

The museum is open from 10:00 to 17:00, sessions take place every 20 minutes. Lunch from 13:00 to 14:00. Diamond Fund phone number - 629–2036.

You are not allowed to take photographs in the museum. With a camera, phone, etc. They simply won’t let you in; there is another metal detector at the entrance to the Diamond Fund. You will have to put everything, along with your clothes, in the wardrobe. To be honest, it was scary to leave things in clothes, remembering the usual wardrobe inscriptions like “The administration is not responsible for lost items.” But our uncle assured us that nothing had been stolen here during all this time, and we didn’t see a sign with such an inscription in the museum).

Having passed through the metal detector, in which I, as usual, rang because of my badge on my belt (although I passed through normally upon entering the territory), we found ourselves in the long-awaited Diamond Fund of Russia. As usual, the entire crowd (about 20 people) tried to disperse throughout the museum, but everyone was stopped by the guide and the security guard. All the treasures of the Diamond Fund are distributed in separate display cases, almost like in stores. The excursion goes as follows. First, the guide talks about each showcase, what kind of exhibits are presented there, their history, the weight of stones or nuggets, etc. then everyone comes closer and, almost touching the glass with their nose, looks at the jewelry of the Diamond Fund. Yes, this is not the Armory Chamber, where you go wherever you want, everything here follows a predetermined route.

In the first display case there were jars of emeralds, amethysts, sapphires, topazes, tourmalines and other precious stones. In the other three display cases on the right side of the museum there were diamonds and diamonds, large and small, sparkling with all their facets. I especially liked the map of Russia, lined with a scattering of small diamonds.

In the center of the museum there are 4 large display cases with gold and platinum nuggets in a square. Some of them look like animals, one even looks like the devil, and they called him “The Devil”. In total, the Diamond Fund contains 20 platinum and 100 gold nuggets. Among them, one weighing 36 kg is called the “Great Triangle” - the largest gold nugget in the world.

In the next room there are royal regalia and decorations. Among them is the Great Imperial Crown, created specifically for the coronation of Catherine II. It is made of silver, it contains 4936 diamonds and two rows of large pearls. The crown is crowned with a large red stone - noble spinel. After Catherine the Great, all Russian emperors were crowned with this crown.

On the same display case with the Great Imperial Crown there is also a small Imperial Crown, as well as a scepter decorated with the famous Orlov diamond weighing 189.62 carats and an orb. The small imperial crown was made in 1856 for the coronation of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II. According to the official version, the Orlov diamond was presented by Count Orlov to Catherine II for her birthday. According to the unofficial version, Catherine bought it herself, paying for it from the state. treasury, and so that she would not be accused of unreasonable waste of public funds, she staged such a performance.

The diamond fund contains another famous diamond - "Shah". It was presented by the Shah of Iran to the Russian Tsar Nicholas I as atonement for the murder of the Russian ambassador in Iran. It was not just the ambassador who was killed, but the famous Russian writer A.S. Griboedov, whose monument is now located in Moscow on Chistye Prudy.

In the same department there are royal jewelry. This is the Alexander I bracelet with the Alexander diamond; brooch of Catherine II, made in the form of a bouquet of roses made of gold, silver and decorated with diamonds; pendant in the shape of a berry - made of huge tourmaline and many other beautiful jewelry made of gold, silver, diamonds and other precious stones.

The last section of the Diamond Fund presents products by contemporary masters. These are the most beautiful gold jewelry with amethysts, topazes, emeralds and, of course, diamonds. They do not have the same history as the jewelry from the previous section, but they are no less beautiful, and maybe even more so, because... modern masters They use technologies that were unavailable to jewelers of the past.

In total, the tour of the Diamond Fund lasted 40 minutes. The Diamond Fund left me with an ambivalent feeling. On the one hand, I saw the most famous relics of my country, scatterings of precious stones and gold nuggets, on the other hand, somehow little jewelry from the times of queens and emperors was presented in the museum. I don’t believe that over the course of several hundred years, the kings accumulated enough jewelry for only 3 display cases. Most likely, they don’t post everything they have. And the question immediately arises: “Why not expand the museum and display more exhibits?” After visiting the Diamond Fund, I felt some disappointment. Have you ever had a similar feeling?

How to get into the Diamond Fund. Visiting the Diamond Fund on your own is a solvable task. Although there are many offers on the Internet from companies that are guaranteed to help you get into the Diamond Fund. For a certain fee. We are people who are not exactly greedy, but harmful and do not want to pay for what we can do ourselves. From this very harmfulness. Since the Diamond Fund is located on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin Museum-Reserve, we have already described it in the article. There we advised how to keep up with three Kremlin hares -
1. The territory of the Kremlin with cathedrals, etc.;
2. State Armory Chamber with;
3. .

This task, although not easy, is possible. Was. Now the flow of tourists to the Moscow Kremlin has increased and there is little chance of you getting lucky. Therefore, we abstract ourselves from the Moscow Kremlin Museum and go to the Diamond Fund, which is administered by Gokhran and relates to the Kremlin only indirectly, since it is located on its territory. Therefore, visiting the Diamond Fund has its own characteristics.

Features of the national excursion to the Diamond Fund

• Diamond Fund work schedule
• Ticket price to visit the Diamond Fund
• Procedure for visiting the Diamond Fund
• Where is the Diamond Fund and how to get to the Diamond Fund
• How to buy a ticket to the Diamond Fund
• What to do if you have time before your session at the Diamond Fund
• General tips for visiting the Diamond Fund
• How I got into the Diamond Fund
• Notes

Diamond Fund work schedule:

The Diamond Fund is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lunch break from 13 to 14.
Day off is Thursday.
The museum may be closed on days of special celebrations and events, when there is no access to the Kremlin territory. As a rule, the Diamond Fund is closed on post-holiday days from mid to late January.
Please note that the Kremlin is open longer in the summer than in the winter. This does NOT apply to the Diamond Fund. It is ALWAYS open from 10 to 18 with a lunch break, except Thursdays and special days.

Ticket price to the Diamond Fund:

A ticket to the Diamond Fund costs 500 rubles. For privileged categories of citizens (pensioners, students, schoolchildren) a ticket costs 100 rubles.

Procedure for visiting the Diamond Fund

You can view the collection of the Diamond Fund only as part of an excursion group. Tours are conducted three times per hour, with organized groups entering every 20 minutes. Groups are formed on the spot. When you purchase tickets, you will be assigned a visiting session. The tour lasts 45 minutes.

Where is the Diamond Fund and how to get to the Diamond Fund

The Diamond Fund is located on the territory of the Kremlin. The museum is located in the building of the Armory Chamber. How to get to the Diamond Fund by metro? Just like in the Kremlin. The entrance to the Kremlin is located on the territory of the Alexander Garden. Available on the site.

How to buy a ticket to the Diamond Fund

For individual visitors tickets to the Diamond Fund Only sold on the day of your visit. Tickets to the Diamond Fund are sold at the box office in the Alexander Garden.

Box office of the Diamond Fund - No. 4 and No. 5. (Clarification - in the summer of 2016, tickets to the Diamond Fund are sold only at the box office No. 5).

Remember that tickets for excursions from 10 to 12.20 are sold at the box office from 9.30, and at summer season from 9.00 to 12. If it is convenient for you to go to the Diamond Fund in the afternoon, then you need to come for tickets by 12.30. Tickets for evening excursions are NOT sold in the morning. Not entirely convenient, but fair. Otherwise, all tickets will be redeemed in the morning, and those who come later will not get anything.
I am attaching two photos, both taken on July 13, 2016. The first one is at 9.20 am, 20 minutes after the ticket office opens.

The second one is at 12.10.

It seems that if there is no fundamental difference in the length of the queue, why come earlier? There is a difference. There are more chances to buy a ticket in the morning.

Very often in the afternoon in the summer you can see such an advertisement:

The Diamond Fund is located in the building of the Armory Chamber. It is more convenient to enter the Kremlin through the Borovitsky Gate.

How to get to the Kremlin, the Armory Chamber and the Diamond Fund through the Borovitsky Gate

ATTENTION! To enter the Kremlin you need to have a ticket to either the Kremlin territory, the Armory Chamber, or the Diamond Fund. Without tickets you are not allowed into the Kremlin territory!

You have safely exited the metro into the Alexander Garden. At the Kremlin wall you will see the Kremlin ticket office. If you stand with your BACK to the ticket office, you need to turn left and walk to the end of the garden to the Borovitskaya Tower of the Kremlin.

The Borovitskaya Tower has an entrance to the Kremlin territory.

There is a high probability that you will see a queue from afar.

You'll have to wait until it's your turn. Before entering the Kremlin at the Borovitsky Gate, you will have to go through a security check - open your bag and show its contents.

POSSIBLY, with large backpacks and trunks you will be sent to a storage room. (See note below).

The Diamond Fund Museum is located in the building of the Armory Chamber

As soon as you enter the Borovitsky Gate of the Kremlin, the first thing you will see is the long yellow building of the Armory Chamber.

You need to go straight up along this building almost to the end. The entrance to the Diamond Fund is at the end of the Armory Chamber building.

There is sometimes a queue at the entrance to the Diamond Fund. People are waiting to be let in with tickets for the next show.

Go down the stairs and you will see the entrance to the museum.

I'm sorry, you can't film in the Armory Chamber building. Take my word for it :)

What to do if you have time before your session at the Diamond Fund

Suppose you have a ticket to the Diamond Fund in your hands. But there are still more than two hours before the start of the session. What to do? There are options.
1.You can take a walk around the Kremlin. For 500 rubles per person – this is the price of a ticket to the Kremlin. Do not you mind? Then buy a ticket to the Kremlin territory at the ticket office nearby (box office 6-10)

2. At the same box office where tickets to the Kremlin are sold, you can buy a ticket to visit the Armory Chamber. Ticket price – 700 rubles. Don't forget to take the audio guide, its use is included in the ticket price. Entrance to this museum is limited to sessions (where would we be without them?). Sessions at the Armory: 10.00, 12.00, 14.30 and 16.30.

The number of tickets to the Armory Chamber is also limited.

3. Take a walk in the Alexander Garden, on Red Square, go to the Okhotny Ryad shopping complex, where you can have a snack. IMPORTANT! Remember that having a ticket to the Diamond Fund does NOT give you the right to priority entry into the Kremlin through the Borovitsky Gate. If, for example, you have a session at the Diamond Fund at 14.20, there may be a rather large queue at the Borovitsky Gate; people will come to the session at the Armory Chamber at 14.30. In this case, you risk being late for the Diamond Fund, no one will wait for you, they won’t let you in without waiting in line, everyone goes to the Kremlin and everyone has sessions!!!

This is the most difficult part of the article. I would like to recommend something specific. But the demand for visiting the Diamond Fund is high; the museum can receive very few visitors in one session. Tourist offices are not asleep and completely buy out all tickets for a certain show. I have repeatedly witnessed a situation where in the morning all tickets to the Diamond Fund were sold out. I want to reassure you that this does not happen very often.

2.Remember that the Diamond Fund Museum has a lunch break from 13 to 14 hours..

3.I will share my experience. Still, I took a risk and neglected my own advice :). I'm lucky!

How I got into the Diamond Fund

I leave this part of the article for history. It's not relevant now because the Diamond Fund cash desks appeared in the Alexander Garden. Previously, tickets were sold ONLY in the Diamond Fund building itself. By the way, on a weekday in winter, if there are still tickets to the Diamond Fund, you can purchase them directly from the Diamond Fund, as I did.

I chose Monday to visit the Kremlin - a weekday, afternoon, end of March. School holidays are already over, and the high tourist season has not yet begun. I decided to approach the Borovitsky Gate at 15:00. Why? Because the session at the Armory Chamber at 14.30 has already passed. The likelihood that there will be a line at the gate is low. And so it happened.

I went up the stairs and dutifully answered the duty officer’s question about why I was going to the Kremlin - for a ticket to the Diamond Fund.
She cheerfully walked up to the entrance to the Diamond Fund. I waited a few minutes in a small line and the officer let several people through.
In the same order we stood in line at the cash register. On this day, tickets to the Diamond Fund were sold at the box office only at 16.20 and later. It’s inconvenient, but what can I do, I’m already ready.
She left the Borovitsky Gate again and went to while away the time at Okhotny Ryad. At about 4 p.m. I realized that the show in the Armory would start at 4:30 p.m.! There may be a queue at the Borovitsky Gate! She ran back as if scalded. Fortunately, at the end of March, towards the evening, there were no people willing to enter the Kremlin, and I went through inspection again.

This time she answered that I had a ticket to the Diamond Fund.
Again I went to the entrance to the Diamond Fund in the building of the Armory Chamber and waited in line. They let you in for the current session in about 15 minutes. I entered, went downstairs to the wardrobe, and left my outerwear there. Returned to the Diamond Fund cash desk. Waiting again. Those who approached the box office at this time are disappointed to hear that all tickets for today to the Diamond Fund have been sold. At about 4:15 p.m., the employee invited those with tickets for 4:20 p.m. Again a careful search, passage through a metal detector. Please turn off your phones during the tour. And for a whole 45 minutes, immersion in the world of gold and diamonds!

Notes

1. Remember that the Diamond Fund sells only a few tickets per person! They will sell two, but I’m not sure about five!

2.Organizations can officially order an excursion to the Diamond Fund, bring a letter to the administration, agree on a date and time, and pay for the excursion.

3. Nowadays, phones, cameras, tablets and other gadgets are allowed into the Diamond Fund. The only condition is that you cannot use them! This is strictly monitored by security in the museum halls.

4. If you have a large bag or backpack with you, do not take risks, do not take them with you into the Kremlin, especially if you are going to enter through the Borovitsky Gate. There is a luggage storage room right next to the metro exit at the Kutafya Tower; leave your travel bag or backpack there.

The rules for carrying large bags are constantly changing. It happens that officers let tourists through even with huge backpacks. It often happens that even a small package is not allowed through. LADIES' BAGS CAN BE BROUGHT IN. If you have a backpack, better not take risks. There are all sorts of “strengthening” in the Kremlin. Their schedules and reasons are unknown to anyone. They can let you in with backpacks for a week, and then suddenly ban them. I warned!

In conclusion, I will say that it is possible to get into the Diamond Fund. Even simpler than I described. Yes, there are all sorts of nuances. But more often than not, the average person buys tickets to the Diamond Fund without any problems and goes to admire the collection. I recommend it. On duty, I was in Almaznik no less than 50 times. Maybe more. I'll be happy to go again!

We described the rules for undergoing security checks at the entrance to the Kremlin in the publication
Ladies and gentlemen! We told you

“My cursory and dry enumeration is only
a pale shadow of this richest man in the world
collections of beautiful stones, wrote more than 60
years ago, the poet of stone, academician A. Fersman.”

"Complete information about masterpieces of jewelry
art stored today in the Gokhran of Russia,
is missing, because only part of them, however,
the most valuable, put on wide display
in the Diamond Fund and the Armory Chamber and less
wide - in training center Gokhran.
The rest is a secret behind seven seals.”

“Throughout the entire reign of the Romanov dynasty, the treasury was replenished with jewelry. A wide variety of objects and jewelry, richly decorated with precious stones, were made during this period. Splendor and splendor distinguished the Russian court, especially during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine II. He was one of the most brilliant in Europe. The best jewelers worked at court, such as G. Eckart, father and sons Duval, L. Pfisterer, I. Pozier.”

“No country at the beginning of our century possessed such a stock of jewelry, located in churches, monasteries, museums, palaces, mansions and the personal use of citizens, as Russia - the overwhelming majority of these countless riches were inherited by us after the revolution. The mystery of the disappearance of Russian treasures dates back to the formation of the Antique Export Fund..."

“Antique Export Fund” is the first name of the Diamond Fund, more open than even the “Politburo Diamond Fund”.

Ways and methods of theft.

“The story below demonstrates how the Russian treasury was formed. In February 1919, an antique appraisal commission was created under the leadership of Gorky and Andreeva. (Actress, lover of A. Peshkov - R.) According to Belousova’s research “Bitter Antiques,” the commission selected valuables from property confiscated during the revolution, and also acquired private collections. Among others, the commission received an offer to buy the collection of Danish merchant Eric Plume (308 items, including precious trinkets of Elizabeth I and Catherine II). According to Agathon Faberge, who was brought in as an expert, the value of the collection exceeded 11 million rubles in gold. The commission members selected items worth a more modest amount - 8 million. But the deal did not take place - the seller's and Faberge's proxies were arrested on charges of speculation: they supposedly wanted to warm their hands on the sale of a collection worth only two million. Both the People's Commissar of Education Lunacharsky and Gorky fell under the hot hand: they were almost brought to trial for abuse of official position. As a result, Plume’s collection was confiscated, that is, it went to the Soviet authorities for nothing. In addition, Agathon Faberge revealed during interrogation the location of his hiding place at a dacha that had already been plundered by the Bolsheviks. The representative of the famous dynasty of jewelers assembled a fantastic collection: rare engravings, ancient icons, 600 netsuke, 300 Buddha sculptures, not to mention jewelry. Without drawing up an act and inventory (?! - R.), the valuables from the cache were packed into ten boxes and taken away in an unknown direction. It is likely that this collection was part of the “diamond fund of the Politburo”, created in the same 1919, in the event of the overthrow of Soviet power. It is known, for example, that Yakov Sverdlov kept part of this “fund” in the form of selected diamonds at home and at work. (And also gold chervonets and several passports - R.)

Diamonds are forever.

“A.M. GORKY - IN THE SOVNARKOM (no later than October 21 - 1921). "In February 1919, at the suggestion of People's Commissar Krasin (then People's Commissar of Trade and Industry of the RSFSR - author), an "Expert Commission" was organized in Petrograd by A. Peshkov, the purpose of which was to select and evaluate things of artistic significance in thirty "Three nationalized warehouses in Petrograd, ownerless apartments, pawn shops and antique shops. These items were selected for the purpose of creating an antique export fund in the Soviet Republic."

What, in addition to diamonds, did the Bolsheviks trade for export?

“Until October 1, 1920, the “Expert Commission”, working with 80 people under the chairmanship of A. Peshkov, formed two warehouses of items selected by it, such as: artistic antique furniture, paintings from various eras, countries and schools, Russian and Sevres porcelain , Saxon, etc., bronze, art glass, ceramics, ancient weapons, objects of oriental art, etc. According to the 15th year, the cost of these things exceeds a billion rubles. In addition, in the warehouses of the Commission there are carpets selected from abandoned apartments worth several hundred million (also according to the estimate of 1915).”

“1923 is one of the most dramatic years in the history of the Diamond Fund. Then diamonds suddenly appeared on the markets of Amsterdam and Antwerp, which experts recognized as part of the Russian crown jewels. A political scandal arose. The foreign press wrote that these cities and their banks are used by the Soviet government for foreign exchange transactions with gold, diamonds and church valuables. To drown out the outrage, at the end of 1925, an exhibition of crown jewels was hastily opened in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions, which was supposed to show the world that they were safe and sound.”

(This episode was presented in an extremely tendentious form by the author of the books “Red Little Devils” and “How Priests Stupefy the People” P. Blyakhin and co-director E. Keosayan. See the film “The Crown of the Russian Empire” - R.)

What actually happened.

“However, there is indisputable evidence that in 1923 the collection of crown jewels made an intriguing journey under the protection of the Latvian Red Riflemen from Moscow to Chita, where the Japanese government was located. The operation was led by employee of the People's Commissar of Finance R.Ya. Karklin. The archives preserved a certificate issued to him on December 28, 1922, number 2739, which states that Comrade. Karklin R.Ya. appointed commissioner of the People's Commissariat of Finance of the RSFSR under the Far Eastern Revolutionary Committee. It was signed by, among others, the then People's Commissar of Finance Sokolnikov. Considering all of the above, we can reliably assume that after an expert assessment of the treasures by the Fersman commission, they were taken to Far East to sell to America and Europe through Manchuria, which since the time of the decree “On grain purchases” has become the center of our foreign economic and foreign policy activity. Apparently, on the eve of this deal of the century, photographs recently published in Izvestia and in the Sotheby's catalog show a group of Soviet officials and respectable foreigners taken in Chita, in a rich mansion, against the backdrop of crown jewels. Judging by them, they decided to wholesale all the greatest relics of the Diamond Fund: an orb, a scepter, a collection of crowns - with the crown of the Russian Empire at the head, a collection of diamond pendants and diamond tiaras, diamond signs and chains of the Imperial orders, gift gold cups, a collection of fans and rings, Imperial Easter eggs from Faberge and much more. These things were kept in the Hermitage Jewelry Gallery and in the Diamond Room of the Kremlin. Most of them disappeared without a trace in the 20s. Some subsequently turned up in American private collections, for example, the marriage crown of the Russian Empresses, made from the diamond belt of Catherine the Great. It is now in the collection of Morjori Meriwether Post - wife former ambassador USA in the USSR by Joseph Davis. Mrs. Poust bought it at Sotheby's in December 1966. Perhaps the diamonds sold in 1923 in Belgium and Holland were from this batch and reached Europe through Chita - Harbin - Vladivostok, and the same fate awaited the rest. And who knows, if it weren’t for the misfire in Antwerp and Amsterdam, which forced us to return the jewelry to the exhibition in Moscow, we wouldn’t have lost everything forever?!”

“...once they used Gokhran gold to buy bread, later - steam locomotives, then they were paid for equipment supplied by the Allies during the Second World War.”

“The rest is known. In 1925, the Main Office of the USSR State Trade Committee for the purchase and sale of antiques “antiques” was established. At the same time, the brochure “The Diamond Fund of the USSR” was published, which directly stated that under Soviet power these treasures “had healed.” new life one way or another will take part in the general creative work... turning into objects so necessary for the workers' and peasants' state, such as cars, etc. ". In the fall of 1926, the mentioned marriage crown - along with the diamond sword of Paul the First, decoration of Catherine's coronation dress The second of a cluster of Brazilian diamonds and Indian emeralds, a diamond (2000 pieces) snuff box of the Empress Elizabeth, a collection of Imperial easter eggs Faberge and others were purchased from the Soviet government and brought to America by the dealer Norman Weiss.”

“The sale of national treasures in the USSR began not during the years of industrialization, but much earlier. It experienced at least two peaks: in 1920-1923 and in 1928-1934.”

“In 1925, the crown jewels were publicly displayed for the first time in the House of Unions, and in 1927 and 1933, a significant part of them, by decision of the Council of People’s Commissars, was sold at foreign auctions.”
Wikipedia

“The exhibition of the USSR Diamond Fund in the Moscow Kremlin opened on November 2, 1967 - on the 50th anniversary of Soviet power. Its opening became a notable event in the cultural life of our country. By this time, employees of Gokhran (the state repository of valuables), with the participation of researchers from the Moscow Kremlin museums, prepared a catalog and an art album “Treasures of the Diamond Fund”, advertising booklets and albums began to be published in which it was reported: “... the fate of the Russian crown jewels turned out to be happy and deeply just: the Great October Socialist Revolution returned these treasures to their true owner - the people... Even in the most difficult early years of the Soviet state, when it was in dire need of funds to protect the young republic, restore National economy, strengthening the country's defense capability, the treasures of the Diamond Fund remained inviolable. Since that time, these treasures have been not only preserved, but also increased."(?!)

Indeed, there were receipts. Most of them were especially large diamonds mined in Yakutia and examples of modern jewelry. But much more valuables, mostly unique ancient works of art, went abroad to private collections and state museums in other countries. The whereabouts of some priceless items are still unknown (two Imperial Easter eggs from the Faberge company, a diamond badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called that belonged to Alexander II, the icon of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple in a precious Faberge setting and many others).”

What exactly were the “many other priceless things” that disappeared without a trace?
What exactly is the scale of Soviet theft?

Evgeniy Germanovich GAPANYUK is one of the oldest custodians of the Diamond Fund. A Trud correspondent talked to him.

Historian Yuri Buranov believes that the inventory compiled by Fersman noted more than two times fewer diamond tiaras than were actually in the boxes sent to Moscow in 1914 - 1917.

In the old lists there were 14 tiaras, but we only have one.

A special commission, headed by academician Alexander Fersman and which, by the way, included Agathon Faberge as an expert, studied the Imperial heritage from 1923 to 1925 and made recommendations: what to keep forever, and what to be melted down or auctioned off...

Has anything from the former Diamond Room collection surfaced at contemporary auctions?

No, but such a possibility cannot be ruled out.

“All the leaders of the Soviet state seemed to consider it their duty to put their hand into the collection of the Diamond Fund. How Lenin and Stalin did it is described above. Nikita Sergeevich almost gave one of the developing countries the famous Monomakh hat; under Brezhnev, the Diamond Fund was missing one of the diamond medal badges.” (The leader’s daughter was involved in diamond scams - R.)

The years of restructuring of the USSR into the current format of Soviet power were characterized by the usual Bolshevik vandalism.

“In 1989, many icons were sold at auction. Not wanting to spend money on restoration, the well-known Pavlov ordered to sell them “for restoration more developed countries"He believed that he had killed two birds with one stone: the icons would be restored, and the country would receive the necessary currency."

Evgeniy Germanovich Gapanyuk:

Ural emeralds are magnificent; they were mined and supplied to Gokhran.
The Diamond Fund has a large collection of emeralds, one of best size We got 10 centimeters 15 years ago.

Vadim Krivorotov (A. Razin), producer of Yura Shatko (Yura Shatunova), recalls:

In those years you were millionaires. Where did the money go?
- We were earning 20 million dollars then and didn’t know what to do with it. And then one day the deputy chairman of the government, Biryukova, announced in the Supreme Council that there was no money in the treasury, and they decided to sell the collection of emeralds from Gokhran. “So we’ll see if the population has money,” she said. 8 rings with emeralds, each of which cost an average of 50 thousand dollars, were taken to Sochi to the Izumrud store. I went there and bought them all. Then Biryukova spoke again in the Supreme Council: “And don’t tell me, comrade deputies, that there is no money in the country. We threw away the rings from Gokhran at a crazy price. So some boy came with an income statement and all of them bought." I was glad then that at least she didn’t mention my last name, otherwise there would have been a racket against me from all over Soviet Union moved in.

Since then we have lived with dignity, beauty and wealth. We take money abroad. Perhaps everything has changed? In general, no.

The state does not need a “president” after all.
22.03.02 15:12

Ekaterinburg, March 22 (New Region, Irina Krivozubova) – On Friday, the epic with the purchase and sale of the “President” emerald again came to the attention of the media.

The Gokhran of Russia has finally abandoned its intention to acquire a unique Ural emerald. As Vladimir Tumaev, head of the production execution department of the main directorate of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, emphasized, so far the refusal has been received verbally, but, probably, in the near future the management of Gokhran will send a written notification about this.

Let us recall that in early February the bailiff service sent a repeated request to Gokhran and the Russian government with a request to confirm the purchase of the President emerald for 150 thousand dollars. As V. Tumaev noted, the request remained unanswered. The other day, in a telephone conversation, Gokhran specialists officially voiced their position: the emerald storage facility does not need.

© 2002, “New Region”

However, miracles still happen. Sometimes unique things remain in the country due to the immense greed of the bureaucratic “vertical”.

“Gokhran jewelers worked with Gokhran materials. The task was set by the Soviet leadership as follows: to determine the global demand for highly artistic jewelry. They didn’t determine: during the Soviet era, the assessment process seemed too complicated.
In the era new Russia they were just afraid to sell it cheap crisis situation. So, for example, a proposal from a certain Western company to sell the famous diamond rose stored in the Diamond Fund was rejected because they could not agree on a price.”

We are most likely talking about the rollback price here. Obviously, in order to avoid similar problems in the future, Kudrin’s Ministry of Finance changed the format of Gokhran in 2003.
Auctions for the sale of unique Gokhran diamonds have been held since the early 2000s.

“The main national treasury - the Russian Fort Knox - is on the verge of great changes. Gokhran of Russia is destined to change its status and turn into a full-fledged commercial organization.”

So, now the Gokhran of Russia is a full-fledged commercial organization.
From an interview with the head of Gokhran Vladimir Rybkin:

“But if the concept of the reform has not been fully developed, then how should we evaluate the annual diamond auctions held by Gokhran?

As a right provided to us by the law on precious metals and stones.

Why did these auctions begin to be held only now? Why weren’t they held, say, five years ago?

We just couldn’t get around to it.”

“Needless to say, it is impossible for a mere mortal to get into the former winter garden of Gokhran, now an auction hall. Its participants are cutting organizations operating in Russia. Lots - large diamonds from the State Fund of Russia (10.8 carats and above). Potential participants will learn about the auction itself from Gokhran invitation letters. Last year (2002), Gokhran’s sales of various valuables added over 350 million rubles to the Russian budget.”
(Diamonds over 10 carats are not subject to mass valuation. Each stone is considered unique - R.)

“It would be possible to organize a similar auction outside Russia. But Gokhran does not show enthusiasm for this, citing the high cost and riskiness of the enterprise. And is it worth the risk if large diamonds sell well in Russia, and Western companies indirectly, through intermediaries, participate in Gokhran auctions?”

People are worried and ask:

“There are no answers to many interesting questions. For example, where do our valuables come from at world auctions and in antique stores abroad (smuggling has nothing to do with it)?

By what right do the greatest historical relics of Gokhran and the Diamond Fund be the collateral property of the Ministry of Finance, and not an inviolable national treasure?

What is stored in state fund storerooms in Moscow, Mias and other places? And finally, it is necessary to document what part of the values ​​went to finance economic programs, what went to politics, and what disappeared to God knows where. Who and when will be able to answer these questions is unknown...”

Well, why is it unknown? Everything is known, including addresses.

"Moscow office of the United sales organization AK ALROSA is located in the same building as Gokhran.”

They don't hide it.