The glass decanter with an oval stopper was created in honor of the coronation of Emperor Alexander III, who ruled the Russian Empire in 1881–1894. The coronation itself took place on May 15, 1883, according to the old style. Many factories and private workshops produced memorable souvenirs in honor of the event: these were special coronation rubles, medals and tokens, as well as mugs and decanters.
The decanter from the museum’s collection has a gilded front side: the factory workers depicted a double-headed eagle with raised wings. The heads of the bird are adorned with two imperial crowns. Above them, there is another larger crown, with fluttering ribbons. The monogram of Emperor Alexander III is depicted on the eagle’s chest — the first letter of his name and the Roman numeral “III” under it. Above the eagle is a half-oval inscription in Russian, “In memory of the coronation.” The bottom shows the date — May 15, 1883.
The reverse side of the decanter has another image — a golden monogram of the combined letters “M” and “A”, with the Roman numeral “III” under it. It is depicted on top of the crowned imperial mantle with blue ribbons.
The symbol may mean that the ruler was crowned in Moscow — the inscription “Crowned in Moscow” can be found on commemorative tokens with the image of a similar monogram. However, these may also be the initial letters of the names of the royal spouses of Alexander Alexandrovich and Maria Feodorovna.
In Kargopol, celebrations were held on the main Cathedral Square in honor of the event. The holiday was celebrated on May 17–19, 1883, many residents of the town and nearby villages gathered for it. Town services decorated the square and the houses around it with banners and flags. Priests served the liturgy in churches, prayer services were held in educational institutions, barracks and almshouses. After the services, festivities began on the main square, and in the evening, the residents were waiting for illumination and fireworks.
The decanter entered the museum in 1929. It used to belong to Yefim Dobrynin, a famous resident of Kargopol. For 30 years he taught arithmetic and geography at the Kargopol Theological College, and 12 years after his retirement, in 1913, he took the priesthood and became the confessor of the school. Also, residents repeatedly elected him to the Kargopol Town Duma, and he held the position of mayor in 1906–1910. The decanter was donated to the museum by Dobrynin’s widow.
The decanter from the museum’s collection has a gilded front side: the factory workers depicted a double-headed eagle with raised wings. The heads of the bird are adorned with two imperial crowns. Above them, there is another larger crown, with fluttering ribbons. The monogram of Emperor Alexander III is depicted on the eagle’s chest — the first letter of his name and the Roman numeral “III” under it. Above the eagle is a half-oval inscription in Russian, “In memory of the coronation.” The bottom shows the date — May 15, 1883.
The reverse side of the decanter has another image — a golden monogram of the combined letters “M” and “A”, with the Roman numeral “III” under it. It is depicted on top of the crowned imperial mantle with blue ribbons.
The symbol may mean that the ruler was crowned in Moscow — the inscription “Crowned in Moscow” can be found on commemorative tokens with the image of a similar monogram. However, these may also be the initial letters of the names of the royal spouses of Alexander Alexandrovich and Maria Feodorovna.
In Kargopol, celebrations were held on the main Cathedral Square in honor of the event. The holiday was celebrated on May 17–19, 1883, many residents of the town and nearby villages gathered for it. Town services decorated the square and the houses around it with banners and flags. Priests served the liturgy in churches, prayer services were held in educational institutions, barracks and almshouses. After the services, festivities began on the main square, and in the evening, the residents were waiting for illumination and fireworks.
The decanter entered the museum in 1929. It used to belong to Yefim Dobrynin, a famous resident of Kargopol. For 30 years he taught arithmetic and geography at the Kargopol Theological College, and 12 years after his retirement, in 1913, he took the priesthood and became the confessor of the school. Also, residents repeatedly elected him to the Kargopol Town Duma, and he held the position of mayor in 1906–1910. The decanter was donated to the museum by Dobrynin’s widow.
