Symbols and Orders of the Russian Empire

How did the double-headed eagle become the coat of arms of the Russian kingdom? Why is the rider on the Moscow coat of arms, contrary to heraldic rules, turned to the right from the viewer's perspective? Which of the tricolors used in the Russian Empire is older — the white-blue-red or black-yellow-white? Who actually composed the music for the anthem "God Save the Tsar"?

To these and many other questions, the reader will find answers in this book, compiled from the works of the leading specialists in heraldry, phaleristics, ethnography, and even musicology. For the first time, all images of the coats of arms of Russian cities from the 1729 heraldry book are reproduced in color.

A special value lies in the part of the book dedicated to the orders of the Russian Empire — it is based on unique materials from the archive of the Chapter of the Russian Imperial and Royal Orders.

The black-and-white drawings used in earlier publications have been replaced in this edition with more than 200 full-color reproductions taken from the rarest manuscript and printed books.