The Russian Czar is crowned at Moscow in the Cathedral of the Assumption
(Uspenski Sobor). The imperial procession is met at the church door
by the Metropolitan, who blesses the Emperor and Empress with holy
water and censes them. Entering the church they make their devotions
and ascend to their thrones. The 101st Psalm is sung, after which the
Emperor is interrogated as to his belief, and recites in a loud voice
the Nicene Creed. Then is sung the hymn ‘O Heavenly King, O Paraclete,’
and after the Litany (Synapte) the hymn, ‘O Lord, save thy people’ is
sung thrice, and the lections follow at once; the Prophecy (Is. xlix.
13-19), the Epistle (Ro. xii. 1-7), and the Gospel (Matt. xxii. 15-22).
The Emperor now assumes the purple robe, assisted by the Metropolitan
who says, ‘In the name of the Father,’ etc. The Emperor bares his head
and the Metropolitan making the sign of the cross over it and laying
on his hand recites the prayer, ‘O Lord our God’ (cp. p. 22), and then
the prayer of the Bowing of the head, ‘To Thee alone’ (cp. p. 23). The
Metropolitan now presents the Crown to the Emperor, who puts it on his
head, the Metropolitan saying, ‘In the name of the Father,’ etc., and
then proceeding to explain the symbolical meaning of the crown. Next the
Metropolitan gives the Sceptre into the Czar’s right hand and the Orb
into his left, saying, ‘In the name of the Father,’ etc., and explaining
the symbolical meaning of these ornaments.
The Czar then seats himself on his throne and the Czarina is summoned.
The Czar takes off his Crown and with it touches the brow of the Czarina,
and then replaces it on his head. He then sets a smaller Crown on the
Czarina’s head, and she immediately assumes the purple robe and the Order
of St Andrew.
Thereupon the Archdeacon proclaims the titles of the Czar and Czarina,
and the clergy and the assembled company do homage by making three
obeisances to the Czar.
The Czar then gives the Sceptre and Orb to the appointed officers, and
kneeling down says a prayer for himself that he may worthily fulfil his
high office, after which the Metropolitan says a prayer on his behalf.
_Te Deum_ is sung and the Liturgy proceeds.
The Anointing takes place after the Communion hymn (κοινωνικόν). Two
bishops summon the Czar, who takes his stand near the Royal Gates, the
Czarina a little behind him, both in their purple robes, and there the
Czar is anointed on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, breast,
and on both sides of his hands by the senior Metropolitan, who says: ‘The
seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost.’ The Czarina is then anointed with
the same words, but on her forehead only.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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