What is the name of the largest diamond stored in the Diamond Fund in Moscow?

Back in 1719, Emperor Peter I issued a decree to allocate premises for the storage of state valuables, and from that moment the history of the Diamond Fund began. This place became home to many jewels and orders that were used by the ruling family and worn on special occasions of great importance. The court craftsmen were highly skilled specialists in their craft and created products that brought a sense of luxury and grandeur to the imperial Russian court. Under Catherine II, a new room was allocated for jewelry. During the war, they were transported from St. Petersburg to Moscow and placed in the Kremlin Armory to protect them from possible invaders. In the 1950s, new diamond collections were added to the museum, and these gemstones have been featured in this unique exhibition ever since. In 1967, the exhibition was opened with limited access to commemorate the anniversaries of the USSR and the revolution. However, its enormous popularity led to the fact that the “Diamond Fund” in the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin became a permanent museum. To this day, the collection features unique items that have historical and artistic significance. Revered throughout the world, the treasury attracts many foreign visitors who come to admire it. In 2016, a series of limited edition coins was issued – “Russian Diamond Fund”. The products are based on silver, and the design reflects the most significant treasures. Exhibition items were also featured on stamps issued in 2017. These rare specimens are not easy to obtain. The treasures of the Diamond Fund can be divided into the following groups: Coronation regalia: Here are items that were used on ceremonial occasions, including coronations. The Diamond Fund boasts two historical crowns, the most famous of which is the Great Imperial Crown, created by Eckart and Pozier in honor of the rise to power of Catherine II. This ornate piece is studded with thousands of diamonds, 75 pearls from India and 398 carats of spinel. It comes with a sapphire sphere, a scepter and other ceremonial artifacts. Nuggets from the Diamond Fund: This exhibition introduces visitors to a collection of gold and platinum nuggets. The collection contains 101 examples of these precious stones, which were found in various places throughout Russia. Gold nuggets in the Diamond Fund are of great value, since such finds are usually sent for melting down. Diamonds in the Diamond Fund: This is a collection of large personalized jewelry gemstones. The most massive of them is called “XXVI Congress of the CPSU”; it weighs 342 carats. Great stones of the Russian Diamond Fund: The museum houses seven precious stones known throughout the world. The collection consists of 3 diamonds and 4 gems. Each piece has its own unique story. The largest of them, the Orlov diamond, weighing 190 carats, was originally used as decoration for the scepter of Empress Catherine II. The “Shah” diamond in the “Diamond Fund” has a small weight – 88 carats, but is valuable for the inscriptions engraved on it in Persian. Those who have seen these magnificent stones, worth millions of dollars, agree that it is an incredible experience. Jewelry in the “Diamond Fund” ser. XVIII century: The diamonds in this collection serve as part of the jewelry. They are characterized by colorful, asymmetrical compositions. For example, the “Big Bouquet” decoration, made for Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, with diamonds in the shape of flowers, including a rare lilac diamond weighing 15,5 carats. 2nd floor XVIII century: represented by jewelry with a large number of diamonds. The stones of the “Diamond Fund” of Russia, which were preferred by masters at that time, have light shades, mainly white diamonds. Beginning of the 19th century Diamond Fund tiaras: a characteristic item for decorating ladies’ hairstyles in the first third of the 19th century. The accessories were stylized as a kokoshnik, known in the West as the “Russian tiara”. Orders of the Russian Empire: these items from the collection were made for members of the imperial house. Among the exhibits is the famous Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, introduced by Peter I.

Diamond Fund – video review

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I see: there is no crown

“I go into the hall of the Diamond Fund, where the main treasures of Russia are kept, and there. They are not here! There are books and weapons on display. Do not know what to say! I. I wake up.” It’s called a “tour guide’s nightmare.” This nightmare haunted Lidia Dmitrievna Kapilina for ten years. Then I got used to it. She started leading excursions even in her sleep, but what can she do – she’s a pro. Now he remembers with laughter. Since the opening of the Diamond Fund in 1967, Lydia Kapilina has conducted 30 thousand excursions. And today at a combat post. Photo: Sergey Mikheev/RG Nothing funny really. In November 1967, the Diamond Fund exhibition opened in the Moscow Kremlin. It was intended to be temporary: for one year. But since then it has not closed and, most likely, is doomed to eternity. Two halls: in one there are historical exhibits, starting from the imperial regalia, which Peter I transferred to the medieval Gokhran (it was then called Renteria). In the second there are treasures not made by hands: nuggets of gold and platinum and countless diamonds. Exhibits have no price. How to evaluate the crown created in 1762 for the coronation of Catherine II? Scepter, orb, Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and “Victory”? Masterpieces of jewelry and witnesses to history of epoch-making significance. The author of these lines tried to find out the names of famous visitors. They looked at me strangely and handed me a hefty book of reviews. We can say in one sentence: all the presidents, prime ministers, kings and celebrities who have visited the Kremlin since 1967 were here. Everything, everything, everything! It is clear what the guides are experiencing. How not to worry? “I still can’t get rid of my excitement when I start a tour,” admits Lidia Dmitrievna, one of the first guides of the Diamond Fund. – In 1967, we were given huge, 80-cm pointers with secret buttons. If you press it, alarm! And the guys are rushing to your aid. We, young girls, about 20 years old, were very nervous and constantly pressed these secret buttons. No, there was no reason – accidentally, out of excitement. And then we simply exhausted our boys.” Exhibits have no price. How to evaluate the crown created in 1762 for the coronation of Catherine II? Scepter, orb, Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and “Victory”? Masterpieces of jewelry and witnesses to history of epoch-making significance. Photo: Sergey Mikheev/RG She calls state security officers boys. They are probably already retired, having become colonels and generals. But Lidia Dmitrievna is at her combat post. She leads groups (Gokhran calculated that she conducted 30 thousand excursions!) and teaches young people. She is probably one of the oldest Kremlin employees.

Why Mephistopheles is not joking

“What question do I get asked most often? – asks Lydia Kapilina. – Yes, probably “how much does it cost?” Do you know what usually makes visitors smile? The name of the diamond is “XXVI Congress of the CPSU.” Lemon yellow stone, found in Yakutia in 1980. Until the fall of 2023, it was the largest in Russia and No. 25 in the world. The name of the diamond cannot be changed; it is included in all leading catalogs on the planet. “And why? – Lidia Dmitrievna is sincerely perplexed. – He is a treasure of his era, and this is not the worst time in the history of Russia. And most importantly, we managed to save everything.” All Wikipedias are swelling with stories about how the Bolsheviks sold off treasures. But if so, then the question remains: how many museums are there in the world where the historical regalia of monarchs are kept? Three: the Tower of London, the treasury in the central bank building in Tehran and our Diamond Fund. But besides crowns and orders, you can still admire incredible things. See a platinum nugget weighing 7,8 kg. Or a gold nugget weighing 36 kg. Head of Mephistopheles. Copyright: Mother Nature. Photo: Sergey Mikheev/RG However, to each his own. Personally, the staff had to literally tear me headlong away from the display case. Mephistopheles! Mystical exhibit. The smallest gold bar in the collection, 20 grams, was found in Kolyma in 1944. They claim that the jeweler’s hand did not touch it. I don’t believe. “Many people don’t believe it,” Kapilina notes philosophically. – Three times commissions were convened on this matter. Verdict: created by nature, she is an excellent jeweler.” Well, what the hell is not joking. After all, what doesn’t happen in our lives. . 300 years ago, a father and son came to Russia. Walking from hungry Switzerland to brilliant St. Petersburg. The three of us left Geneva, but the father sold one son on the way. Literally. They had nothing to eat at all. The second son arrived: Jeremiah Pozier, diamond maker (jeweler), creator of the Great Imperial Crown, a symbol and priceless treasure of Russia. It is stored, as I already said, in the Diamond Fund. After serving three empresses, Pozier returned home to Geneva. And recently, as the leaders of the Diamond Fund told me, they had interesting guests from Switzerland on an excursion. A married couple wants to move to us permanently and is getting acquainted with the culture. This time the Swiss are not fleeing to us because of hunger. They have plenty to eat, but not everyone is happy with the gender innovations of modern Europe. It’s not so important why – the main thing is that they flee to Russia, and not vice versa. And yes, they are completely delighted with everything, especially with our culture. Since 1713, the Order of St. Catherine has been awarded to worthy ladies. Photo: Sergey Mikheev/RG
Authoritatively

In search of the ideal

The largest crystal in the Diamond Fund is 342,5 carats. But recently a 390-carat diamond was found in Yakutia! Do you have it? – I ask the head of Gokhran Andrey Yurin. “We are not chasing carats; the most valuable diamond is not the largest,” explains Andrei Vladimirovich. – Here is “Ivan Turgenev”, one of the last ones we received from Alrosa. It is simply perfect in transparency and shape – in accordance with its carbon-crystalline lattice. The number of visitors to the Diamond Fund exceeded 108 thousand per year and continues to grow. You have only two halls in the Armory Chamber. Have you thought about a new building? Andrey Yurin: Our treasures cannot be taken outside the Kremlin. But we have increased the number of sessions for which you can sign up remotely, which allows you to avoid standing in queues. The system excludes the purchase of tickets for the purpose of speculation. Priority is given to organized groups from schools and universities. Yes, in the summer there are difficulties due to the influx of tourists: getting to the exhibition is not easy. You have created a school of modern jewelers. What are you aiming them at? What materials are the future: gold, platinum, stones? Andrey Yurin: Our jewelers place an emphasis on modern materials, for example, titanium, which after certain processing looks completely different. And more and more jewelers are using synthetic stones. Where can their work be seen? Andrey Yurin: Gokhran is holding a jewelry art competition “Russia. XXI Century”. Based on its results, an exhibition of the winners will be held at the Historical Museum from October 2024 to March 2025. I recommend. The United States and the European Union are introducing restrictions against Russian diamonds. Did it hit you hard? Andrey Yurin: All “restrictors” need to understand: the volume of world consumption cannot be artificially reduced. Russia is a third of the world diamond market, so sanctions are essentially meaningless. We sell diamonds to those countries that have not joined the insane sanctions policy. They buy with pleasure. So these sanctions did not work, and will not work – just like sanctions in other areas.

Unknown and little-known facts about the Diamond Fund

Most historical treasures are named after emperors and empresses. The names of modern gemstones are more varied. Large collection in honor of space explorers: “K.E. Tsiolkovsky”, “Academician S.P. Korolev”, “Yuri Gagarin”, “Valentina Tereshkova”, “Valery Bykovsky”, “Interkosmos”, “Soyuz-Apollo” and “Buran”. There are many writers, poets, ballerinas and vocalists: “Pushkin”, “Leo Tolstoy”, “Modest Mussorgsky”, “Anna Akhmatova”, “Galina Ulanova”, “Olga Berggolts”, “Lyudmila Zykina”, etc. Politicians meet occasionally (“ Indira Gandhi, Allende). There are names that need explanation, for example, the 32,7-carat Yakut diamond “Samantha Smith” is named after a girl from the USA. Her name was known during the years of perestroika in the USSR and is completely unknown in her homeland. The tour guides had to tell the Americans who she was.

And there is one completely unexpected name for a very significant stone: “Maria”, this is the first Yakut diamond over 100 carats. It turns out that it was named after a simple worker in the fat shop of the processing plant in Mirny, Maria Konenkina. The term “fatty” refers to the technology: the diamond concentrate is passed through a fatty belt, since the fat firmly holds the diamonds. In 1966, Maria was simply the first to see a crystal weighing 105,88 carats stuck to a fatty tape. Unexpected fame fell on her, to the point that she was personally invited to Moscow to the exhibition “Treasures of the Diamond Fund of the USSR” by the Minister of Finance (Gokhran is part of this ministry).

But besides crowns and orders, you can still admire incredible things. See a platinum nugget weighing 7,8 kg. Or a gold nugget weighing 36 kg. Photo: Sergey Mikheev/RG

“The statement that most names for unique stones and nuggets are invented at the mines is incorrect,” notes the head of Gokhran Andrei Yurin. – We are participating in this process. If the diamond is unique and it ended up in the Gokhran collection, then you can keep the name given at the mine or at the processing plant. Can be renamed. Or maybe the diamond will remain without a name. In any case, the decision is always made individually. It is impossible to completely rely on the initiatives of workers in processing factories and prospectors, since in this case it is unlikely that we would have a collection of diamonds, say, named after prospectors. The unique features of each crystal intersect with the personalities of illegal immigrants or facts from their biographies. Which the uninitiated cannot know.”

Initially, the exhibition was supposed to end in a year, i.e. in 1968. Then it was extended until 1969. Further – indefinitely. Initially, tickets for it were not sold. “We received applications from labor collectives: in one day we received applications for three to four years in advance,” says Lidia Kapilina, the oldest guide of the Diamond Fund. – In the 1960-1970s, visitors were more prepared, they knew what they would see, it was a huge event in their lives. Of course, visitors are very different, but for me the connection between generations is when in a historical hall someone cannot contain their feelings: “God, what a beauty!” There were, are and will be like this at all times. And I’m lucky to work here. This is probably why I live so long.”

Modern exhibition visitors have an advantage over Soviet-era visitors. Then the barrier did not allow anyone to get closer than 1,5 meters to the glass of the display case. Now this distance has been halved, which allows you to view the most interesting exhibits. For example, inscriptions and nuances of cutting such world rarities as the stunning “Shah” diamond, with which the Persians tried to pay off the murder of Griboedov. The distance is important for a detailed examination of the Order of the Golden Fleece, it is inlaid with rare mauve topazes. Or the “Big Bouquet” of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna by Jeremiah Pozier himself. And dozens more exhibits.

Many visitors are unhappy with the ban on filming at the exhibition. “We explain that this is not really a museum,” says Lydia Kapilina. “This is a national treasure trove, and there are a number of restrictions.”

Gokhran is slowly parting with its secrets. Relatively recently, details of the evacuation of state treasures during the Great Patriotic War were declassified. Due to the threat of air strikes on the Kremlin, starting from June 30, 1941, “the state reserve of precious metals, precious stones, the Diamond Fund of the USSR and the valuables of the Kremlin Armory Chamber” were removed from Moscow. They were evacuated by rail to Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk. The government decree even indicated where the valuables were taken from: from storerooms No. 1 and No. 2 of the Kremlin. On the same days, Lenin’s body was evacuated to Tyumen. The rarities from the Historical Museum were taken on a barge along the Volga, first to Khvalynsk (Saratov region), then transported to the Kazakh Kustanai.

Are there any plans to declassify buildings or bunkers where the country’s most valuable treasures were kept during the war? “What was used for temporary storage of Gokhran property is not special storage facilities for our goals and objectives,” answers Gokhran head Andrei Yurin. “There just wasn’t time to build them.” Suitable military installations were used. So our only permanent exhibition is the Diamond Fund.”

The maximum number of visitors per year – up to 150 thousand – was recorded in 2018, this is due to the FIFA World Cup held in Moscow. From November 1 last year to November 1, 2023 – 108 thousand, of which 90 thousand are Russians. “There are many visitors from Belarus, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Germany, the USA, Great Britain, Israel, and Australia,” says exhibition director Anastasia Shagunova. – The ticket price for citizens of the Russian Federation and foreigners is the same: 800 rubles. There are audio guides in English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Spanish and Italian.”

Question to the head of Gokhran

Andrei Vladimirovich, according to the law, the treasures found are transferred to Gokhran. Have the conditions changed for those who faithfully hand over finds to the state? And in general, are treasures still being found?

Andrey Yurin: Treasures are found. The latest case is in Moscow, in the Krasnye Vorota metro area: royal chervonets in the wall of a house. Residents, making repairs, found and conscientiously reported the find. They handed it over to the state, receiving a reward of 50% of its value. Namely: 1 rubles 392 kopecks.

The Diamond Fund occupies two halls: in one there are historical exhibits, starting from the imperial regalia, which Peter I transferred to the medieval Gokhran (it was then called Renteria). In the second there are treasures not made by hands: nuggets of gold and platinum and countless diamonds. Photo: Sergey Mikheev/RG