Silver corner in the form of a double-headed eagle from a tray copy and the front cover of Volume III [Imperial Hunting in Rus', late 17th and 18th centuries. 1902]

Introduction. About the interest of every Russian.

In Soviet times, the attitude towards antiquarian books, to put it mildly, was different. Any collector who started collecting in the 1960s and 70s has a story ready: how the Brockhaus and Efron encyclopedia (almost any book masterpiece can be inserted here) was brought to waste paper for a volume of Conan Doyle. But there is a book that was valued during the times of any empire - both Russian and Soviet. And any average person, far from books, took one look at her and understood that there was something very valuable in front of him. I'm talking about 4 volumes by N. I. Kutepov “Grand-Ducal, Royal and Imperial Hunting in Rus'”, which are most often abbreviated as “Royal Hunt”.

Nowadays, when the price is set by the market, its value at auctions ranges from 100 to 200 thousand dollars, when we hear the price, we shake our heads: “an absolute masterpiece.” During the times of Soviet second-hand booksellers with traditional acceptors, prices were set by the state and were reflected in the price lists of the USSR. With all due respect to these catalogues, they did not set criteria for book value (although the 4-volume book in question was listed in the “Russian History” section of Mosbukkniga, No. 189, with a value of 1250-1500 rubles). An indicative moment for me was when, in order to show me, a boy, “The Royal Hunt,” my father negotiated with the University’s rare books department. To understand: I could have seen the rest of the book rarities from my father’s friends.

The value of the book for all times was ensured by a combination of components: kings (read: empire), hunting and magnificent illustrations. The words “empire” and “hunting” have always pleased the ears of the Russian people. It is not for nothing that the spiritual father of the publication, Emperor Alexander III, said about it: “This work is all the more desirable because it is of interest to every Russian”. Since its release, the book, having a huge price tag - 50 rubles per volume, has always been a success.

Recently, many articles have appeared about this publication, most of them are posted on the Internet. So my note is a kind of summary of these articles; however, there are also some achievements. Initially, my plan was to describe each volume of the publication separately and include illustrations. But it turned out that our mutual friend gpib (The Historical Library) gave us all a gift by scanning all 4 volumes and posted it in the public domain and said nothing. See the link at the end of the note. So now you don’t need to sell a couple of apartments to look through a masterpiece. And I can concentrate on the description of the publication.

How it all began.

Thanks to this publication, Alexander III went down in history as a lover of hunting. Although, if you read the works of historians, the tsar preferred fishing to hunting (remember the famous: “Europe can wait while the Russian tsar fishes”). The emperor expressed his desire to create a work on the history of royal hunting in Russia, not while holding a wild boar at gunpoint, but while inspecting the hunting grounds in Gatchina. The order was given Head of the Imperial Hunt, Prince Dmitry Borisovich Golitsyn, and he, in turn, forwarded it to his deputy, Colonel Nikolai Ivanovich Kutepov. The biography of the colonel, and after the publication was written, I do not cite the major general, in WiKi it is fully revealed .

General Kutepov at a costume ball in 1903 in a falconer costume and watercolor by Samokish N. “Falconer”.

Kutepov N.I. was not a professional writer, but his talent as a researcher and good organizer was fully revealed when carrying out the royal commission. Numerous archives were studied, many materials from them are reproduced in the publication.

He attracted scientists and collectors to the work. Not only did he use their materials (numerous engravings in the edition from the famous collection Dashkov Pavel Yakovlevich (1849-1910)), but also with their advice. Among them: A. F. Bychkov, V. V. Stasov, N. P. Likhachev, A. A. Favorsky, S. L. Shiryaev, S. N. Shubinsky, S. A. Belokurov, N. P. Pavlov -Silvansky, A.V. Polovtsov, G.V. Esipov, V.P. Lambin, I.M. Gubkin.

It is not surprising that the colonel became a first-class specialist in the history of Russian hunting. It was he who was entrusted with writing the corresponding article for the “Encyclopedic Dictionary” of Brockhaus and Efron (vol. XXXVII a, pp. 808–811).

The initial result was the publication in 1893 of the “Memorandum on the state of affairs in the compilation of the “Collection of materials relating to the history of grand-ducal, royal and imperial hunts in Russia.” A sort of, as it is fashionable to say now, a roadmap for the future edition.

The book's circulation was 10 copies and was intended exclusively for the royal person. The binding was appropriate: on a dark green background in the middle - an imperial double-headed eagle embossed in gold, clutching two hunting horns in its paws; in the lower right corner there is an inscription in gold embossing: “1891-1893. Gatchino."

Researchers point out that there was also a trial edition: it was also published in 10 copies, later increased by 35 copies. But I didn’t find any information about it, and there are discrepancies in the articles, so I don’t dwell on it.

After Alexander III approved the content of the essays, it was decided to involve the best artists in the publication, and entrust the publication itself to Expeditions for the procurement of government papers(We talked about the predecessor of Goznak in, in the future I will definitely devote a separate note to this printing house).

The emperor himself did not live to see the publication of the first volume. His memory is captured in the publication - in the dedication: “To the blessed and eternal memory of the great sovereign Alexander III, this work is reverently dedicated, begun according to his royal desire, completed according to his thoughts,” and in the design of the books. On the cover of the binding of volume I is the monogram of Alexander III with the image of the imperial crown in the rays of the sun.

The success of the publication is undoubtedly the work of the best artists. Worked on it the most Samokish Nikolay Semenovich. He is the author of the design of the bindings of all volumes (ornaments, endpaper designs) and he made 173 miniatures in the text.

Even an incomplete list of authors whose works are presented in “The Hunt” includes the entire color of Russian painting: E. E. Lanceray, A. N. Benois, L. S. Bakst, K. V. Lebedev, A. P. Ryabushkin, L. O. Pasternak, V. I. Surikov, A. M. Vasnetsov, I. E. Repin, V. A. Serov, A. S. Stepanov and A. K. Beggrov, F. A. Rubo, A. V. Makovsky N. E. Sverchkov, V. I. Navozov, P. P. Sokolov, M. A. Zichy, Ya. I. Brovar, A. E. Karneev, V. G. Shvarts, V. Jacobi.

The work of the painters was supervised by Kutepov himself and the head of the artistic part of the Expedition, a professional engraver Gustav Ignatievich Frank. He played the role of a playing coach: he made one of the five etchings - “Fedor Nikitich Romanov-Zakharyin-Yuryev” from the original by I.E. Repin for the 2nd volume.

The publication uses the entire available set for reproducing images: autotype and chromolithography, heliogravures and etchings.

T. 1. - Grand-ducal and royal hunting in Rus' from the 10th to the 16th centuries. - N.S. Samokish and V.M. Vasnetsov.
T. 2. - Tsar's hunt in Rus' of Tsars Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich. 17th century - V.M. Vasnetsov, K.V. Lebedev, I.E. Repin, A.P. Ryabushkin, F.A. Roubo, N.S. Samokish and V.I. Surikov.
T. 3. - Tsarist and imperial hunting in Rus'. Late 17th and 18th centuries. – A.N. Benoit, A.M. Vasnetsov, E.E. Lanceray, K.V. Lebedev, L.O. Pasternak, I.E. Repin, A.P. Ryabushkin, N.S. Samokish, A.S. Stepanov, V.A. Serov and V.I. Surikov.
T. 4. - Imperial hunting in Rus'. Late 18th and 19th centuries. - A.N. Benoit, K.V. Lebedev, L.O. Pasternak, I.E. Repin, N.S. Samokish, Zichy M.A. and A.S. Stepanov.

Many researchers note that there should have been a 5th volume dedicated to the period of the reign of Alexander III. But Kutepov did not have time to describe the time in which he lived. By the way, the fourth volume was published after the general’s death, thanks to the efforts of the widow, Elena Andreevna.

Was cast especially for this edition Medieval font and a special type of coated paper was developed.

Circulation of “high quality royal books” and edition options.

There is no reliable information about the circulation of the beautiful volumes in quarto format. Researchers suggest that the circulation of the first volume was 400 copies, the rest - 500. The publication had several versions.

Tray option. Full leather bindings with silver corners in the form of double-headed eagles. 84 standard silver. Triple gold edge and moiré endpapers. Each volume is in a special case, lined with fabric on the inside. (I’m typing, but my hands don’t obey such delights).

The usual option. Half leather bindings. On the top covers of both versions, decorative symbolic compositions were embossed in gold and color.

The authors of some descriptions mention a simple version of the publication - paper publishing covers. I deeply doubt that part of the limited edition was published in simple paper covers (with independent binding); I have never seen a mention of this type among auctioneers.

Part of the circulation is numbered, as modern authors suggest, the number of numbered copies was very small (precisely there were up to 190 (this copy was exhibited by AD “On Nikitsky”). On the contrary, both Burtsev and Berezin (N.B.) in their catalogs say that all copies were numbered.

There are mentions that bindings were made workshop of Kirchner Otto Francevich. I readily believe this: he had the status of “Supplier to the Court of His Imperial Majesty.”

French edition

The expedition published the same publication in French.

Coutepoff, N. La chasse grand-ducale et tsarienne en Russie. S.-P.: Expedition pour la confection des papiers d'etat, 1896-1900.

The translator was Dr. Alexis Lurus. Under this mysterious nickname a journalist was revealed Wolf Alexey Andreevich(?-1901) (Masanov I.F. Dictionary of pseudonyms of Russian writers, scientists and public figures: In 4 volumes. T. 3. M., 1958. P. 318).

The design was practically no different from the Russian edition. The changes were minor (for example: the title was written in the Gothic style).

Only 2 volumes were published, with a circulation of 200 copies. Why the publication was not fully published - I did not find an answer.

Instead of a conclusion.

“The Royal Hunt” is a typical example of a valuable, but not rare, publication. In fact, it is always on sale (at the moment there are at least two offers, the price, however, is a cosmic 12 million rubles).

Sources:

Modern articles:

• Piggot E. “Elegant, luxurious, artistic...” (About the book by N. I. Kutepov “The Tsar’s Hunt in Rus'”)// Antiques. Art and collectibles. M., 2002. No. 3. pp. 26-31;
• Aksenova G.V. “Grand-ducal, royal and imperial hunts in Rus'” by Nikolai Kutepov / N. I. Kutepov. Grand-ducal and royal hunting in Rus'. – M., 2002;
• Aksenova G.V. Russian book culture at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries: Monograph.– M.: MPGU, 2011. 200 p.;
• Vlasova R.I. Illustrations and artistic design of N. I. Kutepov’s essays “Grand-ducal, royal and imperial hunting in Rus'” Volume I // Museums of Russia: searches, research, work experience. Collection of scientific papers. St. Petersburg, 2005. No. 8. [page is not always available];
• Bortsova E.A. Old Russian motifs in the book works of N. S. Samokish (on the example of the publication by N. I. Kutepov “Grand-ducal, royal and imperial hunting in Rus') // Bulletin of Slavic Cultures. M. 2014. No. 4 (34).

Historical documents:

Bibliographic indexes and catalogues:

Vengerov A. and S. Bibliochronics. 1647–1977 In some kingdom. Book I No. 109;

N.B. [Berezin, N.I.]Russian book rarities No. 146. (II part p. 36);

Burtsev A.E. "A detailed bibliographic description of rare and remarkable books." St. Petersburg, 1901. vol. I, no. 156. p. 110;

Antique catalog of JSC "International Book" No. 44. “Fiction and anniversary editions (book in elegant design).” M. 1934, No. 171. ($50);

Bibliographic index of literature and recommended prices for the section “Russian History” of Mosbukkniga, No. 189;

Anofriev N.Yu. Russian hunting library. A complete list of books and brochures with brief reviews of each of them. Brest-Litovsk, 1905, pp. 38-39;

Schwerdt's collection of. Hunting, Hawking, Shooting books. Vol. I, p.p. 291-292;

The Paul M. Fekula collection. A Catalogue. N.Y., 1988, No. 2575;

P.S. True, I don’t quite understand why the bibliographic description says: 2nd edition. (Samples with a circulation of 10 to 35 copies without illustrations cannot be considered as 1 edition).

I wanted to draw your attention to the book marks on the copies of the GPIB. According to them: 1 volume belonged Bobrinsky Alexey Alexandrovich (1852-1927). Volume 2 - Count Kutaisov Konstantin Pavlovich, volume 4 - Library of the Russian Historical Museum of Alexander III.

Imperial hunt

Supreme Hunters

Hunting has long been considered an indispensable component of the life of crowned heads. In Russia, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Peter II, Anna Ioanovna, and later Alexander II and Alexander III were passionate hunters. But even under other emperors, hunting was a traditional pastime in suburban residences. The Imperial Hunt was in charge of the Chief Jägermeister Office, which was transformed in 1796 into the Jägermeister Office (since 1882 it was called the Imperial Hunt).

Unlike Catherine II, Pavel Petrovich was not interested in hunting unless the rules of etiquette required it. During the foreign tour of Pavel Petrovich and Maria Fedorovna under the name of Count and Countess Nord in 1781–1782. he took part in the hunts organized for him, as evidenced by drawings and engravings depicting the grand ducal couple hunting in Berense, near Stuttgart, and in Berlin. Emperor Paul I was interested in only one institution connected with the Imperial hunt - the Gatchina menagerie, which was established by Count G. G. Orlov.

A. Benois tried to recreate Emperor Paul I’s walk through the menagerie in a drawing. As for the famous “Eagle Monument,” erected on the site of the fall of an eagle killed by the emperor in the Gatchina palace garden, then, most likely, the obelisk, as historian M. M. Safonov argued, is in fact a Masonic symbol.

The historian of Imperial hunting N. Kutepov (his books in a gift version were recently republished) writes: “Emperor Paul I did not feel the slightest inclination towards hunting. The archives do not contain any information about at least one hunt in his presence... The construction of a vast stone building for the Chief Jägermeister Corps along the Tsarskoye Selo road, which began according to the Empress’s thoughts at the end of her reign, was still fully completed when Emperor Paul, upon his accession to the throne, handed it over to Izmalovsky shelf."

Emperor Paul I was a lover of dogs, but not hunting dogs. According to the testimony of P. Ya. Bashutsky (as retold by his son Alexander Pavlovich), the watch parades at the Mikhailovsky Castle took place as follows: “A lot of ordinary people and dogs usually gathered for the watch parades. No one dared to drive away either the first or the last, and they crowded freely: the people were behind, and the dogs were in front of Paul I. Paul was always kind to the common people, and when the troops on the watch parade lined up to pass by him, he used his cane slightly moved the people aside, saying: “Please move back a little”; then, taking his cane under his left arm and taking off the glove with cragens from his right hand, he took out pieces of bread from his right pocket and treated them to the dogs crowding towards him. When the troops were already approaching, he lightly drove the dogs away with his cane, saying: “Well, now go,” and the dogs, understanding this and having received their handout, left by themselves.”

A week after ascending the throne on November 13, 1796, Paul I prescribed that “bird hunting (falconry. - L.V.) with the servants were not discharged from Moscow to St. Petersburg until further orders.” As a result, falconry, located in the Semenovsky amusement yard, fell into decline. Obtaining birds of prey (falcons and gyrfalcons) became a difficult matter, because Paul I took away tax benefits and benefits from all povytchiks, turning them into palace peasants, with the exception of povytchikov of the Kazan province.

A month and a half after Emperor Paul I ascended the throne, a new yacht staff was approved. This state reduced the size of court hunting by almost half compared to the state of 1773. The total number of officials and ministers was reduced from 321 to 162 people. The most significant parts of the Imperial hunt - hounds and birds - were subjected to especially intensified reductions. Of the 86 people in the dog hunt of 1773, only 55 remained in the new state, and in the bird hunt - 19 people instead of the previous 45. Only the Jägermeister team remained unchanged.

Chief Jägermeister Prince Pyotr Alekseevich Golitsyn remained in office until February 16, 1800, then was replaced by Infantry General Vasily Ivanovich Levashev. The Jägermeisters subordinate to the Chief Jägermeister did not remain in their positions for long. On December 6, 1798, the favorite of the emperor, Chief Wardrobemaster Count Ivan Pavlovich Kutaisov, was appointed huntsman, but already on January 1, 1800, the chamberlain of the court of the heir to Tsarevich Alexander Pavlovich, Count Golovkin 3rd, took his place. Less than two months had passed before Golovkin incurred the wrath of the sovereign and on February 26 of the same 1800 he was dismissed from service for overspending - “he incurred expenses for the travel of our beloved daughter, Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna, in excess of the amount we had set for it, twice as much.” ". It is also known that in 1797 an elephant was placed in the Elephant Yard in St. Petersburg; 1,500 rubles were allocated for its maintenance and the salary of the elephant keepers. in year.

It is also known about Paul I’s visit to the menagerie on June 10, 1799, Friday: “At 7 o’clock in the evening Their Imperial Majesties with their Imperial Highnesses the Sovereign Heir, the Grand Duchesses Elena Pavlovna, Maria Pavlovna and Ekaterina Pavlovna and their lordships the Princes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the retinue of persons of both sexes deigned to travel on lines (special court carriages with a longitudinal back in the middle. - A. B.) take a walk... to the menagerie."

“Emperor Alexander Pavlovich inherited from his father a dislike for hunting,” historian N. Kutepov further writes. – In Russia, as far as we know, he never hunted and only during trips abroad he took part officially in hunts organized by foreign monarchs, along with other entertainment in honor of his visit.

October 6, 1808 in Ettersberg, near Weimar, while hunting deer and other game given by the Duke of Saxe-Weimar...” A drawing from that time has been preserved, according to which I. Repin later painted a picture on this subject.

Nevertheless, court hunting was not idle, since the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna was at one time interested in falconry. Information has been preserved that in the summer of 1805 falconers with birds of prey were called from Moscow to St. Petersburg. They were also called in 1808 and 1810.

The Jägermeister Department preserved long-established huts for shooting black grouse in the forest near the village of Shushary. As N. Kutepov notes, in 1820 a new round hut, made of logs, warm, was built here, and “stuffed poles” were placed around it, as was done when building huts during the times of Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine II.

However, the news of 1814 about Maria Feodorovna’s hunt for hares has also been preserved. In the Chamber-Fourier magazine of October 9 we read: “Gatchina. On Friday at 12 noon, Her Imperial Majesty the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna with Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess (Anna Pavlovna) in carriages, and Their Imperial Highnesses the Grand Dukes on horseback deigned to leave the palace for a hare-baiting hunt, and being accompanied in the lines and on horseback the persons of both sexes who made up the Highest Retinue, and at half past 4 o’clock they returned back to the palace.” This event was reflected in the engraving and became the reason for the drawing by N. Samokish “Departure of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna with Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna on a hare-baiting hunt, 1814.”

Emperor Alexander I rather acted as a conservationist, feeding birds in the Tsarskoye Selo lakes. Despite the fact that he was a good rifle shooter and in 1822 won a prize in a competition during the Verona Congress, life surgeon D.K. Tarasov says in his memoirs that the sovereign often visited the poultry yard during his stay in Tsarskoe Selo. Early in the morning, the Emperor “went out into the garden through his own exit into his alley, from which he constantly headed towards the dam of a large lake, where the chief gardener Lyamin and the entire bird community (up to a hundred swans, as well as geese and ducks) usually waited for him - L.V. .), living in the poultry yard, near this dam. When His Majesty arrived, poultry keepers usually prepared different kinds of food for the birds in baskets. Sensing the approach of the sovereign from afar, all the birds greeted him in their different voices. Approaching the baskets, His Majesty put on a glove specially prepared for him and began to distribute food to them himself.” On June 20, 1818, Emperor Alexander I showed this Tsarskoye Selo poultry yard to the Prussian King Frederick William during his visit to St. Petersburg together with his heir Prince Wilhelm. The documents show: “40 minutes of the 8th hour (pm. – A. V.) The highest family deigned to go to the garden to the poultry yard in a droshky: His Majesty the King (of Prussia) with Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna, the Sovereign Emperor with Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna... Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich with Crown Prince Wilhelm, the Prince of Mecklenburg with Hesse-Homburg in accompanied by a retinue...” The artist A. Benois created a drawing on this topic, “Feeding the birds by Emperor Alexander I at the “poultry yard” in Tsarskoe Selo, in the presence of Emperor Friedrich Wilhelm.”

The size of the court hunt under Alexander I was reduced even more. Soon after his accession to the throne, on December 18, 1801, a new state of the Imperial Hunt was issued, which stated:

“Among the first persons of the Court” is the Chief Jägermeister with a salary of 4188 rubles. Among the second ranks of the court is the Jagermeister with a salary of 2532 rubles, then, in addition, part of the Chief Jagermeister, including the non-commissioned Jagermeister with a salary of 1500 rubles. The “staffs” of horses and dogs were also approved: huntsman horses – 32, bird hunting horses – 10, harness horses – 12, hound hunting horses – 40, “for various trips” – 6. For fodder, shoeing and purchase of horses, counting the horse’s service at 4 years , and its cost is 24 rubles, 11,859 rubles. 50 kopecks Greyhound dogs - 20, hounds - 60, muzzles - 10. For their food... - 1650 rubles. 10,000 rubles were allocated for the maintenance of menageries, 1,200 rubles for pigeons and other birds in the Hermitage. Total annual expense is 55,142 rubles. 33 kopecks, not including the salary of the chief jägermeister and jägermeister.

Nevertheless, starting from 1811, expenses for court hunting significantly exceeded the estimate. In the decade (from 1811 to 1820) they reached 73,000 rubles. per year, in the next decade - 100,000 rubles. in year.

The general decline of the institutions of the Imperial hunt was reflected in the Peterhof menagerie. The territory occupied by the menagerie was reduced and in 1798 an area was allocated from it for the food warehouses of the cuirassier regiment; and in 1818, up to 55 acres were allocated for pasture of livestock for the residents of Peterhof. The small menagerie that existed near the English Garden was destroyed in 1823. The deer and several buffalo contained there were transferred to the Great Menagerie.

In 1816, two more elephants were brought from Persia, presented to Emperor Alexander I by the Persian Shah. Their image was preserved in a lithographic drawing. 1905 rubles were allocated for the maintenance of two elephants. per year, and the salary of their Persian drivers is 100 rubles. to each. The elephants were given food every day: 4 pounds of wheat bread, 6 pounds of cow butter, 10 pounds of honey, 2 pounds of sugar, 10 pounds of hay, 5 pounds of straw, spiced roots worth 5 rubles. In 1823, one of these elephants died (he was sent to the Kunstkamera), and the remaining elephant was transferred to Tsarskoye Selo in 1827. In 1806, Emperor Alexander I was presented by the board of the White Sea company with a polar bear, which was kept at the Volyn hunting yard, during hound hunting.

The devastating flood of November 7, 1824 struck the buildings of the Imperial Hunt in St. Petersburg on the river. Fontanka. 7 horses and several hounds drowned. In general, by the end of the 20s. All Moscow hunting - bird, wild and even hound - fell into complete decline. They were finally abolished at the beginning of the reign of Nicholas I.

In the last years of the reign of Emperor Alexander I, hunts were sometimes organized for Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich. The first information about them dates back to 1818. Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna, later the Empress, recalled: ““Maman” allowed her son to spend several days in Gatchina for hunting. We happily prepared to take advantage of this permission and spent a very pleasant time in Gatchina in a close circle, which consisted of the chief ceremonial master Prince Yakov Lobanov, his son aide-de-camp Prince Alexander Lobanov, Count Ribopierre and our little Anichkovsky court. I extremely enjoyed life in a country castle and hunting; everyone was cheerful, kind, each talkative in their own way, and everyone parted happy with each other.” Rather, it was a kind of outlet and an attempt to escape from the strict control of the august mother Maria Fedorovna for several autumn days. Quite controversial is the statement of the historian of Imperial hunting N. Kutepov that Nikolai Pavlovich “even in his youth fell in love with hunting and subsequently, upon ascending the throne, annually devoted several autumn days to his favorite pastime.”

However, the French writer François Anselot could still skeptically observe falconry and hound hunting in a series of coronation festivities in 1826. He wrote in one of his September letters: “Yesterday... the imperial hunting yard, wanting to contribute to the entertainment, demonstrated to us on the vast plain Sokolniki hound and falconry... The unfortunate hares were brought in bags, two were released at a signal, and before they had time to run a few toises, two huge long-haired greyhounds were sent after them, which instantly caught up with their victims and dealt with them.

[…] Twelve huntsmen rode out onto the plain on horseback, each holding a falcon with a cap on its head; as soon as treacherous freedom was granted to the captive crows, condemned to death in the claws of falcons, the birds flew to a great height and began to soar over the victims, who with desperate cries vainly begged for help... The crows soon returned to seek refuge on the ground... Only one raven, trusting their salvation the strength of his own wings, he paid with his life for this indiscretion.”

On April 26, 1826, the personnel of the court hunt was again reduced. Moscow falconry was abolished, and in 1828 the Izmailovo menagerie was transferred to the Kremlin expedition in a dilapidated state. A new staff for the Jägermeister Department was issued on January 22, 1833. The personnel of the hunts was reduced to 108 people; Up to 24,000 rubles have been allocated for their maintenance. ass.; for the maintenance of the entire department, up to 102,000 rubles have been allocated. Ass. As N. Kutepov notes, “a distinctive feature of the state of 1833... was the distribution of hunting servants not according to the main parts of the latter, but according to articles, depending on the content they received. Three such articles were established: the first included senior huntsman, senior driver, stirrup, etc.; to the second - junior huntsmen, junior riders, stirrups, vabelnik, vyzhlyatniks; finally, in the third article - huntsman apprentices, stirrups, junior tenets, vyzhlyatnik's apprentices, welders, junior grooms, fur-hunters of the Peterhof menagerie, etc.”

It should be clarified that the hound hunter in hound hunting is a hunter in charge of hounds. The senior vyzhlyatnik is called the driver. A vabelschik is a huntsman, a hunter who lures an animal to shoot by imitating its voice or identifying the location of an object by its response. Stremyanny - senior groom. Tenets are huntsmen who, hiding near the nets (nets), take with batons or tie up animals that are being driven by beaters (rounders) coming from the opposite side.

From the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna until the beginning of the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, the Imperial hunt was located at the Okhotny Dvor near the Obukhov Bridge on the Fontanka. In April 1828, a decision was made to transfer to Peterhof, where all hunting institutions previously located in St. Petersburg and other places were concentrated.

Since 1827, the territory south of the English Park began to be built up under the name Yegerskaya Sloboda, where the court huntsmen and hounds were located. In the settlement itself, an animal house was built. The center of hunting institutions in Peterhof was also the Great Peterhof Menagerie, in which a hare cage, a deer farm, a pheasant and a partridge establishment were set up, and next to the latter there was a harness for hares. Only the Jägermeister office remained in St. Petersburg in the 1830s. was located in the so-called Jesuit (No. 59) house on the Catherine Canal, near the Mikhailovsky Theater.

At the end of 1838, the temporary manager of the Jägermeister Department, Baron Fredericks, and after him, Chief Jägermeister Vasilchikov, presented to the Minister of the Imperial Household projects for new states that were approved. Dog hunting, which had fallen into decline, was curtailed as unclaimed. At the same time, it was decided to increase the pheasant and partridge stock. By this state, on January 1, 1843, the total number of ranks was increased to 126 people (18 more than the state of 1838). In recent years, after Vasilchikov's resignation, the Imperial Hunt was headed by Count Fersen. By 1853, hound hunting consisted of greyhounds and hounds. There were dogs of other breeds: Medellian, wind divers and setters, but in small numbers.

But dogs are different from dogs. Historian N. Kutepov writes: “During the imperial hunt, dogs that were the property of the emperor, empress, heir to the crown prince and some grand dukes were kept on special grounds. Of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich's own dogs, there were 7 dogs here in 1842 (3 adult pointing dogs and 4 puppies, the breed of which is not specified), in 1848 - 2 dogs: a diver "Hector" and a poodle puppy; finally, in 1850, the number of these dogs obviously increased, since more than 600 rubles a year were allocated for their maintenance from the emperor’s own funds. Of the Empress’s dogs, two “Charlottes” were kept here in 1841-42.”

However, Nikolai Pavlovich’s Spartan inclinations affected the fact that he, as Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna noted, “didn’t even like hunting.” Gatchina resident A.V. Evald also wrote about this: “Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich was not a passionate lover of hunting. Sometimes he went out with a gun into the palace park or menagerie, shooting a couple of wild ducks, and even then rarely.” Another opinion is expressed by the historian N. Kutepov: “Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich was not a passionate hunter, like many Russian sovereigns of previous centuries or like his royal son Emperor Alexander II, but he was far from alien to the entertainment of hunting, and his beautiful knightly image is one of the best decorations of our Imperial hunt." Among the illustrations for the fourth volume of N. Kutepov’s book, published in 1904, there is a drawing by N. Samokish “Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich in a hunting suit” (from a portrait located in the Shchukin Museum (Moscow). There is a known hunting episode relating to Alexandra Feodorovna’s stay at the Bavarian resort Kreit in the summer of 1838, when she was visited by her highest spouse, who was on a business trip abroad.The episode can be seen in I. Repin’s painting “Emperor Nicholas I and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in Kreit, in the Tyrol Mountains.”

The circumstances of the accession to the throne of Nicholas I, the Russian-Persian War, and the beginning of the Russian-Turkish War were not conducive to hunting entertainment. The first brief news about the hunt organized by the Jagermeister Department refers to the previously mentioned visit of the Persian prince Khosrow-Mirza. The hunt was organized on January 30, 1829 in Peterhof at Her Majesty’s Own Dacha, not far from Alexandria. Perhaps the episode preserved in the memoirs of M. F. Kamenskaya also dates back to this time. She told about one of the dwarfs that belonged to the Vasilchikovs. The dwarf's name was Sofron Osipovich, he was in the late 1820s. about 50 years old, he was literate and was known as a great dandy: “The fifty-year-old little guy, in addition to his intelligence, wit and resourcefulness, was also a passionate hunter and a sharp shooter. So Prince Illarion Vasilyevich Vasilchikov once came up with the idea of ​​taking his Sofrosh with him on the royal hunt and amusing the sovereign with him. The prince’s invention was a success: Sofrosha made almost no mistakes during the hunt and made Nikolai Pavlovich laugh with his clever words. At breakfast, they say, the sovereign sat the dwarf next to him and, mercifully patting him on the shoulder, asked: “Well, little man, are you happy with today?” - “I am immensely happy, Your Majesty, and I will not forget this day until my last breath...” - “Well, teach me, Sofron Osipovich, how I can commemorate this day when we hunted with you, so that you never forgot him." - “Accept me into the service of your hunt, Your Majesty, and allow me to wear her uniform. Then, even if I could forget today, it will be impossible for me...” The Emperor burst out laughing and immediately ordered Prince Vasilchikov to enroll the funny dwarf in his hunting and ordered to dress him in a uniform.”

The first records of chamber-Fourier journals about the hunts of Emperor Nicholas I in Gatchina date back to September 1831. Here is an excerpt from N. Kutepov’s book, written on the basis of archival documents: “On September 23 of this year, the sovereign went on a deer hunt for deer and wild goats in Sylvia at the beginning of the first hour. He was accompanied by the Minister of the Court, Prince Volkonsky, and the Adjutant General, Prince Vasilchikov, Count Chernyshev, Khrapovitsky, Counts Orlov and Adlerberg. In addition to deer, the sovereign also shot ducks that day. The Empress arrived at the hunting spot in an English carriage with her ladies-in-waiting, but soon, without waiting for the sovereign, who was carried away by the hunt, she left for the farm for breakfast.” “Sovereign Emperor,” as noted in the Chamber-Fourier journal, “have breakfast. - A. V.) did not deign, but spent all his time hunting and after that, with the minister of the court, Prince. Volkonsky, returned to the courtyard on foot 15 minutes after 4 o’clock.” All persons participating in this supreme hunt were then invited to the palace for a dinner table.

The next day, also at the beginning of the 1st hour, the sovereign in the line went to hunt hares in the Priory, accompanied by the Prince of Oldenburg, Prince Volkonsky, physician Willie and other persons. Bad hunting prevented the success of the hunt; poisoned only twice and took three birds with one stone. The heir Alexander Nikolaevich and his teacher K.K. Merder also took part in this hunt. At three o'clock I arrived for breakfast at the earthen house (Priory Palace of the architect N.A. Lvov, built using earthen technology. - A. V.), where the empress came after him.

From 1831 to 1851, almost every autumn, Chamber-Fourier magazines noted the hunting entertainment of Nikolai Pavlovich. “Precise information about all the hunts of Emperor Nicholas I has not been preserved,” writes N. Kutepov. – It also happened that the sovereign hunted in the summer, in July and August, while living in Peterhof; his hunts here in August 1834 are especially often mentioned." In August 1834, the emperor was hunting alone in a carriage 12 miles from Peterhof. There, near the village of Babi Gony (Babigon), an animal hunt was organized for him.

After 1850, Nikolai Pavlovich rarely picked up a hunting rifle. It is only known that on March 16, 1850, he was present at the hunt during the cage of wolves and hares in the Peterhof pheasant establishment. The following year, on November 3, 1851, while staying in Tsarskoye Selo, the emperor made a trip to Gatchina with the grand dukes and a large number of his entourage to hunt deer.

Nikolai Pavlovich did not like hunting large animals, wolf and bear hunts, as well as moose. He preferred to hunt ducks, partridges, pheasants, hares, and occasionally deer. Sometimes during the forced wait (in quarantine) a raven would shoot. Big game hunting was associated with visits from august persons and noble foreign guests. He attended some of them personally. In July 1839, a hunt was organized in the presence of Nicholas I in the Peterhof menagerie for the Austrian Archduke Albert and Prince Alexander of the Netherlands; in October 1840, deer hunting in the Gatchina menagerie - for Prince Alexander and Princess Maria of Darmstadt. In 1846, at the beginning of August, a hunt took place in the presence of Nikolai Pavlovich in Peterhof, in the Fox Grove of the English Garden in honor of the Great and Hereditary Dukes of Weimar. In October, in the Gatchina deer menagerie there was a hunt for princes Alexander of Hesse and Peter of Oldenburg.

On August 9, 1846, Nicholas I took part in a hunt in the Peterhof menagerie for the Crown Prince of Württemberg, Charles, who arrived in St. Petersburg to marry Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, and the princes of Prussia and Holstein, who came to this event. A hunt for wolves and bears was organized separately for the Prince of Württemberg. The prince's secretary Gohlender preserved for us a description of a curious episode of this hunt: “Once there was a hunt for wolves and a bear. The animals were kept in large cages near Peterhof. The wolves were very wild. The bear, not very large, sitting on its hind legs, “served” willingly if it was given sugar, and allowed itself to be stroked on its head and paws so good-naturedly that we were all convinced that it was tame. While hunting, the Prussian prince shot him. The next day I visited him, and when he said to me: “Congratulate me, I shot a bear yesterday,” I laughingly answered him: “Exactly so, Your Highness, but the animal was tame; we fed it sugar and stroked it.” head." The prince, not at all offended, answered, laughing good-naturedly: “To tell the truth, it’s bad that I was forced to shoot a tame bear, but everyone knows that I can cope with a wild one.”

The following year, on August 29, 1847, Nikolai Pavlovich with the Grand Dukes and the Prince of Württemberg hunted wolves. Historian N. Kutepov writes: “This is one of the rare cases of his participation in a wolf hunt. All the wolves kept in the animal yard in the court hunting settlement were then released into the Peterhof deer menagerie, and all these wolves were shot. In September of the same year, another wolf hunt was organized for the Prince of Württemberg, near the villages of Negoditsa and Klotitsa, but the sovereign did not participate in it. The prince was extremely pleased and spoke with great approval of the team and especially of the running of the hound pack.”

In 1848, Nicholas I, while staying in Peterhof, took part in baiting animals together with the Grand Dukes and the Prince of Mecklenburg. It is known that in August 1854 the Crown Prince of Württemberg hunted bear and moose. The hunt was organized in different reserves. In particular, on February 20, 1851, a bear hunt for foreign envoys was organized at Sosnitsa station. But most often, big game hunting was usually organized in the Gatchina menagerie.

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Part 1 “Grand-Ducal, Tsarist and Imperial hunts in Rus'” N.I.

Hunting has been in fashion among Russian tsars since time immemorial. Doing it was considered useful and even necessary, because it instilled spirit and willpower in the heirs. And sometimes hunting helped the Russian Empire in solving complex geopolitical problems.

Brief excursion

The first of the sovereigns who can be called a hunter is Prince Igor Rurikovich. If we recall the legend, Igor met his future wife Olga precisely when he was hunting. Subsequently, many princes of Kievan Rus devoted time to this activity, including Yaroslav the Wise and Vladimir Monomakh. The Moscow princes were also passionate about hunting. Vasily III, Ivan the Terrible, Fyodor Ioannovich organized magnificent hunting ceremonies. Their considerable expenses turned into a separate item of government spending. Even Boris Godunov, according to eyewitnesses, fell in love with falcon baiting. After the Time of Troubles, Mikhail Fedorovich revived the royal craft of Artemis, which existed until the October Revolution of 1917. Only during the years of Peter I, Paul I and Alexander I did it sometimes go out of fashion.

Alexey Mikhailovich Quietly liked falconry in particular

The first of the sovereigns who can be called a hunter is Igor Rurikovich

Alexey Mikhailovich

Each king had his own preferences in hunting. Alexei Mikhailovich especially enjoyed falconry. He wrote in vivid, figurative language “The Falconer’s Guide,” which sets out the basic rules of hunting and the falconer’s special regulations. The king had a staff of three hundred bird keepers. This book was highly appreciated by his contemporaries and is an important monument of ancient Russian literature. Alexey Mikhailovich also loved to go dog fishing. When he left the city, he asked none of his subjects to disturb him.

Hound hunting

Alexey Mikhailovich had a staff of 300 bird keepers

Alexander II

Alexander the Liberator was known as a fan of wild hunts for bear, elk and bison. She was an integral part of his leisure time. The emperor's interest in this fun arose in childhood. His teacher Karl Merder recalled that Alexei Nikolaevich mastered a gun by the age of ten and already at the age of fourteen took part in real wolf baiting. Then the imperial hunt was carefully thought out. In addition to the usual preparations, including a diagram of the movement of the detachment and the collection of the necessary equipment, lists of participants and a detailed program of all actions were compiled.

Often not only princes, counts, generals, but also important foreign guests along with diplomats were invited to the sovereign’s hunt. The guest list included the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, Prince August of Württemberg, Grand Dukes Charles of Saxe-Weirmar and George of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, as well as many others.

The first hunt in Belovezhskaya Pushcha was timed to coincide with the diplomatic negotiations

Thus, in the fall of 1860, Alexander began a hunt in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, which was timed to coincide with important diplomatic negotiations between Prussia, Russia and Austria. Representatives of the highest state elite were invited to it, among whom were the people listed above. Fireworks were displayed in honor of the important guests, and the crowned heads were accommodated in the emperor's palace. This magnificent event cost 18 thousand rubles. And the trophies from which stuffed animals and carpets were made were presented as diplomatic gifts.

They say that Alexander II was once almost killed by a bear.

Emperor Alexander's favorite hunting residence was the palace and park ensemble of Gatchina, where even earlier, on the initiative of Catherine's favorite Grigory Orlov, a menagerie was established. Also a favorite place for this entertainment was the Lisinskaya state dacha, which was under the department of the Ministry of State Property. Under Alexander II, against the background of the ban on bison hunting, deer were specially imported from Germany for species diversity on his personal initiative.

Alexander III

Alexander III also loved to hunt, 1890s

The first hunting “capital” of the Russian emperors was Peterhof. Then this title was taken over by Gatchina, and then Belovezhskaya Pushcha became it thanks to Alexander III. In 1888, the Emperor issued a decree transferring the Pushcha into the ownership of his family in exchange for the royal lands in the Oryol and Simbirsk provinces. Construction of the luxurious hunting residence began in 1889 according to the design of the architect Nicholas de Rochefort.

This is what the imperial palace looked like in Pushcha

The first hunting “capital” of the Russian emperors was Peterhof

In a short time, Belovezhskaya Pushcha was prepared for the most magnificent hunts in the entire history of Russia. In a short time, the number of animals increased many times along with the increased government allocations to the ranger service. In the last years of the reign of Alexander III, the hunting palace and the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker were rebuilt.

In this photo you can find not only the emperor, but also the future heir. 1890s

The forest area of ​​Belovezhskaya Pushcha is unique. This is one of the few natural places that has preserved its primitive state. In Belovezh, Alexander III celebrated his last name day on August 30, 1894, and then died on October 20 in Crimea at the Livadia Palace.

Emperor Alexander near a deer killed by hunters. Photography from the 1890s

Nicholas II

Nikolai Alexandrovich, unlike his predecessors, was fond of rifle hunting. He considered this fun a real man's activity, “refreshing the soul.”

Emperor Nicholas II in a hunting suit. Late 1890s

His daughters also liked hunting. Tatyana Nikolaevna wrote with delight in her diary on September 21, 1912: “It was terribly fun in Belovezh. Olga and I went hunting with Dad. Marie was with Anastasia only twice. I stood at Papa’s room twice, once at Prince’s. Golitsyn, once at the book. Golitsyn, once at the book. Beloselsky and once at Drenteln. It was terribly good." And judging by other diary entries, Nicholas II had the opportunity to hunt for the last time in his life on March 9, 1914.

Tsar's breakfast in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, 1901

The Belovezhskaya hunt was considered one of the most prestigious in Europe. German Emperor Wilhelm II more than once openly expressed his desire to come to Bialowieza, but Nicholas ignored his request in every possible way. According to witnesses, Nikolai did not take advantage of all kinds of concessions from the rangers. The beast was not tied or driven in advance; the king himself found it with his gun. So, in his diary on September 4, he wrote: “In total, I have now killed 6 bison, which makes me extremely happy!”

Nikolai with the deer he shot. 1912

Even after the October Revolution, hunting at the highest level did not disappear. For example, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev devoted a lot of free time to this activity. And now Belovezhskaya Pushcha is located on the territory of modern Poland. The royal hunt was captured in numerous photographs, diary entries and other evidence. In addition, she was closely followed by the gossip column. This activity was considered an integral part of the life of Russian tsars and emperors, because it strengthened their character.

“Grand-ducal, royal and imperial hunting in Rus'” is the most famous and most voluminous tome dedicated to Russian hunting. But, in addition to its second-hand book value, “Hunting in Rus'” is considered one of the most detailed works describing the life and customs of life of an entire era of the Russian Empire, starting from the 10th century and up to the reign of Alexander III. This is one of the main sources by which the history of Russian diplomacy and court life is studied and contains excerpts from many historical documents of that time.

And it all started quite prosaically. Emperor Alexander III, being a big fan of Russian hunting, decided to bring together those stories, customs, and traditions that had previously been passed down by word of mouth from one generation of hunters to another. He decided to entrust this work not to a historian or writer, but to retired Colonel Nikolai Kutepov, who at that time was an ordinary caretaker at the court and was responsible for providing equipment for the Tsar’s hunt.

But Colonel Kutepov reacted to the instructions with unprecedented zeal. Being an avid hunter himself, Kutepov emphasized the objectivity and accuracy of the information offered. He studied many documents, described a lot of events, worked a lot with illustrators to convey an absolutely accurate picture of what was happening on the royal hunt for 10 centuries.

The book “Grand-Ducal, Tsarist and Imperial Hunting in Rus'” has one more value. It contains drawings by the most prominent artists of the time. To illustrate the publication, such masters as the Vasnetsov brothers, Ilya Repin, Valentin Serov and many others specially painted their paintings. In total, the book included works by 18 leading artists and painters of the time. Nikolai Samokish, who was responsible for the general layout and design of the publications, became a famous animal artist thanks to the book.

“Grand-ducal, royal and imperial hunting in Rus'” consists of four volumes. Each volume was dedicated to a specific period of time. Thus, the first volume, published in 1896, described the period from the 10th to the 16th centuries,” the second (1898) - the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich in the 17th century, the third (1902) - the period of the 17th - 18th centuries, and the fourth (published already Kutepov's wife after her husband's death in 1911) was dedicated to the peculiarities of hunting over the last hundred years. Despite the fact that the customer of the work, Alexander III, never saw it, Kutepov wrote in the preface of each volume that the book was created in memory of the Emperor the Peacemaker and strictly in accordance with his wishes and recommendations.

Despite the rather high cost (in Felten's print shop in 1911, the book cost as much as 50 rubles), it was quite popular. During the author's lifetime, it was reprinted several times, although the circulations were very small. The book at that time was indeed very complex technologically and expensive to produce. In total, no more than 500 complete copies were published, some of which have survived to this day and today are of great second-hand book value.

With illustrations. Rare edition of the complete works of Major General N.I. Kutepov. in IV volumes from the collection of rare volumes of books from the library of Count Kutaisov K.P. Four volumes of this fundamental work were created between 1896 and 1911. Published at the end of the 19th century, a multi-volume volume of essays by Major General N.I. Kutepov. about the “Grand-Ducal, Tsarist and Imperial Hunt in Rus'”, immediately became a remarkable monument of book art and cultural history of Russia, as well as a valuable bibliographic rarity and an object of desire for many second-hand book collectors. This work still remains the unsurpassed largest collection of archival materials on the history and culture of hunting in Rus' and Russia. (For a list of volumes, see below). Author - Kutepov N.I. - famous historian, major general, head of the economic department of the Imperial hunt. In his four-volume work, he collected unique archival material on the history of hunting in Rus' and in Russia since the formation of the ancient Russian state in the 10th century. until the end of the 19th century. The notes contain the texts of authentic historical documents: works of Russian historians, notes of foreign travelers, chronicles and documentary evidence, literary works, excerpts from the hunting diaries of the kings and much more. To this day, this work remains unsurpassed in the wealth of historical materials collected. The book tells about the development of hunting, the intricacies of hound and falconry, hunting life, equipment, beliefs and spells, breeds of dogs and horses, hunting grounds, the composition of the ranks and servants of the royal hunt, its everyday and political significance. More than 2000 pages of text from antique volumes are accompanied by many wonderful illustrations made using the chromolithography technique. The best Russian artists of that time were invited to illustrate the publication. The publication presents more than 1850 illustrations made by a galaxy of famous artists who worked on the design of “Grand-Ducal, Tsarist and Imperial Hunts in Rus'”: Repin I.E., Rubo F.A., Serov V.A., Surikov V.I., Stepanov A.S., Pasternak L.O., Lebedev K.V., Ryabushkin A.P., Lansere E.E., Benois A.N., A.M. and V.M. Vasnetsovs. The author of the design of the edition's bindings, endpaper designs and many illustrations in the text is Academician Nikolai Semenovich Samokish, one of the outstanding graphic artists of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. “Grand-ducal, royal and imperial hunting in Rus'” by Major General N. Kutepov. I. is a true masterpiece of graphic art and book design.