This was a purely ceremonial ritual that took place just 24 hours ahead of the Coronation of the Tsar and Tsarina.

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One of those gilded coaches is depicted on this menu for the imperial banquet held at the Great Kremlin Palace later that night for members of the diplomatic corps and heads of the various foreign legations.

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As the coaches arrived at each Ambassador’s residence, the Master of Ceremonies handed over two scrolls and an ornate parchment, written in French, advising that:

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“SA MAJESTE L'IMPEREUR ayant daigné ordonner que le Couronnement et le Sacre de LEURS MAJESTÉS IMPÉRIALES aient lieu ce Mardi 14 Mai, l'Archi Grand Maître des Cérémonies a l'honneur d'en informer Son Excellence (insérez le nom de l'ambassadeur) et de Lui faire remettre deux exemplaires de la Proclamation imprimée à l'occasion de cette solennité”.

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[HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR, having deigned to order that the Coronation and the Consecration of THEIR IMPERIAL MAJESTIES take place this Tuesday, May 14 [26th May in the Gregorian Calendar], the Supreme Grand Master of Ceremonies has the honour to inform His Excellency (insert name of the Ambassador) and to give Him two copies of the Proclamation printed on the occasion of this solemnity”].

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The first coach to depart the Kremlin went to the British Ambassador’s residence and then to that of the Chinese Imperial Viceroy, the Marquess Li Hongzhang. In his diaries the Marquess lamented the number of imperial banquets he was expected to attend: 

“To-night I am to attend another banquet given by the Czar, which I hope will not continue as long as the one of last night. It is true they prepare foods especially for me, but they do not taste like the foods at home, or those of our own cooks which we have with us”.

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Earlier on this day, the imperial regalia to be used to crown and enrobe Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra Fyodorovna, had been ceremoniously transported from the Kremlin Armory to St Andrews Hall in the palace.

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The imperial couple too, had also made their way to the Kremlin where their rooms awaited them ahead of what the New York Times would describe as “the most gorgeous ceremonies that the world has ever seen”.

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It appears this pre-Coronation dinner too was amongst the most gorgeous with guests treated to prized Sterlet braised in Champagne.

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The Tsar especially commissioned artist Baron Ernst Lipgart (1847-1932) to design the menu for the night. Lipgart had also designed the menu for the imperial banquet two nights earlier, to mark the ceremonial arrival of the Emperor and Empress through the gates of Moscow. That menu can be viewed here.

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In addition to the ceremonial coaches and a background of the Kremlin and its main tower on to Red Square, the Spasskaya bashnya, the menu’s forefront depicts the Imperial Ushers for whom there was only four.

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“They were dressed like lackeys of the chamber of the Imperial Court”, recounted Dzhunkovsky, “only the tails of the livery were shorter and on their heads, when performing their court duties, they had a helmet of a special shape with ostrich feathers of the state colours.

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After a choice of turtle consommé or a Russian cream of cucumber soup, the menu offered guests sterlets from the Don River braised in Champagne with truffles. Sterlets are a small species of sturgeon prized for both its meat and caviar.

 

When two soup options appeared on the imperial menu, it usually meant one was prepared for male guests and the other for females.

 

Cold foie-gras soufflés followed by a palate-cleansing' punch – a sorbet made from Champagne mixed with orange slices and Italian meringue – were a precursor for spit roasted Bohemian Pheasants.

 

For dessert came a pineapple based Ananas à l’Orientale. In classic French cooking the description 'à l’Orientale' usually lends itself to an iced dessert incorporating either pistachio cream or a bombe with a strawberry ice-cream centre.

 

Given the imperial court was famous for presenting ice-creams replicating real fruits both in shape, size and colouring, it is likely this was a life-like looking small pineapple made from pineapple and rum ice-cream; with the body of the 'pineapple' covered in edible gold-leaf and its green leaves made from frozen pistachio cream; and with a centre made from strawberry ice-cream.

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