Playing cards Russian beer. Playing cards "Russian style" have real prototypes: who are these people. The Lady of Hearts and her prototype - Princess Xenia Alexandrovna

Have you ever wondered who is depicted on playing cards? Most likely you did not notice, but one of them even has Emperor Nicholas II himself.

It is known that the sketches for the "Russian style" cards were developed at a German factory card games firm Dondorf (Frankfurt am Main) in 1911.Two years later, in 1913, the cards were printed at the Imperial Card Factory (until 1860 - the Alexander Manufactory).

Since 1819, this factory has carried out the exclusive production of playing cards in Russian Empire: the import of cards from abroad was strictly prohibited, which eliminated any competition.

Unauthorized dressing of cards by private individuals was prosecuted and entailed the confiscation of production tools and dressed cards and a fine of 100 to 500 rubles (Article 1351 of the Code of Punishments).

If in 1901 the factory produced 5460 thousand decks, then already in 1912 - over 12 million. A dozen decks cost the factory about 98 kopecks, and were sold, depending on the variety, at prices ranging from 5 rubles 50 kopecks to 12 rubles.

After the revolution, the card factory was closed for several years, but already in 1923 it began its work again, and began to produce cards according to pre-revolutionary sketches.

Prototypes of the famous "Russian Style" card deck danced at a costume ball in 1903

MARKED CARD

On the reverse side The card was an image of a pelican feeding its children with the meat of its heart. This allegorical sign was accompanied by the inscription: "He feeds the chicks without sparing himself." It was implied that the government did not think at all about its own benefit, but cared exclusively for the welfare of orphans.

It was believed that the government turns the income received from the sale of cards into the income of the Orphanage and its underage pets - orphans and foundlings.

Gambling card players were convinced that they were helping children with their destructive passion. In Nikolai Semenovich Leskov's story "Interesting Men" one of the characters says this: "... and themselves - in order not to get bored - sat down to the evening ringing" cut ", or, as it was said then," work for the benefit of the Imperial Orphanage ".

"RUSSIAN PLAYING CARDS (History of one factory)"

"Russian playing cards"("The History of a Factory") - an illustrated catalog-album dedicated to the activities of the St. Petersburg Card Factory (later, the Color Printing Combine) in the period from 1817 to 2001. Almost all series (images) of playing cards issued during this period of time in Petersburg and the history of the formation and development of the factory.The limited edition book-album "Russian Playing Cards" was published - the first study in our country on the history of one of the most interesting types of applied graphics.It is especially pleasing to note that a well-known collector took part in the creation of the book playing cards Evgeny Grigorenko.In addition to aesthetic value, the album "Russian Playing Cards" is, as mentioned earlier, "of great interest not only for specialists, but also for a wide range of readers. "For example, from the book you can learn that during the years of the Great Patriotic War the Soviet command used playing cards in propaganda. For the manufacture of a special "anti-fascist" deck in besieged Leningrad in the winter of 1942, a handful of specialists who had previously worked at a card factory were assembled. In difficult conditions, without sleep or rest, they manually printed anti-fascist maps. Soon, they were loaded onto aircraft whose route lay behind the front line, scattered in the areas of concentration of enemy troops. To our time, only two decks of "anti-fascist cards" have survived. The figures on them are caricatures of Nazi figures: Kings - Hitler, Mussolini, Horthy, Mannerheim; jacks - Goebbels, Himmler, Ribbentrop, Goering ...

In the reign of Catherine the Second and finally under Alexander the First, state monopoly for the production of playing cards. Income from the production of maps went to the maintenance of the Office of Empress Maria, caring for orphans. The production of cards was launched at the state-owned Alexander Manufactory, at which the Imperial Card Factory began to operate in 1819. Distinctive feature of Russian playing cards was their original design, which favorably differed from the decks of European card factories. The themes of drawings of kings, ladies and jacks often reflected the events of the modern cultural life of the Russian Empire. For example, the well-known “Russian Style” deck, which many Russians still play today, was created in 1911 based on national costumes of the 17th century, shown during the famous “Historical Ball” in the Kremlin. The prototype of the king of hearts was the Russian Emperor Nicholas II himself, and the ladies - Empress Maria Feodorovna. This tradition continued in Soviet time. On the deck of 1925, figured cards are dressed in costumes of the peoples of the first Soviet republics: Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Transcaucasia.

In the early years of Soviet power, the popularity of playing cards was also widely used in political propaganda. In 1934, the release of "anti-religious" playing cards began, on which clergymen of various faiths were printed in a satirical form. An export version of the "anti-religious" deck was also made, which was supplied abroad, which caused numerous protests from the Vatican and religious figures. Among other things, playing cards were used for educational purposes: in 1927, a deck was published - the instruction "Rifle", intended for illiterate soldiers of the Red Army.

However, the most massive and popular for more than 150 years have been good for everyone. famous maps « Satin", - says Evgeny Grigorenko. - But few people know that the drawings of these maps were created in 1862 by the academician of painting Adolphe Charlemagne. Moreover, it must be said that other famous Russian artists did not shy away from drawing playing cards. It is enough to name such names as Ivan Bilibin, the most popular graphic artist of the early 20th century, Vladimir Mikeshin, the creator of the Millennium of Russia monument. Unfortunately, the card factory "Color Printing Plant" in St. Petersburg, unable to stand the test of time, in 2004 ceased to exist for almost two centuries. However, the traditions of Russian card artists and graphic artists in modern Russia continue small printing enterprises in different regions of the country.

Playing cards are still wildly popular. You can find a wide variety of deck designs: based on films and TV shows, a certain focus, but still the most popular are the usual Russian images of ladies, jacks and kings.

Most likely, there is not a single person who grew up in the USSR and did not play cards called "Russian Style". Most of them are still stored in the "walls" and dressing table.

If you look only at the faces of jacks, ladies and kings, it seems that these are quite ordinary Russian people, but if you look lower, you can find quite complicated, but royal clothes on the images. It turns out that the deck "Russian style" was copied from the guests of the royal ball of the Romanovs in 1903.

Mysterious images of ladies and kings: Romanov cards

famous ball

The February ball of 1903 went down in history as the most magnificent event during the reign of Nicholas II. The dress code for this evening was costumes made under the era of the 17th century. The idea belonged to the Empress herself.

You can see that eminent guests became prototypes when creating maps. The ball consisted of approximately 390 guests, who had their own costume created for him. The best tailors of the entire Russian Empire worked on the design of the outfits, and the great watercolorist and artist Sergei Solomko was specifically involved in the dresses. The costumes embodied the images of courtiers - boyars and boyars, archers and townspeople, governors and peasants.

In addition, the ball was so brilliant that it stretched over three evenings. February 11 was dinner, cotillon and Russian polka. February 12 was remembered precisely for the costume part, dinner, as well as honorable guests - the Dowager Empress and the younger brother of Nicholas II. On February 14, there was a separate ball with Count A. D. Sheremetyev. It should be noted that the guests were also in their historical attire.

The Maslenitsa ball became a significant event not only because of its scope and theme, but also because it was the last joyful event in the life of the Romanov family. This was followed by such sorrows as the loss of Japan, Bloody Sunday, Troubles and, of course, the Revolution.

The history of the creation of the "Russian style"

To create images of jacks, queens and kings, real photographs of people from the archival album of the masquerade ball in the Winter Palace were used. It consisted of ten huge folders with engravings and photocopies. All details were completely transferred to playing cards. On the aces, it was decided to depict armor, weapons and a shield, similar to those depicted in Litovchenko's painting dedicated to Ivan the Terrible.

Work on the Russian Style began in 1911, just in time for the 300th anniversary of the Romanov family's reign. The cards were issued in 1913 in St. Petersburg at the Aleksandrovskaya Manufactory, which alone had the right to print this deck.

There were 53 cards in the deck. One extra card was the sign of the publisher. It was printed with a pelican with chicks that ate the mother's heart, and the proceeds from her sales were transferred to orphanages. Therefore, in the works of art of that time, one can find mention of card players who boast that they help orphans.

Since the Revolution, "Russian Style" has been banned, but in 1926 the cards came out again. Since then, they have not been changed until, in Soviet times, Yuri Ivanov redrawn the images, which were then printed through a blanket cylinder. That is, the artist's drawings were not mirrored on paper, but directly, like source codes.

Real jacks

Jack suit:

• Worms - military. There are several names for this prototype - adjutant N. A. Volkov, second lieutenant Shter N. P. or cornet A. R. Tizdel. Boyar costume.
• Tambourine - Prince Andrei Vladimirovich in the attire of a falconer.
• Clubs - the younger brother of Emperor Nicholas II, Prince Mikhail Alexandrovich in the field suit of the prince.
• Peak - commander and adjutant A.N. Bezak in the outfit of a boyar.

royal ladies

Lady suit:

• Chervey - Princess Xenia Alexandrovna in the dress of a noblewoman.

• Tambourine is a high-ranking lady who has not been positively identified. Perhaps this is Countess and maid of honor A. D. Tolstaya, or Princess V. M. Kudasheva, or Princess S. P. Durnova. Hawthorn costume.
• Clubs - Princess Elizaveta Feodorovna dressed as a princess.

• Peak - Princess Z. N. Yusupova in the dress of a noblewoman.

High ranking kings

King suit:

• Worms - Majesty Emperor Nicholas II himself in a crimson-white suit with gold embroidery of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. There is no resemblance to the king in the portrait image on the playing card, because this could be considered impudent.
• Tambourine - State Councilor N. N. Gartung in the outfit of a boyar.
• Clubs - Count M. N. Grabbe in the costume of a tenant - a service rank in the Russian Empire.
• Peak - not among the guests. Image of a man dressed as Ivan the Terrible.

After the Soviet reissue, the Russian Style cards were revived and received extraordinary recognition among the inhabitants of the USSR, despite the fact that such reverence for the royal family could pass for propaganda, and anti-religious and anti-fascist decks were produced in multiple editions.

Look at these cards familiar to everyone since childhood. Surely you or your parents still have such a deck at home? These drawings are so familiar to us that no one even guessed, playing solitaire or starting to play the fool, that he was holding portraits of members of the royal
families?

The fancy-dress ball that took place during Maslenitsa 1903 in the Winter Palace was grandiose. And its highlight was the idea of ​​Empress Alexandra Feodorovna - to capture for the descendants of the participants dressed in historical costumes of the 17th century. And by the best photographers of St. Petersburg. On the basis of palace photography, the Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers published a sumptuous "Album of a costume ball in the Winter Palace", which consisted of ten large format folders. 21 heliogravures and 174 phototypes!

But this was not the end of the matter.

In 1913, on the eve of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, a deck of playing cards "Russian Style" will appear. And on them - the participants of the same ball. This deck of cards will outlive all the participants of the costume party in the Winter, endure the change of political regimes and live safely to this day. However, even today, thrill-seekers, playing "fool" or preference, are unlikely to guess what an exciting story is coming into their hands.

Rodina's investigation led to unexpected results.

Emotions of the king

Baroness Sophia Karlovna Buxgevden, maid of honor of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, recalls:

"The Empress showed particular interest in all the preparations for this ball; she herself, with the help of the director of the Hermitage Museum Ivan Alexandrovich Vsevolozhsky, who provided her with the necessary historical information, designed her costume and the costume of the emperor. ... Men and women from high society competed with each other at this ball. Specially for this occasion, magnificent staves, jewelry and furs were taken from private collections. The officers dressed up in uniforms of that time, and the courtiers dressed in dresses adopted at the court of Tsar Alexei. The Grand Duchesses were dressed like their progenitors, and their outfits were created the best modern masters. The Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna looked the most charming at this ball. Everyone danced old Russian dances, carefully learned in advance, - the spectacle was truly bewitching "1.

We will enhance the spectacle with sketches from the recently published diary of the last Russian tsar. The unsentimental Emperor

Nicholas II did not hide his joyful emotions about the ball, which lasted for three (!) Evenings.

"February 11th. The hall filled with ancient Russian people looked very beautiful. After dinner there was a small cotillion, during which 12 couples danced Russian dance. Everything turned out very well and ended at 21/2.

February 13th. Thursday. In 91/2, a ball began in costumes from the time of Alexei Mikhailovich in the Concert Hall - a repetition of the previous one for Mom ( Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. -S.E. ). Misha ( Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, younger brother of the Tsar. -S.E. ) also arrived. The ball passed cheerfully, beautifully and amicably. Russian dance was very successful. We dined in the Nicholas Hall.

February 14th. Friday. At 102 we went to the ball to Count A.D. Sheremetev ( Alexander Dmitrievich, master of the yard of E.I.V., philanthropist and amateur musician, head of the Court Choir. -S.E. ). Half of the society was "ours" - in historical costumes. There was a repetition of yesterday's Russian dance" 3 .

Of course, over the years, things began to be perceived differently. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, having successfully avoided death in the Time of Troubles and ended up in exile, decades later will present fun in the Winter with a fatal sign: "The new, hostile Russia looked through the huge windows of the palace. I smiled sadly when I read the postscript in the text of the invitation, according to which all guests were supposed to be in Russian costumes of the 17th century. At least for one night, Nikki (Nicholas II. - S.E.) wanted to return to the glorious past of his kind... While we were dancing, workers were on strike in St. Petersburg, and the clouds were getting more and more more concentrated in the Far East" 4 .

Everyone imagines himself a strategist, seeing the battle from the side. But in 1903, the court is having fun, not thinking about the future.

The fate of ladies, jacks, kings

In the "Russian Style" deck, some card pieces had real and quite recognizable prototypes. The creator of Russian military aviation, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, was married to the tsar's sister Xenia Alexandrovna - her photograph in the costume of a noblewoman of the 17th century served as the basis for the creation of the Lady of Hearts.

Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, the elder sister of the Empress and the wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, dressed in the princely attire of the 17th century, is none other than the lady of clubs.

The Queen of Spades showed a resemblance to Princess Zinaida Nikolaevna Yusupova, Countess Sumarokova-Elston, who appeared at the ball dressed as a noblewoman.

Jack of diamonds - Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich (falconer in festive attire).

Jack of clubs - Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, the younger brother of the tsar, in the field dress of a tsarevich of the 17th century.

The prototype of the lady of diamonds was Countess Alexandra Dmitrievna Tolstaya, the maid of honor of Their Imperial Majesties Empresses Maria Feodorovna and Alexandra Feodorovna, dressed as a hawthorn. However, Princess Vera Maksimilianovna Kudasheva, nee Countess Nirod, and Sofia Petrovna Durnovo, nee Serene Highness Princess Volkonskaya, can also apply for this card. Obviously, in this case, the unknown author of the sketch did not seek to achieve a portrait resemblance, but created an expressive generalized image. And he succeeded.

The situation with the king of hearts is also extraordinary. His costume is the masquerade attire of Nicholas II. "The emperor was wearing clothes that exactly reproduced those worn by Tsar Alexei in his time -" crimson and white with gold embroidery, "wrote the empress" 5 . However, the king only remotely resembles Tsar Nicholas: to give a greater portrait resemblance to the emperor would be impermissible insolence and an insult to the supreme power.

But the king of spades no doubt looks like Tsar Ivan the Terrible - just look at the famous painting by the artist Alexander Dmitrievich Litovchenko "Ivan the Terrible Shows Treasures to the English Ambassador Horsey." By the way, in this historical picture you can find shields surrounded by ancient Russian weapons and armor - exactly the same as on the aces in our deck.

The prototype of the king of clubs was the adjutant of the Grand Duke, Commander-in-Chief of the Guards and the St. Petersburg Military District, Vladimir Alexandrovich Yesaul Count Mikhail Nikolaevich Grabbe 6 in the clothes of a tenant in 1647. Starting from the image of a real state councilor, in the position of the master of the horse of the highest court, Nikolai Nikolaevich Hartong (von Hartong) and his costume of a boyar of the 17th century, an unknown artist painted a king of diamonds.

And the jack of spades is the staff captain, squadron commander of the Cavalier Guard regiment, adjutant of Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich Alexander Nikolayevich Bezak in the costume of a boyar of the 17th century.

One of the prototypes of the jack of hearts was the adjutant of the Grand Duke, Admiral General Alexei Alexandrovich, Lieutenant Nikolai Alexandrovich Volkov 7 in the costume of a boyar of the 17th century. And also - Lieutenant of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment Nikolai Petrovich Shter in the outfit of the initial person from the tenants of the times of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and cornet of the Life Guards of the Horse Regiment Alexei Romanovich Tizdel in the attire of a falconer ...

The fancy-dress ball for Shrovetide in 1903 was the last joyful event during the reign of Emperor Nicholas II. Only sorrows and sorrows followed in a continuous series: an unsuccessful war with Japan, Bloody Sunday, Troubles ...

What guests were treated to at this fancy-dress ball - read in the "Kitchen of the Motherland" section.

And the Russian Style cards have remained in our lives as a beautiful reminder of the most spectacular ball of the Russian Empire.

Oh what ladies they were!

Sketches for cards "Russian style" were developed at the German factory of card games of the company Dondorf (Frankfurt am Main) in 1911.

In 1913, the cards were printed at the Imperial Card Factory (until 1860 - the Alexander Manufactory).

Since 1819, the factory has been producing monopoly playing cards in the Russian Empire: the import of cards from abroad was prohibited, which eliminated any competition.

Unauthorized dressing of cards by private individuals was prosecuted and entailed the confiscation of production tools and dressed cards and a fine of 100 to 500 rubles (Article 1351 of the Code of Punishments).

If in 1901 the factory produced 5460 thousand decks, then in 1912 - over 12 million. A dozen decks cost the factory about 98 kopecks, and were sold, depending on the variety, at prices ranging from 5 rubles 50 kopecks to 12 rubles.

After the revolution, the card factory was closed for several years. In 1923, the factory again began to produce cards according to pre-revolutionary sketches.

MARKED CARD

Poor, poor kids...

On the cards of the "Russian Style" deck of the first issue there was an image of a pelican feeding children with the meat of its heart. This allegorical sign was accompanied by the inscription: "He feeds the chicks without sparing himself." It was implied that the government did not think at all about its own benefit, but cared exclusively for the welfare of orphans.

It was believed that the government turns the income received from the sale of cards into the income of the Orphanage and its underage pets - orphans and foundlings.

Gambling card players were convinced that they were helping children with their destructive passion. In Nikolai Semenovich Leskov's story "Interesting Men" one of the characters says this: "... and themselves - in order not to get bored - sat down to the evening ringing" cut ", or, as it was said then," work for the benefit of the Imperial Orphanage ".

Notes
1. Quoted. Quoted from: Diaries of Emperor Nicholas II (1894-1918). T. I (1894-1904). M.: ROSSPEN, 2011. S. 776.
2. Diaries of Emperor Nicholas II (1894-1918). T. I (1894-1904). M.: ROSSPEN, 2011. S. 711, 712, 713.
3. Alexander Mikhailovich, Grand Duke. Book of memories. Chapter XIII. The storm is coming // http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/a-m/13.html.
4. Quoted. Quoted from: Diaries of Emperor Nicholas II (1894-1918). T. I (1894-1904). M.: ROSSPEN, 2011. S. 776.
5. Since 1911 - the commander of the Life Guards of the Consolidated Cossack Regiment, with whom he joined the First world war. He was awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree. Later he commanded the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Guards Cavalry Division (1915), the 4th Don Cossack Division (1915-1917). In May 1916 he was appointed chief ataman of the region of the Don Cossacks. Don ataman in exile. Chairman of the Union of Knights of St. George.
6. Commander of the imperial yacht "Neva" (1909-1910) and gunboat "Khivinets" (1910-1911). In 1912-1913. - flag-captain of the headquarters of the brigade chief of battleships of the Baltic Sea squadron. In July 1913 he was appointed a naval agent in England and at the same time a member of the Russian government committee in London. In 1916, he received the rank of rear admiral and at the same time was enrolled in the retinue of His Imperial Majesty. After the revolution, he remained in London as a naval agent of the White Russian governments.
7. Garin L.F. The Artist and the Maps // Panorama of the Arts. Issue. 11: [Sat. articles and publications]. M.: Soviet artist, 1988. S. 252-265 // http://www.den-za-dnem.ru/page.php?article=986.