Gift giving in Russia: History of a tradition

Gifts in Russia are indispensable means of maintaining public relations. We express our position in the social hierarchy through generosity and hospitality. This phenomenon has deep cultural roots; let's look at some examples:

(c) History Today

In 1246 Prince Vasilko Romanovich of Volodymyr-Volynskyi advised the papal legate Giovanni da Pian del Carpine that the Tartars expected distinctive honors and precious gifts, without which the mission of the legate would be at risk. Two centuries later, Ivan III recommended the same thing to the Venetian ambassador Giovanni Battista Trevisan, sent to the court of Ahmad Khan of the Golden Horde.

The theme of gifts in the protocol of Tsar Ivan III (1462–1505) was close to the European standards. The tsar followed trends of the times and gave hawks, hunting dogs, and weapons. The following epochs of Tsar Basil III (1505-1533) and Ivan IV (1533-1584) introduced some significant changes to the rules of official gifts: Russian diplomacy allowed itself to show displeasure when legates arrived without gifts. An ambassador without gifts from his sovereign was accepted, but it was a scandal if he came without personal gifts.

(с) Cyrillitsa

The quality of gifts was another critical element because it expressed respect. In essence, the lack of this principle was misinterpreted and could lead to various "retaliatory" measures, up to the refusal to accept unworthy gifts sent by a foreign monarch. Such cases were limited; often, the refusal to accept gifts was a simple consequence of cultural differences. For example, the Russians refused a precious clock decorated with astronomical symbols given to Ivan IV by the Danish embassy on behalf of King Christian III (1559). The treasurer initially received the gift, but three days later, it was returned. The Russians explained to the ambassadors that although the zar valued friendship with the Danish monarch, the Christian sovereign Ivan IV could not accept objects with unholy astrological symbols.

Regardless of the value, not all the types of gifts corresponded to embassy standards. Although Russia was famous for furs, no fur coats were given to foreign monarchs but only sable fur pelts. According to the Oriental tradition, a fur coat or dress was a "sovereign salary" given to servants. Thus the pelts were decorated with jewels. Ivan III gave the Hungarian king Mattia Corvino a rare sable decorated with gold and pearls.
Exotic animals were considered to be a special diplomatic gift.

(с) Wikipedia
For example, with Ivan IV, Moscow saw the lions sent to the Tsar by Queen Maria I Tudor. The symbolism of this gift is obvious: the king of animals was given to the zar of Russia.

The Russian court until the time of Peter I, provided truly precious gifts only in exceptional cases: when Russia sent its ambassadors to the Eastern monarchs, or to the Holy Roman Empire. The embassy magnificence reflected the authority and power of the Russian sovereign.

The protocol of Count Sheremetev's embassy was "the last" to use ancient diplomatic customs, formed on traditions of the West and the East. Over time it disappeared due to inconsistency with the needs of the new era after the reforms of Peter I.

In the new reality, Russian diplomatic gifts didn't lose their meaning, but the protocol started to fully respect common European standards.