The Tsar's Entry into the Kremlin

What it is

This is a black-and-white engraving published in the German illustrated magazine Die Gartenlaube in 1896. It shows Nicholas II's ceremonial entry into the Kremlin, and was made after a photograph of the event.

Why it matters

The coronation of a Russian emperor was a major international event, and this image shows how foreign newspapers reported it to their own readers. It reveals both the scale of the ceremony — mounted soldiers, crowds of spectators, armed troops lining the street — and how European audiences were fascinated by Russian imperial pageantry.

Look closer

• Why would a German magazine want to show this scene to its readers?
• What does the heavy military presence suggest about how such events were organised and controlled?
• How might an engraving based on a photograph differ from the photograph itself?