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A banner from the armies of Ivan IV. - The
Great Flag during the Reign of the Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The scene represents
the Apocalypse. The standard is made of taffeta material. Its dimensions:
height (at the staff) 3 A. 2"* [213.30+8.90=222.20 cm, or 2.22 meters];
along the top border 8.5 A; width of the canted side is 5 A. 12"; length
of lower border is 2 A. 10". The left rectangle (between the staff and the
triangular part) is sky-blue, the triangle is écrue [French
word for unbleached, most likely "brownish" color]. Two borders: one
outside, about the whole banner, colored airelle [bilberry or
huckleberry, most likely a dark blue]; the other inside (on the two sides of
the triangle, colored pavot [poppy, most likely a orange-red]; both
have gold piping. Inside the rectangle is deep (or dark) sky-blue, gold piping
and [presque entièrement entouré de chérubins]
almost entirely little opening of the angels [?]. In the circle, Christ in
white, mounted on a white horse, surrounded by stars and disks of gold. In
lower part -- the heavenly army, dressed in white and mounted on white horses.
Further below, in the border near the staff, the apostle Saint John.
In the triangle, a white circle with gold stars and disks, with the Archangel
Michael on a white horse with golden wings, holding in his hands a sword and a
cross. In the corner of the triangle, an iron sword with a gold guard. In the
exterior border -- a long inscription in gold letters; in the border colored
pavot [poppy, most likely a orange-red] -- birds, disks and stars od
gold. On the other side of the banner are the identical designs, but about
Christ stars are in place of the inscriptions and the text in the lower border
is different.
* Early Russian dimensions were given in arshin (represented by a A)
which equalled 71.1 centimeters, and the verchok (represented by a
") which equalled 4.45 centimeters.
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