Sergei Sobyanin: Moscow archaeologists have gathered a collection of tiles with a double-headed eagle

Moscow archeologists have gathered a collection of tiles with images of the double-headed eagle. Sergei Sobyanin introduced the news in a post on his channel on the messenger MAX.

“Today is the Day of the State Emblem of the Russian Federation. Since the 15 th century, one of its key elements has been the golden double-headed eagle,” wrote the Mayor of Moscow.

Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s channel on the messenger MAX

The double-headed eagle occupied the most prominent place on the facings of stoves and facades of houses in old Moscow. In the late 16 th and early 17 th centuries, this symbol was often depicted on terracotta, and later on glazed, stove tiles.

Archaeologists who conducted research at Chizhevsky Podvorye and in the Romanov courtyard, found fragments of such tiles. The finds are from the earliest period in which such tiles were used.

The two-headed birds were depicted in different ways: in rich plumage, with a wide open beak, as if proclaiming victory, with collars on strong necks, and with or without a crown. The shape of the eagles also varies, as the subjects were hand-crafted by talented relief artists.

All artifacts found by archaeologists in the capital, after their restoration, will go to Moscow museums, where they will be studied, placed in storage and displayed in exhibitions.