Kalaushin
RUEN
Menu

Work · Saddle · The workshop

The saddle for the Shah of Persia

Седло для персидского шахаspring to early summer 1900 (△ dating)

The family’s account

◇ family testimony · confirmed by relatives

The saddle for the Shah of Persia was made on the order of Emperor Nicholas II in Fedot Alekseyevich’s workshop; the work took two months. Fedot Alekseyevich took it to St Petersburg himself; at a review of the Guards, on his last day before going home at the end of his service, Prince Trubetskoy reported to the Emperor that the saddle had arrived. Nicholas II examined it, said that it was very well made, and there and then congratulated the master on the title of Purveyor to the Court of His Imperial Majesty; the gold watch promised with the title never reached Fedot Alekseyevich. The story is recorded in the family history, and relatives confirm it.

  • ◇ A.B. Kalaushin’s roster, No. 73
  • ◇ Family testimony: V.O. Kalaushin, 8 Oct 2026
  • ◇ Istorichesky Cherkessk, article “Kalaushin Yury Romanovich”

The story is recorded in the family history, and relatives confirm it.

Documentary context

  1. 31 May (13 June) 1900

    The farewell review at the Alexander Palace

    ◆ documentedThe Alexander Palace

  2. 4–10 (17–23) July 1900

    Mozaffar ad-Din Shah’s state visit

    ◆ documentedSt Petersburg

  3. 8 October 2026

    Relatives confirm two family accounts

    ◇ family testimony

Dating

△ hypothesis · dating

Result: spring to early summer 1900: the saddle was made roughly in March–May, the Emperor most likely examined it at the farewell review of 31 May (13 June) 1900, and it was intended for Mozaffar ad-Din Shah’s visit of 4–10 (17–23) July 1900.

Anchor dates

  • 1892 — Fedot Alekseyevich joins the Convoy ◈ published source
  • 2 February 1900 — the Shah’s invitation reported ◆ documented
  • April 1900 — the reception moved to the Shah’s return journey ◆ documented
  • 31 May 1900 — farewell review at the Alexander Palace ◆ documented
  • 17 June 1900 — Kuban Host Order No. 60 — Fedot Alekseyevich discharged ◈ published source
  • 4–10 July 1900 — Mozaffar ad-Din Shah’s state visit ◆ documented

The years point to 1900. Fedot Alekseyevich served in the Convoy from 1892 and was discharged by Kuban Host Order No. 60 of 17 June 1900, “retaining the Guards uniform and awarded the badge for service in the Convoy”. The only state visit of a Persian shah to St Petersburg during his service was that of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah, 4–10 (17–23) July 1900. It was known from February; at first the Shah was expected at the end of May, and in April the reception was moved to his return journey. Two months’ work thus falls roughly in March–May 1900. The “review on the last day before going home” is most likely the farewell review of 31 May (13 June) 1900 at the Alexander Palace, where the Emperor spoke “gracious words” to each departing man and handed each the badge for service in the Convoy — the very badge with which Fedot Alekseyevich was discharged seventeen days later. The Emperor’s question about how long the master had been in St Petersburg, and his displeasure at the delay, make sense: the saddle was made for the original date, and the visit was put off until July.

Fit less well

  • May 1889 — Naser al-Din Shah in St Petersburg — before Fedot’s service
  • 1902 — manoeuvres near Kursk — Fedot had left the Convoy
  • August 1905 — Peterhof — Fedot had left the Convoy
  • 1914 — Ahmad Shah’s coronation — a special envoy to Tehran

Where the documents may be found

  • The diary of Nicholas II for 1900, original: GA RF, f. 601, op. 1 — entries for 31 May and 4–10 July.
  • The Chamber-Fourier Journal for 1900: RGIA, f. 516, op. 1 (219/2728), d. 10 — the review of 31 May; d. 11 or the end of d. 10 — the Shah’s visit.
  • His Imperial Majesty’s Cabinet (RGIA, f. 468): gifts to the Shah in 1900; registers of items received and issued, 1900–1901 — receipt of a saddle from Uryadnik Kalaushin and a watch issued to him.
  • Chancellery of the Ministry of the Imperial Court (RGIA, f. 472): the file on F.A. Kalaushin’s purveyor title.
  • Court Stables Office (RGIA; fond number to be confirmed): presentation saddles and horses.
  • AVPRI, Persian Desk (fond number to be confirmed): ceremonial of the 1900 visit and exchange of gifts.
  • Convoy orders for May–June 1900 (RGVIA; fond number to be confirmed): list of men leaving for the reserve.
  • GAKK, Krasnodar: the text of Kuban Host Order No. 60 of 17.06.1900; Kubanskiye Oblastnye Vedomosti, summer 1900.
  • Pravitelstvenny Vestnik and Novoye Vremya, 1–3 June 1900 — the first publication of the report on the review.
  • In Iran: the Safarnameh of the Shah’s first European journey (AH 1318), entries on St Petersburg (≈ 19–25 Rabi’ al-Awwal 1318); the treasury and archive of the Golestan Palace.

People

Makers

For comparison

Other works

In the chronicle

  1. 3. The Caucasian Line

  2. 4. Service and Crosses

  3. 5. At Court

  4. 6. The Workshop

  5. 7. The Upheaval

  6. 10. Pushkin House

  7. 11. The Artist

  8. 12. The Chroniclers

    1 more

    50-4

  9. 13. Vyacheslav’s Line

    1 more

    51-8

  10. 14. Sources and Further Research

    1 more

    45-4

Sources

  • S001A.B. Kalaushin’s roster Kalaushiny (philippov.spb.ru, version 03.02 of 13 July 2025)
  • S003Family testimony: V.O. Kalaushin, 8–9 Oct 2026
  • S084Istorichesky Cherkessk: “Kalaushin Yury Romanovich”

This site uses material from the Kalaushin family roster published on the Philippov website: https://philippov.spb.ru/?q=Kalaushiny (version 03.02 of 13 July 2025).