Museum complex

Death mask of Alexander I

Unknown sculptor, from the original mask of 1825
Beginning of the 20th century
Plaster
23 х 17 х 9 cm
Acquired in 1957
Showcase 7

Among the objects related to Alexander I, the plaster death mask of his face is one of a special interest, owing to Emperor’s spiritual quest during his life and to the legends about his death still being discussed. The sudden death of the 47-year old emperor on November 19, 1825, after two-week illness far away from the capital, in Taganrog, required explanation and evidence. A death mask could be one of the proofs. The plaster mask of Emperor’s face certainly demonstrates similarity to Alexander I portraits from life.
In the Orthodox Russia, the tradition of making death masks is considered to begin at the time of Peter the Great. The first known death mask was made by architect B.Rastrelly in order to capture the features of the great reformer, but many people took it as a pagan novelty worthy of Peter’s Kunstkamera. It was considered that if a plaster cast is done in time, man’s “spirit” might be “captured”, because the last emotion, uncontrolled and, therefore, the most genuine stayed a certain time on the face.

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Emperor’s death mask held by the Museum, was reproduced in the early 20th century, in the time of researches’ interest to the so called “Romanov” legend of the death of Alexander I. This legend started in the middle of the 19th century and it was based on unclear circumstances of Emperor’s death together with his repeated declarations “to leave the throne and go to live among people”. It was believed that Alexander had faked his own death to become wonderer and zealot of godliness. At first, testimony from individuals, then rumour, and later investigation including the one made by members of Tsars House, linked “Emperor’s dreams” to a particular wonderer – a holy man from Tomsk Fyodor Kuzmich Kuzmichev. The first records of his life date back to 1836 (he died in 1864). The question of the identity of Fyodor Kuzmich and Russian Emperor has not been definitely resolved by historians. The real Fyodor Kuzmich was canonized as a righteous saint Theodor of Tomsk and Siberia by Russian Orthodox Church in 1984.
Some scientists argue in favor of genetic testing which could answer the question of the identity. The research of the death mask of Emperor Alexander I made by the Forensic Medicine department of the Siberian State Medical University resulted in a high probability that the mask had been taken from a living man.

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