Beijing | National Museum: Splendor of Russian Feasts

The first true emperor in Russian history was the son of Vasily III, the first Tsar of Russia, the infamous Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the Terrible. After the Rurik dynasty died out, Russia underwent 15 years of power struggles, foreign invasions, and internal strife. In 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Romanov, the grandnephew of Ivan IV's wife, as the Tsar of Russia, ushering in the Romanov dynasty. The Romanov dynasty undoubtedly reached its peak during the reign of Mikhail's grandson, Peter I, known as Peter the Great. Peter the Great's contemporary, whose life trajectory was remarkably similar, was Louis XIV of France. Another contemporary, whose reign also mirrored Peter's, was the Kangxi Emperor of China. All three ascended the throne at a young age, waited an extended period before assuming full power, and led their respective countries to a golden age. Hence, historians refer to them as the "Three Suns Appearing Together." In 1725, after the death of Peter the Great, with the support of the Imperial Guard, his second wife, Empress Catherine, was crowned Empress Catherine I of Russia. After visiting the exhibition at the National Museum, I brushed up on Russian history. Who would have thought that the tableware of this fighting nation could be so exquisite?