The last coronation of the Russian Empire will be presented as a story of triumph, ominous signs, and human destinies. The lecture will help to understand the rituals, details of the ceremony, and events that turned the grand beginning of Nicholas II's reign into one of the most dramatic plots in domestic history and memory. The coronation of the last Russian emperor is a plot in which the solemn ceremony coexists with a troubling premonition of change. In the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, everything was planned down to the details: ancient rituals, regalia, ceremonial symbolism, and the festive splendor of the capital. But behind this facade, questions were already emerging that would soon become painful for the entire country. The lecture is dedicated to the event marking the 130th anniversary of the coronation of Nicholas II and Alexandra Fyodorovna. Listeners will learn how the ceremony of 1896 took place, what traditions it inherited, and why it was so important for the monarchy to demonstrate the continuity of power and the beginning of a new era. Special attention will be paid to details that often remain outside the school narrative: the participants of the ceremony, court protocol, public expectations, and how contemporaries perceived what was happening. A separate line of discussion is the tragedy at Khodynka Field. It forever changed the emotional meaning of the celebrations and became one of the symbols of the fragility of the late empire. Through this episode, one can see how a state holiday turns into a historical turning point, and the personal fate of the ruler becomes intertwined with the moods of society.