On September 3rd, 1826, the coronation of Emperor Nicholas took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The King of France was represented at the ceremony by Marshal Marmont, Duke of Ragusa, leading a brilliant embassy. Due to the postponement of the coronation, Marmont had to stay five months in Russia, from May to October. During this time, he had a good opportunity to gather information for the French government about the state of the Russian Empire after the shock it had faced following the sudden death of Emperor Alexander, the interregnum and the uprising on the Senate Square. The character of the new Emperor, his perception by society and by the army - these are the main objects that focused Marmont's interest along with the performance of his representative functions. With the exception of Marmont's personal reports to the King, other valuable sources are brought to analysis in the article which give us useful information about this event, such as the testimonies of the extraordinary ambassador, those of his personal secretary Ancelot and the third secretary of the Embassy Eyragues, as well as the dispatches of the permanent ambassador La Ferronnays, who regularly informed the government of the actions of the Marshal and the reception he received. A comparison of the various sources reveals a difference in the approaches of Marmont and La Ferronnays to the friendliness shown by Nicholas I. While Marmont, with military frankness, accepted the imperial hospitality at face value, La Ferronnays urged his government to be cautious, as he suspected the Emperor of secretle desiring an alliance with England. In the light of further events, La Ferronnays was right in his analysis, although Marmont's optimism proved itself in the longer term as Russia and France acted as close partners at the time of the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829.