The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-04-28 00:00:00

THE CORONATION OF THE CZAR.

The St. Petersburg Correspondent of the Daily
News writes :

----- -
The Coronation of the Czar, Alexander 111., will,
it is thought, be the grandest and most magnificent
ceremony of this kind of the present century. The
Russian Government is spending millions hr the pre-
parations, and the rich nobility, patricians and mei,
chants of " Whitestoned Moscow," are vieing with
each other to give his Majesty a brilliant reception.
Besides the festivities in the Kremlin, the great fetes
for the people will be one of the most interesting parts
of the coronation programme. The enormousChodynski
phins, where they are to come off, are now
the scene of the most busy preparations.
Booths, tents, tarracks, and all other components of
a great Russifin fair, are being erected, with stands for
the spectators, ani an Imperial pavilion opposite to
the Petroffsky Palace, from which the Czar and the
Court can survey the entire field and the populace at
their amusements. It is believed that at least 400,000
persons will be present. Drink and food for the people
will be distributed from 120 decorated railway bag-
gage-cars, transformed into temporary bars and drawn
up in one leng row. Every guest receives an earthen-
ware jug, stamped with the Imperial eagle and the
date of the coronation, with which he can call for his
beer and mead. The Masslennikoff factory at Moscow
has furnished 400,000 of these jugs in different sizes
and colours. Furthermore, every person receives two
meat pies, candies, dried fruits, and cakes.
Of the four huge theatres which are being erected
for the free performances, two will be devoted to
dramatic representations, one of which consists of an.
allegory, showiug the triumph of Spring with sym-
bolic allusions to the coronation. At the sither two,
theatres parts of Russian legends, especially from the
y
ancient St. Vladimir eerie!, will be performed for the
edification of the mouohike. At the same time

twelve oombhied`thilftary bands, with twelve singing
companies, will perform concerts in the open air. The
circus proprietor Salamonsky is also having an enor-
mous hippodrome erected, where free performances
for the people will take place at the Crown's ex-
pense. Besides this people's festival, an entirely sepa•
rate fete will be given to the Guard regiments as.,
at Moscow. This will take place in th 4
Sonolinky Park, some four versts from the city. In
the circular square at the entrance to the park, from
which six roads and boulevards radiate in different
directions, a rotunda is being built capable of holding
3,000 persons, besides a separate saloon for the Court.
From this central point long open galleries will spread
out in fan shape, where the tables for 10,000 men will
be placed in the shade of the great pines. For three
nights this part of the park will be illuminated with
many coloured and shaped lamps and paper lanterns,
which in the darkness of the forest will afford a fairy-
like spectacle. The foreign Ambassadors have, it is
said, received invitations to be at Moscow for the re-
ception of the Court by May 18.

Advlces from St. Petersburg announce that the
Emperor and Empress will reach Moscow on the 21st
of May, snd that the coronation will take place on the
27th. The festivities, which will include eight grand
balls, will last until the Bth of June, and the Czar and
his Imperial consort will make their State entry into
St. Petersburg on June 10.

Special Correspondents at the Czar's Coronation are
to be provided with a silver badge bearing either two
pens or a pen and pencil entwined, and the word
correspondent " in French and Russian. An office
wig be established at Moscow by the Government to
give all necessary information to home and foreign
journalists.