The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-06-26 00:00:00

17fR. TUR2i-ERELLI'S LEOTLTRES
ON RUSSIA.

"WHAT KIND OF MEN OUR ENEN.IIE3 ARE."

Sucre is the titre of a coarse of lectures, the first of which
(on the. Russian nobles) was delivered last night, at the
Mechanics' Institution in-- this town, by Mr. Edward Tracy
Turnerelli, the author of some well-known works on Russia
and its • People. Mr. Turnerelli, who, we learn, is the son of
the celebrated artist of that name, sculptor to their late
Majesties George 111. and IV., first visited Russia in the year
1837., His travels in that country were not confined alone to
the two capitals, St. Petersburg and Moscow, for he explored
the whole of the Volga down to the Caspian sea, sojourning, as
he advanced, for weeks together in the principal towns on the
banks of that river; one of which, Kazan, the ancient capital
of the Tartar Khans, he has described in two interesting
,volUmes lately published in London by Bentley. During this
journey, which lasted five years, he travelled through 17 pro-
vinces of the Russian Empire, a feat which, we believe, few
English travellers can boast of having accomplished. Mr.
Turnerelii enjoyed the personal favour-of the late Emperor
Nicholas, who patronised his works in a very liberal manner,
and assisted him in various ways ia his travels. This advan-
tage joined to an intimate acquaintance with many of the
nobles, induced Mr. Turnerelli to prolong his sojourn in Russia
upwards of sixteen years ; and it was only. at the commence-
ment of the present war that he felt it his duty to leave that
country, to which, he candidly tells us, the kind treatment he
received from all classes had in many ways attached him. As
Englishmen, therefore, we could duly appreciate the feeling
which induced Mr. Turnerelli to remark that as much as trata
would permit him (for no sense of gratitude would induce him
to say a word that was not truth), he would, although we were
at war with 'Russia, tell all the good he had.observed in that
country, and tell it too with-heartfelt pleasure. The Russians,
he said, had many imperfections in their character which were
generally known; but they had, at the same time, many great
and remarkable national virtues, of which few travellers had '
spoken. While he painted, therefore, faithfully, the darker
side of their character, he would most certainly not conceal the
fairer traits ; and this was a duty he owed not only to the
Russians, but to his countrymen and to himself. He began
his description of the Russian nobles by depicting the
peculiarly Muscovite manner in which Peter the Great, by the
aid of a host of French tutors, governeeses, nurses, hair-
dreseiers, dancers, teachers, valets (all French), whom he
imported in ship loads into the country, introduced civilisation
among his gaunt Boyars. They. wore long beards, which
Peter ordered them to shave, but the Boyars rebelled at this
order, and the mutiny it raised nearly cost Peter his life. The
latter settled the matter by fixing a tax upon his subjects'
beards, and the Boyars—preferring rather to part with their
beards than their roubles—finished by keeping Peter's, order.
By degrees the Muscovite Boyars assumed a very polished
appearance, and at the present day, a Russian noble is as
polite and civilised a man as any aristocrat in Europe. - The
stamp of civilisation; however, retains the impress of its origin e
the Russian nobles still imitate the French in their habits',
manners, dress, and tastes; nothing but French is heard:
among them, and by some of their enemies they have been:
called des Francais OM's, or *oiled Frenchmen. A pre-
ference for the French people was strongly marked in the
Russian character; but they liked all foreigners, particularly
when they happened to belong to the softer sex. A pretty
actress or dancer, was sure to make a rapid fortune in Russia,
though it is not necessary to enquire too closely into the
means employed to do so. .Madlle. Jenny Farcon came to St.
Petersburg a poor girl; in a few months she had a palace to
live in, and drove about the town in a carriage and four; every-
body was cliing for her, *and one poor fellow did die,—a young
Russian officer having lot himself for Jenny's sake, when she
refused to marry him. This' passion for foreign artistes
was carried so far as often to lead the young Russian
noble into the most ridiculous excessee, For instance,
when Mademoiselle Taglioni quitted St. Petersburg., she
left a pair of slippers at the hotel. The landlord soon
made his good fortune known, and 60, 100, and even 200
roubles (£3O) were freely, offered for the forgotten slippers.
The landlord, however, finding the public enthusiasm in-
crease as he raised his demands, peremptorily' refused to
part with the slippers under 500 roubles (£75). This sum
being rather more than any individual appeared willing to
give, 35 persons clubbed together; and purchased the-slippers.
They then wanted to know what to do with theme After
many suggestions,
.none of which gave general saffsfaction,
it was proposed by one of the speculators, more enthusiastic
and original than his fellows, that they should. ear them ?
The landlord of the hotel pronounce) the idea to be excellent,
and proposed to make a fricasee of them, which was accord-
ingly done, and the 36 enthusiasts, with the lecturer as 'their
guest, did actually eat Taglioni's slippers; and washed them
down in bumpers of champagne, in which they drank to- the
health of the charming danseuse. The education of the
Russian nobles was almost exclusively in the ban& of.
foreigners, and many of these were, certainly little qualified
for' the task they toed( upon themselves to perform. A Russian,
prince, living in the interior of Russia, was very proud of hies
daughters'. Engliish; but, on -being introduced' to them, Mr:
Turaerelli found that they had been learning Scotch instead of
English a and foraught lee knew', their teaeher, might have been
some needy bagpiPer,whofouad teaching a more profitable busi-
nessin Russia than playing his national instrument. Mr. Tur-
nerelafrelated on toss subject several other amusing anecdotes,
. which space wilt not permit us to allude to. The great defects
of the Russian nobles were their extravagance, their dis-
sipation, their love of change, their fondisess for' gam-
bling, and sometimes their want of honesty in their
dealings. But,. on, the other hand, their hospitality,
courtesy, and charity were beyond all praise. Each of
these characteristic traits Mr. Turnerelli illustrated by a
variety of incidents- which had occurred under. his- personal
notice, and which interested strongly his auditors. Many of
the noblas- in the interior kept open house, and the more
numerous the droppers in to dinner the better pleased was the
bast. In a word, theliospitality of the Russians was in many
towns the hospitality of the hotel—without thea bill at leav-
fag; Of their courtesy Mr. Turnerelli related several circum-
stances-which occurred to himself individually,. while travel-
Hag in Russia.. Theii-charity and generosity to-foreigners in
-distress was highly creditable to their feelings. An appeal to
the generosity of a Russian noble was seldom rnade in vain ;
and the-lecturer recorded several instances of poor foreigners,
who had. died in thedatissian capital when he was living there,
and whose families had- been provided for by the Imperial
family and. the nobles., " Charity," he hopeda therefore,
might " cover some of the- sins" of the Russians. .With some
remarks op the physical appearance, education, _habits, and
tastes of the Russian ladiessMr.Turnerelli concluded hie lecture,
in which, we must do him the justice to say, not only he com-
municated to us much novel information. concerniteatbealtus-
sian people of a most interesting and useful description, but
his pictures bore • a character of truthfulness, impartiality,
and moderation we tanuot too highly value.
His second leature on ." The Russian Serfs" wilaba delivered
tomorrow evening.; and,.. when we reflect that it* is with,
forty Millions of these men we have to struggle in our
present contesteall us of must naturally feel moreorless inte-
rested to know the 'peculiar characteristics of that race-of which
we have so little trustworthy information ; and many, doubt-
less, will avail- themselves- of the favorable opaortunity af-
forded them in. this matter by Mr. Turnerelli's descriptions,
founded on a sixteen years! experience and a else study of
Russian character. Mt. Thrnerellfs last lecture will be given
on Friday evening; and the subject, " The dead; and living
Czar," promises to be highly interesting—the mere-so, when
we recall to mind Mr. Tumerelli's acquaintance with the
Imperial family of Russia, whose domestic habits-a eel charac-
ter lie has-probably had better opportunities of :studying than
any Englishman we could bring forward. Hies work, very
lately published, entitled, ." What I Know of the ate Emperor
Nicholas and his Family," of which we have read several
laudatory notices in the London papers, confirms us in this
opinion ; and we look forward with pleasure to that evening's
entertainment.