The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-02 00:00:00

CORONATION OF THE EMPEROR OF

RUSSIA.

SOLEMN ENTRY OF THE EMPEROR INTO

MOSCO W.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Daily News).
MOSCOW, AuG. 29.
The morning of the day fixed upon frr the solemn
entry of the Emperor into Moscow was ushered in
louring clouds and rain. About mid-day, however, the
sun broke through, and the afternoon has been bright,
and calculated to show off the gorgeous procession tau
advantage.
A little after mid-day a salvo of nine guns from a
battery pasted opposite the Tchoudow Convent, fol-
lowed by a peal of bells from the Cathedral of the
Assumption, gave the signal to all the bells of Moscow
to begin jangling. Their deafening clang has con-
tinued ever since, and only those who have wit-

nessed can imagine the noise and vibration of the air
produced by such a mass of tintinnabulary metal. As
soon as the hurricane of clangour broke out, actors an .l
spectators of all ranks and degrees hurried to their posts.
At 34 p.m. the Imperial procession left the Petrovsky
Palace. First came a Maitre de Police, with twelve
mounted gensd'armes to clear the way. Tie Emperor
was preceeded by his body guard in their magnificent
uniforms, squadrons of Cossacks of the Black Sea and
of the regiment of Guards, the representatives of the
haute noblesse on horseback, all in uniform, the represen-
tatives of the Asiatic populations which acknowledge the
sovereignty of Russia, with valets, lacqueys, and runners
of the court. After this mixture of European and
Oriental costumes came Masters of Ceremonies and
others with their badges of office. After this train, in
which European and Oriental finery were strangely min•
gled, came Alexander Nicolaievitcb, on horseback, at-
tended by the Minister of his Household, the Minister of
War, and his aides•de-camp. The Princes of the blond
followed, all on horseback. A long train of splendiJ
carriages came next in order, containing the Empress,
the Empress Mother, the Grand Duchesses, and the
Princess of Oldenburg, followed by their ladies of ho-
nour. Squadrons of Cuirassiers closed the procession.

At 4 p.m. precisely a salvo of 71 guns announced that
the Emperor was entering his ancient capital. The Mili-
tary Governor-General of Moscow received his Majesty
at the entrance of the city, at the head of his employJe.
The magistrates and the burghers received his Majesty
at the entrance of the quarter called Zemlenoi Gored.
The marshal and the nobility of the government of Mos-
cow received him at the entrance of the quarter called
Bieloi-Gorod. The civil governor and the civil authori-
s of the city were stationed to receive hire at the
gate of the Resurrection. Here a brief halt took place,
durincr which the Emperor, the Empresses, and the
Princes and Princesses of the blood dismounted and
knelt before the image of Our Lady of Iberia. This cere-
mony over, the procession again moved onward ; wati
received at the gate of the Saviour by the Commandant
of Moscow and his staff; and in front of the Cathedral
of the Assumption by the Directing Senate. All along
the route of the procession the houses were decorated,
and the clergy stationed at the gates of their respective
churches with their images and crosses. The acclama-
tions of the assembled multitudes were enthusiastic, and
distinctly heard above the din and clangour of the bells.

The Emperor, the Empresses, the Princes, and the
Princesses, descended from their horses and carriages in
front of the Cathedral of the Assumption, at the stair
which is called Krasnoe Kryltzl. Intelligence of this
event was forthwith thundered forth by a salvo of 85
guns. The portion of the Imperial cortege which pre.
ceded their Majesties kept on their way round the ca
thedral, and such as had the entree entered it by the
north gate. The officers of the Court completed the
circle of the building, and stationed themselves in front
of the south gate, to await the coming out of their
Majesties. The Holy Synod and the functionaries of
the cathedral met their Majesties at the Purvis, and
preceded them into the church chanting the second can-
ticle for Palm-week. After kissing the images and re-
lics, their Majesties proceeded to the cathedrals of the
Archangel Michael and the Annunciation, in both of
which the ceremony of kissing the images and relics was
gone through. In the cathedral of St. Michael they
also prostrated themselves before the tombs of his Ma-
jesty's ancestors.
On quitting the cathedrals their Majesties, accom-
panied by the court, walked to the Palace of the Krem-
lin. At its gate they were received by the court clergy
with the cross and holy water. The Archbishop of
Moscow here presented the Emperor with bread and
,alt ; and immediately afterwards a salvo of 101 guns
announced at 5 p.m. that the Imperial family had en-
tered the palace of their ancestors.
The metallic hurricane from the innumerable churches
still vibrates through the air and shakes the walls. At
night the city is to be illuminated.

THE JOURNEY FROM ST. PETERSBURG TO

MOSCOW.

MOSCOW, AUG. 21.
I shall not soon forgot the fatigue and anxieties of the
twenty-foar hours' journey by railway which has at last
landed me safely, this day, in the holy and truly beauti-
ful city of Moscow. The run is at any time no mean
achievement, but the trouble is tenfold increased at the
present moment by the unexampled influx from all parts
of the world of "distinguished foreigners," civilised and
uncivilised, which is now overflowing the palaces, the
inns, and the lodging-houses.
When I entered the railway station at the top of the
Neskoi, yesterday morning, I was remindel of London-
bridge on the Epsom morning, with this difference, that
instead of sporting men, jockeys, and the metropolitan
heliday folks, I found myself surrounded and almost
overwhelmed by princes and mujiks, Circassians and
Georgians, handsome Greeks and ugly Tartars, ladies in
Parisian toilettes, and their bonnes in the national caf-
tan and coronet, Jews and Slovacks, Poles and Hun-
garians, priests and Levites ; in short, every variety of
costume, colour, and odour that distinguish the varied
races composing the great Russian nation. To do them
justice, they were not half so unruly as the crowd to
which I have just now compared them, but they w,re
legion, and their luggage—such Itivage! —which was
all passed through a window and weighed, and which
seemed as if it would have required the Leviathan steam-
ship to supply the requisite accbmaiodation. Nineteen,
twenty-five, even fifty packages were no unusual amount
for a single passenger ; and then some of them as big as
a sugar hogshead were hoisted up by sheer force of
mujik muscle, and deposited composedly on the heads
of those who by long struggling had secured an inside
place for themselves and the'r little portmanteaus next
the receiving window. It was a desperate case, the
showers, even down teems and perfect torrents, with now
sopritrheosgor of
orthography), sG:, covered
officer was bewildered by a few cabilistic words in his
esr, and a corresponding cabalistic sign in the palm of
his hand, had a wonderful effect in clearing his intellect
and enabling him to select the correct carpet-bag with
creditable acumen. Then there was the pass to be
stamped, and the ticket to be paid for, and the place to
be taken, the latter by no means an easy task, as the
military officers and their ladies, who are privileged to
enter everywhere and before everybody, had secured all
the seats, not only for themselves, but for their smaller
luggage, their Italian greyhounds, parrots, and railway
wrappers. •
However, at last we were fairly afloat, and trudging
leisurely along our little journey of six hundred and
seventy versts, at the rate of about twenty miles an
hour. The first-class carriages, which are constructed
on the American plan, are comfortable and even elegant,
and the power of walking np and down, and occasionally
stepping out on the little gallery at the end for a mouth-
ful of fresh air, very much diminishes the weariness
passengers Russian generals en route for the
of the almost interminable journey. We had as our
aßmuesnsian countesses ditto for the balls, and
fellow
wwia-in and German doctors speculating on the pro-
bable effects of the dinners. In one corner of our
~ waggon" sat a Circassian prince, some juvenile
Schamyl perhaps, magnificently attired in his
national dress, tastefully harmonised with the
uniform of the Russian army. He was a remarkably
fine-looking man, and seemed as happy and contented as
if nothing had ever occurred to cause a difference of
opinion between him and the Georgian Viceroy. He was
on the best of terms with the Russian officers, and chat-
ted and smoked with them all day long.
The country through which we passed was as uninte-
resting as could possibly be imagined. For the first one
hundred versts it was bare and level as a steppe, without
a single tree to break the monotony of the prospect. But
as we neared Moscow, and left St Petersburg further be-
hind, the landscapebecame more mellow, clumps of tree.,
first appeared, then plantations, while tho op3o con,trY
became tinted with the green of the meadow or the gol-
den hues of the corn-field. Now and then the fantastic
monastery
with eau flotilla
lel
ah oorfi zclunr,i
oahns(llycom-
fortable farm-houses gave reatsuringindication of human
habitation. Then we had little rivers to cross, over well
constructed bridges, and one of greater pretensions,
called, I think, the Nidska (I do not pledge myself to the
structed barges bringing down corn from the Volga for
the consumption of the capital. We had rain in light
i and then a flash of lightning or a gleam of sunshine ;
some regular
tente
m i u stoppagesu a
toto bourn, :n theol4.o road, a:I:a giving
y ary i n g
einud lastlydurati sfon

the nobles ample time for their teschi and the mujiksfor
their darling vodka, You may depend upon it, the
opportunity was not neglected, as at every station the
refreshment room exhibited the most motley groups
imaginable, while the waiters were embarrassed at
once by the pressure of their duties and the scarcity
ri change. Indeed, I cannot call to my mind a single
instance in which these truly conscientious men being
entrusted with a three-rouble note were enabled to get
hack to the passenger who had entrusted it to him before
he departure of the train.
• At, I think, our sixth station, we were comforted by
he agreeable intelligence that we must wait an hour
rnd a half extra in order to allow the passage of a special
ironvoi containing the Grand Duke Constantine and his
uite. I was comforted under the delay by being en•
taled to get an excellent view of his Imperial Highness,
Nh o came down upon the platform and nodded to and
ienatted with everybody about him. It was pleasing to
see the confidence with which the humblest people came
up quite close to him, and the off-hand friendly way in
which he received their compliments. There were. no
ealdiers, no butt-ends of muskets to keep off the common
nerd, but everything was trusting, kindly, and
without any affectation of condescension. I be-
ieve that in consequence of his identity of name with
his uncle, and the way in which he has been mixed up
with recent naval operations, he is looked upon in Eng-
!and as a very terrible fellow, both in appearauce and
ivanners ; but nothing can be further from the reality.
Ere is a tall, slight, well-made young man, with good
features and a pleasant expression, and seems to be on
the best terms with himself and every one about him.
fie is, in short, the last man in the world whom
from his appearance .1 should reckon dangerous or
disagreeable. Besides this, he has a considerable re-
putation for wit and sarcastic humour, and many of
iris sayings are in general circulation. I shall give
you one sr two as specimens. To enable you to un-
ieis'and the first, I must premise that the Americans
whose wonderful sysnpatJiy with Russia during the last
war it was so diffienlitioNsiderstaed, have made edit iar
excellent speculations in this country, amongst others
he contract for keeping the Moscow Reilway in repair,
ey which it is said they nett a clear profit of some
200,0001. a year. The Grand Duke, who is dissatisfied
with this job, as well he may be, had lately some die-
inguished friends on a visit, whom he handed over to
his chamberlain to show them the sights of the capital.
One day he asked that officer whether his friends had
peen all the sights, and being answeied in the affirmative,
said, laughing, "Then go and show them the American
contract, which is decidedly the greatest curiosity that
could be exhibited in any country." The second story
Applies to his Imperial Highness's early days. He was,
as is well known, appointed to the nominal command of
the fleet when a child, but even at that early age was anxious
to make it a reality. One day, when on board a man-of-
war, he promoted ar officer who pleased him, but the
appointment was not o ,nfirmed,while the young admiral
was reproved. The next morning he appeared before
the Emperor in full uniform and tendered his resigna-
tion, adding that he was no admiral if he could not pro-
mote whom he liked. It is needless to add that this
youthful burst caused considerable amusement in the
aighest quarter, and that the resignation was not ac-
cepted. But the Grand Duke has now passed on on his
rapid journey, the regular train following at a respectful
distance, and at a pace which brought us to Moscow at
noon to-day, after a journey of nearly 25 hours.
I must confess that, on first entering, the modern and
üburban appearance of the holy city disappointed me ;
but a visit to the Kremlin and its neighbourhood, which
I was not long in paying, restored and even strengthened
all my foregone eonclusions. I shall take a future oppor-
tunity of paying a more lengthened visit, and writing a
more careful acceunt of this extraordinary quarter ; but
I could not resist the temptation of at once taking a
glimpse at a place which from infancy I had been hear-
ing and reading about as one of the wonders of the,
world. Accordingly I hurried off, plunged into the
abyrinths of the Chinese city, where I was neatly de-
voured by the worthy denizens, citizens of this Eastern
Petticoat-lane, and soon found myself in the centre of
the " Beautiful Place," which certainly has a very fair
claim to that appellation. The sound of hammers at-
tracted me to the still unfinished triumphal arch be
which the Emperor is to enter the sacred precincts, and
suddenly I found myself in presence of the great bell,
which has been so accurately weighed, measured, and
described over and over again. It is, in truth, a tre-
mendous casting, and if in sounding order would make
a most sonorous report. The broken piece lies close
beside it, and more than anything else enables one to
form a just conception of the enormous size of the bell it-
self. Passing under the " Sacred gate," like a good
Christian, hat in hand, I in a moment stood at the very
grille of the Church of the Assumption, in which the
great ceremonial is to take place. It has been closed
some days to the public, but a good-natured deacon took
pity on my curiosity, and politely invited me into the
interior. What a scene of barbaric magnificence, his
toric reminiscence, and political suggestiveness f Passing
through a darkened vestibule I suddenly felt myself
almest dazzled by a perfect blaze of gold and colour.
The walls were every inch covered with frescoes and
mosaics, in heavy gilt frames, and the great central pil-
lars that support the cupolas decorated in a similar man-
ner. Although the church is small, the loftiness of the
ceiling gives it a most imposing appearance, and the
vague indistinctness with which the comparative gloom
enables you to take in the details produces in the mind
a peculiar feeling of awe and reverence. As works of
art, few would be bold enough to defend these elaborate
decorations, but they are the signs of a sentiment, a
power, and a policy, and, looked upon in that light,
must always be objects of deep interest to the spectator.
Greek priests were chanting their vespers in one corner,
while carpenters were hammering away in another at
the gorgeous estrade upon which the Emperor is to kneel
while the metropolitan places the crown upon his head.
Everything was resplendent with gold, and velvet, and
ostrich feathers ; but a glance was all I was permitted
to take, sufficient to convince me that the interior of the
church will not accommodate more than about 500 per-
sons.

ANCIENT CORONATION AND MARRIAGE
CEREMONIES IN RUSSIA„

The chief interest attached to the official programme
of the coronation of Moscow, arises from the circum-
stance that every word of that cautious document baying
been carefully weighed, and every ceremonial having a
peculiar significance, it may be considered as a sort of
manifesto respecting the relative positions of the Cz tr
and his peCiple. The sacred power of the monarch, and
his absolute and uncontrolled power over and property
in his subjtcts, are clearly indicated. He is the lord and
autocrat of all the Ressias. In the triumphal entry
into Moscow he is surrounded by a staff purely rnilitare,
and it is a taking possession of the aucient capital of the
empire. On his road the priests meet bins with bann •rp,
crosses, and holy water ; and the whole population
stands uncovered, as when some ultra holy relic passes
in procession. The halt for the public adoration of the
image of Our Lady of Iversk by all the linp,ri d family,
is a profession of the orthodox faith for the edification
of the multitude. At the threshold of his palace,
after receiving the homage of the superior clergy,
he is presented with bread and salt by the chief
officers of his household, in the same manner as
every proprietor is welcomed by his peasants on ar-
riving at his estate ; and thrJughOut the ceremony
of the coronation, the two great (111:ers constantly in
attendance upon him are the Minister of his House-
hold and the Minister of War ; —the civil power is
throughout subservient to the army and to the church.
But his position as the actual and positive head of the
church is as clearly defined. The metropolitans do not
arcend to the platform of the throne, but,'having re-
ceived the regalia from the proper officials, they hand
them to the Emperor standing on the last step but one,
and he places the crown on his head himself, holding his
sovereignty from no earthly power, receiving its outward
evidences only from the ministers of Ged. In taking
the sacrament, it is administered is him within the
sanctuary, and in the same form es to the priesthood, in
acknowledgment of his priestly character ;_ but it was
nut until the reign of Peter the Great that the subser-
viency of the clergy to the crown was thoroughly esta-
blished.
The distinction between the present and past reletions
of the hierarchy and the sovereign will be more clearly
shown by describing the ancient ceremonial of the coro-
nation some 200 years ago, when the patriarci ■ were the
chief councillors of the Tear, and by their signature gave
full validity to his public acts, much in the same manner
as the Sheik-eldslatn does to those of the Sultan of
Turkey.
The coronation was performed, as now, in the Ca-
-1 thedral of the Assu:npf ion in Moscow ; and the throne
was elevated on an estrade with twelve steps, the seat
of the patriarch being on the left of the throne, less
magnificent than the latter, but like it, covered with
velvet embroidered with gold. The Tsar Caine in pro-
cession from the palace through lines of Strelitzi, the
only standing army of the time ; accompanied by all
the nobles magnificently dressed in Glatt of gold,
with rich jewels, of which many specimens are
still to be seen in the 'Kremlin, and wearing caps
of black fox skins. On arriving at the cathedral door
the Prince bowed three times, and then turning to
the patriarch, saluted him and asked his benediction.
The patriarch descended from his throne, blessed the
Tsar with the true cross, and after embracing each other
they mounted together the steps leading to their places.
It was the patriarch who invested the Tear with the Im-
perial robes, and who placed on his head the crown and
in his hands the sceptre and orb, receiving them from an
archbishop. Then after the nobles and the clergy had
saluted the newly-created monarch, the patriarch took
him by the Land and led him to the throne, and when
he was seated made him an oration on his duties as a
sovereign. After the consecration the patriarch anointed
the Tsar, wiping off the oil with pieces of tow, which
were afterwards burnt on the altar. Daring the visit to
the churches, which concluded the ceremony, gold dust
was sprinkled on the head of the Tsar on entering by the
arch-priest, and on leaving by one of the grandees. It
will be seen that a vast difference exists between this
and the present ceremonial, the inferior position of the
clergy being very remarkable ; and the Emperor, both
by placing the crown on his own head, and also by
crowning the Empress, who kneels before him, publicly
proclaims himself the sole fountain of honour.
poeition of- the petrihra I In like witnner the exalted