The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-14 00:00:00

The Marriage of the Cezarewitcb.

(From the Correspondent of the Times.)
ST. PETERSBURG, Nov. 9.

Morning had scarcely dawned when the guns of
Petropavlovsk, the fort on the northern bank of the
river, opposite the Winter Palace, announced with
iron tongues that the day of the Imperial marriage
had arrived. Soon after a hurricane of clangour
burst forth from the bells of the capital. Every
church having five domes at the least, and a corre-
sponding number of bells, the air seemed to vibrate
far and near with heavy harmonious sounds. To
this accompaniment I went to the Winter Palace.
There was great bustle and animation in the streets,
yet the hundreds of carriages and cabs hurrying
along with Russian speed failed to crowd the im-
mense squares and thoroughfares of that Imperial
neighbourhood. Polite footmen opened the door,
aud, many as were the guests and spectators that
alighted every moment,
with officious readiness at-
teLded to the wants and inquiries of all. Through
endless halls I was conducted to the one where I
was to wait for the present. The State rooms
through which I passed are nearly all covered with
-white stucco, and decorated with bronze ornaments
of chaste and simple style. In many the Corinthian
column and rectangular window prevail ; others ex-
hibit the less classic features of the Renaissance, and
abound in twisted pillars laden with gilded foliage
and curious arabesques ; but the general character
of the whole is grandeur rather than pomp, and
though no attempt is made to aspire to anything
exquisitely artistic, the eye everywhere meets fine
and symmetrical combinations of form, size, and
colour. There were two throne-halls, the larger of
which differed but little in general aspect from
other rooms of the same size and height. The
smaller, draped with red velvet, and with the throne
placed in a niche in front of the glorious picture of
Peter the Great, is, perhaps, the most tasteful apart-
ment of all I have seen. But even this seeks to im-
press rather by a proud plainness of style than by
gorgeousness or glitter. The grand unaffected sim-
plicity with which the whole city is built is delibe-
rately repeated in the adornment of the Imperial
Palace.

in a long narrow passage, which deserves to be
specially mentioned, many hundreds of portraits
are panelled on the walls. They represent the
Generals that had fought against Napoleon 1., and,
with the Emperor Alexander, his victorious enemy,
occupying a whole side of the gallery for himself,
are an interesting illustration of a great and decisive
time. Another hall, devoted to the memory of the
various Field-Marshals who distinguished them-
selves in the same war, contains the portraits of
some Russian Generals, with the " Iron Duke" and
old Blucher closely associated to them. There were
also pictures of battles, showing within their enor-
mous frames whole fields of contest. As they were
looking down upon the gay and brilliant crowd now
fast assembling in this as in every other of the
neighbouring rooms, one could not avoid stealing a
glance at the struggles that had been required to
maintain the empire intact, and to secure for it that
position in the world whose lustre is reflected on this
present joyful day.
Were I an Arabic writer, and allowed to ransack
the whole kingdom of nature for metaphors, I
should be tempted to assure my wondering audi-
ence that there is many a wood in the world which
has not got so many leaves as were embroidered on
the uniforms of the civil and military officers present
this morning in the Winter Palace. In the more
sober vocation which has brought me into this throng
of Generals and Ministers, not to speak of the hun-
dred other grades and ranks attending Court on
such a day as this, I must be contented with the less
poetical remark that the lace covering their breasts
and backs perfectly dazzled the eye, its golden lustre
being heightened by the dark green and dark blue
prevailing in the Russian uniforms. The room
positively sparkled with the shine of tunics, caf-
tans, and dresscoats of every cut and form. The
variety of official vestments was astonishing.
Officers in English military coats alternated with
others wearing Polish, Cossack, and Circassian
dress. Ihe sons of the Don, in scarlet blouses, ap-
peared in friendly proximity to the descendants of
the gallant men who, in the hills of the Caucasus,
have so long withstood the whole might and main
of the Czar. Some of these foreign mountaineers
were clad in Carmoisn velvet, trimmed with sable
fur and set off by red and golden facings. On the
breasts as well as the backs of their blouses they
had rows of folds sewed on to hold cartridges, the
rest of their armament being equally distributed
over both sides of their body. Two pistols behind
and another in front seemed to be a favourite mode
of equipment for men whose military ideas antedate
the discovery of the needle-gun, and who are de-
sirous of making up by the number of barrels what
they lack in rapidity of firing. In that corner a
bevy of Generals, with refulgent epaulettes, were
conversing on the event of the day; here Ministers,
without any epaulettes at all, but with an intricate
arrangement of boughs, leaves, and fruit on their
dresses, were courteously doing the honours of the
place to foreign guests. Councillors of State, Judges,
and members of the Senate, the Synod, the Academy
of Science, and many other scientific and admini-
strative Boards, might by the initiated have been
recognised by the pattern of the embroidery and the
number and disposition of the significant lines on
their velvet collars. The more deeply versed in the
science of uniform, this modern successor of heralds'
lore, would have distinguished one is puzzled to
think how many hundred degrees in the official
hierarchy ; to me it was a heaving ocean of radiance,
unintelligible in its composition, and beautifully be-
wildering to the eye, but affording many points of
attraction for a reflective mind. This superb as-
semblage consisted of the men that govern Russia.
As the crowd began to thicken the first ladies
made their appearance. Nearly all of them were
with trains exhibiting every hue
clad in white silks,
and shade ; strips of coloured velvet trimming the
bodies, and in many cases the skirts also, constituted
the peculiar element of the " Russian dress."
Another feature of the national costume prescribed
for the occasion was the kakoshnik or diadem worn
by all the ladies, excepting the bride. It is a semi-
circular band covered v ith velvet and studded with
pearls and jewelry so graceful and becoming that it
reflects no little credit on the taste of the peasant
girls, the original devisers of this ornament. The
ladies had magnificent robes, but the grand display
of jewelry was reserved for the ball in the evening.
Leaving the Field-Marshals hall, before the
arrival of the Imperial procession, I threaded my
way to the Chapel Royal. The whole suite of State
apartments were similarly occupied as the one in
which I had so long tarried. In some there were
only ladies, in others gentlemen, all, as a matter of
course, in the uniform of their various ranks and
callings. Merchants, even, if they are Russian sub-
jects and invited to Court, are obliged to put on
blue coats with standing collars, and gird clanking
swords on their pacific bodies. Detachments of
various troops of the Guard were drawn up here
and there, and every door watched by the cuiras-
siers of the body guard. Gigantic men, in scarlet
uniforms, with buckskins, topboots, and steel hel-
mets, crowned with the two-headed eagle, stood like
so many mute statues in the places assigned to their
care. They are the Russian Horse Guards, and
though an eye accustomed to the sight of the two
silent horsemen holding watch and ward in White-
hall may be excused for preferring the familiar to
the foreign, it must be admitted that the latter too
are no bad specimens of strength and elegance com-
bined.

The Chapel Royal, in which the ceremony
be performed, already swarmed with the cream was to
re
the aristocratic company invited. It is eacream of
of
moderate dimensions, in the French style of the last
century. White walls, copiously studded with
bronze garlands, festoons, and diminutive angels,
impart to it a courtly rather than a. religious air.
To this part of the church, destined for the con-
gregation, and, like all orthodox places of worship,
entirely devoid of stalls and seats, there is joined
a dome containing the altar. It is of con-
siderable height, and separated by 1:a gilded
ikonostos from another dome, the interior of which
is only descried through the aperture of the Royal
doors. A low arched colonnade, appearing imme-
diately behind the Royal doors and leading into