The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-11-20
THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL GUARDS

An article in the United Service Journal of Eng
iand contains very interesting account Of the force
ard condition of the Russian army the different no.
oes OIL troops, and the peculiar treatment to which
they are subjected together with numerous structures
on the despotic character of the Imperial Family
The following extract refers TO the Inlperial Guard
which, says the writer of the article when seen for
the hrst time at review strike the behoder almost
win awe, who though he may have seen many finer
regiments, can nave witnessed nowhere in the world
50 large Oody OF hne looking troops together r-Bos
ton Transcript.
The Imperial Guard, which has always been the
hobby OF the Russian sovereigns and is so peculiarly
so oil the present Emperor Nicholas and Of his bro
lher Michael consists of 4lG00 Infantry and Artil-
ery, and of about IL 900 Cavalry and, with the adj
ditlon OF the regiments Of the Young Guard does
not iall short OF $4,000 men, This force is stationed
in the Government Of st Petersburgh principally in
and about the capital, and is under the command Of
the Grand Duke Michael. The Guards the picked
men from the whole army are all either feet Il
lnches IN height, or exceeding that stature On first
view an observer is struck 10 find them all dark and
bearing TO each other as remarkable simitude as
the sheep oil flock. When his eve wanders over
thousands OF iaces he cannot readily point ont one
who might not pass the brother of the one most
dlssmiar TO him-and they il nature had mould
ca them an oy ukase according TO given pattern
and the precision and uniformity of their attitude and
equipment. make one man look the reflection Of tbe
one beside him. This similitude Of personal appear
ance he afterwards finds 10 be much owing 10 their
general dusky and saow compilations (probably pro-
duced by the excessive warmth of The artificial at
mosphere IN which they live and the abuse Of the
sieam-batb,) as well as to The back mo,Isfacbe nj
exactly the same cut and trim and which whatever
IT'S original color, receives the same dark 0loss nv
being Amounted and pastered with an unctuous com
pound something similar TO our English cart grease
This IS applied by order. An "ukasep also fixes the
length OF soldiers or officers hair AT fingers
Width and determines on which side IL must be brush
ed and how low the whiskers may be allowed 10 in.
wade the cheek. These orders are the same for the
General as for the drummer. As long as we see
these soldiers Of the Guards imbodied they are yer,
imposing High OF stature-of martial though RI
gidy stiff carriage-they are clad in tasteful uni
forms, OF which the materials, though coarse have
been fashioned with all the skill Of art and fitted 10
each man individually they worthy Of having
come from the hands Of the late King Of Prussia, Of
whom the Emperor Alexander said hat fortune had
spoiled admirable master tailor in giving him his
crown.
There is one effect however strikingly udicrous
IN the attempt TO improve the rs ures Of both soldiers
and ofcers-ther trousers are tightened 50 much by
band at the waist, that the stomach protrudes most
ungraceiuliy, particularly in the soldier who eats
enormous quantities Of his black bread, and whose
human intestines are swollen larger than an English
race horses. When we come 70 examine the soldier
after the review, without his "makng I'M we are /
surprised 10 find how miserable a creature he is
meagtei narrow chested, ill-shaped-what a want of
muscle, sinew and elasticity TO animate that great
body, which reminds one Of an over.grown school
boy-how different from the healthy cheek the ath-
leiic iorm and symmetrical figure Of our own Life
Guardsman There is scarcely, in these regiments
which are considered as the pride Of the imperial
army, one man in ten whose shape is not gfariney
defective but this observation does not apply TO the
regiments Of the line, which are composed Of men Of
much inferior stature, and must therefore con-
cude that these tall men, collected from people Of
sixty millions rather ts monsrosities in point Of
size than its flower.
In point Of fact, the Russians are not tall race
but the Emperor has been determined to have Guards
tall as those Of nations whose stature averages sew
era inches more and though there has been no dif
hculiy IN procuring the number required from the
population Of his empire, they are overgrown. do.
formed, or weedy, and such as our picked men would
be IN England Il the standard were raised 10 feet3
In the Polish war the Guards are said 10 have
proved very inferior TO the line which we cannot but
attribute 10 this causea which equally affects
the cavalry Of the Guards whose efficiency is still
diminished by the fact that their horses are still less
fitted for arduous service than the men and vet in
the composition Of that centaurthng in which the
man and steed ought to be blended together the
mounted horsemeD, two-thrds Of their Joint excel
lence must depend upon the physical qualities OF the
brute, On the whole therefore, when we examine |
closely this apparently magnificent srmy-for the 4
Guards alone, which the Emperor reviews in one
square Of the city Of ST. Petersburg, constitute an
army more numerous than any which the British T.
have, within the memory Of man, ever collected TO-
gother on one spotwe are soon convinced that il is
more calculated for show than effect