The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1853-04-21
miscellaneous,
Translated from the French, for Gleason's Pic.
RUSSIA AND THE RUSSIANS
St. Petersburgh i'm Winter.
BY MISS ANNE T. WILBUR.

st. PeterSDuTgn HI "AhteA'
Transformation-Jhe MuScouite Stamp
--fhe Perspective Of NeOSky-lhe
croaod-Me Emperor Nicholas and
the Actor Vernet.
To me who has visited the modern
capital Of the czars only during the sum-
mer season, this graceful city has, con-
cealed under its most picturesque aspect,
its most original physiognomy. In fact,
the wonderful appearance of magnlh-
cent capital, created, so to speak, by the
stroke of a wand, surprises the imagina-
ton and captivates the eye; but, although
we may admire, we are slow to discover
that originality of the Muscovite physiog-
uomy, which we would like to be able to
seize, at the first glance, in Russian me-
tropolis. Patience Winter will come,
and soon efface what there is of European
in the city of Peter the Great, to imprint
upon it that eminently natural stamp
which it may then dispute with ancient
Moscow itself
The transformation is complete. The
laughing and coquettish city, so freshly
blooming on the banks of her beautiful
river, has disappeared, to give place to
one, northern, cold, pale and silent. A
mantle of snow envelopes it; its river has
become solid, and presents to the eye only
a sheet of ice traversed hither and thither
by rapid sleighs; some, arrived from Lap
land, are drawn by light-footed reindeer.
Often, dull and heavy sky hangs over
the mute city; sometimes the sun shines
brightly; but its rays, decomposed by the
condensation of the air, break on the
gilded cupolas and belfries of the churches,
which shine aloft with reddish and SIN
lister CLEAN, like the luminous globes in
front of the towers, which at night an
nounce fires to the affrighted inhabit-
ants,*
The hard snow resists the wheels OF
the carriages, which pass over it with a
metallic and vibrating sound. Ia other
respects, its depth softens the noise of We
hicles, which glide over it as if by en-
chantment. The foot passengers, wrap
ped in thick furs, pass along also noise
iesslv, and as if in haste to arrive. There
are no travelling merchants, as in the sum
mer season, carrying their wares on the
tops of their heads, and crying them at
the tops of their voices; not even dogs;
in a word, nothing to break the silence of
the great city, which one might think to
be sleeping, like certain city of the Arab
story-teller, were it not that there is a
movement during the few hours OF day
light of extreme activity. In certain
streets, the Perspective of Newsky,t for
example, it is an aristocratic movement;
in others, such as the Place of the Sen
moi and the adjacent streets, it is the pop
ular movement.
The Perspective of Newsky is an I'M
mense street, with broad sidewalks, whose
center, paved with hexagons, vertically
placed, presents the aspect of smooth
parquet. But at present. the parquel
has disappeared beneath deep layer Of
snow, over which are constantly passing
elegant equipages. This street, which
opens on the square of the Admiralty, is
intersected by three concentrlc canals
the moika, the canal of Catharlne, anc
the Fontanka. The winter promenade
extends between the first and the seconc
of these canals, which are crossed OF
largo bridges of granite and of iron, o
skillful and bold architecture. The latte
that of the Fontanka, which is called TN
bridge of Anitchkoff, from its neighbor
hood to the palace of that name, is dis
tinguished by four bronze. horses TN
work of Baron Clot. The horses seem U
rear ON their elevated pedestals; the!
delicate and nervous limbs bend; thel
fore feet strike the air, and their opel
nostrils emit smoke.
This bridge serves as limit 10 the arls
tocratic promenade. The street contin
ues TO be broad and bordered with mag
ni6cent hotels, but it soon loses its cnai
acter. to assume that of the populou
quarters in the neighborhood. We ma
saw here, that the Perspective OF New
sky might we'll be called the street
Tolerance; for, with the exception OF tn
English chapel, it contains the church'
of every species of Christian worship
Beyond the bridge Anitchkof, we find
mosque. -,
The Perspective of Newsky should I
seen on fine day in winter, when u
sky is clear, the air dry, and the sno
sparkling. On the northern sldcwal
carefully swept and sanded, throng
compact multitude of elegant promen1
ders. There are beautiful ladies in ri
toilets Of lively and variegated coors'-
The furs Of the zibeline. or blue fox q :.
worn over precious stuffS: velvet sa'l