The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1856-11-13
The rcllsI3G. Moscow and fl.o Corona ion
OF AlexnnIer II.

OF Alexander II.
The KrCmlin is at once a fortress and enceinte
Of pompous palaces and yenerated churches. The
most noted entrance is the sO-caed Redeemer sate,
or Holy-gate, on entering which all must uncover.
Here too is that great fractured bell, celebrated
in history, travels and descrp5On for its size and
ncapacity of function. The Treasury contains the
habits of ceremony worn by the SOvereigns of Russia
at their Coronation, studded with gems and pearls
like an Elizabehan petticoat. Capt. Jenkinson, who
in the latter half Of the sixteenth century sent
from England to conduct the Russian Ambassador to
Moscow, received an invitation to the Emperors
treasury and wardrobe, and describes two gOOdly
gowns as heavy could easily carry, all set
with pearls and over, and the borders garnshed
with sapphireS and other good stones abundantly );
and he was particularly enoined to procure such or
better in England, and told that the Emperor would
gladly bestow his money such things. TO the I'M
perial Treasury also belongs long ivory comb with
which the ancient Cars combed their flowing boards
and last not least the rcgala of the conquered and
absorbed Khanates of Kasan, Siberia Astracan, and
the Crimea. For it must be remembered that these
four last provinces have large substratum of Turkish
and Ugrian population In which the Muscovites are
only settlers. The thrones ofivory silver, and
in the neighboring hall of warlke trophies is the
litter in which Charles XII. borne from the Bat
tie of PultaWa.
Previous to the confagrati0n of 1872, the most
prominent edifices of the Kremlin the ancient
palaces of the Cars, the architecture being COM
pound of Renaissance and Oriental. Their principal
architect AIilanese named SolaIio. All travel
6fS ICSSijb previous 10 1CIZ SDGittA VI PIC
turesque magnfGence of the principal palace, which
after the conlagration had to be taken down. The
portions remaining of the old palaces Of the Cars
have been repaired by the EmperOrs Alexander and
Nicholas and two additional palaces, larger and
smaller have been built by these AIonarchs in the
Place of the old principal palace. The room Of the
Emperor Alexander is shown containing his handker-
chief, pencil, and note book. The room Of the Empe
ror Nicholas contains the hard mattress which he
slept, and the library in his cabinet comprised all the
books that had been written about Moscow In various
languages.
The principal ecclesiastical elifce in the Kremlin
is the Uspens Sabor or the Cathedral of the Resur-
rection. in which the EmperOrs are crowned. The
whole of its interior is gilt and the golden ground
Scrptural freScOcs have been executed according to
the BYZANTINE taste as travellers may remember to
have seen in Italy and the Levant The Cathedral of
the Resurrection sort of Greek LOretto, from the
value of its sacred paraphernalia 1t was plundered
by the French in 1872, but the most valuable pieces
had been removed on the approach of the enemy s
armies, and restored on their departure. One is q
Mount Sinai of pure ducat gold, equivalent to hun
drcd and twenty thousand ducats, or fftyour thou
sand pounds sterling On the summit stands golden
Moses, with table of the law, and within the
tain coffin containing the host. This ma gnifcent
present from Prince Potenkin. Kohl relates
with incredulty that there picture of the Saviour,
with reference to which the priest who showed it
stated that Sc merchant lame in both hands and feet
was brought there and after he had prayed erventy
before this picture up healed and walked out OF
the door which he had been carried through in his
bed We see no reason to doubt this statement OF
the priest the active agent, however, not being the
inanmate image of the Saviour but the animate inn
agnatiOn of the fervent believer terminating with
TIvacity tOrpOr in the eectria circulation Of his
physical frame. Truly may say If this theory be
sound one, that by faith the merchant was made
whole.
1t was in the thirteenth century that Moscow be-
came the residence Of Princes sprung from the family
OF RurIk but IN point of mere antiquity there can
be no doubt that Noyogorod and Kief are much old
er. But from Moscow having been from the thir-
teenth to the eighteenth century the capital both
political and ecclesiastical, it possesses an historical
and archaeological interest far beyond these incuna-
bulary cities of the Russian dominion and the resi-
dcnces and coronaons of the Soyeregns keep up the
interest of the palace to the present time. Nor
Is Moscow shadow of its former self, but still a
reality from its large population and from its still
being the residence of u considerable nobility.
The ceremony of Coronation which is about to take
place has national peculartes unworthy of being
noted On the arrival of the Imperial family depu-
tatlons of the nobility and citizens offer them bread
ana salt ON magnificent silver trays, emblem of
hospitality and afterwards, the banks of the river
hOSkVa, water is cOnsecrated in presence of large
population. Then there is a cavalcade of heralds
through the streets of Moscow stopping st every
cross-road and public square to proclaim tie prox-
mate coronation.
On the day OF the coronation the insignia of Soye-
reign authorlty-the crowns, the scepter the orb
the Imperial purple, the mantle and the ornaments
intended for the Enpress-are carried in process;on
to the Cathedral and received by the clergy at the
entrance with clouds of incense. The Emperor than
proceeds, accompanied by all the great dgnitaries
from his palace to the Cathedral, the clergy advan
eng to meet him at the porch The Patriarch is in
HIS Ial pontiSals. having on his right tie Archbsl-