Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-01-12
Letters from Russia.
THE CORONATION CATHEDRAL-KISsING
THE BONES-SUPERSTITION

the holiest of all the holy places in
the Empire of Russia a church and
a sepulchre: the place where the en-
perors crown themselves and the pri-
mates of the church are lying in their
grave clothes all around: the grand
est of all earthly grandeur and the
solemn evidences of the mightier pow
er of King Death staring at the pa
geant in mockery of all that man is
and does.
We were alone in the Cathedral of
the Assumption; four gigantic gilded
and pictured columns in the midst of
its support five great domes; and on
the sides are arranged the huge sar-
cophagi in which repose the bones of
old patriarchs whose names are part
of the history Of the church, and
whose relics are thus kept near at
hand, impressing the worshipper with
something of awe. as one will feel it
in the presence of the dead There
was no attendant in the church when
we entered, and the deep silence reign
ing seemed beftting the place. We
were silent, for the grandeur of the
scene, the historic associations with
the place, the evidences around US
that this spot is holy in the eyes and
hearts of the millions of this vast en-
pire, made US solemn. Before US is
the lconastasis, or screen for sacred
pictures, and behind this screen are
the pictures of the patriarchs and fa-
theirs Of the church. No woman may
enter this holy place. 1t is very plain
that the woman's rights ideas of equal
ity have not penetrated this veil
here, too, are views of the final Judg-
ment scene, and of the life and death
of the Virgin Mary. These sacred
pictures surround the sanctuary, the
holy OF holies, and before it is the
principal altar, and behind it the
throne OF The Archbishop of Moscow.
In the centre of the church, with the
four great pillars at each corner, is the
coronation platform, on which tak kes
place the most august ceremony
known to the Greek Church or the
Russian people. We cannot enter
fully into The sentiment of awe that
/ possesses the minds of half civilized
race, who receive their sovereign with
a mingled conception Of the divine and
human in his person. He seeks to
pcrpetuate this reverentiaI sentiment
He secH I..> himself from the world
before he comes to take the Imperial
crown: he mortiies himself by fast
ing and prayer; and when the ap
pointed day arrives tor his invcstiture
with the high Office to which God has
called him, there is none in all his
realm that is high and holy enough to
put on him the emblem of the power
be is to take. This cathedral is
thronged with the highest dignitarieS
OF church and state, and the repreSen-
tatives Of other empires, eastern and
western. with the richest display of
all that can illustrate the glory of this
scene. They surround h is empty
platform and gaze upon it with fixed
expectancy. A solitary man enters
and ascends alone; he speaks, but ii
is to repeat the words in which is ex.
pressed his faith in the doctrines of
the church; he kneels to pray for his
empire; he takes his own golden
crown. and with his own unaided
hands he places it upon his head; he
descends, and entering the holiest
sanctuary takes the bread and wine
from the altar, and thus alone with
God. whom alone he confesses to be
his superior, he consecrates himself tc
the throne of Russia. Thus from Ivan
the Terrible, all the way down to The
Alexander who was shot at in Paris
during the exhibition, have the Czars
} been self crowned Oh this sacred spot
In side chapel near the altar lies
Peter, the first Metropolitan of Mos
COW, with a nail of the Saviour's cross
: and a part of his seamless robe. o.
the right is the coffin OF Philip, who
had the courage to rebuke the Terri
BILE Ivan, a terribly brutal ruler, mur
dering his mobiles without mercy, and
when Philip became too troublesome
he murdered him. Now the dread
prelate lies here with one of his skel
eton haui9 exposed to view on bis
breast, aud it is part of the emperor
service when he approaches this tomb
to kiss the holy bone that is left con
venient for the purpose.
Very like this cathedral is that of
, , the Archahgel Michael, close by; anG
here lie the coffins and relics of the
early rulers of the Runic and Roman
off dynasties, all the way down tC
Peter the Great. The tomb of Dem
etrius, son of Ivan the Terrible, is the
: most sacred of all he disappeared
mysteriously, and the country was
. plunged into long and bloody clvl
, war; and finally his murdered bod.
> and coffin were brought to view by ;
y miracle, and the forehead of the deat
prince being exposed, or hole abou
an inch in diameter being cut througl
the coffin and the forehead raised u
: to it, or what is just as good, bon
: being put across the hole, the peopl
!, approach with reverence and pres
:, ! their lips upon this holy and disgust
6 ing skull.
Our meditations among the tomb
= were disturbed by the entrance of Wis
" itors, many of them natives of tn
, country, whose reverence In the mids
of so much that TO them was special
j. sacred, we could not fail to respect
k | cannot kiss bone with any enthl
siasm. Indeed, if it were left to N
own choice, l would kiss the meanes
o of Gods creatures with a soul in it
W be loved and saved. rather than t
put my lips upon the bare bones of
dead saint or king. | envy the priv