American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-08-10
4 Russian Burial Service.


In Russia every phase of social life ha
some popularity which attracts more o
| less the attention of the foreigners; ant
not the least among these peculiaritie
are the rights and ceremonies connected
with the interment of the dead. TIL,
following account of these ceremonies il
| given by a correspondent of the Londor
Ielegrtph:
A few days since took an opportunity
| of paying a visit to the SmOlenski, one OF
the great cemeteries in the neighborhood
of st. Petersburg. Long before l arrived
at the cemetery l was concious of its
proximity by the appearance of many
shops exhibiting tomb-stones and wooden
crosses for the graves; and also by the
spectacle, in the open streets, of immense
varieties of wreaths and garlands, Orna-
mented, some with paper roses, Others
with ''never fades" or some other flower
of funeral Specification. Here and there,
too, were refreshment rooms for the &C
commOdation of those who, after the
wish to fortify the body or drown the
grief in the bottle. On reaching the
cemetery, the attention is first of all
directed to the church, where the custom
airy funeral rites are performed. Enter
ing, found myself in the lobby or ante
room of good size, in one corner of which,
behind a counter, sat a lugubrious,
stability dressed official, busily occu-
pied in the sale of candles, the
profits from which form considerable
item in the revenue of the church in
Russia. Usually, this business is con-
Quoted in the church itself. On the other
side of this room were standing the lids
of collins, in a row against the wall. A
few steps farther brought me to the body
of the church, where the service was 60
ing on. 1t is the custom here to perform
one funeral service in the morning over
the bodies of all who are brought for in
terment on that day. The scene that here
meets a visitor is in the highest degree
all the church itself, the whole eastern
side of which is g.ittering with gold and
silver, and ornamented with the pictures
of saints, before which feeble lamps shed
forth the dimmest of lights. There are
the priests and deacons, arrayed in what
should be the gorgeous and brilliant robes
of Russian ecclesiastics; but in this place
of traffic-the cemetery-thec costumes are
passed on from one wearer to another I'M
til almost every vestige of their pristine
splendor has vanished. In one corner of
the altar stands the choir, consisting of
two misunderstanding creatures, engaged
in pouring forth a lamentable howl,
called requiem for the deceased, in tones
so dOleful, so inharmOniOus, and in
manner SO careless and unconcerned, as
to excite astonishment that such fright
full mockery can possibly be tolerated.
The corpses were arranged in two rows;
the bodies of the adult dead-of which
there were six-placed in front and near
the altar, while the collins of nine little
of ages varying from one year
nd
hind. The collins were open, and the
upper part of the body was exposed,
while from the breast downwards, the
whole was covered by pals, for the most
part of a dark yellow color The hands |
were crossed on the breast, and on those |
Of the adults were laid large sheets of
paper containing a prayer in the Scla-
vonian language, the purport of which |
was to speed the soul on its Journey to
custom to place this prayer under the |
head of the deceased. 1t was compare
lively pleasant to turn from the dark,
sallOw, and drawn countenances of the |
adults to the peaceful and happy faces of |
-he little children, many of whom had |
he appearance of being in a quiet, sweet |
their heads enveloped in caps
licked with gay ribbons and flowers, and |
he whole body laid out with fine gauze |
Instead of the prayer for remission of |
sins which was placed on the breasts of |
1ren had strip of paper bound round |
,he forehead, with few words, also Scla-
ronic praying God for His mercy. The |
dea is that these little ones are considered |
o be too young to have committed actual !
sins, so the prayer for remission or pardon |
s not necessary The line of demarca-
ion is drawn at seven or eight years of
lge. The prayers and strips of paper are |
sold in a small room adjoining the church,
1t fixed price, the prayers at six CO.
)ecks, and the strips of paper at from |
hree half pence to three shiilings. The |
price is printed in large characters on |
Zach article. The collins of the young
ire surmOunted by candles at the immi- |
lent risk of setting the gauze and the |
,ther appendages on fire-a catastrophe |
which not unfrequently occurs.
You can readily imagine what crowd |
vas assembled around these fifteen |
:orpses, and how great was the pressure
n a editice not forty feet square. The
too, was heavy and oppres-
i've, from the heat of the crowd, the for
st of lighted candles, and the incense
Those present We're, some holding can
lies, some bowling their heads to the stone
loor, some standing in the corners or
gainst the wall engaged in lively CONVEX
alton some walking out, others coming
n, as it suited their fancy here and
here mother casting a sorrowful, for
orn look at her departed little one, but
ew-very few-seeming affected by the
occasion which had called them together
After a service which lasted about an
lour and half the lids were replaced on
he collins, and they were borne from the
hurch to the graves, the different compa-
lies following in crowds, at a good stiff
Walking pace, the majority talking and
aughing in such u manner as would ut
erly confound our quiet, sober-minded
'eople at home. The body is brought to
he grave and deposited in the ground
without further ceremony a little earth
s thrown in on the coffin by all who take
'art in the melancholy office there are Il
ew hysterical shrieks-and thus the pro
eedings at the cemetery terminate,
FOR the invited, the day winds
Up with a carousal at the house of
he deceased, the nature of the feast of
curse depending on the means at the dis
'osal of the host. 1t is singular to re
mark how very faint are the signs of
rief discerniblc among the crowd of
russians assembled to pay the last mark
II respect to departed relative or friend.
have observed, as general rule, that
he Russians are easily excited, and show
.lmost convulsivc signs Of joy or sorrow
n the first moments of ccstacy and de
pair; but so soon as this fit has passed,
heir equilibrium is restored with n
really extraordinary. An
xample of this came under my obscrva-