Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-04-04
visit 70 a Russian Cemetery.

A st. Petersburgh correspondent of
the London Times writes To-day 1
shall devote my time to giving on ac-
count of an excursion 1 made the other
afternoon to the cemetery of st. Ser
gius, 20 versts from the capital on the
Peterhof road. At half-past one
the troikds were at the door, and we
took our seats. Unfortunately the
roads were execrable, for sleighs bump
ed and dragged through slush and ruts
and water, instead of travelling
smoothly along on the silent snow. A
troika, as all the world knows, is drawn
by three horses abreast, attached to
the vehicle, which is primitive sort of
barouche on runners, by light harness
covered with silver scales. Above the
withers of the centre horse rises the
high, light yoke peculiar to Russia, and
bells are hung either to this or to the
neck of the animal. Bad as was the
road, we made progress somehow.
On we went slipping and sliding,
by the side of the Moika Canal, past
the triumphal arch with its bronze
horses and warriors, and along the
Peterhof road.
ST. Sergi is O mass of heterogeneous
but picturesque buildings. That in
which the 80 monks live is of brick, and
reminds an Englishman of one of the
colleges at Oxford. This church is
many.domed and lofty; its roofs are
gilded in part, and its interior is very
richly decorated. But the great feature
of Sergi is the chapels built by noble
families for the interment of their
dead. These have been erected here
and there in the cemetery; they range
in size from an entire church to a mere
grot, and their decoration is most
sumptuous and lavish. In one of the
largest there is not an inch of wall or
roof that has not been painted byhand,
and though the Russian pictorial art
in churches will seldom bear minute
criticism, the mingled effect of the
masses of color and the marbles, gem
like stones, and even actual gems which
are used is exceedingly splendid.
Sergi cemetery is favorite burying.
place, and some of the monuments are
very costly. In nearly all marble is
used, and most have also about them
much fine metal work, pictures Of
saints under glass, etc. Some are main.
tanned as shrines, where the flame of 6
little lamp burning from year to year.
like soul waiting for it's body.
There are some English monuments
in the cemetery, for the Greek monks
are not bigoted, and will even senG
choristers to take part in Protestant
burial service. The chapels of noble
families are each in care of a custodian
and we were conducted from one to thu
other by a slim young monk, who look
ed terribly thin in his long black gown
His mild blue eyes and the fair hal
which fell curling about his shoulders
gave him a similarly girlish look. Il
the chapels we were allowed to en-
ter the sanctuary behind the Roya
doors but the Lieutenant of Infantry
who was with us had to lay aside hi
sword, and we were asked not to stanC
upon the carpet before the altar. TIL
tombs of the princes and mobiles wer
nearly always in the chapel crypts
lavishly decorated chambers, with
shrine and burning lamp by eacl
grave, and with sacred pictures framed
in fine metalwork, often jewelled, o.
the walls. One coffin stood on a 10,
stone bier and was heaped with flow
ers others were in graves below, close
Thy great slabs of white marble, O.
which lay, perhaps, a single wreath
The tombs of the Oldenburg famil
have large glass dollhouse built owe
them, frestooed with growing plants
One white marble slab was pointed t
us as the gravestone of a young ma
whose death was dark story. He wa
a Prince, related to the Imperial family
and he fought duel in spite of til
severe laws against the practice. Th
Emperor was much displeased, lest
should be said that men of Imperit
blood broke the the law, and LEI
others should think that they had {
good right to fight duels as any Primo
of Oldenburg. The end of it all VIZ
/ this marble slab and whispered stor
J We found the monks at service in Il
{ church of the monastery. The TT
mendous bass voice of Father Gidec
is the pride and boast of the Sergi, an
the deep volume of his recitative role
in tones which sounded like very Jel
. cho trumpets, and which might we
, bring down by the run the walls
the cities of sin built up by Il
Devil in the hearts of his congregati,
, since the last service. He seemed
thrill his hearers to the marrow, n
, only bringing them upon their knees
, the stones, but impelling many of the
to bend their faces upon their breas
till the crown of the head rested up
the pavement. This is the most able
J.. ana .heartbroken attitude the huma
body can take, and one could scarce
see it without feeling that one had
0 right to look upon it, and that one Dug
c to quit the building and leave the pei
{ tent-if such, indeed, he really was
alone with his fellow-worshippers a
/ his priest.