The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-19
THE GREEK RITE IN RUSSIA.
RELIGIOUS SERVI0Es TN 7HB ST
PETERSHURG or URCnES.

and MetuIs-rbc Vespcr Service Relies.
Prom the onsrcs,nan.
MY very first view Of the Church In Rus
sia In and In connection with its great tenn
plcfor II is temple In form, and not at all
after the usual fashion OF Greek churches-St.
Isaao's, in st. Petersburg. Upon looking out
Of the window of my hotel, Immediately after
my arrival. saw almost every passor by taking
OF his hat and bowling and crossing himself In
n most elaborate and protracted way-a way 80
uniformly practiced that II must he the result Of
early drill. An old gentleman Rallops by on a
FESTIVE horse, and with difficulty holds his hat
and reins In one hand, while with The other he
crosses himself repeatedly, and bows as low
circumstances will permit. woman
with basket lays It down and goes
through the same process. A driver on
half-wiId looking peasant from tho country in
his dirty sheepskin, the patrician from his car
are all seen, with much seeming reverence to
exhibit til Q same extreme outward indications
OF devotion. some poor men and women pause
aud PROSTATE themselves, and lay their fore
heads upon tho marble steps. And II Ii not be-
cause they are before this great and glorious
cathedral, that these extraordinary maniiosta-
tiOns are made. They are made equally before
the humblest church and smallest shrine, and
the litte chapels ying open On the crowded
streets In order to furnish facilities for the de-
vout craving OF the Russian To express his pious
feelings. Men and women aud boys and girls
appear to he ~ absorbed and unconscious Of the
presence Of spectators and strangers n the Mo-
hnmnedans are said To be In their devOtions.
This great church OF st. Isaac's Is wonderful
example of what can be accomplished by impe-
rial wealth and power. Like everything else in
81. Petersburg. II is a triumph over formidable
ply sicnl obstacles. In order to secure sum
ccut foundation for this mountain of stone and
iron, one million Of dollars were expended In
driving piles into the auvial mud aud sand
upon which II rests When one sces at Ainster-
dam how many buildings. much less weighty
which rest upon such foundation. are inclined
from th"ir perpendicular, as for an ultimate
fall. the question cannot but be suggested
whether time, and few such floods the
Ne.a, over the city. produced by the rising by
II lrms OF the Northern ocean simultaneously
with the swelling oil The river, a. occurred with
such disastrous effect III lS!i, may not
a. that this splendid structure may. In
the course Of two or three centuries become "A
mass Of ruins. When a Finnish peasant pointed
out 10 fcter TUG Great tho marx upon a tree
which he said indicated the height which the
flood Of the Neva In 1881 had reached. Peter said
to him. You lie. YOU rascal. and cut down the
tree with his own hand In order to put out of
sight md mind such adiscouraging fact In the
way Of the great enterprise which he had al
ready begun. | know nothing more noble in
the way OF architecture than the porticos OF IT.
granite from Finland. sixty feet high. and the
central golden dome. surnountcd by the Cross,
and four subordinate domes, Will the few appro-
sky, and give variety To the outline Of the mas
siye structure. But its proportions arc 80 per
feet that 1t Is difficult TO realize It's Size Its in
terror Is a-p grand and simple IN form hut
tho snendur and wealth OF its gold and sill
Yer ana gems. H. columns OF nlaNtnlte ANA IT.
pts iaSuii. suppose are unequalled ia the world.
No one would think Of comparing is effective
ness ard grandeur and mrressivene-s as "A place
of worship. a. "a worthy house Of God. with the
rcNerent old cathedrals Of the Middle Ages, or
even nth ST. Peters or 81. Pauls. and -. John
l@tcran AZ Rome but IN none ot them u there
such a prOflsion of spendOr to strike the eye,
and excite the Noudcr Of the mind. n IN this i'm
perial cathedral 1t were quite IN vain TO at
tempt to describe IL. That which most strikes
the eye II first, and remains most vivid In the
memory peculiar and new. to one who,
a e.. "A
Gree. church, aud witnesses the worship In the
number 90 shrines to the Virgin, the splendor OF
the gold Or silver clothing which envelopes her
person. leaving little, dim. feeble. painted face
scarcely visible behind the gorgeous hood, the
hundreds OF candles which are burning before
the imases-almOst every worshipper buying
one large or small, according To his means, at
one OF the two counters in the cathedral, where
the salesman can scarcely supply the ~ uaDd
the wonderful maachite columns Of the
honusits or screen. more than twenty feet in
height. aud the hpts tleW columns, but few
inferior, the colossal pictures Of saints
golden ground, the magnificent gates Of the
screen opening into the sanctuary. and the in
conceivable richness OF the altar that lies behind
them.
had an opportunity TO hear what is regarded
~ one OF the most impressive Of their services
which is ever performed In the cathedral, next
10 that 81 the high festivals. IL l. the vcsper
service sung by the whole choir ~ the cath
dtal, on saturday evening. aud continuing for
two hours. In the scenic effect and in the i'm
preston conveyed by the solemn music rem
dered 10y the bet voices in ltussia-Which one
who is "A good jI4 lge pronounced ~ be the finest
singing she ever heard have never witnessed
or heard an thing that could he compared to H.
~ the crowds poured into tho athedral Al the
twilight. IL seemed ~ IL each person brought a
candle and Hlaced II. with huwlings and
prpstratons. Ia one Of tho hundreds Of
holes Of the brt1en thndelahra-lihe ,truc-
tures which were placed before the shiincs.
There were no other lights except those
their iickcring light. here brilliant and there
dim upon the Immense congregation. all stand
ing There Is no chair ar pew in the whole church,,
the lofty pedt stalls and aruhes, lost A. they
ended IN III, dun shadows the CLEAN Of the
diamonds and other gems. ana of the gold and
SILVER upon ,hrneS ana pictures; the rich r'bes
and the venerable boards of the officiating
priests; the gigantic saints, painted on golden
grsund, who seemed coming out Of the glory
In this uncertain liVht, Hike great and holy beings
from another world. who had come Ia Join in
the solemn praise and alteration: aud all this In
connection with the grave and noble singing Of
a choir ~ mon and priests with which there was
M instrumental music. and Iva which there was
nothing horid and sensational. but the whole Of
which was devotional and suhhme-consttuted
such a combination Of all that appeals tn imagi-
nation and sensbility, ~ the aesthetic and the
sentimental in our nature. A. could not he sur
passed. have heard and witnessed more than
once the far-famed services Of the Sistne
| chapel in Rome in Passion week and all the
| most solemn and nlngnincant celehratiDns OF
the great festivals OF st. Peters; but none have
80 much Impressed me. AS being adapted to pro-
dnre the kind of religious feeling which is aimed
| ~ this Ne~pcr service of -. IsasI''s.
such WAS the impression conveyed Thy the
scene and singing. The party taken by the
priests ~ these Nesper services Is quite subordi-
nate bnt IN the performance Of the Mass eX-
! cept on occasions OF high festivals, the unor-
| dunrd choir seldom take any part. The services
| ~ the chancel and the sanctuary are exceedingly
elaborate The movements and mnrchingS and
| CROSSINGS ana hpwings. the distribution Of tho
various parts Of the service. and especially the
| performance of much of tho Mass within the
'l"'Hf bronze gates OF the sane lttry, where the
| people can only hear imperfcctly the Voices Of
IN" priests and see gltm glitter of gorgeous
f"her lhr"lgh the open work OF the Intervening
scrr,n. make the whole celebration seem To tho
people moro AWFUL. more mysterious, more like
tine mediatorehip Of the Priesthood, who are
alone Win Cod ui the Holy Place, for them.