Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-06-06

Letter to Boston Adrertiser.

lAA
Letter to Boston Advertiser.
Moscow is the strangest mixture of
beauty and squalor that can be seem.
Here is church painted bright green all
over, with a picture of some saints above
the door. Next it is little, dark shop
where irons and lamps are sold. A little
further on is narrow, sombre passage,
running through to the next street, with
shops opening into it where all sorts of
small wares are exhibited. The pFoprie-
tor stands at the door and recommends
his goods to the passer-by. At the end
of the street is the Kremlin, that wonder
full remnant of barbaric splendor. If you
stand and look at it, as L did, under
dull March sky, the sharp little snow
fakes pelting you fiercely in the face,
with melting snow under foot, and a gen
eral nastiness and sloppiness all about
you, you will be moved to a sort of won
der, that these high white walls, these
queer-colored domes and roofs, and all
this strange architecture, could ever be
admired by any but savage race. But
go to the same point of view on clear
day after a snowstorm, when the ground
is white and clean, when the sun scintil-
lates on the delicate tracery of the crosses
which surmount the domes, themselves
take deeper and purer shades of blue and
green and gold and gray-then you will
appreciate better the real beauty which
underlies all this apparent barbarity.
Entering the holy gate which is moth
ing remarkable to look at, every one, not
excepting the Gar, must uncover his
head. From the walls of the Kremlin
there is magnificent view of the city.
Raised SO high above it, the squalor and
dirt do not stare one in the face, and the
hundred of minarets,and spires and eros
ses, all brightly colored, and the green
roofs of the houses, with the low range
of the Sparrow hills on the one side, across
which the French army marched, and
from where Napoleon got his first view
of Moscow, form a beautiful picture. The
first thing to visit inside the Kremlin is
the church where the emperors are crown
ed. From the first Romanoff down to
the present Alexander II. the coronation
&C remony has taken place in this same
church, on this same platform in the cen
ter of the building. The cathedral is
more than rich. 1t is literally glittering
with gold and silver and Jewels. There
is not one square inch in floor or ceiling
or walls which is unornamented. The
screen at the back of the altar is of solid
gold. The icones have necklaces and til
aras of diamonds, emeralds and pearls.
The chandeliers are of silver. The walls
are covered with paintings and mosaic
work of Siberian marbles. Splendor
CLEANS from every corner. No words can
express the riches of this church. 1t is
said that all the wealth of all the Rus
SLAMS could not buy the contents of this
one little building.
But for quaintness, barbarity and beau
ty combined, the Church of st. Basil is
unequaled. 1t stands outside of the Krem-
lin walls, near the Holy Gate. 1t is a low
building, with eleven queer. mushroom
shaped domes, each painted a different
color Under every dome is chapel ded-
icated to some saint. Dark, narrow pass
ages lead from one chapel to the other.
Here is displayed the same richness of
OrnamentatiOn as in the cathedraI-gold,
silver and jewels everywhere. There is a
legend attached to the Church, which was
repeated to me no less than five times by
as many different people. 1t was built by
an italian architect in the reign of John
the Terrible. When it was completed
the Gear called the architect before him,
and inquired if it was possible for him
to build anything more beautiful. The
Italian replied that it was, whereupon
the Gear ordered his eyes to be put out.
This story, like many others which are
told of John the Terrible, lacks proof
LOveIand sunday school EncamP.
m0mls