Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-05-31
Letter TO the Boston Advertiser.
A Russian Metropolis.
AN AMERIcAS's IMPRESSIONS OF uosoo,

AN AMERICANS IMPRESSIONS OF MOSCOW.
Moscow is the strangest mixture of beauty
and squalor that can be seen. Here in II
church painted bright-groen all over, with IL
picture of some saints above the door. Next
it is II little. dak shop where icones and
lamps are sold. little further on is u mar
row, sombre passage, running through to the
next street, with shops opening into it where
all sorts of small wares are exhibited. The
proprietor stands ut the door and recon-
mends his goods to the passer-by. At the
end of the street is the kremlin. that Won
derful remnant of barbaric splendor. If you
stand and look ut it, as | did, under dull
March skv, the sharp little snowilakes pelt-
ing you iiercely in the face. with melting
snow under foot and general nastiness and
sloppiness all about you, you will be moved
to sort of wonder that these high white
walls, these queer-colored domes and roofs,
and all this strange architecture, could ever
be admired by any but II savage race. But
go to the same point OF view on a clear day
after snowstorn, when the ground is white
and clean, when the sun scintlllateS on the
delicate tracery OF the crosses which sur
mount the domes, when the domes them
selves take deeper and purer shades OF blue,
and green, and gold. and gray-then you will
appreciate better the real beauty which un-
uctlltS all thls apparent bafDhrlly-
Entering the holy gate. which is nothing
remarkable to look at, every one, not except
ing the Car. must uncover his head. From
the walls of the kremlin there is magniti-
cent view of the city. Raised SO high above
1t, the squalor and dirt do not stare one i'll
the face, and the hundreds of minarets and
SPIRES and crosses. 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 IA very beautiful picture The
first thing TO visit inside the kremlin is the
church where the emperors are crowned.
From the first Romanoh down to the present
Alexander III the coronation ceremony has
taken place i'll this same church, on this
same platform in the centre of the building.
The cathedral is more than rich. 1t is literal
ly glittering with gold and silver jewels.
There is not one square inch in floor or cell
ing or walls which is unornamented The
screen ut the back of the altar is OF solid
gold. The icones have necklaces and tiaIas
of diamonds. emeralds and pearls. The
chandeliers are of silver. The walls are GOV.
cred with painting and mosaic work of ST.
borian marbles. SplendOr CLEANS from every
corner. No words can express tho riches OF
tins church. Ii IL said that all the wealth Of
the Russians could not buy the contents OF
this one little building.
But Tor qunintness. barbarty and beauty
combined the church of St Basil is unequal
led. 1t stands outside of the kremlin wallis,
near the Holy Gate. 1t is II low building,
with eleven queer, mushrooms shaped domes,
each painted different color Under every
dome is a chapel dedicated to some saint
Dark, narrow passages lead from one chapel
to the other Here Ii displayed the same
richness OF ornamentntion as III the cathe-
dml, gold, silver and Jewels everywhere.
There Is "A legend attached to the church.
which was repeated To me no less than five
times hy N many different people. 1t was
built by an Italinn architect, in the reign of
John the Terrible When 1t was completed
the Car called the architect before him. and
inquired II II WAS possible for HIM to build
anything more beautiful. The Italian re-
Piled that it was whoreupon the Gar or
dercd his eyes to he put out. This story.
like many others which are told of John the
Terrible lacks proof