Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-10-20
How the Czar is Crowned.

Although some ceremony of Inauguration
accompanied the succession of the early
Grand Princes of Moscow, Tver, Kief, etc.,
and tne first two Cars Of ALI the Russias,
Ivan ~ (Vassilivitch), surnamed the Ter
rible, who came to the throne when he was
sixteen years old, in 1S47, seems to have
| been the first Gar who was crowned ac-
cordIng TO our modern notion OF that cere-
mony. But his coronation was performed
with little of the pomp and parapherna.ia
used in these days. The ceremonial now
! ordinarily followed was first observed a.
the accession of Feodore Iv lnoviich, { @
last of the dynasty of Rurik, in 1854. ana
he was the first Car who received at the
hands of the Pontif the consecrated oil.
On leaving the old Palace of the Kremlin
for the Cathedral of the Assumption, the
Gar Is preceded by cortege conveying
his regalia. These are received by the
clergy with cloud of incense and muir
INJURED blessing at the church door, and
then deposited inside in the place appointed
| for them. They compose the various
crowns of the ancient and modern king
doms and princedoms included at the time
in the Russian Empire; the imperial
standard of yellow satin embroidered with
the arms and devices of the same provinces:
the sceptre, globe, and the imperial purple,
and the cross worn on the breast in which
is set piece of the true cross. Nor should
the historic cape be forgotten, called by
| the Russians hdTTy, signifyTng the weight
of empire and the responsibility which the
new sovereign is taking upon his shoulders.
1t is richly jewelled, and ornamented with
enamels portraying different scenes out of
the Old and New Testament The story
goes that it once belonged to Constantine
Monomachus and was sent TO the Grand
Prince Vladimir III by the Emperor Alexis
Commenus in the year l116 a. d. Aft,r
the Gar has made the profession of the
Orthodox faith lie is helped by the Metro
poltan of Kief and the Archbishop of
Moscow into the Imperial mantle. The
crown is then brought and placed on his
head, the officiating prelate inJonlng some
thing like the following formula; ''Most
plous, puissant, great lord, Emperor of all
Russia This visible and material orna
ment is the outward sign of the mysterious
act by which the King of Glory crowns
thee at this moment-lhee the chief of all
the people of Russia confirming thee by
means of his holy benedictton in thy abso-
lutte and supreme authority over thy sub
jects." Next he places the sceptre in his
| right hand and the globe in bis left, saying:
20 thou crowned of Godl Thou whom He
has favored by His gifts and adorned by
His graces most powerful and great lord,
Emperor of all Russia, receive the sceptre
and the globe! They are the symbols of
the supreme power which the Most High
| has given thee over thy people TO govern
! them and assure their well-being," Various
prayers commonly intervene between the
act OF corouation and that of conservation,
| which is performed by the Metropolitan Of
! NOvgorod touching the forehead, eyelIds,
nustrls, lips and ears of the Gar, IS we'll
as the palms of his hands, with the canse-
Grated oil, saying the while, "Tnis is the
gift of the Holy Spirit" The Metropolitan
of Kief thereupOn wipes all traces of the
OH from the Imperial hands and counten-
ance-a wholesome innovation Of compar-
atively modern times; for, as lately as last
century, the Car was supposed TO abstain
from washing for seven days after the Ger
emony those parts which the consecrated
| oil has touched. No sooner has the Car
been crowned than he hastens to perform
the same Office for his consort. First he
touches with his own crown the forehead
of the kneeling Czarinl, to show that she
must take her part in the responsibilities of
power; then, assisted by her ladies, he
fixes the proper diadem of the Empress
consort on her brow. When Czarlna is
crowned independently of her husband,
she enjoys more magnificent cerimonial.
Marina, the Polish wife of the False
Deulitri, was crowned at Moscow with ex-
traordinary magnifcence on the 18th of
May 1895. This wayWard lady, who was
Roman Caholic, refused, it 10 recorded,
to make the Orthodox confession, and
claimed the right to go to church dressed
after the latest French fashion, robe
with long waist and ruff two feet in
diameter, and the smallest slippers that
could be bought in Paris on her feet-all
which was grave scandal TO the simple
Muscovites, who had been accustomed to
see their Czarina wearing the national
garb, which had no waist at all, and hob
nailed boots such IS Russian pc Lsants wear
now on their coronation day
A REPORTER of California free-hght
sava-tE CAlOnel RapOeg was shot once i'm