The Democratic advocate., 1881-12-17
descriptive artirIes.
The City of Moscow.

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wealth of jeweled equipage, and the Won
derful beauty of the Kremlin, with its
graceful towers and domes, far above the
city. which overlooks the country for miles
around, and discovers to the beholder many
a tower and dome, of monastery and con-
vent, hidden away among the distant groves
1t is more like Constantinople than any
other place that can think of, with towers
instead of minarets, with much superiority
in golden domes, but with only the small
river Moskeva, which finds it way to the
Volga, and the Caspian Sea, instead of the
beautiful Bosphorus, which renders Con-
stantinople superior to all in its effect upon
the beholder When Napoleon's army
reached the crest of Sparrow Hills, which
gave it the full view of this city, and the
great citadel of the tsars, the Kremlin,
the soldiers shouted with joy, and well
they might, for it is seldom accorded to a
conquering army to view a city SO beauti-
fully situated, in the interior of vast coun-
try, and with such dazzling wealth shining
in the bright sunlight.
The city has nearly seven hundred thOus-
and people and nearly five hundred churches,
whose exteriors resemble mosques, but the
interiors resemble the Roman churches,
with scarce even an image, but all their
saints painted and emblazoned upon fiat sur
faces. Like the Mohammedans, they es-
chew images. Their domes are so varied
in style, shape and design, as to render them
quite attractive, the Cathedral of st. Basil
alone having seven domes, each different in
color and design from the others, and each
covering beautiful chapel.
These churches contain such great wealth
in silver and gold, shrines and saints, bas-
reliefs completely studded with the most
costly gems, that the truth almost surpasses
belief. For instance, the Cathedral of the
Assumption, in which all the tsars have
been crowned, and in which Alexander Ill.
will probably be crowned next spring, has
shrines of departed saints covering the en-
tire wall of the church over the altar, to
the ceiling, which are of silver, gilded and
sparkling with large diamonds, and other
precious stones, of great value. A picture
of the Holy Virgin of Vladimir said to
have been painted by St. Luke, which came
from Constantinople in the eleventh centu-
ry, is adorned with Jewels valued at S225, :
600, one emerald being valued at $50,0OO
There is a representation of Mount Sinai
in pure gold and silver, nineteen pounds
weight of each, presented by Prince Po-
temkin When the French army threat
ened the city the most valuable treasures
were removed from the churches to safe
place, but from the shrines which could moi
be removed, from this church alone, it il
stated by historians that the French carried
away five tons of silver and five hundred
weight of gold. The coronations of th'
Russian monarchs, in this cathedral, ar
said to be the most solemn, as we'll as mag
nifcent of royal pageants There is to b.
seen the dais on which the tsar stand
when he assumes the crown. There tn
empress kneels at his feet and receives he
crown from him. The great metropolitan
the head of the church, blesses them an
prays to God for their support.
The Cathedral of the Archangel Micha'
is the burial place of all the tsars Of tn
Rurik and Romanoff dynasties, prior to tn
accession of Peter the Great There are fol
ty-fve princes of those families see entome
there, and the sight of these royal sarcol
hagi carries the memory back to man
scenes of royal splendor, of brave deed
carnage, cruelty, and slaughter. There is
little kiosque, on the wall of the Kremlir
in which "John the Terrible used to 81
and watch the execution of the many vic
tins whom he had doomed to die.
[ will not dwell upon the great treasures
and immense vessels of silver and gold
which [ have seen in the sacristy of tn
former patriarchs, and numerous others, fo
it is almost beyond conception, and
should weary in describing those of on
alone. ...
"The Temple of the Saviour is the lar
gest, and perhaps the newest, of all tn
churches 1t is said to be rich in malachit
columns, and other precious materials
which will make it almost equal to st
Isaac's the great cathedral Of st. Peters
burg. 1t has not yet been consecrated, ant
is not open to visitors. Many of thes
churches were founded in the thirteenth
and fourteenth centuries. With the excep
ton of the great metropolitan, who is Sc
lected from the monasteries, all the priest
of the Greek Church are required to MARI.
before being ordained.
The Kremlin is nearly triangular for
tress of about one-and-a-half miles in cir
cumference, situated upon an eminenc
which overlooks the whole city. 1t ha
four large towers at the four corners, pecu
liarly picturesque and Oriental, and severa
lesser ones along the different sides. Their
are five grand gateways; the Redeeme
gate, over which is a picture OF the Re
deemer of Smolenski, and under which n
person is allowed to pass without uncover
ing the head, the Emperor himself observ
inc that custom, the Troitskii, or Trinit
gate, through which the French entere
and evacuated the Kremlin, the Nikolsky
or Nicholas gate, and the Borovitski gat'
Each gate is surmounted by beautiful
tower. Within the walls are the palace 0
the tsar and treasury, or museum, Of tn
magnificent properties of the Crown; tn
arsenal, tribunal tower of Ivan the Great
and several churches, appertaining to, o
specially used, on great state occasions
The palace is of vast proportions, with mag
nifcent halls of reception, whose walls an
covered with battle scenes and rich decora
tions of gold, more splendid than | hav
vet seen. There are very many of then
and of many styles of architecture. The
are named the Hall of St. George, Alexan
der Hall, Hall of St. Andrew, Hall of tn
Order of St. Catharine, etc. The privat
apartments are also exceedingly beautiful
There is also chapel in which the mem
bers of the royal family were baptized AM
married.
The treasury contains the crowns of tn
tsars prior to Peter the Great, magnificent
presents from great Eastern potentates
thrones, trophies of war, state carriages
etc. The immense value and richness o.
these treasures indicates profusiOn o
magnifcence in the court of the tsar which
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