Weekly Phoenix herald., 1882-10-13
How the czaris C~owned

ing the recent visit of the Car and
Czariua to Moscow the coronation
was privately performed in the
Krcmlin, and that in case q public
coronation shall at some future
period be deemed feasible, the Fri
vate ceremony will be declared in
valid. The Journal dc Rome thus de-
scrib' a public coronation:
The Kremlin, wi;h its high walls
of white stol e. with bait ements cut
ont i'll the form of Tartar arrow
heads, its eighteen green towers, ard
its five rose-colored gates, is quite
town in Itself, containipg three caihe-
dral-, seven churches, a monastery, 4
nunnery and three impri ial palaces.
Let us speak first of the three most
venerable sanctuaries, the catnedrals
of The AssnmI ton, The Annuncia-
lion and the Archangcl St. Michael,
grouped in q single cluster like
sAeaf with golden ears, cncl' 'sed by
an iron ruling that shows unon the
white walls its great black network.
The Assumption is the CATH dral
of Rheims, the Westminster Abbey
of Russia. Here the Emperors are
crowned, and here i preserved the
ancient Throne of the Cars in carved
wood, known rs the throne Of Wlad-
imir- VI on maqme. The pillars, arches
and walls of this chur. h, which was
built from beginning 10 end by
Italian architects in 1916, are orna-
mcntcd by large Byzantine images
of long bearded saints. whose heads
are shone upon a background of
god. These holy per=onag In
their purple garme nts look like
procession of Asiatic potentates, 81
lent and stern.
The icono tasus of the Assump-
ton is dizzling wall of jewelry, "a
fabulous display of gold, of precious
stones, of pearls and diamonds. To
this wonderful wall are su pended
dCblONS WI Sf'b tAAit'4oib1
virgins with dark eyes and brown
skins that belonged to grand dukes
and were brought from N"vgorod,
Pskof, Kew, and Con +: ntinon.e.
Their halos are consolidated %ith
precious stones that twinkle like lit
tie stars and shine like rcd sparks.
Uron their garments ard dalmatics
of gold, topazes, sapphises, emeralds,
and rub cs display marvellous en-
oroideiieS that intcrlacc each other
like garlands of flowers. The MI
raculous ima-e of the Virgin of
Vladimir that orthodox pitty attrib-
utes to St. Luke, wears a diamond
necklace valued at 100000 roubles
Emeralds as large as nuts are set in
the massive golden crown of this
Virgin.
Close to the ironostasus canopy
covers the chair Of the Patriarch, and
in front of it velvet tent marks the
place of the E nperor. Lamps of
silver and vermiiiun with Pickering
lights, and great wax-sdndles with
their ,teady ard soft jets. are not
sufficient to awaken the Oh cturiiy
that sleeps under the sombre vaults
of the old cathedral.
The ceremonies of the cremation
take place in this church with a
ponp and sple ldor that are peculiar
ly Oriental. Before the Gar arrives
the high priests with the cross. as
sisted by two deacons carrying holy
water in basin of gold, sprinkle
the passa.e the Emperor is about to
take. Then arranging themselves
upon the steps that surround the
platform, surmoun.ed by canopy
of crimson velvet with tasslcs and
fringes of gold, come the Grand
Dukes and Grand Duchesses, al the
members of the Imperial family,
the diplomatic corps, the high digni-
taries OF the Empire, Senators in
red uniforms, Ministers bedlZencd
with badges and cord us, Marshals
in brilliant uniforms, ladi of The
court, and young lldies of honor. in
the national costume, including the
katoc1nik "a golden dad m embroi-
dcred in gold or pearls, representa-
tivcs of the merchants of all the |
cites of the Empire, most of them
in b'ue or black gowns fringed N
god, OCCUPATIONS from A>iatic peo-
pies allied 10 or subjects of the EN-
peror, Chinese, Moago. ians, Tarta:s, !
BasKirs, Kalmuks, Khirgces, Bouk-
haras, Circas>ians, Georgian5, Min
gre'ia IS, Laplanders, Esquimaux,
Persians, 1u com Gas-a strange and |
wild mix:u of different races, half |
clad and armed, some with bows or
lances, others with vatagans with
silver handles, or swords with wood
en- hits rudely carved.
This dazzling and picturesque
procession advances, prec, drd by
Platoon or yards of honor, with
circasses of red cloth starred with
silver, and by two mount, d heralds.
with gold embroidered bracades, eel
velvet caps ard naccs. The impe-
rial arms, borne by high function
aries, are place at the left of the
throne upon a table with cover of
gold. Grouped in front of the
church under the portal draped with
velvet, the clergy, with crosses and
mitres, are Respondent in their
and dalmatics spark ing
with gems. The Metropolitans, led
by the Metropolitan of Kew, hold
ing ceusors, await the arrival OF the