Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-26
How the Gar is Crowned.

eighteen green towers, and its five rose
colored gates, is quite d town in itself,
containing three cathedrals, seven
churches, monastery, a nunnery, and
three imperial palaces.
Let US speak first of the three most
venerable sanctu2ries, the cathedrals of
| the Assumption, the AununciatiOn, and
the Archangel st. Michael, grouped IN q
| single cluster like a sheaf with golden
ears, enclosed by an iron railing that
shows upon the white walls its great
| black network.
The Assumption is the Cathedral of
| Rheims, the Westminster Abbey of Rus
STA. Here the Emperors are crowned,
and here is preserved the ancient throne
of the Cars in carved wood. known as
the throne Of Vladimir Monomaque.
The pillars, arches, and walls of this
| church, which was built from beginning
| to end by Italian architects in 147j, are
ornamented by large Byzantine images
OF long bearded saints, whose heads are
shown upon a background Of gold.
| These holy personages in their purple
garments look like procession Of Asi.
attic pOtentates, silent and stern.
The inconOstasus of the Assumption is
a dazzling wall of jewelry a fabulous
display of gold, of precious stones, Of
pearls, and diamonds. To this wonder
| full wall are suspended miraculous images
of great NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. with dark
eyes and brown skins that belonged to
| Grand Dukes, and were brought from
| NovgorOd. PskOf, Kew and C0nstanti-
| nOple. Their halos are consolidated with
precious stones that twinkle like little
stars and shine like red sparks. Upon
| their garments and dalmatics of gold, to-
| PAGES, sapphires, emeralds and rubies
| display marvellous embroideries that in
terlace each other like garlands of flow
ers. The miraculous image of the Vir
gin of vladimir, that orthodox pietv at
tributed to ST. Luke, wears q diamond
nee klace valued at 200, 900 roubles.
| Emeralds as large as nuts are set in the
massive golden crown of this virgin.
Close to the 1cOnOstasus a canopy Gov
ers the chair of the Patriarch, and in
| front of it q velvet tent marks the place
of the Emperor. Lamps Of silver and
vermilion with Pickering lights, and
great wax candles with their steady and
soft Jets, are not sufficient to awaken the
obsCurity that sleeps under the sombre
vaults OF the old cathedral.
The ceremonies of the coronation take
place in this church with a pomp and
splendOr that are peculiarly Oriental.
Before the Gar arrives the nigh priests
with the cross, assisted by two deacOns
carrying holy water in a basin of gold,
sprinkle the passage that the Emperor
is about to take. Then, arranging them
selves upon the steps that surround the
imperial platform surmOunted by cano-
pY of crimson velvet with tassels and
fringes of gold, come the grand dukes
and grand duchesses, all the members of
the imperial family, and the diplomatic
corps, the high dignitaries Of the empire.
Senators in red uniforms, Ministers be-
dizened with badges and cordOns, Mar
shals in brilliant uniforms, ladies of the
court, and young ladies Of honor in the
national costume, including the bak0cA
max "a golden diadem embroidered in
gold or pearls) representatives of the
merchants of all the cities of the empire,
most of them in blue or black gowns
fringed in gold, Populations from Asiatlc
peoples allied to or subjects Of the EN-
peror, Chinese, MongOlians, Tartars,
Baskirs, Kalmuks, Khirgees. Boukharas,
CirCassians, Georgians, Mingrelians, Lap
landers, Esquimaux, Persians, Turco-
mans-s strange and wild mixture of
different races, half clad and armed,
some with bows or lances, others with
yatagans with silver handles, or swords
with wooden hits rudely carved.
This dazzling and picturesque process
sion advances, preceded by q platoon of
guards of honor, with cuirasses of red
cloth starred with silver, and by two
mounted heralds with gold embroidered
brocsdes, red velvet caps and maces.
The imperial arms, borne by high func-
tionaries, are placed at the left of the
throne upon a table with a 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 chasubles and dalmatics spark
ling with gems. The Metropolitan. led
by the Metropolitan of Kew, holding
censers, await the arrival of the Emperor
At last the Gar appears. He de-
sends the Red Staircase upon which a
Persian crspet, Powered with roses, is
placed He wears the uniform of
General of division, with red trousers,
and he walks under large canopy that
puts over his head a flock of golden
eagles ID a blue sky.
The Metropolitan of Moscow presents
him the cross TO kiss, while the Metro.
pOlitan of NovgorOd sprinkles him with
holy water The Princes of the Church
conduct the Gar to the throne. Then
the Metropolitan of Moscow approaches
his Imperial Majesty and presents him
with the orthodox profession of faith,
which the Gar reads aloud, standing
with his hand upon the guard of his
sword. After reading he receives the
two Metropoiitans of Kew, who ascend
the steps of the throne and bring him
the coronation mantle. The Car takes
it from their hands and places it upon
his shoulders Then he bows before
the Metropolitan of Moscow, who places
his hands over him and recites a
prayer.
Finally, the Gar arises, majestic and
superb, dressed in his mantle of brocade
lined with ermine, and, taking the impe-
rial crown sparkling with diamonds, he
places it with his own hands upon his
head At this moment the Empress ad-
vances and kneels before her august
spouse, who, taking off his crown, holds
it an instant over the forehead of the
Czarina in token of her share in his ON
ulDObcHCCs
In the courtyard of the Kremlin the
cannons thunder. The three hundred
churches of Moscow ring their Joy bells,
and the vaults of the old cathedral are
filed with songs of gladness and of tri-
umph.
The mass begins The silver doors of
the iconostasus are opened. The Arch
bishops of Novgorod and of Kew ap-
prOach the Emperor and inform him that
all is ready for the anointment. The
Car descends from his throne. The
Empress accompanies him to the door of
the sanctuary, the threshold of which no
woman can cross. The Metropolitan of
Moscow then dips into the vase that con-
tsins the holy oil the golden branch that
he holds in his hand, and anoints the
temples, the eyelids, the nostrils, the
rs, the breast and the hands of the
Car while uttering the words, Behold
the seal of the Holy Ghost" And after
each holy JUNCTION the Metropolitan of
Novgorod wipes away the traces. The
ancient Cars for seven days used not to
wash the parts Of their bodies that had
thus been anointed.
Conducted to the altar, the Car par
takes OF the communion, while the EN-
press, still kneeing at the door of the
icOnostasus, receives also the commun
ion from the Metropolitan of Kew.
With the crown uDOu his head, the new