The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-04-13
ONE WEEK OF FESTIVITIES.
CLOSE OF A. SEASON OF uNwoNrED
GAYET1ES I'M RUSSIA.

Curious Features of Carnival Week In st.
Petcrsburg--Tie Unlimited Eating of
Buckvheat Cakes.
a correspondent writes that the bril-
liant festivities inaugurated in st.
Petersburg during the past winter
were fifty terminated by the carnival
week. The chief features of IA Russian
carnival consist in the unlimited eating
of buckwhcat cakes and the riding on
sleighs with three horses-the Russian
"trOika at a furious rate of speed.
Poor and rich, high and low, all con-
trive for a whole week to eat buck
wheat cakes at least twic, a day-for
breakfast and dinner; all other dishes
are well nigh discarded for the time,
the Russians feeding exclusively on
buckwheat cakes, which they eat with
butter, salt and fresh half liquid caviar,
taking as many as five, and ever to
twenty of such mt a time, according to
the &C ~'ommodating capacity of ones
stomach. Bets are made among
men of all social standing, and
an occasional sensation is pro
duced when a happy mortal gains the
distinction of eating an extraordinary
number of these hot cakes. For my
part, l have known instances when
men would eat On a bet as many as
forty buckwhea5 cakes of a saucer's
size at one meal, helping them down
with draughts of red wine or hot tea.
Such feats are not often achieved, how
ever, because most Of the betters be-
lieve in helping down the cakes with
champagne, and this combination is
apt to submit the system to quite an
exceptional strain. TO make for
the cakes the dinner is generally cut
down to Il cup of clear ''bouillOn;"
then comes the cakes, brought in a
number of times wrapped in napkins
to keep then hot; then game is served,
of which no one is any more able to
partake, and light French "patisserie,'
champagne and a desert wind up such
a dinner.
Parties are organized for "troika'
riding to some of the popular out of
town resorts, such as Strelna, Elagin
Ostrov, K~restovsky, etc. All persons
participating in such a winter picnic
assemble at the house of one of their
common friends the young people
arrange between themselves who is
to ride in each of the sleighs, which
are of Il peculiar shape-very wide and
low. with seats for at least six persons,
two or three men and a. many women
seating themselves in each. a couple
Of sledgeS are given up to the band of
musicians who accompany the party.
AS soon as the pace of their destina-
ton is reached champagne, cav are,
buckwheat cakes and fruit are
served, a liberal lunch is sent out
to the coachmen and the must
clans, and forthwith dancing be-
gins-sometimes in fancy costumes
lasting far into the small hours of
the morning. 1t is consid cred the
correct thing to spend the whole carni-
val week in eating, drinking. mad
driving and furious dancing, to the
utter neglec5 of al regular occupa-
tons and business.
The last carniva! was exceptionally
gay in st. Petersburg, the imperial
court giving the example of almost I'M
precedented display of amusements,
such as balls and sauter'e'. \ highly
successful picnic, organized by the
Prince Of Oldenburg, was followed by
another picnic in which all the haute
voice and the imperial family partici-
pated, 100 troikas driving as many
sledges to the Elagin Ostrov. Not.
whilst lnding all the rage for amuse.
ment everything went on smoothly
and in perfect order.