Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-31
why Moscow and the Kremlin.

LHttudetDHtu LeUgeF.
= A letter from "a man In a machine
shop asks two or three quite natural
questions about the coronation to take
place in Russia. He understands that
when mOnarchs are crowned the cere-
mOny takes place in the capital city of
the kingdom or empire; that st. Peters
burg, and not Moscow, is the capital city
of Russia; then, why is the Emperor not
to be crowned in st. Petersburg, n why
does he 90 to Moscow, where so much
danger is supposed to exist, rlsklng over
five hundred miles of dangerous railway
travel? These are the points and queries
"Machine Shop" is turning over in his
mind, and as there may be others doing
the anne thing we give some space to a
reply in this place.
Although st. Petersburg is now the
capital of Russia, it is only the more mod
ern one. Moscow was the ancient capt.
tai, remaining so until Peter the Great
founded the northern city bearing his
name, and to which he transferred the
seat of the Imperial government. 1t was
his purpose to put a stop to the growth of
Moscow and any rivalry with his own
new metropolis by Furnishing with heavy
penalties any one who erected a new
building in the ancient city. But strong
as hewas with his people he was power
less to carry this project into effect. Ma
tiOnal n religious tradition n talth
gave to Moscow a sort of sacred character
that Peter could not overcome. 1t was
the "Holy City, of the MuscOvites, espe-
cially that part of it inside the enclo-
sure that included the Kremlin. With
in the walls that e~ncircle that ancient
fortress, among many public buildings,
~cathedrals, churches, mOnasteries, the
Senate, House, Imperial Treasury. arse
nal and palaces, was the Cathedral of the
Assumption, in which the Car were
always, and still are, crowned; and an
other in which many of them were buried.
These, and other historic and religious
traditions, memories and surroundings,
were stronger than even Peter the Great.
He had to give way before them II
withdraw his prOhibitOry decree. Suisse
quently he and his successors and the
wealthy residents of MOscOw-the old no.
bility and new merchants, of which lat
ter there were many in the city-vled
with each other in building splendid
edifices. Though st. Petersburg has
grown to stately proportions,
Moscow has not died out, but is still a
great city, the centre of a vast inland
commerce and a rich trade with China.
1t is one of the most picturesque cities in
the world, situated on both banks of the
Moskva river, from which 1t derives its
name, rising up the sides of the hills that
flank the city like an amphltheatre, II
crowned with gardens. towers, dOmes,
belfries, turrets and minarets. 1t is wholly
Oriental in its architecture, and but for
the -ever-present cross would be taken for
a MOslem city. 1t is surprising that more
is not written and printed about it by the
scores of American tourists who overrun
Europe every year.
Getting back to the starting pOint-the
coronation ceremonies at MOscOw-it
remains only to be said that it is
part of the unwritten but all-con-
trolling law of Russian Imperialism,
that no Gar is fully and i%ndisputa-
bly, invested with the imperial authority
until crowned in the Cathedral of the
Assumption on the Kremlin hill. This is
why the Emperor goes there, taking all
risks threatened by the NihilIsts.