New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-24
THE MOSCOW PAGEANT.

The ancient capital of the Cars has its series
Of pageants this week as we'll as the American
metropolis With the bare coincidence i'll time
of the two town shows the association OF ideas
ends. The historic pile of the Kremlin, musty
with the traditions of centuries CT absoutlsin'
is at one pole of the civilization OF the modern
world while the massive towers supporting
the East River Bridge are at the other The
uncrowned RomanOff entering the White Stone
city with the barbaric splendOrs of the Coro-
nation march, to wear the imperial purple and
the diadems of all the Russias, nd to receive
the acclamatiOns Of army and pOpulace and the
CONGRATULATIONS of every Court in Christendom
and Central Asia is a medieval figure. The
pomp and mummery of the ceremonial belong
TO the age OF Ivan the Terrible, the first OF the
Cars to be anOnted with the sacred OIL ; and
Alexander ILL., seeking his crown after pro-
tracted period of inglOrous sccluslon, seems to
be moving IN an atmosphere of suspense and
electric suspicion bciittng barbarOus age.
What n contrast Moscow, with its gorgeous
pageantry and religious ceremonials It's battle
ments and dOmcs, its military host and army
of police spies, its symbols of autocracy and
secret dread of assassination and dynamite,
presents to the American metropolis on this its
GALA day. when with republican sim 2licity and
public confidence he who by virtue of elective
Office Is the first citizen of the land unites
with its municipal authorities in opening
crowning work Of modern prOgressl
Moscow has been described by one OF the
greatest French writers as the Rome of the
| North.r When Ivan invested the coronation
| ceremonies with religious sanctlty the Patriarch
| exercised supreme Authority in the National
| Church. There is now only one POpo in Russia
| the Car. The symbols are received from the
hands of the Metropolitan, but tho sovereign.
| crowned or uncrOwned, has no rival whether in
| Church or in State Pope is cOnsecrated
when an Emperor is crowned. The elaborate
| ceremonial, repeated reign after reign with
| scrupuous exactness in the most minute de-
| tails, is designed to impaIt a permanent relig-
| ious character to absolute monarchy. The un-
crowned Car enters the ancient city listening
| TO the bells of four hundred churches, and
straightway pays his dtyotious to the icon
| from Mount AthCs within the Gate of the
| Resurrecton AS the Imperial procession
passes on, the entire population stands with un
covered heads in the streets, until the churches,
shrines and holy relics have been visited. On
the day of the Coronation, which is supposed
to be preceded by period of Imperial fastiDg
and prayer, the entire body of the city clergy
participates in the solemnities in the Cathedral.
The banner of Russia, with its spear head re-
puted to be made out OF piece of the true
Cross, Is blessed. sprinkled with holy water,
and placed in the Emperor's hand. Arrayed
in liver and ermine and finally crowned, he
receives the holy oil on head and chest from q
silver bowl wherein is dipped what the popu-
lace is taught to believe a fragment of the
Crown of Thorns. Then clergy and people
PROSTATE themselves before him and the TIE
Deum is sung; and the crowned Car retires
with his Empress TO visit i'll solemn state all
the chapels in the Kremlin, and to give aims
before the gates. rom that day the people
are taught to reverence him as the Lords
Amounted" and loyalty to him is proclaimed to
be the most sacred Of religious obligations. 1t