Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-24

Hoscow AkD irs caUxcnEs.


lions OF MOSCOW who enters tnc rtty W
train, and drives 10 bis hotel through SUI
turts which arr uninlcresting and monot.
onous: the streets are dirty, tho drainage
bad, and the place full 81 vile odors s'ig'
,,rsfi,r II cholera 10 those who pay thei-
| ,isi, IN July. The atmosphere u "a great
contrast 10 the pure, cri.p air Of 81. Pefers-
bury; Tut In neither city Is the water n1
| for drinking. -
| ten I'd In the sircmlin. writes No-cow cor.
respondent OF the Hartford Comm Times.
b,f three or four hundred churches are
scattered throug bout the city. and their
dcmcs, when not gilded, are ornamentcd
and panied 10 brighs colors. Richness Of
toloring Is one OF the charms OF the Place
| In whch respect II rivals Venice.
One OF our drives was over the TURNPIKE
Dad by which the French army entered
Moscow. Turning aside TO Sparrow bill.
| their one elevation. we saw the glittering
ci,y from the place where the monarch
e, neral viewed his prize before his bitter
Is ,ppohit nent. How he looked for the
exrccted attack. and, seeing no sign CT
| that, waited for the surrender OF the city:
then The puzzled Emperor made bis non.
distracted entrance into the deserted
mace. He saw frum every oil.shop and In
| flammable place the fires break forth, which,
as the engines had been removed and the
prisoners liberated to fan the flames, RACED
Tor three days. leaving little Of the city be-
sides the Kremlin, which the French army
fortunately succeeded 10 preserving. Their
precious relics and the enormous weslth o.
their churches IN vestmenis and precious
stores. were all preserved. Dozens OF
wagons carried them away to be hidden
until the time OF peace.
The Krtmlin Qhe origin Of the name Is
uncertainty stands in the midst OF the city;
0 wall surrounds II with 70 wers and high
corner turrets; Its shape Is triangular, two
OF the sides being each a mile IN length:
within these walls stand the winter pai,ce,
the tower OF Ivan. the treasury, churches,
mopasteries, md other buildings pertain.
ing 10 Church and State. A staircase out
side the pslace Is shown as the one which
Napoleon mounted for bis short and disap-
pointing possession and down the same
steps. generations previous. an cHragedp eo.
pie threw the false Demetrlus, the usurper
and murderer OF the true Emperor, one OF
the tragedies In which their history abounds.
We passed through many large and ele.
giant State apartments in this beautiful pal.
acc, which were brilliant with gliding and
rich in marble, but when we reached tue
old Part. built by Catherine H., we found
the smaller rooms the most interesting;
the walls and ceilings are frescDed In grace
juI arabesque patterns and soft Oriental
tints. and the rooms, like all the apart.
mems Of that talented Empress. have I'm
attractive and hOmelike appearance. Here
we saw rare specimens OF old embroidery,
aud book illuminated and printed by
Sophia, the sister OF Peter the Great. Tai.
ent and industry seem TO have been the
characteristics OF all the family.
One can not be day in Moscow without
realizing that he is in holy city; he meets
groups OF pilgrims IN the streets, carry
ing thei. bundles over their shoulders
not the pilgrims clad in gay shawls and
with bright 'kerchief that we see IN Italy;
these are wayworn travellers, their clothes
the color Of the dust. In the churches
they fairly impede ones progress ; men and
women OF all ages bow down with their
fOreheads 10 the ground to every picture and
SHRINE. and each has TO be kissed while the
religious crosses himself many times be-
fore every sacred object. One stands back
at first. TO make way fol so much religious
zeal, but soon concludes that each must
have his turn, so closely do the pilgrims
follow one another; they seem utterly alb
sorbed, and 20 through the prescribed
forms apparently unconscious OF the pre-
sence Of others. In all the churches there
are tombs containing the bodies OF holy
men, and little spot on the forehead Is
left bare for the pilgrims to kiss the kiss
Is gwen TO each saint with the deepest rev.
erence, and also TO each OF the valuable, or
rather invaluable, relics, such as finger OF
81. Andrew, a drop OF the blood OF John
the Baptist, pieces from the Cross and one
OF the nails, also the sponge used by Christ
while He hung on the Cross.
The Church OF ST. Michael the Archan-
gel contains the tombs Of all the emperors
up TO the time OF Peter the Great; then
patriarcbs governed the Russian Church,
but for the last $50 years the title has been
changed for that OF metropolitan bishop.
In the body OF the church lies the tomb OF
the Patriarch Philip, whom the Emperor,
John the Terrible, sent into punishment be.
cause he reproached him for bis many sins:
the little dark spot left bare on the forehead
OF this patriarch has ever since been kissed
by all the emperors at the time OF their
coronation. In tide room containing
most OF the tombs lies John the Terrible,
and by his side son whom he murdered;
the most costly among all the magnificent
robes in The patriarchal treasury is the one
given by this Emperor 10 the Patriarch
Philip as an expiatory offering for the muir.
der Of his son. The robe ls literally cover
ed with pearls, diamonds, and precious
stones, making its weight to he sixty
four pounds. IL is amusing to remember
that the Emperor made an offer OF mar.
riage 10 Elizabeth OF England. She hand
ed over the offer TO one Of her court ladies,
who wisely concluded good home with
N,rn.
der the offered conditions. Ea,h patriarch
had his own robe, also a crown and baton,
and all were loaded with jewels. | did
not know there were so many gems out Of
the mountains or pearls out Of the sen
These robes are OF cloth OF gold, ornamented
with figures OF apostles and SAINTS traced
in pearls and precious stones. and some
times velvet trimmings form background
to show more perfectly the beauty OF the
Jewels. lremember baton covered s0lidly
with turQuises and rubes--a present from
the Shah Of Persia--and a large cross Of
immense diamonds, which had belonged to
John the Terrible. A scarf is shown which
is said TO have belonged to the Pope OF
Alexandria, who was present at the Nicene
Council.
In one room there is q magnificent dis
play OF silver dishes, once the property OF
The patriarchs, aud q beautiful vase OF mo-
tber.of-pearI, called the Allbaster." which
is SAID to contain portion OF the precious
ointment used by Mary Magdalene to anoint
tie feet OF Jesus. In the same room are
two enormous silver dishes more than four
feet IN height; in one OF these is made.
from many precious ingredients, the holy
anontng-oil which Is used throughout the
realm; TO this is added few drops from
the mother-of-pearl vase. ana the whole Is
boiled. Ii is then put into the other silver
dish, which has cover. with the figures
wrought In silver, OF Samuel amounting
David; and from this the priests through
out the country are yearly supplied: the
4" Alabaster" IL replenished with the newly
made chrsm, so each year the ointment OF
Merry Magdalene grows more homeopathic.
] despsir OF giving nm idea OF the beauty
OF the churches. The coronafions all take
place In the Church OF the AnnunciatiOn.
which was newly gided for the present
Emperor. Standing in the centre. one
sees on every side mass of gold and Jew
els. relieved by the deep. itch colorlng OF
paintings on the walls. the ceilings, and
the pillars. Figures in heroic size OF |
saints, apostles, and prophets are set of by
q glittering background OF gold leaf; there |
are ornamented tombs. thrones for the |
Car, the Empress, and the metropolitan, |
and gorgeous banners living. Here Is the |
picture Of the Holy Virgin Of Vladimir,
which WAS brought from CopStanfinonle