The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-10-29
THE HEART OF RUSSIA.

THE HEART OF RUSSIA.
The Gildsd Towers, Gorgeous Churches and
Splendid Palaces Of Moscow.
The other sights consist of churches
palaces and treasured things within
the Kren,lin. This is the time fort
walled stoutly about. This was in
early days the entire city. Here was
the palaceD, churches, the troops and
arsenal-the heart OF Russia. Here
lived the czars, the priests, the gener-
ais, the soldiers. Here within the
church WAS all treasure kept, an old
time oriental custom OF she pagan
age; here, too, were people judged and
executions held-lrere the heast and
central strength OF Russia. As the
city grew more walls were added, but
the old Kremlin walls were kept
intact, and now, as you enter
there through the holy gate, beneath
the emblems of the church, you must
remove your hat--so does the emper-
or-so all his subjects-all who visit
here.
The palace here is very grand-has
many rooms and lofty halls aglow
with polish, glass and gold. To take
you through these halls, and rooms,
and corridors would be to travel for
miles and miles and write for months
and months. They cover many acres
filled with furniture and curious
things; with beds and bedding-costly
inlaid floors, arabesques and gilded
work-with carvings, tiles, armoria,
shields, great stables, carriages and
luxurious outfits OF all sorts; winter
garden far above the street, luyuriant
in palm and vine, exuberant tropic
plants-aglow with tropic' heat
here in this frozen realm-u play
room for the queen, who comes
not often here-all this for the imperi-
al home, but very rarely occupied.
The treasury is very spacious-very
rich Ill richest gems, in crowns and
sceptres, hilts and jeweled clothesthat
here are gathered up to make a muse
um for folks to come and see. A czar
IS crowned-his crown and sceptre, all
his costliest things and gems find lodg-
ment here. Even the coronation
clothes OF Mr.. and Mrs. Car are worn
no more, hung up here to look at all
the ages. Here in this regal show are
many costly coach and sledge, built
for the coronation pageant-to be
used no moreno end of costilest lux
ury OF which you tire very soon and
wish for something good and plain.
Here in the Kremlin churches lie the
royal bones OF all the czars and
wives dcwn to Great Peters day
here stored away in great stone
collins cumber the floor, o'ercast with
purple velvets trimmed with golden
cuffs, fenced up with gilded posts and
rails, waiting in royal state amidst
the masses OF the church, among the
pictures of the saints-the daily cere-
Notwithstanding in state the judg-
ment day. Most people have ceased
to bury human beings in the public
shrines, but here they do just as they
did in the days OF yore. These mon
archs are the Greek church popes-
agents of heaven upon the earth to do
the will OF God. Their word is abso-
lute-have in their hands to make or
break at will; have in their hands the
fullest power, coming to them as q
divine right. You don't believe
in such thlngs--not of present
kings-it's not to your interest to.
We can believe that Saul and Solomon
and such oldtime barbaric Jewish
kings were really called OF God to rule
and have no end Of power and gold
and wives, but we have to draw the
line somewhere and draw it before we
come to Russian days.
The churches here are miracles of
jewelers. art. The domes without the
altars, shrines and tombs within,
abound in beaten gold-gold wrought
in countless shapes-gold counted by
the hundred pounds-up over tho
dome and under domes of this st.
Savior's Church, built here in way OF
thanksto God FOR victory in S12 over
the troops OF France, greets you from
miles away as you approach this Mos
COW town. First thing Of all you see
in the bright sunlight coming ACROSS
the plain is this sharp CLINT and gleam
"a costly diadem suspended in the
air-refulgent corona. What makes
itso? Yousee no gleam like this from
the gilded State House dome OF Iowa,
only dullish glare. But this is diff.
ferent. The State House dome is
gilded very thin and plain. These,
domes we see-you may stand upon
the lowest and coant them by the score
are of thick plates, and FURNISHED
TIL it CLEANS like finest polished jewel
ry, dazzling your eyes. This outdoor
golden wealth is here prodigious. To
gild San Savior's dome took half q
ton OF purest gold.
The whole church is cleaning glo-,
ry OF polished granite, marbles, costly
malachite and lapis lazuli, masses OF
finest porphyry. such as used In Ro-
man churches only sparingly, masses
OF Finnish granite, columns Of Siberian
verde antique, black marbles OF the
finest grain, light violet and gold line
grays, with altar work of pure Carara
white. These regal stones mount arch
on arch, the columns, walls, the arch
es, piers and floors aflash with polish
ing. The pious pictures OF the Al
mighty, Saviour, saints and sacred
scenes of heaven and earth are works
OF hands most skilled-you move
about mid golden, bronze and silver
things, midst gems and all in earth
most choice and rare-all stone and
metal, not piece of wood in all the
work. Not large, likegreat St. Peters
Church, In Rome-onlv a pendant. you
may say, yet costing twenty millions
the finest gem in all this land of cost
ly shrines; the finest in the world, they
say.--Davenport Democrat.