Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1888-10-20
4 CITY WITHIN A CITY.
INTERESTING TREAsUREs AND
FEATURES OF MOSCOW
The Kremlin's Three Cathedrais-
Peculiar Pictures-A Russians
Fondness for Horses and Boots

Peculiar Pictures-A Russians
Fondlness for Horses and Boots.
Moscow, says writer in the Detroit
Free Press, is lively, bustling city Of
nearly 1000, 900 of people, and one
charm of it consists in the commingllng
of the new and the old. 1t is a city
within city, and this latter is sur
rounded by city greater still. For
there is the Kremlin, with its moat and
its wall, and its many towers and gates.
At some distance outside of this stands
another wall, pierced by gates here and
there, while further out still is the greater
part Of the business and residence portion
of the city. Like Rome. it is built
upon seven hills, but here the likeness
ends. To an American, of course, the
greatest interest centers in the kremlln,
and doubtless to the Russian. too, for
everything connected with it to him is
of the most sacred character. One Of
the main approaches is through the
''Redeemer's Gate so called because
Napoleon endeavored to destroy it in
vain, and the Russians believe that
it was the direct interposition of
Christ himself that drove him back
and saved the citadel. From that day
to this no enc, Gar or peasant, Asiatic
European or American, goes through
without uncovering his head.
Inside the kremlin are three cathe-
drals; the Cathedral of the Annuncia-
tion, where ali the Czars are baptized,
the Cathedral Of the Assumption, where
all are crowned, and the Cathedral OF
the Archangel Michael, where all the
Emperors were buried up to the time OF
Peter the Great. These are all, as are
most OF the churches in Moscow, built
in the Moorish style Of architecture and
most deliberately decorated. Recently,
in the Church of the Assumption, which
was being renovated. several very ancient
pictures were brought to Fight on the
walls, aud these have been carefully pre-
served. One of them represents several
scenes from the life of Jonah, and is
very unique in its way. On one side the
prophet is being thrown overheard from
an exceedingly rickety looking ship.
Then a creature with big eyes and big
mouth and tail lin all about Jonah's
size) is doing his best to "take him in. "
But the browning masterpiece of the
whole picture is where Jonah-now safe
on lands bidding the whale goodbye
in the most elaborate and polite Russian
manner.
Near by these churches is the Tower
o. Ivan the Great, very lofty aud con-
tanning some tfty-two bells, many of
them Of very large size. At the foot of
the tower is the ..Tsar Kolokoi," or the
'king Bell, !" 1.-THE great bell of Moscow, y
of which we have heard all our lives. 1t
is immense, there is no doubs of that. 1t
is twenty feet high and sixty feet in cir
conference, and is about two feet
through in the tn ckest part.
Besides these cathedrals and towers
and this bell. there are also the palace,
the treasury, where are many valuable
crowns and jewels and other articles OF
interest, the arsenal and other buildings,
all inside the Kremlin. end forming a
part of its wall. But the finest modern
church in all Russia, and. it is claimed,
in Europe, is the Church of St. Saw our,
or ''the New Church. as they call it.
1t was built TO commemorate the defeat
of the French in 1912. and has only
recently been completed Every archi-
tect, every builder, every workman and
every artist employed upon it was a
Russian. More than forty years con-
tinuous labor, and over 70. 00f. 900 of
roubes, they say. were spent upon it..
and the result is magnificent. 1t is well
worth a journey from St. Petersburg to
Moscow to see this one building alone
The frescoes are by Bussia's two most
celebrated painters, and will not suffer
by comparison with any, be they ancient
or modern.
Near by is the Cathedral of st. Basil.
which was built in 1854 by Ivan the
Terrible. 1t is a very unique. mosque
like looking structure, and the story
goes that Ivan was so anxious that no
other should ever be erected like it. that,
as soon as it was completed, he destroyed
the plans and put out the architects
cyes-a little pleasantry which, it seems,
he often indulged in with his friends,
and VIII ch is certainly in Keeping with
his character But he need have had 10
fears that any one would have copied
his old church, for it is hideous in the
extreme.
In Moscow, as well as everywhere in
Russia. the horses are very tine and very
fast. They have the build Of race horses,
with their slim legs and far reaching
necks. Even some of the droskies have
full blooded horses. and their drivers are
able to obtain fancy price for their use.
Horses and boots are tbs two things
that russians seem to pride themselves
upon. They may not have any stock
ings-and few of the lower classes wear
them atall-but boots they must aud
will have Boots with high morocco
tops. and worn with the pantaloons
tucked into the tops. SO that every inch
shows; and then. like the Mexican with
his spurs, they are dressed. They are a
very polite people, even down to the
children. ] saw one little fellow in Mos
COW. not over six or eight years old. tnke
Off his hat to another boy Of about the
same age aud then shake hands with
him