The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-16
THE CzAR,s PR1soN-pALAcE.
The Melancholy Home of RussIa's Ruler
Msgnifcert Yet Simple Throne-Room.

isolated place. ;ies embedded in pine forest
the Palace Of CATCHING, the abode of the Gar
of all the Russias. Ny thoughts take singu
| lar turn as attempt description of my visit
and reception sc the famous old structure. Aft
er ride from ST Petersburg OF several hours
We reached the village or Gatchlna, where the
Emperor's carriage WAS in waiting, in which we
| were driven over rugged hills and through the
| great park into the spacious courtyard of the
palace. The imagination, when tAls is entered,
| is in state of conflicting emotions. What
| air OF profound and imperial mystery shroujs
| thought envelopes the expectant mind
/ the tramping of the horses feet
| breaks the deathike stiffness and awakes the
of isolation and activity that unites the
/ ideal with the real! know of nothing compar-
able to this place unless it be the great pyramid.
| What the pyramid is to Egypt, this abode is to
| the snowy plains of Russia It is SO far north
4 FOR royalty to dwell, utterly desolate and
| unapproachable, SO siDgularIy unlike all else OF
! to the regions of perpetual melancholy, where
| ambition may brood over nations won and lost.
/ and every action IL one of desolate unrest AS
/ we arose from Asumptuous table laden with every
| deicacy the palate could wish or culinary talent
| invent could not help thinking of some of
| Shakspeare's banquet scenes and wondering
where the ghosts and the daRgers were. TIE par
/ quoted floors, the frescoed ceilings, arabesque
| walls and oddly-shaped windows. by some IN
/ expainable reason, made my thoughts revert to
| the distant and sombre regions OF Siberia, whose
/ very name is suggestive of attic drearlness and
! eternal farewells. can iken it 60 nothing
much IS sirocco of ambition raging across
frozen sea, for this palace reflects the intimate
/ tastes and habits of those who built it. as well
| as those who have since sought more exclu-
sive life within its walls, away from the fashion
able restrictions and etiquette of society at St
4 Petersburg.
AS night came on a feeling of loneliness be-
/ came more and more marked, but it not
| until near midnight that etiquette permitted me
| TO retire. Up quaint passages, over steps Of
solid granite. through winding corridors, at last
we came to the apartments where I
pected 20 find repose during the night The
| grand marshall now opened the door and let in
| the Pickering light Of a wax taper. which re-
| 1ected on quaint old painting OF ancient
warrior hung high on the wall, which in turn
added mystic charm to the tout bic.
and prepared one for other scenes and portraits
in keeping with the peculiar character of the
palace. found little rest that night; scenes
from Macbeth" fitted before the minds eye.
colIoquy: sDidss thou not hear noiseis
and the answer, II heard the owl scream
and the crickets cry" for these and other dis
turbing noises could be heard outside in the pine
forest with the moaning north wind and the
rustling of branches. Old portraits look down
from somber walls with expressions of pompous
pride and cynical inquistiveness, as much as to
say, You, air. have come from the modern
world, wha. do you want hereP Faces that re-
minded me of Senta and the Flying Dutchman
peersd from brackets of black marble or brass,
while en- indednable sadness impressed on
every bust In the apartment Yttnone of these
faces invited compassion. spiritual coat of
mail enveloped each one that deied the sympa-
thies of :he visitor. however much felt dis
posed to approach their personal history with
The following day was devoted to viewing the
unique collections of artistic and historical OBJ
jecss in the art gallery, the oriental museum
and other salons devoted to imperial treasures.
On the way to the apartments of state my dis
tinguished escort. Prince Baratizasky, stopped,
and running his finger across ahogany pane.
said: You see there is no dust here; it makes
no difference whether the Emperor 10 absent or
at home. it is always the same" Every room.
of which there several hundred, is kept in
rigorous cleanliness. In the art gallery the in
dividuAlity Of the Gar Nicholas was the most
striking feature; superb hfe-size portrait
here, marble bust there. q bronze statue
yonder, gave good idea of the handsomest man
of bis day veritable Apollo of physical per-
fiction, with caous face expressive of autocrat-
ie pride and affected humility, the face of typical
Romanof, who could, il necessary, like Peter
the Great, drink bumpers of wine with one hand
AID deeapiate With the other It was the like
ness of type had never seen in life. and only
from the hands of antique sculptors had wit
messed it in the form of chiseled marble Pass
ing into the museum Prince Bariabinsky suddenly
made the sign of the cross knelt by a small iron
bed and muttered N short prayer in Russian.
This, sad he lis the bed used by my be-
A maze of parodoxical surprises seemed to
envelope me all sides An ancient quaint
ness mingled with modern forms, while olden
memories harmonized with recent Impressions.
All at once we entered the throne-room A
solemn silence reigned The throne-simple.
classical, suprsmely regal-stood on floor of
magnificent mosaic. A cathedral window be-
hind it Let in food OF mellow light. with RAYS
of gold streaming across the purple canopy,
forming a picture AZ once poetic and iltualve.
1t was the throne roam of Catherine the Great,
but the dais vacant the place void.
The illusion of light and shade, silence and iso
lation, made the heart heavy and filled the
mind with n feeling AKIN to moral frenzy. The
sound OF footsteps seemed discordant Talking
aloud was like rude noise in the charmed pre-
for pantomine and whispers. and, we APP
preached the throne. tho imagination.
now wrought mp to sense of Wv
gaze of Catherine or Nicholas who, with n sweep
of the hand, might consign to the terrible
bastians of Petropaulovsk ths fatal mines of
Kara The impression obtained here was not of
India, or of Turkey. or of Spain; nothing purely
ancient. medieval, or modern, but all of these
and triumphs of Russian potentates were in
deibly stamped on every stone and pillar. A
French decoration Is made to At style of art
imported from Thea Orient; German idea IL
woven into Grecian fancy; Eastern pomp min-
giles with Western luxury. while bstwixt these
two Russia comes in to afhx ali the scalding
flesh OF Slavonic progress qnivsrs under the
molten imprint of inexorable tyranny and in
satiable greed.
..Akl What sights this room has seenls was
the exclamation of my noble guide as we hur-
riedly left thu chamber to wander aud on.
through avenues OF rooms seemingly without
number.
1t picturesque panorama OF misery com
bined with palstial mAgnihcense. unrolline by
degrees with dungeon like realism which ali
the ara and beauty Of the place could not re-
lieve. Many of the rooms were iuse as the i'm
perial household had left them in years past
Every piece OF furniture was there neat aud
clean. but the occupants for the most part had
passed away never to return. The seal OF trae-
edy was linked TO The memory of everybody and
everything; here it is recital of the strangula-
ton of the half imbecile Emperor Paul; there it
Is a "Reminiscences OF Alexander l. who was
beaten by Bonaparts; srifiing relic reveals the
passions and sorrows of grand duchess; on the
wall is . souvenir OF the heArtbtoken Nicholas,
who died from grief and humiliation because of
failure in the Crimes, while Eundred tokens
call 10 mind the frighttul ending Of Alexan-
der Ill.