The Delta independent., 1889-09-03
Ths xrsmliu and Ru,,ian AL

Tho spectacle of the Kremlin is uni.
quo in the world, and utterly unlike
anything that the traveller may have
seen anywhere. Its buildings are not
blackened by time. The aspect is
white, relieved with brilliant color
and FURNISHED gold. After the same
manner as tho Alhambra, the Kremlin
occupies the plateau of hill, which it
envelops within its rosy white walls,
with their battlements indented like
tho notch OF an arrow. These walls,
hanked by green-roofed watch-towers.
Of which no two are alike, and pierced
by five roseate brick gate towers, each
surmounted by spires OF various de-
sign. form an irregular triangle. within
which are enclosed four large open
squares or places, three cathedrals,
seven churches, a convent, monastery,
three imperial palaces, the Senate
House, the Synodal buildings. the tow
er Of Ivan the Great, with at its foot
the ''Tsar-Kolokol." or King OF Bells
which has never been rung, and the
Arsenal. with at one corner tho "Tsar-
Pushka," or King of Guns which has
never been fired-a monster weighing
forty tons, cast in 1885, Seen from the
quays Of the Moskwa River, the Krem-
lin suggests one of those fairy towns
which the imagination of the eastern
story-tellers loves to build: 1t is neither
Italian nor Byzantine, ner Indian in
style, but partaking of all these in
spirations and yet remaining novel.
unheard Of, and strange as a dream,
something individual and unique-a
prodigious architectural efflorescence
OF bulbous cupolas, pinnacles, spires,
and pyramids.
Here. indeed, is something new and
strange in aspect; here is character;
here is Russian architecture; here
truly are the productions OF an original
and national art. The moment we saw
the Kremlin we marvelled all the more
at the prodigious absurdity of the coun-
terfeits of Italian, French, and Ger
man architecture which we had seen
at st. Petersburg, and appreciated
more completely the aspirations OF the
Panslavists and Of the old Russians
whose influence is once more becoming
dominant in the empire. It is only
yoar since the Western critics scoffed
at The very idea Of such thing as an
original Russian art and even now
fanPt people ignore the origin, history,
nnd manners OF the Russian nation, and
still persist iu recognizing only the
Europeanized and cosmopolitan Rus
SLAMS, the descendants of the noblesse
who aped the foreigner in order to
curry favor at court, the amiable men
and fascinating women to whom their
native language is less familiar than
the idfoms OF France, Germany and
England. Such state Of affairs as
this cannot be natural or durable;
: nation Of imitators cannot be great
-unttnn. or this fact the true Russians
are convinced. I'VE are young" says
the STavopniies; .sonr national life
dates only from yesterday; our tradi-
fions are scarcely formed; for the
Western civilization transplanted by
Peter the Great and Catharine has
proved a sickly growth in soil that
vas not prepared to receive it. By
dtnt Of wiil-power and example Peter
pnd Catherine forced the mobiles. and
houis q their subjects to forget the
,pnst and AL til 1t reminded them Of Its
o-e111ed barbarism, In order to imi-
49, the industry, the arts, and the
pda II the West snd even 70 ~
N4~ ~