New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-06
SOCIAL LIFE IN RUSSIA.
,,,cr.KEN FOREIGN vIEwS-THE RUSSIAN
GIRL OF THE PERIOD.
v,, coRRrsrosprNr OF me TRIBUNE

ISko" ~ St Petersburg September 20.
Among the many prcconceived ideas Oh iore'sn-
- concerning Russian HE ana customs 'i'io "i.
ers eOne s,rke the educated Russian as most
;roonUruous The first - the 'hougn' 'n"' 'uo
hicone ,imid about discussing the actions oil
sans ai9 .nmont. for fear of being thrown into
heil ar transported TO Siberia; the second
o"ns ',o1 that the Russian girl is brought up
,pder the same RESTRICTIVE cs'Ni' -
-, - .he well-to-do classes.
No,bing is more prepOsterous' Surangc DO oie
nov seem. in Russia it is not the huSsldn
,.; soared at any open criticism OF the UoNerh-
-, but the foreign visitor who, haVlDS he"iu
M borrihle stories about the despouc ways OIL
pussian ofcia s. stands aghast at the ireo anu
oxceedingly uncomplimentary commeh's oii CIV
srnmenta DEGREES and men OF loi'y poS''iou '.'''V
no bears openlv emitted ON all sldes' anu "is
nv the subjects of the terrible C~H'
Tho f.ct is Russians are most impulsive people,
and are positively unable cohuhuaHS ~ Ns'i",''
,.or feelincs even had they the WISH 10 40
rbiob they have not. Any new enactment
- a.. Government is openly discussed in private
homes and even in the streets, though, oil couiHe'
M comments are attempted nor would any DC
allowed. from the rostrum; and 1T must be added
,hat there is not single case on record III
.ricb any person would be prosecuted by the
,,nliep
from house servants. Servants and masters,
PEASANTS and landed proprietors are all and always
united against the police; nowhere, in fact do
the notice stand in such bad odor with the p0pula-
+or as in Russia. Many an educated Russian
wouh scorn the idea of shaking by the hand
an officer of police, even of the highest rank
What entails the severest official persecution
q the secret dissemination of sedluouS Ideas
through the underground press, the local papers,
or else the spreading of education and enlightened
IDEAS among the peasants, which is very Justly
held to lead them TO discomfort with their lot;
hut about the most grevious offence man can
he accused Of is the reading and keeping or
forbidden literature" such as the books OF
John Stuart Mill, Buckle, Herbert Spencer, COmte,
Karl Marx, or even Harper's Monthly or
onpies of The Century" confirming George
K,nnan's articles A person suspected OF having
y such terrible books about the house is
liable any night TO be aroused from his sleep
a descent of the police, and TO have the memb ers
of his family frightened almost to death
Such night descents are extremely popular
with the petty officers of the secret police service,
since they afford them an opportunity TO Dulld
m a reputation for being Jealous and trusty
WATCHDOG, of the Empre-an idea generally
backed up by wholesale rewards and promotions
ont of spite against personal enemies, those in
mower use the terrible weapon of house searching
even deportation by administrative process,
bout even sembance of a trial. Since there
its in Russia no free press to denounce such
Sos of course they remain unpublished, and
never even reach the ears of the Emperor or his
listers.
to the Imperial family, no comments whatever
on IFS members are allowed TO be made in The
rrss: even items referring to the most insignificant
actions or movements of royalty have to be SUD
nitted to the censorship of the Minister OF thu
Court. Count Vorontzof. Dashkof, before being
allowed to gladden. the eyes Of the Russian news
paper readers Yet in private life, In general con
yersation, the members of the Romanot family anl
their actions are quite freely commented upon
and often submitted to the most scorchlng rdlcule
and still no one is ever molested Tor IT, Apar'
from the Car himself, whose efficiency as th'
head of the Government is generally conceded
the members of the Imperial family are mostly
referred TO as highly decorative, but most eA-
pensive. nonentites. The Emperor is very lenlent
IL commented upon; yet this is by no means dut
TO any fear of his power. Alexander Ill Is well
known to be an honest, simple, courageous man
of frugal tastes by no means avaricious, and OF a
rather limited intellect-a man devoted to his vile
and children, and far from happy In the lolty
position to which he was elevated by the sudden
death successfully Of his elder brother and his
father About the worst traits OF Alexander III
character are reported TO be his headstronghesS
and his inability ever to forget treachery or mean
hess but that is entirely due to the frequent
sliyh+s he had to undergo at the hands of the
couruers when he was still dull, heavyset
.ar.h. and when as yet no one dreamed of his
,lo 4l,pon A. l.
are generally agreed that, were things ordained
differently, Alexander AeXandrovtch Romanoi
you'd have made frstclass landed proprietor
we'll deserving Of the love and respect of his de-
pendants and his neighbors, and that it is hardly
Inc, 70 find fault with him because Nature has
y, provided him with the lofty intellect necessary
70, ye successful management of vast country
ha ~ 100. 600 600 inhabitants speaking more than
elltg different languages and dialects.
Likewise the comments on the Empress are gen.
erallv most friendly. She is not so popular among
,er subjects as the Princess of Wales is with
he English, nor is She so good-looking. Inc
Russians besides resent the fact Of her having
, hit such feeble, plaln.loolung children into the
u moi family, hitherto renowned for the splen
Co.. physique of its members. But then she has
a particle of the i'll nature so strongly de
yeoped in her elder sister since the latters in
creasng deafness She has devoted friends in heI
"entourage," and the people esteem her for heI
devotion TO Russian customs. The Empress is not
considered very clever, and the public is given
to making fun of her love for dancng-whch is
certainly ridiculous in a woman of forty, though
she does not look much older than thirty Much
aaFper are the criticisms current on the Cars
,thers and cousins, who are all extremely well
and handsome. The Grand Duke Vladimir
COMMANDMENT Chief Of the Russian Army
is enerally spoken of as an ill.tempered bully
an in point of temper, has a perfect match
is clever German wife, an intriguing woman
lost handsome presence and exquisite taste il
5 Grand Duke Alexis is much liked for hi,
s. going ways and his strict adherence to hi.
les as Chief of the Navy, but being extremely
'r1some and still unmarried though