The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-01-29
RUSSIA'S HOLIEST CITY
KIBv AND THE FAMOUS PETscHER-
SKY MONASTERY.
A Remarkable Establishment En-
closing Sixteen Churches and
Vast Area Of CataCombs,

Ndsb AEtd VI NyiNdtODlbSt
Kiev, which was once designated by
the late Gar in an official ukase as the
Jerusalem of Russia, is the cradle of the
Muscovite orthodox faith According to
one of its most cherished traditions, the
holy Apostle Andrew preached the Cos
pei there in the first century of the Chris
tian era, hut it was not until 900 years
later that St. Vladimir. reigning Duke OF
Kiev, put an end to the human sacrifices,
overthrow the heather gods, and com
msnded all his people to allow themselves
to be baptized, putting to the sword
about 5000 Of his subjects who declined
to obey his orders in the matter. Al
though st. Vladimir would allow 10
hesitation on the part Of his people, yet
it had been a considerable time before he
had been able himself to make up his own
mind on the question.
If Kiev is the Mecca of Russian ortho-
doxy, the famous Petschersky Monastery
is its Kaaba. Founded, according to
tradition, in the ninth century by st.
Anthony, it is regarded as being without
exception the most sacred spot in all the
Empire. This remarkable establishment
is, indeed, almost a city in itself, since
within its precincts are enclosed no less
than sixteen churches and innumcrable
other buildings. Below the ground are
the catacombs, where the bodies of hun
dreds of Russian saints repose in open
cofiins. Every year thousands, nay, tens
of thousands, of pilgrims wend their
weary way from all parts of the Empire
toward this sanctuary to offer up prayers
beside the holy remains of the above
mentioned saints. In June and July es-
pecially the faithful flock to Kiev, and
at such times the great monastery re-
sembles nothing so much as a big bee
hive. At one end of the enclosure is a
building containing the most gigantic
samovar of the whole world, where the
pilgrims, who always carry their own tea
with them, are provided with hot water
and glasses.
The most interesting portion of the
agglomeration of buildings contained
within the walls of "Petschersky' are the
catacombs, the entrance to which is well
nigh impossible to obtain in consequences
of the crowd of picturesque beggars,
cripples, blind men, and vendors of more
or less spurious relics who incumber the
spot.
The catacombs extend over vast area,
and contain no less than three little un-
derground churches and Il great many
small chapels On all sides, lighted by
the dim and melancholy glimmer of oil
lamps, are inches and cells in which the
corpses of the saints and holy men reposc
in their open biers. The bodies are
swathed in bands of linen wound round
and round them, somewhat in the style
of the Egyptian mummy. The hands are
clasped on the breast, and the face is un'
covered. At every step one stumbles over
pilgrims PROSTATE on the ground be-
fore the coffins, or bending over them tc
reverently kiss the shriveled and black
ened faces and hands of the dead. Some
time ago a pilgrim who had sick
wife at home was caught in tho
act of biting off the finger of one of the
saints, meaning to carry away this strange
relic, which he considered would suffice
to restore the patient to health. Herr
and there are to be seen traces of little
windows which have been bricked up
Heaven alone can tell of the poignant
scenes that must have been enacted with
in, for it is there that repose the dis
torted remains of those whose excess OF
fanaticism drove them to cause them
selves to be bricked up alive in narrow
cells, hoping thereby to win pardon fol
their sins.
In other cells hewn in the gray rock
measuring six feet long by six feet higl
and only three feet in width, the
entrances of which have been built up
leaving only a little square opening
! about six inches square, are miserable
men whom remorse for some terribl,
crime and religious mania have induced
to consign themselves for the remainde
of their days to these living tombs
| Three times week bread and water art
passed TO the unfortunate creatures by
the small aperture through which the.
! breathe the heavy foul air of the vault.
At the further end of the catacomb
| are preserved the most treasured relics o
the monastery, in the shape Of the "thirt.
holy y-oil-howing heads, which are stated
! TO yield in a miraculous manner the sacreC
oil which is used at baptisms and with tn
viaticum. These so-called heads are il
reality the skulls of some of the patrol
saints of Russia, and the sale of the tlui'
in question in small bottles constitutes
! great source of revenue to the monastery
Not that the latter is dependent on an
such income, for it is known as tn
wealthiest religious institution of tn
whole world. Its riches are simply in
calculable, and the foreign guests VIII,
visit Petschersky obtain only a faint ide
of their extent from the eXtraordinar,
display of precious stones and preciou
metals which are lavished on the vest
ments of the clergy in their annual gran,
professions from the Cathedral of st
Sophia to the spot on the banks Of tn
Dnieper where st. Vladimir was baptized
and where the mighty river is every yea
blessed afresh. --Neio YOrb Times.