Arizona republican., 1893-08-01
RUSSIA AT THE FAIR.
The Muscovite Empire Makes a
Creditable Showing.
The Finest Display the Czar's Government
Has Ever Made-It Is Not as Va
ried as Some Others, But
Certainly Sui Generis.
Especial Worlds Fair Letter. ]


OF course it was expected that the
huge northern colossus, which in point
of size and population is even far
ahead of this mighty country, would
produce nothing small if it chose &c
compete and exhibit at all at this
Worlds Columbian exposition, held so
many thousands of miles away from
the Volga and the Lena. But nobody
had surmised that Russia would come
over here with an aggregate exhibit so
extensive and comprehensive, for it
has not been Russia's way heretofore
at other universal expositions to do so.
Her present showing in this respect is
by far the most satisfactory ever made,
and larger and finer even than at the
Paris exposition of 1889, although there
were potent political reasons at that
time to make her do her best.
The most interesting part of the
whole Russian section at Manufactures
building is undoubtedly that of the
Asiatic provinces, including the eau
casus, Bokhara, Khokand and the fer
tile districts of Siberia. For the eth
nologist this exhibit is particularly en-
crossing, since it offers perfect pic
ture of the choicest and most perfect
products, both natural and human, of
the hundred and odd tribes and races
scattered and intermingled all over
that vast territory, in itself about as
large as the whole United States. This
exhibit is a carefully selected epitome
of the huge Central Asiatic exhibition
held in Moscow two years ago. Weap-
ons of every imaginable kind, house
hold utensils and apparel, jewelry and
native art objects are all there in rich
array, and it will probably attract the
widest attention here, since it is so
novel and opens up to our inner eye n
vast area of which we have but read
up to this time.
From this topic to the Russian edu-
cational exhibit is quite leap. OF
course, everybody knows that the edu-
cational standard in Russia is very
low, i. e., the percentage of illiteracy
is much greater than in any other
European country. But there is also
there small minority of persons
whose educational requirements are
extremely high, and for this fact the
imperial schools, colleges, academies
and universities are mainly response
BILE. These rank quite high, only being
surpassed by the German, French and
English. They have, all told, an at
tendance of nearly half million pu-
pills, male and female, and in the list
of these imperial institutions are in
cluded art academies, schools for
needlework. professional schools for
girls, commercial schools, hospitals,
asylums for the insane, blind, deaf and
dumb. orphanages, technical schools
and manual training schools. Charts,
maps, books and other implements of
teaching are on view. Specimens of
beautiful needlework, embroidery, etc,
all of that peculiar Russian (semi-
orientaD style and taste, will gladden.
the eyes of female visitors to this de-
partment. 1t has been sent over and
first collected under special order from
the car, and the minister of public in
struction at st. Petersburg has given
the matter his personal attention.