St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-25
WINTER SPORTS IN RUSSIA.
Odd and Novel Pastimes in the
Land of the White Car.
fine SKATING ON The RIVER AEVA.
Evening at the YusOupOf Gardens
airing Russian COasters-A Camp of
Samoyedes-TheT Time Of Butter
TrOyka Farty-A Russian
Uncle TOm-A Bear Hunt
ST. PETERSBURG, March 10, 1894.


there is rush, a whirr of grinding snow, and
the sidewalk is besieged by a score of sleigh
drawers with tarboX visages, enormous fur
caps and bulky garments.
''Yusoupoff Sad Skolko?'
1 address this remark to the gathering to
indicate my destination, and to invite bids
for transport. Instantly clamor arises, like
ME sounds OF Hester street market on Friday
hight. Each one wants the job and treble the
proper fare The distance to the Yusoupoff
Gardens is about three miles, for which the
customary fee is so kopecks Us cents) But
it always takes while to bargain before an
izvoschik, or for the matter of that any Rus
sian, will agree to fair transaction So in
the present instance, the cohort demands
fancy prices. 1 walk on as if disguised. The
twenty-five odd sleighs follow, and the further
walk the lower goes the price. Within the
distance of block they have reduced the
fare more than half. I select the jehu with
the best horse and trappings. The man turns
round to adjust the warm robe, and then
stuffing his felt boots and fur petticoats into
the little box in front of the sleigh, he gives
the reins twitch and smacRs his lips. That
is Russian for "get-up!" In another mo-
ment the keen air is singing ones face
with the rapid gait of the Insignificant
horse. Our road lies down the Horse
Guards Boulevard, past the palace of the
Grand Duke Nicholas fronting the barracks;
then around st. Isaac's Square, with the
monument of Peter the Great fronting the
frozen expanse of the Neva, and the glorious
cathedral of white marble and giided dome
in its centre. On every side there seemed to
be nothing else but palaces, churches, monu-
ments and lordly departments of state.
Hundreds and hundreds of little sleighs are
dashing past, while every now and then
grand noble or officer of state will sweep past
like whirlwind behind two fast trotters, or
a dandy of the guard will take pleasure in
overhauling every other sleigh. I give my
izyozchik an extra ten kopecks Is cents ma
ebay for teal. The tip appears to him enor-
nous. 'Spasiby, BARN. thanks, sir,) he
says, ard goes off to the nearest vodka
saloon.
The Yusoupoff Gardens are not very extern
sive. In the summer they serve as the recrea-
ton ground for the important people who are
obliged to remain in the city: in the winter
the fashionables go there to skate. The park
is in the centre of the busy portion Of the
city, on the Bolshaia Sadowa:a. There is
only small pond in the middle of its con-
verging alleys, but that does not restrict the
skating area. Every little path and level
spot is converted into ice as smooth as human
ingenuity can make it. This is done by means
of a thick coating of water and snow rolled
perfectly smooth and then left to freeze. The
result is quite revelation to those who have
not skated on such ice before. A large and
comfortable clubhouse belonging to the st.
Petersburg Yacht Club supplies warmth and
refreshments to the numerous students who
gather daily. But the day of days is
Tuesday, for that evening there is weekly
ice-carnival and ball. The wide expanse of
Ice fronting the clubhouse is brilliantly il
Illuminated with electric lights. A military
band plays enchanting airs. The beauty
and fashion of the city are present with
chaperones.
Those poor chaperonesl They sit outside
on the terrace, bundled up in furs, but freez-
ing for want of motion. The cold is not felt
by the young couples as they glide through
the mazes of the dance, and afterwards skate
slowly through the shaded paths where little
arbors appear invitingly in the dim corners
Here is circle formed on the ice. 1t is
young Dragomiroff of the Life Guards Red,
who is trying to Guido young Farquhar of
the British Embassy at figure skating. The
circle applauds whenever one of the rivals
cuts an unusually elaborate figure or higher
pirouette than the other. The Russian comes
off winner. He has had the advantage of
long years of practice which no amount of
natural aptitude can replace.
Just eight weeks ago was our Christmas
for in Russia they still observe the old STYLE
which is twelve days behind the rest of the
world. On that occasion the garden was the
scene of a wonderful festival. An enormous
fir-tree, sparkling with electric lamps and
ornaments was placed in the middle of the
ice-square. Colored lamps adorned the ave-
nues. Hundreds of fair skaters circled round
the tree and passed through alleyways COM
posed OF their partners. At the wind-up, a
grand cotillion and general distribution of
bon-bons and flowers to the ladies.
The air is filled with all sorts of sounds
The strains of the band beat rhythmically to
the swish of steel-shod feet; laughter and
scraps of conversation in all languages
Russian, French, English, German-make
themselves heard; but rising above all is the
chronic roar of the coasters on the ice-hills
close by.
Adjoining the skating-rink are two huge
scaffoldings, about 800 yards apart, overlaid
with ice. Down these constant stream of
tobogganers glide back and forth. The de-
scent from each tower is almost an inward
curve, making the light steel cutters dash
over the ice-tracks at lightning speed. 1
saw several venturous skaters go down these
bills. They literally shot through the air on
leaving the steep slope and landed on the ice
track some yards away safe and sound. Ac-
cidents are numerous. A little turn of the
heel at the critical moment and the skater is
dashed against the frozen track, or worse
still is flung against its sides, in either case
with the result of a broken limb or worse
tried this method of obtaining sensa-
ton. The swift journey through the keen
air is something like a trial trip on the
expected flyingmachine when a blizzard is
around-it eXhausts all the air in ones lungs
The after effects to the novice are, however
much worse, for it requires the impervious
breathing apparatus Of Russian, hardened
by alterations of steam baths and freezing
cold to ward off an attack of pneumonia.
These bold descents efrectuaily disnel the