The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-17
SOCIETY IN rIOSCOW.
Lady Isabel Stewart on Russian Winter
Festivals
sledge and Triyka Catching Fish for Your Own D ~
Moscow Restaurant At the strastnni cou.....

residence Of the imperial family; but from
a picturesque and historical point of view
MOSCOW is the more striking Of the two.
with It's marvellous Kremlin, the most Gu
rious building in the world. containing un-
der one roof a magnificent palace. pic
lure galleries. musueums, cathe-
drals and chapels. The view, too.
of the whole capital is beau
uful. for it stands on an eminence, the
frozen river below stretching away as far
as the eye can see. Then there are the
quaint buildings of purest white mingled
with oriental colors, golden domes and in
Vulnerable minarets, the church of St. sa-
viors conspicuous among all in the cen
Ter of the city, built of the whitest stone,
shaped like a Greek cross, erected in
memory of the retreat of the grand army
and of the deliverance from Napoleon in
lao
When we arrived the cold was intense,
but wrapped up in our big Russian fur
echubes, with bashelik. or hood of cam
els hair, over out hats, so that only the
Zip of ones nose could be seen, we were
by no means Inconvenience. But when
tor the moment one opened these wraps
when sledging to have d look around and
to get more of the fresh air, one realized
fully the intensity of the cold, and gladly
pulled all close around again.
The governor general, Prince Dolgoro-
Ukofl. has been appraised of our coming,
and sent his nephew, Prince Wolkonsli,
90 meet us at the station, with one of his
chamberlains, as well as his principal
aide-de-camp, also his sledge to convey us
TO the Hotel Slavinski Bazaar. This we
found most comfortable and luxuriously
furnished with a good restaurant at
tached, reminding one of some of the
Paris hotels.
Very soon after our arrival the prince
himself called at the hotel and drew up q
programme of what we ought to see. We
first visited the Kremlin, accompanied by
Prince Ourouzoff, chief aido-de-camp, be-
ginning with the palace, the modern part
of which is very fine, one large saloon be-
ing painted all white, with the decora-
lions and designs in bas-relief; and haV-
ing on the walls in gilt letters a list of
the regiments that took part against Ma
poleon in 1872. Then we say the throne
room, a splendid apartment W tn magnil-
cent throne at the end, the frieZe and cell
ing decorated with Illustrations of the
Order Of st. George, the walls being hung
with its colors and ribbons. Next we
passed into magnificent rooms for the use
of the late czar and now widowed em-
press, and their private chapel, ending
with a bauqueting hau used on the oc-
casion of all coronations, including that
Of Alexander III. and his empress.
After that came the old part of the pal
ace. which dates from the fifteenth cen
fury, and then we proceeded TO the ancient
RonanOm palace which existed before the
kremlln. and was inhabited previous to
thelast dynasty. Here the audience cham
Der has one very low entrance, so that
YOU can only pass through on your knees.
An amusing anecdote is told in connection
with it, One of the emperors received all
of the ambassadors there. and this door
was purposely made so low to oblige them
TO enter his presence on their
knees as evidence that being
representatives of other soverigns,
they were in his estimation beneath
himself and that ne was above all other
.srnperors aud kings. The French ambas-
s3ador hearing OF this, and considering that
the King of France was equal to the Car
of all the Russias, if not of greater impor-
lance, was determined not TO be beaten;
SO, finding himself obliged TO go down on
his knees, he entered backwards, thus
friumphing over the naughty monarch by
turning his back on him.
we were JNen TAKEN 10 the private
chapel, and inspected the Vestments worn
by the patriarchs of Moscow, new at the
coronation of each ear, and used only
ain the death of that emperor. They
were of crimson velvet, richley embroid-
cred with gold. We saw those worn at
lie coronation of Alexander H., the
grandfather of the present sovereign.
The patriarchs are now called archbish-
Ops, the archbishop of Moscow being the
chief, but the ear himself is the head of
the Russian church, although not in
priests orders. He even crows himself
at the coronation, and then crowns the
czarina, and himself takes from the altar
the holy eucarist and afterwards makes
his solemn vows.
On the first Sunday of our visit to
MOSCOW Prince Dolgoroukoff the gov
ernor general, kindly invited us to be
present at high mass in the private chapel
or the palace. The music was all vocal,
the singers being out of sight, as they al
ways in the Greek church, an arrange
nent which adds greatly TO the effect. AS
we have lately read in the descriptions of
the. marriage of the present car. no in
strumental music is ever allowed In the
Orthodox church. The altar stands be-
hind golden gates, called the tconastas,
on which are painted in fresco sacred sub
teetss the priests and deacons remain be-
hind the doors out of sight. Suddenly
the gates burst open; the gloria rises from
brought out by deacons between two huge
lights, to be read by the high priest to the
people.
The car is the only layman allowed
10 go behind the golden gates into the
sanctuary. curious incident occurred
while we were there. A little baby III
arms received the Holy Communion The
nurse, attired in Russian national cos
tune, carried it up to the priest at the
altar rail, and he dipped the holy bread
N the chalec and fed the child with
spoon The Greek church holds that if you
give infants the sacraments of baptism
you have no right to withhold the other
sacrament from them. At the end of the
mass the high priest brings a crucifx,
with our Lords figure painted on it, and
all present 80 up to it and kneel before
II. 1t is a curious fact about the Russian
crucitixes, which one sees in such large
numbers, that they are only painted
never carved, as the worship of an image
IS forbidden; this, as we know from his
tory. having been the cause of the first
rupture between the eastern and western
churches.
Another very Interesting experienr.a