The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-06-06
BROWNING THE GEAR.
The Pageant of the Century.


Moscow, the city of the Cars and
the second capital of the Russian
Empire, has been the scene of the
most imposing and gorgeous pageant
and ceremonial of modern times, the
coronation of Nicholas III. as Gar of
Russia and Autocrat of an empire that
now extends from the Baltic to the
Pacific, and from the Black Sea to the
frozen ocean. The preparations for
this great event have been going for
ward for a year or m ore on an imper-
ial scale. Hundreds of artists and
artisans have been at work for months
on the palaces, cathedrals and inn
perial edifces within the sacred en-
closure of the Kremlin in Moscow,
with practically no limit as to ex-
pense, and as result this ancient seat
and stronghold of the Gar with its
crown of cathedrals and palaces has
never before been seen so beautiful.
A sum variously estimated from
twenty to fifty millions of dollars has
been spent in these preparations in
Moscow, and all Russia seems to have
caught the spirit of the occasion and
resolved to eclipse everything in the
way of gorgeous ceremonial and
decoration Russia or Europe itself
has ever witnessed since the days of
the first Napoleon. The coronation
ceremonies may be said to have be-
gun with the departure of the Gar
and Czarina from St. Petersburg May
II, and their arrival at Moscow May
Is. The train that carried the i'm
perial pair over the 400 miles of rail
road between St. Petersburg and
Moscow was specially built for this
journey and is the finest, it is said,
that ever rode on rails. During the
entire time of the stately travel of the
Gar between his two capitals no
other train was permitted on the road
and the 400 miles of the line were
doubly guarded by soldiers. A spec
ial pavilion had been erected at Mos
COW in which to receive their Majesties
on their arrival at the station, and
perhaps hundred thousand people,
Notwithstanding the rain and mud,
waited for hours to catch a glimpse
of royalty. Some of the peasants, it
is said, made pilgrimage of over l.
600 miles on foot with only a wallet
and staff, to witness the ceremonies
and take part in the grand Russian
holiday of the coronation.
By the liberality of the Gar no one
in Moscow for the past week has
lacked for food or drink and the peo-
pie gave themselves up, with true Ash
attic instinct, to enjoying their part in
scenes of Oriental, almost barbaric,
splendor. Upon the arrival of the
Car and Czarina at Moscow, they
proceeded to the Petrovsky palace
Just outside of Moscow, the date
of their arrival being timed to fall on
the anniversary of His Majesty's
birthday. They remained at their
summer palace until Thursday, May
q, when they made their triumphal
entry into Moscow, passing down the
great Tverskaia street, the via tri
umphalis of Moscow, to the Kremlin,
all the myriad bells of Moscow peal
ing a welcome and cannon thunder
ing an imperial salute. The gorgeous
cavalcade and procession was resplen-
dent in color, all the various Euro.
pean and Asiatic provinces being
brilliantly represented, the striking
differences of costume, waving of
plumes and banners, and the glitter
of mail and steel presenting a spec
tacle whose impressiveness to the one
hundred millions of the Cars people
must be reckoned as perhaps the
chief justification for display on such
an imperial scale.
After the grand entry into his cap
ital the Car and Czarina attended
TIE Deum in the Uspensky Cathedral,
and then visited the cathedrals of the
Archangel and Blagovestchensk to
venerate the sacred relics and coins
and offer up prayers at the tombs of
their imperial ancestors, for in the
Cathedral of the Archangel Michael
are buried all the Cars of the Rurik
and Romanoff dynasties down to
Peter the Great. After the civil and
religious ceremonies of the entry, the
Car and Czarina retired to the Alex
andrinsky palace where they re
NAMED until Monday, May 25. On
Friday and Saturday following the
entry their Majesties received the
congratulations of the foreign ambas-
sailors. in the grand throne room of
the X remlin nalace