Evening star., 1898-05-28
MEMORY OF PETER THE GREAT.
How the Great Car ts Worshiped in
the Russian Empire.


From Black and White
Peter has become almost a cult in Russia.
Go to his cottage on the banks of the
Neva on Russian holiday, and you will
have to fall in queue and squeeze your way
into his little rooms. ostensibly to kiss a
holy picture. but this holy picture is mixed
up in the Russians mind with Peter the
Great. The Moutik looks around on the
little home Peter built for himself on the
Neva marshes as if he looked on the relics
of a saint. Peter was essentially a man
OF action an artisan of genius, as his handi-
work and the tools he used prove; yet
born commander restless. ruthless. When
near the site of his future ST. Petersburg
he saw tree SCARED with a mark high
peasants near:
What is that?"
The height to which the waters rose in
i6sO replied peasant.
ou Her. cried Peter. He cut the tree
ooWn. he was not to be deferred by the
TACT that floods had swept over his chosen
site. and his masterfulness is today felt
by the Russians until they have nearly
made god of him. 1t is impossible now
to see the exterior of Peters cottage on
the Neva's banks for stone house was
bulit by Catherine IL over 1t as q shell to
preserve this wooden cottage, and SO the
outward appearance Is gone, Inside this
stene building you see the wooden build
ing. but this has very foolishly lately been
painted to initiate bricks, but inside you
can see IN one room the type of place Peter
lived and worked in Here in this one lft-
tie room-there are but two in the cottage
are the oak furniture, old leather chairs,
nttle cooking service some of the sails
OF his boat. and the worn little wooden
6ench seat on which he sat at his door and
dreamed OF the future capital, or raved at
those who carried out his orders or failed
10 do So In this room he transacted busi-
ness with his ministers of state and re-
ceived foreign ambassadors
The very greatness Of the man forces it.
sell upon one by this act alone. He the
car with all the jeweled group of the
kremlfn to enshroud himself with, sitting
on his bench, or in his timber hut and
creating power that in less than two CEN
tur1es was to rule half the world The 9TH
er room of the cottage is also greatly trans
formed; 1t was Peters sleeping and dining
room: now 1t is a chapel, and a picture Of
our Savior which Peter took with him upon
all his travels. and which he bore with
him at the famous battle of Poltava, hangs
mere 1t Is In gilt frame with jeweled
crown that. as Is usual in Russian towns
quite overshadows the picture
Not long ago went out to this cottage
on a Russian saints day, and service was
being performed in the chapel. small
choir of men in ordinary dress were
squeezed in behind the little altar and a
priest In robes was chanting the service
Ihe people were packed fatty together in
the room and outside around the door, and
under the passage of the outer building that
protects the cottage. Some tried to get
others to pass in lighted candles to place
De1ore the picture. and others crushed and
squeezed until some moving on gave a
chance to get in. All devoutly blessed the
picture and crossed themselves continuous
ly. and when they got out went with rever-
entail air and looked at Peters room and
the boat he built. this latter placed between
his cottage and the outer building The
heat in the little chapel. with the lighted
candles and the packed little mass of not
too clean humanity. was excessive and the
Priests and choir. who went about their
work in Il quiet. buSnes:j-like fashion: but
the devotion of the crowd to memory, to a
something they themselves perchance could
not explain. was very apparent.
Ostensibly 1t was the holy picture but it
is the link between the picture and Peter
that gives so much value and makes it SO
Ievered.
Russia port and navy, and started her
on her world-inf1uencing career. The fierce,
remorseless, indomtable restlessness of the
II an and his crimes are forgotten: all the
bloodshed he caused in seizing upon the
sole rule and his ill-planred campaigns
even the one great terrible crime OF the
murder of his own son, Alexis, which rumor
and tradition lay to his charge-aIi is for
gotten in the memory of the man who, by
that same indomitable will and force of
character. started Russia on her aggrandiz-
ing career Everything that Is associated
with him, his clothes, his trappings, his
jewels. the tools with which he worked, his
writings. his books. everything Is treasured
up and looked upon with such reverence
by the Russians that even strangers begin
t.. feel they are in the presence of relics Of
man of men. The common folks may
well be excused for so crowding to the lit
tie house where he lived and worked al
mcst as they live and work, to passionate
ly venerate the holy picture that receives
their worship CT the founder Of st. Peters,
burg.