Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-04
RUSSIAN SPORTS.
The Country Life of the Rich
Owners of Estates.
The Games and Diversions of the
Middle Classes.
Athletics Are Unknown in the Life Of the Rus
sian Student.

|
all ranks of st. Petersburg society ar,
interesting to note, since they throw {
certain light on the present state o.
Russian development. This city, like
most other large ones, is deserted il
the summer season by the upper class
es. Many of them travel abroad. Mr.
WHITE, the minister of finance, de-
plores the fact that about seventy
millions of rubles are annually spent
by the upper classes of Russian society
in foreign countries. While it seems
hard that Russia should have her
gold taken out of the country-when
she needs it herein such a wholesale
manner. probably the general result of
residence and travel abroad is good for
Russia. The more intelligent class of
| Russians thus get new and broader
ideas, which must help toward their
national development, whether they
are conscious of it or not.
A large part of the nobility are
obliged to spend the summer at their
estates in the country, but it is a
curious fact. and an evidence of the
widely different point of view between
Russian and Anglo Saxon, that this is
considered always one of the most
annoying of duties, and one which the
average landowning noble is almost
ashamed of ard shirks if he can.
Country life in Russia never seems to
convey the same meaning to the Rus
sian that it does to the Englishman.
for instance. 1t means a round of
mCEotopous and uncongenial duties
which he would be only too glad to
| escape.
There can be little of the pleasant
| intercommunication between one
estate and another which renders
English country life Sc charming and
which enables a community to have
mutual interests ard to join in sports
and pleasures. Many of the estates
| are SO large that the nearest neirhbor
is miles away. Even a moderate sized
estate in Russia is large compared
with moderate sized estate anywhere
else. To be q resident landowner dur
ing the summer also generally means
the overseeing of the property and the
direction of the pea5ant laborers.
This must be a tryinf. task in Russia,
especially to proprietor who is trying
to introduce improvements.
Not only is the social element lack
ing, but the Russians do not indulge in
sport as do tie Anglo-Saxons. One
kcannot help being impressed by the alb
solute dearth of games which entail
outdoor exercise or of athletics of any
kind Tennis has been introduced by
the English residents and is played
here by them as well as cricket, but
there are few Russian converts. Such
games as football are practically I'M
known here. Athletics form no part
of the training of the young student,
except in such schools as are provided
with some Indoor gymnasium ap-
paratus There is none of that health
full emulation in sport between the va
rious colleges which characterizes the
institutions of England, America and
other countries. While one may be
glad that the inherent need of exercise
in all young people has not yet taken
the form of student dueling which
seems to be so priced in Germany, the
students would lead a far more normal
existence if they had some physical
outlet for their energy. There would
probably be less political agitation
among them.
Almost the only Russian game which
Is played outdoors is called ''roohay."
1t consists in knocking number of
pegs out of square drawn on the
ground by means of wooden clubs
These are generally fashioned. at
home, and the game can never be
scientific because of their varying
weight and size. Still, it requires
good deal of skill to play it well. The
Russian soldiers are fond of this
game, and. the young people who live
in the country during the summer will
play it hour after hour and never tire
of it, showing the popular nee0break
athletics in Russia as in other coun
tries.
The suburban life of st. Petersburg
exists mainly in the summer. That
Is. .kc suburban places are mostly
made up OF summer residences. and
are practically deserted in the winter.
A man employed in one of the minis
tries lives in small place on the Fin
land Railway not far from ST. Peters,
burg. In summer this place has some
| thousands of residents; in winter, not
moro than twenty. He has moved
there permanently with his family. to
the horror Of his friends, who think
I THAT d SUBURBAN. LIE lHIOuSH Lie iui6
winter must be the acme of misery.
AS matter of fact, the little houses
which are built in all the small out
lying villages and towns OF the capi-
tai are merely "dachas"; that is,
houses built only for the summer.
which would hardly be warm enough
for winter. When one contrasts these
rude little summer dwellings with the
thousands of magnificent country
places which have sprung up around
the American cities, or even with the
average suburban cottage of America,
it is possible to realize how much
difference there is yet between Russia
and the more advanced Of Western ma
lions.
i 1t also illustrates the fact that the
average Russian of the middle and
upper classes, has much less money for
his living expenses than the average
man Of the corresponding classes In
most other countries. The real Rus
sian can stand a greater amount OF
discomfort with equanimity than the
people of almost any other European
/ country. This does not imply that
/ there is anything ascetic about the
} lives Of the intelligent Russians. They
love cakes and ale'' as much as any
hndv eIco ond f1,ev know whether