East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-02-27
HISTORY OF THE KREsnIN.

The city OF Moscow is irregularly
built On the northern bank of the
river rises the Kremlin. the acropolis
OF old Moscow, and for many CEN
turtles the center of the political aud
religious life of Russia. The Krem-
lin was the nucleus OF the modern
city and contained. in the early peri
ods of the history of Moscow, the
palace of the czar. the chief churches
and monasteries and the palace OF the
nobility. The Kremlin, which is
lar inclosure. 1850 feet in circumfer-
ence. fortified with battlemented
walls
1t contains the great palace, erect
ed in 1S3S-40. having the treasury.
forming a sort of wing. on the right.
while also connected with it is the
Terem. old palace of the czar. In It,
also. are the Miracle monastery; the
tower. from the windows OF which
Napoleon saw the city burn, and
many other historical structures. AS
the city developed the merchants and
numerous artisans began to settle
outside the walls. Thus grew up the
commercial quarter east OF the Krem-
lin.
The royal palace in the Kremlin
is always kept in readiness for its inn
perial tenant. and he spends a few
weeks there at intervals each year,
in order to crafty the loyal subjects
in the holy city-"Our Mother Mos
COW" In some respects it is the fin
est residence of all the sovereigns of
Europe-not so immense as the win
ter palace at st. Petersburg. but
richer and more majestic, and some
Of the rooms. notably the halls of the
Order of st. George. the order Of
ST Alexander Nevski and the order
of 81. Andrew and st. Catherine, are
without doubt. the finest in the
world. The first named is 200 feet
long and 6S feet wide and the cell
ing is 5S feet from the floor. These
rooms are seldom used except at
funeral or coronation. There are
numerous other state apartments fin
ished and furnished with barbaric
splendor 500 and 500 years ago.
much gold and silver and many pre-
cious stones having been used. Gold
was once so plentiful in Russia that
1t was spread over the walls of pal
aces: jewels We're so numerous that
they We're imbedded as ornaments in
doors, mantels. chandeliers. stoves
and furniture. while silver was used
as we use wood for tables, picture
frames, balustrades, chandeliers. cab
inets and thrones.
The throne Of Ivan the Terrible.
for example. is made of solid silver,
Ornamented with gold and studded
thickly with gems. His robe of state.
which is still on exhibition was de-
scribed by writer of the fifteenth
century as seeming to be one sheet
of diamond. while his neck collar.
the bands Of his sleeves and the
train that he drew behind him were
within Of sable and without OF uni
form pearls like large drops OF water
of the purest whiteness. each being
of the value Of a male slave" This
mantle can be seen any day between
the hours of 10 and in the treas
ury. and the ancient writer did not
exaggerate It's richness.
According To popular opinion there
is In the Kremlin enough useless
treasure TO pay the public debt Of
Russia: and in the churches and the
palaces enough gold and jewels TO
build a school house in every village
and give an education to every child
in the empire. The car has 81 city
and country palaces-all of them
sumptuously furnished and filled
with costly plate and ornaments-but
the palace of the Kremlin surpasses
them all for richness. value and
uniqueness Of its treasures. The pal
ace OF the holy synod. which is the
official residence OF the metropoli-
tan Of the orthodox Greek church.
contains sacred treasures OF similar
value. The collection of pontificaI
robes dates back to the tenth and
eleventh centuries. and they are or
namented with rare and valuable
Jewels. The diamond in the mitre OF
metropolitan who lived in the fif-
teenth century is valued at S25O.OOO.
and in another is what is claimed to
be the finest sapphire in the world.
valued at 100000.
The injunction. Swear not at all. ''
did NOT refer fo aUaa ring off