The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-04-25
Behind he
VeH HmRusSia.

| ~--A-S--o -or-o~--9t
In nc. country in Europe are the condi
| tfons Of existence more strikingly nation
al than in Russia. The idea carried awal
| by the average visitor that Russian lifi
| Is much like that in other European
countries Is based on mlsconception,, {
failure to grasp salient features of thu
| RUSSIAN national character.
A visit to the country home of Rus
sian landowner reveals the immense con
trast presented by the life Of the Russian
| noble In town and his more nearly nor
| NAL existence on his country estate
| Nothing shows more clearly the versatil
| ity OF the SlaVOnic nature than this
ready adaptability to either mode OF
| life. The man seems transformed. Once
back IN the country the mask of the
cosmopolitan dweller in one Of the gayest
| capitals In the world, St. Petersburg, falls
away like wornout garment and he is
again Boyar like his forefathers.
A group Of peasants, large or small ac-
| cording to the size of his estate will be
| waiting TO greet him on his arrival
there. Their warm welcome to the
khazyaeen (master OF the house, is evil
IDENTIFY sincere. and as they bend rever-
| emily to kiss his hands, or possibly his
| feet In the case OF the older ones, just
as they would have done In the days Of
serfdom. you begin TO see that the real
relations between landowner and peasant
are much more friendly than is generally
supposed.
Wood is the material employed in the
construction of all buildings in the rural
districts. with the possihie exception Of
the churches In the climate of Russia,
where the average life of these wooden
buildings Will not exceed seventy years,
there are no castles like those of the old
feudal mobiles of England or of the Conti-
nent to connect past and present
1t is not possible to estimate the loss
to Russia caused by the absence of such
local centers OF cultivation and refine
ment as would be supplied by castles of
stone. Such castles would, no doubt.
have checked the drain Of national
wealth to the C1nital forafof,
tries. To collect works Of art or any
articles Of Intrinsic value and place them
In a dwelling which might at any time be-
come prey to fire, that great Russian
terror both in town and country. and
Which would. in any case, scarcely last
more than one lifetime. would surely be
the height Of folly Other even stronger
reasons to prevent the forming of such
collections Will be found in the difficulties
OF transportation and the fact that where
also,
The heart of the average Russian land
owner IS not and never has been, in his
country estate. Thus his personal innu-
ence in his own locality, which would
no doubt, have led TO the development of
a healthier national life than is possible
under present conditions, is almost en-
The timber-bnilt dwellings Of even the
richest landowners in Russia lack the
picturesque construction familiar to trav-
elers in Norway and Sweden. The walls
are generally formed OF square beams
from one foot to eighteen inches in thick,
ness, laid one on the other and neatly
joined at the corners. They are fastened
together by wooden bolts sometimes
tervals.
The interstices are made alright with
dried moss. saturated with pitch. then
dried in the sun and the whole Is COW
cred with a sheathing of thin blanks, on
the inside as well as the outside Of the
walls. When these walls are covered
with paint on the outside and plastered
within. they are as impenetrable to the
winter blasts as the hull OF 2 ship. and
lar warmer than the same thickness OF
stone or brick would be.
The old houses have thatched roofs like
those Of the PEASANTS izba tcottage), but
more modern dwellings are shingled The
rooms are almost always lofty and some
OF them, notably the drawing room and
the dining room. are of large dimensions
The plaster walls are tinted with
wash of some light shade for the draw
ing and bed rooms. and a darker one,
possibly brown, for the dining ROOM The
furniture Is simple very likely home
late years, one of the cheaper varieties
OF American and English manufacture.
The life of the Russian landowner is |
not all beer and skittles by any means.
Those who know him merely as a gay
social butterfly in st. Petersburg or Mos |
COW would be amazed could they behold |
the bareen Qord) on his country estate, |
laboring to make both ends meet
What does he do? Let us see. Let us |
try to get an inside glimpse Of Russian |
life during the winter months. notwith- |
the fact that IL would be the /
last thing a Russian would expect us to |
be interested in.
The average Russian of education and |
culture. especially those who have trav-
appreciate and feer Aist pride In the
strides made by their country during the
ast decade, still feel ashamed Of the
great Russia still behind the VEIL" to
the Enp1fcb anfafVatepf Of
Russian expression. To him the whole
subject OF country life is something
'ordid and vulgar. something 10 be
ole, and he would be unwilling to confess
o the foreign friends who know him
'nly In the gay round of life at ST. Pc
ersburg that he was even remotely in
crested in things, to him, so common
ls the planting Of crops or breeding Of
'attle.
There seems to be a popular idea
Imong Americans to the effect that the
majority OF the rural dwellers in Russia
,ass the winter months in state of hi
not unlike that Of the bear.
While II is true that Russians as a ma
Ion have little taste for the out-of-door
ports that give such charm to a Cana
ian winter, for instance, there are. none
he less, many and varied occupations,
like for noble and peasant.
1t Is true that should his means per-
nit. our Russian friend has gladly
haken the dust or to be more accurate,
he snow, OF his country home from his
cot and hied him to the capital. But
oppose he is one OF the numerous class
I odnodvortsy (small landed proprietors) |
nd is Obliged TO be his own overseer I
low viii he pass the long winter
ionths? I
Be assured not in idleness. The unsold /
iRs and cattle that cannot be kept dur
X the winter must be killed and salted (
,r future use. 1t is quite possible that |
n this estate the system OF profit shar-
IL may obtain.
Artels associations of working mem 7
peasants may have made contracts $
ith the khazyaeen to cultivate certain !
)rtons OF his land, receiving their rec !
npense IN produce. During the winter
y verv probable that the same artels
III engage in other work of purely in
istrial haracter-furniture making,
lrious sorts of metal work for the ]
ore skilled--in fact all branches Of ia i
)r are carried on in this way. In y
lcse Industries the khazyaeen Is very y
kelly to have an interest and their |
lpervision will be added to his labors
hese trade associations are known as !, !
lstar peasants
Hotels, as We understand the tern. are
actically unknown In Russia outside =
e. cities, the only substitute being the \
aktlr tinn). where the discomforts y
ould be such that the foreigner would 4
u care TO tarry there save In case ~ ii
re- necessity. Besides this the railway n
cilities though constantly improving y
e still inadequate TO the vast area al :,
e country. Thus in winter most ~ the n
affic in the rural districts is conducted 3,
sledge In the old-time manner. n