The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-01-20

children OF the ru,al aid noble fam
lilies used; te be. ,lo1ght to this con
vent to be blessed before going tc
school.
Here was held in 1895 the council OF
the highest dignitaries of the Greek
church, which condemned the patri
arch Nixon to DO penance for the rest
OF his days in the convent of Thera.
pontor.
There are the three great religious
and political monuments of the Krem.
lln.. Everyone of them is associated
with some bloody deeGs in the turbu.
lent history of Russia before revolu
tionists were thought of, and the prize
was the throne for which all the dy.
nasties' struggled, while the common
people fought for them.
In the palace Of the Kremlin are
preserved the thrones and chairs OF
many of the czars. Some of them,
like that of Gear Boris, are wonderful
specimens of Tartar and Russian art.
Beautifully carved with religious
and historical groups in relief is the
throne OF Ivan ILL.,, who reigned from
1852 to 1905. It is carved in wood,
with inlays Of gold and silver.
1t was this Ivan who, after his mar.
riage to Sophia, a sister of the last
OF the Byzantine erperors, adopted
the Byzantine eagle us the emblem OF
his country. It appears in the panel
on the back of the throne. It was the
first to ornament tie throne of
cZar.
Simpler in design, although heavily
adorned with topaz aid other stones,
is the throne Of his legitimate success.
sor, Michael FeodoI ovjtch, the first of
the Romanoffs. The style of the throne
shows the purely Russian influence in
art which had come to show itself
with the gradual ratification of the
Russian people.
His armchair in which he was &C.
customed to receive his courtiers in
his own apartment in the palace of
the kremlin is plainly the work Of
European artists. This is shown by
the woodwork and the French velours
Already artifcers from France, Eng
land and Italy had Ieen attracted to
Russia by the great wealth Of the
court. They were allowed to exercise
their skill on articles of furniture.
but at that period they could design
the thrones only when they were will
ing to follow national taste and fash.
ion.
Later, as the throne Of the Empress
sElfzabeth how 81 they directly copied
French models. The carved and gild
ed wood, the embroidery and the satin
bespeak the seat Of Russian mon.
arch only in the heraldic designs.
There is nothing in :he shape, or ma
terial to proclaim that these thrones
were meant for Russia.
The thrones Of Boris Godunoff, who
reigned from 1898 to 1905, shows the
taste Of Russia before the Romanoffs
1t is highly characteristic Of the pc.
riod in which the art of the Tartars
and the nations to the east of Russia
had kept free from European influ-
ence. It's symmetrical but rugged
lines and the crude method Of apply.
ing the excessive o:namentation OF
jewels and metals date from a time
in which European models were never
followed.
The throne of Czars Peter and Paul
is characteristically Russian in the
elaboration and excessive silver orna
mentatiOn. The throne of Alexis Mi.
chaelovitch is simpler in design, but
much more valuable. It is heavily or.
namented with diamonds, and these
gems show Russian delight in rich
ness for it's own sake combined with
respect for the outlines that Europe
considered more artistic. Boris's
throne was not even affected as to it's
outlines by the taste Of Europe.-Nev
York Sun.