The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-11

through the floor SO the servants could
tell no tales. There were great goings-
on in the little palace and Katherine
would be cut cold by good people now
adays, but she was a czarina and if
anybody had peeped then 1t would
have been goodbye to the world for
him or her.
One of the finest collections of pic
lures in the world is in the Hermitage
1t has more paintings by Rubens and
Rembrandt than any other gallery. I
don't think the Russians care much
for art but Peter the Great was amoi-
tious to make showing on all lines.
so he bought everything in sight and
the collection has been added to by
later czars. I do not think there were
a half dozen Russians in this great
gallery and in any other country It
would have been crowded. Russian
taste seems to run to jewelry and
ornaments and there is no where else
such ali aggregate of diamonds, ru-
bies, pearls and the lapsus lazuIi
maIachite, jasper and other oriental
precious stones as in the HERMITAGE
It just made one gasp to see the STUFF
and made me wonder why lightning
did not strike a government that
would pile up such treasures when the
people were going without food or
clothing.
of the snowy places of st. Petersburg
is the cemetery where the rich and
noble are laid to rest. The one we
visited was at the monastery of Alex
ander Nevsky. The Russians are very
religious and when wise old Peter the
himself with the church people who
considered Moscow the sacred city by
erecting this monastery and making
it religious center He had to have
patron saint for the place SO he dug
the remains of Mr.. Alexander New
sky. who had been great warrior
in the thirteenth century and accord
ing to traditions had defeated the
Swedes on the spot Peter had picked
for his town. Then the car had Alex
ander Nevzky canonized. made him
the patron saint of Russia, and built
and contains seven churches, an acad-
envy. seminary for priests, the bishops
house, and the cemetery. Now I am
getting to my story: One of the
churches is the burial place for most
of the great Russian families. IN
stead of being enclosed by dark and
gloomy walls, this cemetery church is
a bright and cheerful place. the tom BIS
covered with brilliant flowers, burn
ing lamps, sacred pictures and artistic
monuments. so that It looks like a
little fairy land or a collection of
Z
startling at first but on the whole is
pleasant and [ doubt not but that the
dead Russians are just as content as
if they were covered with emblems of
sorrow and mourning.
The impression all of these palaces
make on one is of overwhelming SPLEEN
dor. It is in accord with the Russian
barbaric idea of show. This afternoon
we saw an officer go by in a handsome
carriage drawn by three horses hitch
ed side by side. and on a gallop like a
fire chief going to a fire That didn't
mean anything in st. Petersburg. It
was only an outward exhibition of the
way the Russian mind works. With
all of the agitation in Russia just now
the only real energy the government
is displaying is in the building of a new
/ and extra handsome cathedral In that
I bygone days would have satisfied
the public and the government is try
/ ing the old scheme. These people do
not think along the same lines as do
the people of western Europe and
america and the bureaucracy may
know what it is about after all.
". 7. MORGAN.