The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-23

tfldL no huOW Wh0EO thO pttoohOh' WV
oonaned; that Il was not underground,
and that they were humanely treated.
Fear the fortress 10 a little cottage built
by Peter the Great with his " hands
two centuries ago.. when he was laying
the foundations OF the empire. AZ We
entered we were astonished by q blaze OF
light and sounds OF church service.
We found n tiny room Transformed
into a chapel. the rough walls covered with
gold and silver and the .trappings OF the
church, an altar set up. tho ikon raised on
high, two Greek priests In glittering robes.
and as many people as ctuld crowd In the
small space THAT was left--a daily service.
1t seems. We watched II through the
window, as the air inside was sitting. and
after 1t was over all. high and low. pressed
arouni the priest INC kissed the gold croes
he held.
When one considers the Tremendous
power Of the Church in Russia It appears
strange that the priests occupy 40 inferior
a position in the community. Their sala-
ries are too small for them to live In com.
mon decency, the people have no respect
for them, it II considered an III omen to
meet them on the street. and the one who
does 30 nfton turns and spits three times
to Orange his luck.
They wear o coarse gray or black coat
which reaches to the ground and is tied
around the waist by a cord. while their
dirty, oily hair and beard are often 60 long
they ave to be braided. Those who OH
ciate In the large churches have a some
what better position. but even they are not
received socially.
In Petersburg-the Saint" Ia never
spoken In this part Of the world the domi-
nant impression 10 one OF immensely. The
great quays walled IN by huge blocks Of
granite, the long, wide streets, the vast
open squares, the colossal statues. the
enormous palaces, art galleries and public
buildings of all kinds are on a gigantic
scale unmatched in any city in the world.
One writer has well expressed 1t: standing
beside some Of the monstrous monuments
OF power which abound throughout the
city one feels the savagery Of Its inhuman
greatness"
1t is not beautiful, the architecture Is
without merit, the coloring Is distasteful.
the general scheme Is inharmonious and
yet the city has the fascination Of arbitrary
%autocratio power.
The Winter Palace. which looks out upon
the broad Neva. has 1850 rooms. 1t was
built around q our and later this was
filled with earth to the level Of the lofty
second story, and there Is an avenue
Of trees and q stiff little garden. This did
not suit the present Empressi who wanted Q
playground for her children. 90 q large
open space at the side Of the palace was
surrounded by a high stone wall and trans
formed into a lovely private garden. This
ia one Of the things for which the people
have never forgiven her.
Our letters OF introduction secured for
US a special guide, who spent nearly three
hours showing US what he said was one
sixtieth Of the Winter Palace. 1t wal
quite enough: we were not able to walk
the rest Of the day.
A curious thing about these Russian
palaces is that when an Emperor dies his
entire personal suite Of rooms Ia left just
as he used 1t and never occupied by any
one else. The greatest interest In this
one centres In the apartments OF Alexander
II. and especially in h large library where
he was brought after his assassination
and died a few hours later.
Nothing on his big desk has been changed.
even his handkerchief lies whore he left II.
and by 1t are sixty copecks. all the money
he had In his pocket that day. In one end
Of the room. divided by q semi-partition
after the Russian fashion. Is his narrow
bed, and in q corner q prie dieu whore he
offered his devotions.
Above 1t hang pictures Of his wife and
a beloved son, lying after death on q couch
surrounded by flowers. I'M above Ii a
small portrait Of a young daughter whose
death nearly broke his heart. BY the
~tA~ - th,a tin. altar liza tUn NJ har Httla
dresses, which he always kept where he
tender scene-and then we thought Of the
Princess Dolgorouki and wondered at the
strange composition Of mans nature.
We do not recall any palaces In Europe
which the public Is permitted to see that
contain such q wealth Of decorations.
furnishings and art treasures as those Of
Russia. After we had passed through
what seemed a mile Of reception rooms,
banquet halls and bathrooms, we came into
q sumptuous hall supported by marble
pillars. where In front Of the entrance to
q conservatory was q large circle iniaid
with mosaios. This. we were told. was
where the Empress stood % all the bril-
liant and distinguished company passed by.
and any one she signified q desire to speak
70 mlgnt Btep nblQ0 tno CuhfIn0u CiTCic.
And "a We looked and listened We had the
constant thought:
what a delicious situation for comic
opera!'
This magnificent palace. whose owner
has not dared to enter II for several years;
1880 rooms and the n obliged to live
on a Yacht 1t seemed almost as II the
great bronze statue Of Catherine ii. must
some day come to life, take into her own
strong hands the affairs OF Government and
teach an emperor how to reign.
second scene might be laid at Tsarskoe-
Selo, the country residence Of the Czar.
where he Is supposed to have been living
much Of the time since he left st. Petersburg
for his health. The splendid suites Of rooms,
with walls Of amber and mother Of pearl,
give no sign Of having been occupied for the
last century, except one that had been newly
and richly furnished for the recent marriage
of the Prince Of Sweden and enc Of the Grand
Duchesses. which took place here.
We were shown the spacious room where
the bride was robed for the wedding, all
IT,