The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1910-08-05

from Moscow and Ia even more
insular than its big neighbor.
Neither foreigners. their archi-
lecture nor their customs have
filtered past the frontier to this an
cient retreat on the river Ramenka.
Between here and Moscow the rail-
road runs through an almost unbroken
line of pine woods in which stand
pretty summer villas OF the city folk.
These houses are built OF pine, the
natural color, and recall the type OF
buildings existing In Moscow before
1912. a few of which may still be seen
within inclosed courts.
When Kiev ceased to be the capital
and the village of Moscow continued
to grow in Importance. Troitsa. the
monastery of the Holy Trinity. began
to compare with the Lavra OF the old.
er town. This was in the fourteenth
century when Saint Sergius. humble
as he was pious. lived and worked at
Troitsa. AS years passed the monas-
terry accumulated fame and wealth.
and In the eighteenth century 1t owned
countless acres and over 10000 serfs.
Emperors and boyards have enriched
its affairs until today the Troitsa treas
ury of sacred vessels, ornaments and
yestments is considered the most ex-
tensive and valuable In Russia. Since
tho last revolution the treasury Is
not shown to visitors and a current
report has II that much of the most
valuable plate and gems have found
its way to Saint Petersburg to meet
the drain of the Japanese war.
Russian monasteries have the ap-
pearance of fortified towns. as In truth
they are. The Krim Tartar hordes
failed to capture Troitsa. aud In zoos.
when the monastery was attacked by
the Poles under Sigismond. the monks
kept the bessigers. 10000. at bay for
1G months. For just such emergencies
the monastery has reservoir capable
Of holding 1900 pals of water. The
grounds are inclosed with high. COW
| cred rampant. two miles In circumfer-
ence: great round towers guard each
| corner. and entrance Ia by four noble
| gafeways. l walked around the ram
| parts with young monk whose eyes
| sparkaed as he showed me the best
points for sighting the enemy. come
what direction II might. The walls
are pierced with loopholes for the
monastery guns.
| Though repairs are being made con-
tinually. yet there Is an air of CEN
turtles resting upon the thick. gray
walls. quaint. arched doorwayss and
dark. narrow passages. that sets one
dreaming. Peter the Great delighted
In heavy. fiorid decoration and his
taste is conspicuous In a huge. long
building. the monks refectory. The
same tables and benches are used to-
day as of old. generations o. occupants
succeeding one another. The monas-
terry includes three churches and dou-
BILE that number Of chapels. with a
tall bell tower in the center. In a
mortuary chapel lie buried former
metropolitan bishops Of Moscow.
Troitsa's famous shrine is the
church OF Saint Sergius. the convent
where the good abbot ruled wisely and
well. The decoration Is richer than
the most elaborate of any of the old
Moscow churches. The doors OF the
inokastus. the screen separating the
sanctuary from the nave. are of solid
gold with wonderful establishment of
sacred subjects. Flanking them either
side are sacred pictures studded with
jewels: the whole from floor to CELL
ing mass OF dazzling beauty. Walls
and ceiling are frescoed completely
with old Byzantine studies. broken
here and there with some rare old pic
ture with robe Of beaten gold or ham,
msred silver and crown and necklace
Of pearls and precious stones. Saint
; Sergius rests in q catafalque of en-
blaloned silver whose intrinsic value
would ransom half the convicts In ST.
IBERIA I liked best the quaint archi-
lecture OF the one-tiMe convent, but II
Is difficult to trace. SO much does the
wealth OF mural decoration obtrude on
the eye.
In the open square is a gray stone
obelisk commemcratins the repulse Of