The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-03
Few Outside of His Own Do
minions Know of His In
terest in Subject.
~ Ia MAnauIsE DE FoNTENoY.

By Ia MARQUISE DE FONTENOY.
a MONG the hobbies of Nicholas H.,
~ there is one of which few out
side Of his own dominions are
aware, namely, archaeology: and he
takes the keenest possible interest In
the work of tho imperial Archaeological
Society, which only in the present
reign. and through his influence. has
become an active agent In studying,
preserving and restoring the innum-
cradle antiquities that abound in RUS
STA, but which are ignored abroad
Under his superintendent and at his
instigaticn and expense. exploration
and investigation of an archeologi zeal
character have been in progress for
some years past, at Vladimir, Suzdal.
Jaroslavl and Kosorcma all OF them
princes of the same Viking stock that
gave TO England her early Kings and
her Norman conqucrors: that same
stock, indeed, from which the Roman
offs are descended, who have now ruled
over Russia for Just 300 years. These
grand princes finally united to form
the nucleus of the kingdom of Mus
covy. out of which grew. by the con-
slant accretions OF centuries of con-
quest. the Empire of All the Russias
One of the grand princes of Jaro-
slavl married the sister of King Harold
of England, who was killed in the bat
tie of Hastings. Vladimir, now the
centre of the cotton-spinning indus
Try of Russia. figures extensively in
the Muscovite Bilini: those quasi his
torical, fragmentary episodes in verse,
on the scale If the Epics of Homer.
and OF the Sagas of Scandinavia.
Suzdal has been renowned for CEN
turtles in Russia for its great monas-
q ha Lot 70 -rAI tot
had narrow escape from incarcera-
ton for life there as the arch enemy
of the Orthodox Church. koscroma
has still it's finely preserved ancient
Kremlin and monastery, where the del
eSates of the Russian people just three
centuries ago sought out OF his en-
forced seclusion young Michael Ro-
manoff and offered him the throne OF
the kingdom of Muscovy.
The archeolC gical treasures of an
these places. which figure SO largely
in the ancient history of Russia. re-
NAMED forgotten and untouched until
the present Car turned the activities
of the Imperial Archaeological Society
in their direction with astounding re-
suits. For the richness of the dis
coveries are almost beyond belief. and
il is a pity that no attempt should
be made by the kindred archaeological
societies abroad TO puoilSh transactions
of the reports which are issued pert
odically by the Imperial Society at
ST. Petersburg.
Nicholas has made a point of visit
ing most OF these places himself In
deed, there has never been any ruler
OF Russia who has travelled so extern
sively in his dominions. and it must be
remembered that travelling in Russia
Is no joke from the moment when the
railroad is left behind, since good
roads there are scarce, and cannot be
improvised in a week, AS Czarevitch,
he crossed the entire empire, from the
Pacific coast of Siberia 10 the Baltic
shores in Europe, before the Siberian
Railway came into existence: jour
ncy that involved thousands of miles
on and behind horses. Indeed. the
mileage OF his travels on horseback,
by sleigh and by carriage. even since