The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-07-09
Russian Letter
A. p. Correspondence

MOSCOW, July 4.-oCable letter.
Hammers and chisels, welded IN q
matter Of tact manner by employees of
the government committees for requi-
sition of church treasures. have
stripped In few moments the silver
or gold overlays from ikons that took
years to construct Today these
sheets of valuable metal are being
weighed on scales and melted down to
be sold to help feed Russia's famine
sufferers.
Many Disturbances.
Here and there throughout Russia
there have been disturbances in con-
nection with the acquisitions. but the
outstanding feature Of the campaign
10 transform these valuables into
bread has been the calm manner in
which parishoners have watched the
acquisitions.
Nuns Watch Work.
The Associated Press correspondent
spent q morning with the Moscow
reQuisition committee watching the
work at an ancient church and big
convent in Moscow. At the latter a
few nuns, solemn faced but unresist-
Ing. watched the methodical work Of
the requisitioners and even assisted
them by pointing out the treasures
containing genuine diamonds.
Where Ivan Knelt.
Fifteen minutes work stripped from
an ikon all of the silver and gold, be-
fore which Ivan the Terrible once
knelt, and left It q cracked oil paint
Ing. A few ships Of the shears and
COLLAR Of tiny seed pearls, weighing
perhaps SIX pounds and which must
have taken months OF patient needle
work to construct was cut from an
other ikon and tossed into box with
silver cups, diamond-studded crosses
and communion cups Of gold. Scores
Of hanging lamps OF silver and hand
wrought enamel which had been care
fully tended and filled with oil and |
lighted for centuries, came down just !
as quickly and were thrown in heaps
on a wooden bench to be listed and |
weighed on the scales.
overiays of lkons.
Most of the wealth OF the church |
has been placed In the overlays of /
ikons. The Greek Catholic church abb
hors statues. but permits pictures Of |
saints. Originally mere oil paintings. |
these ikons have been framed In gold 1
or silver and then overlays Of precious
metal fitted over the canvas. Some
times only the faces Of the paintings |
can be seen under the gold and silver.
II the painting is that OF the Virgin,
for example, pearl necklaces are hung
about the overlay that covers the /
neck In some cases garments heavy 1
with Jewels are added. When all
these decorations are torn away there
remains only an old oil painting.
Honored Sanetuaries.
The work of the requisitioners was
extremely careful and methodicai. Il
Though probably communist them
selves and therefore scorning the GUS
toms of the orthodox. they DOTTED
their hats upon entering the church.
They did not enter the Sanctuary or
other holy rooms but permitted the
priest or some other person designated
by the faithful to and out to them
the valuable articles from these places.
Museum Articles.
Experts from the government nu- +
seums accompanied the requisitioners
and If they discovered objects of great
historical value these were pronounced
museum articles" and not sold but
removed to the museums or permitted
TO remain in the churches.
At the Nikitsh convent one ikon
which the nuns particularly valued
was not taken, as the Pensioners
agreed to pay over to the famine fund
It's value in silver coin.