Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-03-29
SOVIET TO STRIP |KONS
TO FEED THE STARVING
Richly Bejeweled Statues OF
Gold Have an lncomput-
able Value.

Moscow. March 29.-An Aladdin's
cave Of Jewels has been opened by the
decision OF the Soviet authorities 10
conflscate some OF the treasures OF the
Russian churches and sell them TO
feed tho famine sufferers.
CThe Soviet decree issued February
&c directs tho seizure Of all precious
metals and stones which would not
Interfere with the interests ~ the
various cults" II has been announced
that tho All Russian Central Commit
tee Will determine what articles are
absolutely necessary Tr religioes
purposes and exempt from reouisi-
tom
Most famous OF the church treas
ures, described by the Moscow news
paper Izvestia. IS the hejewelled ikon.
our Lady OF Kazan." at the Kazan
Cathedral IN Petrograd. II is a rep
resentation OF the Virgin done IN
beaten gold, weighing 10 pounds and
decorated with 1853 larger and 1892
lesser diamonds. 6Ss rubies. seven
sapphires. 1900 pearls and l5b other
jewels, and hung about the neck of
the Virgin Is a diamond. necklace OF
huge, first water stones.
At Peter Pauls cathedral. also In
Petrograd. there is another famous
ikon, known as the Jerusalem Holy
Lady" in solid gold II IS about two
feet square. and contains IS carats
Of large diamonds. 13 carats of mid
sized diamonds and "a and one
quarter carats q smaller stones. Al
together. IN this church. says the
Izvestia, there are - almost equally
valuable fkons.
To ST. IsaaC's Cathedral. Petrogrhd
were presented on the day q was
opened. a total Of 2I5 articles contain
ing 81 pounds OF gold and Ass pounds
OF silver and later q shrine was built
: OF solid silver weighing 46s pounds
81. lsaac's slso has one ikon. p
, Inches wide by Is inches high. don,
/ In gold overlay and bearing a wreath
: in large diamonds. There are a dozer
, other ikons OF tremendous value a
I 1T. lsaac's alone.
While these big Petrogrsd cathed
rails. which were long favored by
, royalty. probably contain the MOS
! valuable treasures OF the Grcel
Orthodox Church in Russia. nearll
every one OF the estimated 81 900 othe
ca the3rals, monasteries. converts Nn'
churches contains objects in gold ant
silver and jewelled ikons are not a
all rare. even IN the smaller edifces
: Royal gifts, donations by piou
Pensioners and church taxes 70
| centuries went largely into ornament
Ing tho churches. Kazan cathedra
was the holy 81 HOLES 10 the Cossacks
The Cossacks 81 the Don CnCe sent 4
&. II $40 pounds OF silver, asking tina
IL De made into ikons Of four Of tn
Apostles
Beyond their value IN precious meta
and jewels. some Of the objects Nigh
De extremely sought after by collec
tors The Byzantine magnifcence 0
the ieweled ikons. however. might i'm
press the Western world as NOR
ornate than artistic
with a few scattered exception,
| wherein some looting OF churches ma
have occurred during the early day
Of the revolution, church trea sure
nave been left practically intact.
Patriarch Tikhon, the head Of IN
Russian church. If understood to con
tend that. since the church and IN
state have been separated, the tit
70 the treasures rests in the hand
Of the Pensioners Of each church an
that, therefore. II IS for each paris
= 20 decide what treasures it wishes
surrender for the famine sufferers
He advises charity in this respec
but IL is believed in Moscow that II
church. ~ a whole. viii strenuous
D. oppose general confiscatiOn, viii
willing to surrender those objec
which il does not consider particular
= holy or Of essential use in sacrament
iDISeTNaucqS