New Britain herald., 1927-08-09
By WALTER C. WHIIT'EN

Leningrad, Aug. 3 p-lhlS cltE' beloved capital of Peter the Great and his Window looking towards Europe" better known as Petro- grad or St. Petersburg, seen after ten years by one who knew it at the peak of its glory and who wit messed the beginning of its decline, resembles a tarnished brass button.
 Outwardly 1t is the same: The contour and design are there, but there is no glitter. There is much activity in the streets and even signs of moderate prosperity, but ,he prilliancy imparted by the gaudier Czarist uniforms. the smartness of the women, the lux urious carriages and motorcars of other days IS gone.
 There Is none Of the glamorous restaurant life which was a feature of pre-revolution days and which caused the streets at a. m. to be as lively as at the same hour of the afternoon. There are almost no restaurants and such as there are are sordid affairs. There are no cafes chantant nor outlying re- sorts such as used 10 cater to the tastes of the well-to-do pleasure seeker and whose patrons were en- tertaIned in lavish fashion with bands and orchestras and folk songs and gypsies.
 The opera is here and the ballet in practically pre-revolution stand- ard of merit, but the fashionable attendance has given place to as- .enblazes of apparently apprecia- five people of all sorts. conditions and axes and in all sorts of garb except the Bourgeois evening dress.
 .. Is Serious Today
 Leningrad today is serious, semi .omnolent and drab. The Nevsky Prospect, formerly fashions par ade ground, Is crowded of a late afternoon, but with modestly earbed women and girls and be- capped and booted men and boys, happy enough looking - happier than in Moscow where they are un der the shadow of the "administra- tion"-but with nothing snappy looking in the ensemble.
 The Nevsky Prospect extends straight away for mile from the Moscow station, strikingly effective because of its great breadth, It's high business blocks, it's window displays and occasional old churches and canals, to the Ad- miralty building with its graceful slender gilt spire. Its cedar block pavement shows signs of decay but IS still serviceable and a relief from everywhere else.
 Formerly there was scarcely 2 time in the year when some portion Of 1t was not undergoing replacements. and it was com mon gossip that foreign contrac- tors had repeatedly offered to re- pave the whole of the boulevard with durable and guaranteed pave ing for the cost of the repairs for q given period. The offers were as repeatedly refused because of the profit to be had by the bu- reaucrats of the day from the ire quent replacements. The broad cement sidewalks were receiving apparently long needed attention in places. Here and there a pale glass window neatly bored through by rifle bullets ten years ago and patched with metal washers and bolts still does duty and serves as a reminder of those troublous days.
 A stroll down the Nevsky re- veals to accust omed eyes further evidences of the changed times. Street traffic. besides the street cars, manned by hooded and woolen- jacketed women, and line of new and efficient looking motor buses, Is confined largely to shabby public carriages and motor cars,