IN THE KREMLIN OF MOSCOW.
The guide led his party directly to the Tower of Ivan Veliki, though
the students saw the great bell and a dozen other objects which
challenged their attention at the same moment. The curious spires,
domes, and cupolas, so different from anything they had seen before,
were full of interest. They were covered with gold, and glittered
in the sunshine. These domes are not such as are seen in the United
States, but are purely Oriental. They are somewhat in the shape of
an inverted onion. But there are also cupolas of almost every other
shape--round, square, and octagonal, and even all three in the same
one. The doctor hurried the boys into the tower, wishing them to obtain
a general view before they attended to the details.
This tower is a very singular structure. It was built in 1600, by Boris
Godunoff. It is three hundred and twenty-five feet from the ground to
the top of the cross, and contains five stories, the first four of
which are square, and the last circular, with a dome. In the lower
story is a chapel, and the next three contain thirty-four bells of
all sizes, the largest of which weighs sixty-four tons. Though it is
a pygmy compared with the great bell at the foot of the tower, it is
a monster beside those in ordinary use, for our church bells rarely
exceed one sixth of its weight. There are forty or fifty bells in the
entire tower, all of which are rung at Easter, to proclaim anew that
"Christ is risen." The great bell thunders forth the glad tidings,
which are also gently chanted in the sweet tones of the small silver
bells.
From each story of the tower a view of the city is obtained, but in the
highest beneath the dome, the most sublime panorama is presented. There
is no such city as Moscow in the world, and the sight is therefore as
unique as it is beautiful. For half an hour the students gazed with
wonder and admiration upon the beautiful picture.
The party descended, and hastened to the Great Bell, called the _Czar
Kolokol_, or Czar of Bells. Some say that it was never hung, though
a Polish traveller, in 1611, speaks of a bell he saw that required
twenty-four men to swing the clapper in ringing it. The present bell
was recast by order of the Empress Anne, in 1733, its predecessors
having fallen in the several fires, and been broken. This one also had
a fall in a fire in 1737, which knocked a piece out of the side. It
lay buried in the ground where it fell till Nicholas caused it to be
placed on a stone platform in 1836. The bell weighs about two hundred
and twenty tons. The piece broken out weighs eleven tons. The interior
is twenty feet high, with a diameter of twenty-one feet. It is two feet
thick, and has figures in relief of Alexis and Anne, and of some sacred
subjects, with an inscription relating to its origin and size. On the
summit is a cross, and the interior has been consecrated as a chapel.
The bell is regarded as holy by the people. At five cents a pound, the
material would be worth over twenty thousand dollars. As the thing is
utterly useless either for service or as a work of art, and perpetuates
no historical event, this dead capital would be better employed in
planting school-houses in the villages, the influence of which would
soon transform the shanties into houses, and add wealth to the nation
by the more intelligent and rapid development of its vast resources.
The party next visited the palace occupied by the members of the royal
family when they visit Moscow. On this locality stood the palaces of
the ancient sovereigns, which were partially destroyed by fire, and
rebuilt. The present structure was built in the reign of Nicholas, and
all that was left of the old palaces was incorporated in it. A porter
was detailed to accompany the students, and they passed through the
private apartments of the emperor and empress, which are very elegant,
and the boys looked with no little curiosity into bed-rooms, cabinets,
bath-rooms, where royalty slept, wrote, and took its bath in marble
tubs. The guide was very particular to show an elevator in which
the empress is raised to her apartments above; but it was hardly a
curiosity to the young Americans, who had seen vastly superior machines
of this kind in the hotels of their own country.
In the palace are three magnificent halls, which are not surpassed
by anything in Europe. The one devoted to the order of St. George
is two hundred feet long. The old parts of the palace, which have
been restored in the ancient style are as curious as they are
interesting. Connected with the main building are the throne-room and
banqueting-hall, where the emperor, after his coronation in the church,
sits in state, wearing for the first time the imperial insignia; and
here also he dines with the nobles. Near this is the Terema, a most
singular edifice, four stories high, but each of them diminishing in
size till the upper one contains but a single room. In ancient times
it was occupied by the Czarina and her children. Above the first, each
story opens upon a balcony on which the inmates could walk. The affair
looks more like a pyramid than a house. It contains many relics of the
ancient sovereigns.
Near the palace is the treasury, in which are kept the venerable
relics of Russian history. It contains vast quantities of armor,
weapons, banners, and other military trophies. In one room are original
portraits of the Romanoff family, and the coronation chairs of several
sovereigns. In the next room is the throne of Poland, brought from
Warsaw; an ivory throne brought by Sophia from Constantinople on her
marriage with Ivan III. Another throne came from Persia, and is studded
with diamonds and rubies, nearly a thousand of the former. An orb sent
by the Greek emperor to Vladimir is covered with precious stones. In
a wardrobe are the masquerade dress of Catharine I., her coronation
robes, and articles of dress which belonged to Peter the Great, Peter
II., and Paul I. There are also in this room the crown of the Kingdom
of Kazan, and several others, all of them glittering with jewels;
that of Anne, containing over twenty-five hundred diamonds; with more
thrones and coronation robes. Millions upon millions of dead capital
lie here, which, however, would make diamonds and rubies a drug, if
thrown upon the market. The walking-stick of Ivan the Terrible, having
a sharp point, with which the fiery Czar used to punch the feet of
those who vexed him, may be seen. Another room, up stairs, is filled
with curious plate, cups, jugs, jars, candlesticks, and other articles
of silver--most of it presented to the Czars. But the students were
tired of curiosities, and hardly glanced at the old carriages of the
court in the last apartment.
Opposite the great bell is the little palace, in which Nicholas
sometimes lived, and in which the present emperor was born. One of the
rooms contains a number of loaves of bread presented to the emperor on
his visits to the city. When the sovereign arrives at Moscow, it is
the custom for the chief magistrate to present to him a silver salver,
on which are a gold vessel filled with salt, and a loaf of bread,
requesting him to taste the bread of Moscow. The emperor nibbles the
loaf, and invites the official to dine with him in the palace. By this
time the Cathedral of the Assumption was open, and the party entered.
It does not conform to the idea of a cathedral in other countries, for
it is rather contracted in its dimensions. It is crowded with pictures
and shrines. On the screen is a picture of the Holy Virgin of Vladimir,
which the visitor is informed was painted by St. Luke, adorned with
jewels to the value of over two hundred thousand dollars. On the other
side is the shrine of St. Philip, the patriarch of the church, who had
the courage to say to Ivan the Terrible, "As the image of the Divinity,
I reverence thee; as a man, thou art but dust and ashes," and who was
finally murdered at a monastery in Tver by Ivan's order. His tomb is in
this church, which also contains the remains of other holy men. Behind
the altar-screen there is a gold model of Mount Sinai, in which is a
gold coffer to contain the Host, the whole worth about a quarter of
a million dollars. Under it are deposited some of the most important
state papers, including the Act of Succession, decreed by Paul I.,
the abdication of Constantine, and similar documents. Belonging to
the cathedral is a Bible, presented by the mother of Peter the Great,
weighing a hundred and twenty pounds, the cover of which is studded
with precious stones, worth nearly a million dollars.
[Illustration: ROYAL PALACE, MOSCOW.
THE TEMPLE OF THE SAVIOUR, MOSCOW.
MOSCOW PHOTOGRAPHS.]
In front of the platform is a throne for the empress, another for
the Patriarch, and a third is the ancient throne of Vladimir. Behind
the screen are several chapels, one of which contains tombs of the
patriarchs; in another are some sacred relics, as a nail of the true
cross, a robe of the Saviour, and part of one worn by the Blessed
Virgin, with a picture of the latter, said to have been painted by
one of the apostles. The Assumption is the holiest and most highly
venerated church in Russia. The coronation of the emperor, which takes
place here, is a most solemn ceremonial, for it is the consecration of
the sovereign. It is preceded by fasting and seclusion for preparation.
The Czar recites aloud the confession of faith, and on his knees offers
the prayer for the empire. He places the crown upon his own head,
and walking through the royal gates, takes the bread and wine from
the altar without the aid of the priest, as in ordinary cases, the
recipient is not permitted to touch the elements himself.
Close by the Assumption is the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael,
which is the mausoleum of the sovereigns of the Rurik and Romanoff
families from an early period down to the time of Peter the Great, and
of Peter II. since that time. The cenotaphs are covered with faded
crimson palls, badly spotted with grease from the candles above them.
The tomb of young Dimitri, son of Ivan the Terrible, murdered by Boris
Godunoff, is venerated by the faithful, because, after the anarchy and
bloodshed produced by the false Dimitris, the coffin and body of the
true one were discovered by a miracle. The tomb of Ivan the Terrible is
next to the altar, though he often broke the canons of the church. His
cross, set with very large pearls and an emerald a third of an inch in
diameter, is preserved here.
The churches of the Annunciation and of the Redeemer are close by; but
the students declared that they had seen churches enough for one day,
and they entered the House of the Holy Synod, containing the wardrobe
and treasury of the church, where robes, mitres, and crosiers, decked
with precious stones, are exhibited. In this house is prepared the
holy oil used in baptism, in consecrating churches, and in anointing
the emperor at his coronation. The vessels used in compounding it are
of solid silver, weighing thirteen hundred pounds. It is composed of
thirty different ingredients, the principal of which is pure Florence
oil, with wine, fragrant gums, balsam, and spices. It is made
according to the ancient rule, and a few drops of the chrism brought
from Constantinople is mingled with it. Some say this is a part of the
ointment used by Mary Magdalen in anointing the feet of the Saviour;
and a portion of the new chrism is returned to the "Alabaster," which
contains it, each time any is used. All the children of Orthodox
parents are anointed with this oil at their baptism.
The baptism of the child consists of four ceremonials. By its sponsors
it first makes the confession of faith. The priest, after crossing
the child and saying prayers, blows upon it, to drive away evil and
unclean spirits. After the prayer the parents leave the room, thereby
symbolizing the entire giving up of the child to the sponsors; and this
custom is followed even in the imperial family. The second step is the
immersion; and the priest, in full canonicals, blesses the water, and
anoints the infant, for the first time, on the breast for "the healing
of body and soul;" on the ears for "the hearing of the Word;" on the
hands, because "Thy hands have made and fashioned me;" on the feet,
that they "may walk in the way of thy commandments." He then rolls up
his sleeves, takes the child in his hands, stopping the ears with his
thumb and little finger, the eyes with two other fingers, and the mouth
and nose with the palm of his right hand, and holding up its body with
the left, he skilfully plunges it into a font three times, in the name
of the three persons of the Trinity.
The next step is the sacrament of unction, in which the child is again
anointed with the holy oil, the brow, eyes, nose, ears, lips, breast,
hands, and feet being touched with the chrism, by means of a pencil
or feather: it is "the seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost." The last
step is the washing of the child, and the cutting off its hair in four
places, forming a cross, which is regarded as a sacrifice, its hair
being the only gift the infant has to offer to its Maker. As it is cut,
the priest says, "The servant of God, Nicholas, is shorn in the name of
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." The service is accompanied by prayers
and litanies.
Near the Redeemer Gate of the Kremlin are the Miracle Monastery and the
Ascension Convent, in which are the tombs of many Czarinas, including
the mother of Ivan the Terrible, and four of his six wives, the wife
of Michael, the first wife of Peter the Great, and others. The arsenal
contains the cannon lost by the French in the disastrous campaign of
1812, represented by three hundred and sixty-five guns.
The huge piece at the corner of the building weighs forty tons. Outside
of the original Kremlin, in the part added by Helena, the mother of
Ivan the Terrible, and the regent during his minority, and called
the _Kitai Gorod_, or Chinese Town, is the most remarkable building
in Moscow, the Cathedral of St. Basil. It has no less than eleven
domes, each different in shape and color from the others, over as
many chapels, with other spires and cupolas. It looks like a little
forest of grotesque temples. One dome is gilded; another is checkered
with green over a ground of yellow; another is bright red, with white
stripes; another looks like a honeycomb, and another like a coat of
mail. Some forty years ago a mechanical diorama was exhibited in the
United States, called "Maelzel's Burning of Moscow," in which the
French troops marched into the place, the Russians fired the city, the
show ending with the "terrific explosion of the Kremlin." The prominent
object was a building like the church of St. Basil, which was popularly
understood to be the Kremlin, and which was blown sky high at the
conclusion. Happily it is still safe, though other buildings in the
Kremlin fared worse. The visitor winds about in the little circular
chapels inside, open to the roof of the domes, and perhaps thinks he
has fallen into a nest of chimneys. They are dedicated to different
saints, and are half filled with relics and holy vessels. On the site
of it stood an ancient church and cemetery, where St. Basil, a prophet
and miracle-worker, was buried in the middle of the sixteenth century.
He was said to be "idiotic for Christ's sake." Ivan the Terrible
ordered a church to be built over him, and this was erected by an
Italian architect. The cruel tyrant was so delighted with the curious
edifice, that he ordered the eyes of the architect to be put out, so
that he could not see to build another to equal or surpass it.
The view of St. Basil closed the labors of the day, and the tired party
walked back to the hotel, where dinner was served. Mr. Agneau's first
inquiry was for De Forrest and Beckwith, but nothing had been seen or
heard of them.
"Can anything have happened to them?" asked the troubled chaplain.
"I think not," replied the surgeon. "Probably they have done as others
have--run away for a time."
"Impossible!" exclaimed Mr. Agneau. "They were officers, and
well-behaved young gentlemen."
"Very likely; but they have been much dissatisfied since the election.
I have feared that De Forrest would make trouble."
"But in a strange land, like Russia, unable to speak a word of the
language, they would not be likely to run away."
"We have the fact, which is better than theory."
"Who saw them last?" asked the chaplain, turning to the students.
"They were in the compartment with me," said Vroome, the third master.
"Early this morning, when we crossed the river,--I forget the name of
the place--"
"Tver," suggested the surgeon.
"Yes, sir; that was it. They took their bags and said they were going
to change their seats," added Vroome.
"That makes it all plain. They have taken the steamer down to Nijni
Novgorod, and very likely we shall find them there. Give yourself no
uneasiness about them, Mr. Agneau. I will warrant that they are safe
enough, and will return when their money is gone, if not before. I will
look out for them."
Dr. Winstock, who had been in the ship since she was launched,
understood the boys better than the meek, gentle-hearted clergyman,
and had seen too much running away to be alarmed for the safety of
the absentees. The party were somewhat rested in the evening, and,
taking carriages, drove to the Petrofski Park and Gardens, where a band
played, and where the people of the city in large numbers were to be
seen. On the return they visited an immense restaurant, in order to see
more of the people. In this place there was a large orchestrion, a
musical instrument, which, being wound up, plays a variety of airs with
all the effects of a full orchestra, with drums, cymbals, and trumpets.
It executed the Russian National Hymn nearly as effectively as a band
could do it. The waiters in this establishment were all Tartars,
dressed in loose white pants and tunics. The visitors were drinking tea
generally, but a few indulged in beer and stronger drinks.
The students slept soundly that night, for they were generally very
tired, and even Scott's jokes were of the most sickly character. But at
eight o'clock in the morning they were on their feet again, exploring
the city on their own hook, in the vicinity of the hotel. Lincoln find
Scott ventured to enter a shop to purchase some photographs. One of
the salesmen spoke French very well, and the business was made easy
to them. After breakfast, the party started together again, and their
first point was the Romanoff House, the birthplace of Michael, the
first sovereign of the present dynasty. The original was built in the
sixteenth century, but it has been carefully restored after suffering
much from fire and the sack of the invading French. It is filled with
relics of the ancient time, and in the nursery are a cradle, and the
toys and playthings of the Czar. The furniture of the bed-room is
rather curious, and in a box are the slippers of the monarch, and the
night-dress of his wife. The walls are covered with stamped leather.
From this house the party went to the Bazaar in the _Kitai Gorod_. Its
stalls contain everything that can possibly be wanted by a Russian
or anybody else, from old clothes up to paintings and statuary.
Second-hand articles of every description form a considerable portion
of the trade. Siberian and Circassian wares, and specialities from
other remote regions of the empire, are on view and sale here. The
Bazaar is a perfect labyrinth of stalls, and the scene is sometimes
quite exciting. Opposite the principal entrance are the statues of
Minin and Pojarski; the former, a peasant, urging the latter, a
boyar, to deliver Moscow from the dominion of the Poles, which was
accomplished by their inspiration and labor. Outside of the walls of
the _Kitai Gorod_ is the Winter Market. As soon as the cold weather
comes, the farmers slaughter their live stock in vast numbers, and the
carcasses are immediately exposed till they are frozen, and then sent
to market. Housekeepers then lay in a large supply of frozen provision,
which is always ready for use, the quantity required for cooking at any
time being first thawed in cold water. Frozen oxen, sheep, calves, and
other animals stand up in the market, ready to be chopped and sawed
into pieces. Fish from the White Sea, the northern lakes, and the
great rivers, are brought to the market in this condition. Sometimes,
but very rarely, a sudden thaw produces sad havoc among the frozen
provisions.
Between the two gateways which form the principal entrance to the
Chinese Tower is the chapel of the "Iberian Mother of God." It Is a
picture brought from Mount Athos, a holy mount of the Greeks, where
four thousand monks dwelt, during the reign of Alexis, who is said to
have invited the saint to take up her abode in Moscow. The picture,
placed in a sanctuary at the end of the chapel, is believed to have
the power of working miracles, and is regarded with the deepest
veneration by the Russians. All who pass bow and cross themselves, and
many kneel and prostrate themselves on the ground. On a holiday several
hundred may be seen at their devotions. Elegantly dressed ladies leave
their carriages, and bow down with the beggars. The emperors frequently
visit it, and Nicholas, when he could not sleep at night, is said
to have roused the monks at midnight to enable him to attend to his
devotions in this chapel. The religious zeal of the people in Moscow
even exceeds that of St. Petersburg. Donations for the church are
received at this chapel to the amount of about fifty thousand dollars
a year, of which thirty-five thousand is appropriated to the salary of
the Metropolitan of Moscow, who need not starve on this sum, though it
is not the whole of his income.
The party next walked to the _Manège_, or Great Riding School, which
is believed to be the largest apartment in the world with the roof
unsupported by columns. It is five hundred and sixty feet long, one
hundred and fifty-eight feet wide, and forty-two feet high. Two
regiments of cavalry can go through their evolutions at the same time
in this vast space. It is heated by twenty immense stoves, so that it
can be used in the coldest weather. At this point carriages were taken
for a ride to Sparrow Hills. On the way, not far from the Kremlin,
the tourists stopped at the new Temple of the Saviour, in process
of erection. It is the noblest church in Russia, and was built to
commemorate the expulsion of the French. It was to have been erected
at Sparrow Hills, from which Napoleon had his first view of the city,
and doubtless his last; but a good foundation could not be obtained,
and it was commenced on the present site, more than fifty years ago.
Like other Russian churches, it is in the form of a Greek cross. Though
sculpture is not often seen on Greek churches, this one is ornamented
on the outside with scenes from Scripture and the national history in
high relief, the figures being of colossal size. As these "human and
divine forms" are not for purposes of worship, they do not seem to be
inconsistent even with the Russian belief. The stone is of a light
color, and the structure is crowned with a magnificent golden dome,
which surpasses everything else in beauty in the country. The interior
was filled with stagings, though a glimpse of the rich and beautiful
paintings on the inside of the dome could be obtained. The walls are
covered with variegated marble. The building has already cost ten
million rubles, and it is said that the entire cost will be fifteen
millions.
Crossing the Moskva River, the carriages proceeded by a very broad,
straight avenue, through a gate, into the suburbs. The ascent of the
hill is by a soft, oozy road, so trying for the horses that most of the
students preferred to walk. The summit was gained. On it is a villa of
the empress, and an estate of Prince Galitzin; but the party went to
a cottage, where tea, coffee, and other refreshments are furnished.
In the rear of it is a spacious veranda, with tables, where the
students seated themselves, and from which a splendid view of Moscow
is obtained. Beneath them flowed the Moskva, which could be seen for
miles, winding through the level plain. The party drank coffee, enjoyed
the view for an hour, and then returned to the city, visiting one
of the monasteries on the way. Near the Kremlin they encountered a
funeral on a grand scale, and the drivers of the carriages stopped at
once. The aspect of the street was suddenly changed, for all business
was suspended, all heads uncovered, and every passer-by halted. The
procession was headed by a body of priests, clothed in black robes,
and bearing lighted tapers and various religious emblems in their
hands. The hearse was drawn by four horses, caparisoned in black, which
covered their legs, with plumes on their heads. The vehicle was an open
platform on wheels, upon which lay the coffin, covered with a pall. It
had steps at the sides, on which stood priests, holding images over the
body, while others followed it. The bells were tolling, and a strange
chant rose from the procession. The spectators uttered prayers for the
repose of the dead, which they always do on meeting a funeral, though
the deceased be an entire stranger to them. The students took off their
caps, and this custom, not entirely unknown in our own country, is
worthy of respect.
"In Russia, it is believed that a person cannot die easily, if at all,
when there is a pigeon feather in his pillow," said Dr. Winstock, as
the carriages continued on their way. "When the sufferer seems to die
hard, they think there must be a pigeon feather in the pillow under his
head, and they often change it, so as to be sure on this point."
"What harm does the pigeon feather do?" asked Lincoln, curiously.
"The dove, or pigeon, is the emblem of the Holy Ghost, and the bird is
never eaten by the most rigid believers; and on no account would they
use its feathers to make a pillow, for the bird is held in the highest
respect."
The party arrived at the hotel, where an early dinner was ready for
them, after which the Volga partook droskies for the Nijni Novgorod
Railroad. The first division, visited the Troitsad Monastery, forty
miles distant, the next day. It was founded by St. Sergius, in the
fourteenth century. He was the most holy of all the monks, and the
monastery is the most sacred shrine. Russian tradition says that he
was visited in his cell by the Virgin, attended by the apostles Peter
and John. It is a fortress, in fact, and has withstood many sieges.
Neither plague nor cholera has ever entered its walls. It includes
ten churches, is endowed with immense riches, and at one time held
over a hundred thousand serfs. The monks in Russia are called the
Black Clergy, to distinguish them from the White Clergy, who are the
priests that officiate in the churches. When the wife of one of the
latter dies, he must either secularize himself or enter a monastery.
The highest officers in the church and the members of the Holy Synod,
however, are taken from the monks.
The division returned to Moscow in the afternoon and on the following
day took the train for St. Petersburg. The second division arrived on
the forenoon of the same day, and proceeded to see the sights already
described.