as they point to it, will whisper in your ear that
there was something unrevealed in the story of that
crime. The general belief is that Alexander was
murdered by the aristocrats as the price of that
treaty of liberty. Next there are the rooms pre-
pared for the heir of Alexander III., which were
never occupied.
Memories of the Emperor Paul, too, who was
strangled, are vividly perpetuated in the Romanoff
Gallery. The daughters of Paul were noted for
their beauty. One section of the gallery is devoted
90 AMONG THE HERETICS
to portraits of Paul's children. Catherine II. is
depicted on horseback in regimental dress as she
came to the throne. There is another unique por-
trait of Catherine 11. Her face is painted as re-
flected in a large mirror. Places of honour are
given to Catherine I., wife of Peter the Great, and
the great Sophia, sister of Peter the Great, who
raised a regiment against him. In Apollo's Hall
every battle of note in Russian history seems to have
been commemorated.
The State rooms are known by the distinctive
style and colour of their decoration. There is the
Yellow Hall, with doors of tortoise-shell. There is
the Arab Hall, with Arab sentries when the Tsar
is in residence. There is the Round Hall, where
Ministers of State are received by the Emperor.
Jordan's Entrance Hall, where foreign potentates
arrive, is decorated in the Moorish style, entirely
in gold, with mosaic floor. The chandehers of pure
crystal are of colossal size. The ball-room buffet is
in white and gold with parquet floor. The ball-
room itself is in Grecian style, and is known as the
Hall of St. George. This hall contains the throne
of Catherine II. The theatre is a study in white,
blue, and red marble.
One of the picture galleries is devoted to the
heroes of 1812, when Napoleon came to Russia.
Alexander I. is represented by a hfe-size portrait on
horseback. Alongside are fine oil paintings of the
IN KINGS' PALACES 91
Austrian Emperor and the Prussian King, who with
Alexander went to Paris for the signing of the
Treaty.
The Hall of the Coats of Arms represents all
the district governments in the Empire. Therein
is displayed a wonderful collection of dishes which
have been presented to successive Emperors. It is
the custom in Russia when the Emperor visits any
district to present him with bread and salt as an
evidence of welcome. The bread and salt are always
handed to him on a gold or silver dish. Hence
Tsars accumulate costly dishes in much the same
way that a colonial governor accumulates trowels
and illuminated addresses.
The Hall of Field Marshals is devoted to paint-
ings depicting mihtary campaigns in which Russia
has been involved, such as the war of 1848, in which
Russia went to the aid of Austria in subduing
Hungary when Hungary was fighting for religious
freedom. But for Russia's intervention Austria
would have been beaten. Other campaigns com-
memorated in oils are the rising of the Poles in 1831
and the war with Turkey in 1877. The Franco-
Russian entente of 1893 is commemorated by a
magnificent statue presented by the French nation
to the Emperor Nicholas. The Shipka Gallery
further commemorates the 1877 campaign. What
are known as the Battle Rooms are entirely occupied
with pictures illustrating Napoleon's efforts to
IN KINGS' PALACES 93
painting depicting Alexis in the act of refusing to
become a Roman Catholic. There is, indeed, an
historical series of pictures relating to Alexander,
including such subjects as his fight with the Swedes
and his return from his coronation. The Andreas
Room, where the highest Russian decoration of
Andreas is conferred, is also in gold, but reheved
with blue tapestry. The reception chairs of the
present Emperor and his lady find temporary
accommodation here. After the former's death
they will be sent to the Treasury. The Catherine
Room, which is only used for conferring the decora-
tion of the Order of Catherine on ladies, is notable
for its malachite columns, otherwise the decorations
are in gold, with red and blue tapestry. The
Drawing Room for Ministers is rich in white marble
and gold, with the walls tapestried in gold, silver,
and green. A bedroom reserved for foreign Crown
Princes represents an even more elaborate scheme
in blue, white, and red marble and gold. The real
Pompeian columns in the adjoining bathroom cost
1,000,000 roubles (£100,000). The Vladimir Room,
which constitutes a reception room for Russian
merchants, is decorated with white and pink marble
and gold.
The old Ecclesiastical Tribunal from the thir-
teenth century remains intact. Near by is the
historical Dining Room, where each Tsar has par-
taken of only one dinner — ^the one immediately after
94 AMONG THE HERETICS
his coronation. The Emperor and Empress eat
under a canopy, and only Royal guests are present.
Here the frescoes all illustrate Bible incidents.
The carpet, all handwork, was made in the Moscow
convents.
In the older part of the Palace are the Chapel of
the Twelve Apostles, and the apartments occupied
in the sixteenth century by Michael and Alexis.
The Dining Room was built in the thirteenth century,
and was occupied by Napoleon in 1812. Except
for some of the floors which have had to be renewed,
and the mica in the book-cases, which has been
replaced by glass, everything remains as it was in
the beginning. The bedroom where Napoleon slept
for two nights, and which was also used by Michael
and Alexis, has a small private chapel attached.
The bed-curtains still hanging were a present to
Michael from the then Emperor of China.
The Mihtary Room of St. George and the Dragon
is decorated wholly in white, with marble tablets
on the walls giving the names of soldiers (and their
regiments) who have received the Cross of St. George
for bravery. Judging by the long list, running into
hundreds of names, every officer in the Russian
Army since the decoration was introduced must
have been a brave man and have worn this cross.
CHAPTER X
MOSCOW AND ITS ANCIENT TREASURES
The Kremlin at Moscow is one of the historic sights.
Outwardly it is noted for its seven towers. It is
enclosed by a high wall and skirted by the river.
From either of the towers a fine view is afforded of
Sparrow Hill, whence Napoleon got his first view of
Moscow, and saw that it was in flames. Moscow,
and particularly the KremHn, is eloquent of
Napoleon.
The KremHn towers date from the thirteenth
and sixteenth centuries. Apart from the Emperor's
Palace and the Treasury, the KremHn is mainly a
group of churches, each unique in historic interest
and significance. The Church of the Annunciation
was built in the fifteenth century, and was used
chiefly by Ivan the Terrible. Subsequently it was
used for Royal weddings, but it has now lost that
distinction. Michael, Peter the Great, and Ivan
were each married there.
When Napoleon reached Moscow he stabled his
horses in this church, and the fact is remembered
against him to this day. The Russian nation has
long since forgiven his wild dream of conquest, but
95
96 AMONG THE HERETICS
they never have, and never will, forgive him for that
act of sacrilege. In this church there is a magni-
ficent ikon. It was presented by the Dom Cossacks
in the thirteenth century. It was stolen by Napo-
leon, but the Cossacks recovered and restored it.
Pictures of the Madonna hang here, too, in sohd
gold and silver frames, and all day long women are
to be seen kissing these pictures. The jasper floor
was given by the Shah of Persia to Michael, the first
Romanoff. In the wall is the Throne Seat used by
Ivan the Terrible when he came to worship. The
frescoes are all Byzantine. The walls are covered
with pictures of saints, and are objects of special
reverence from Russian women. There is, further,
a picture of the Annunciation in pure silver.
The Church of St. Michael is notable as the
burying-place of all the Russian Royal famihes up
to the seventeenth century. It is crowded with
tombs and monuments. The parents of Ivan the
Terrible are buried here. In a chamber apart is
the tomb of Ivan and his sons. There is an elabor-
ate open tomb to Demetry, brother-in-law of Ivan,
a boy of twelve years of age, who was killed by
another brother-in-law. He was canonised. Here
also are the tombs of Peter 11, , son of Peter the
Great, and the latter's two brothers, John, who
reigned before Peter the Great, and Feodore, who
reigned with Peter the Great.
The Church of the Assumption has been used
MOSCOW'S TREASURES 97
since the fifteenth century as the Tsar's Corona-
tion Church. It was built by the Patriarch Peter,
and all the Emperors from John IIL were crowned
there. It contains the tombs of the Twelve Patri-
archs. The most interesting object of all, however,
is the Patriarch's Chair. It is the oldest throne in
Russia, and was brought from Kiev, the oldest city,
in the twelfth century. It was used by Vladimir,
the first Tsar, a Mahommedan, who became a
Christian, and is popularly known as Vladimir's
Chair. The entrance gate to the altar in this
church is of solid gold. Individual pictures of the
Twelve Apostles cover the wall on either side of the
altar, along with a representation of the Annuncia-
tion in silver and gold, with the heads worked in
diamonds and pearls. On the other side is a pic-
ture of the Madonna, alleged to have been painted
by St. Luke. It is known as the Ikon of Vladimir,
and is said to be worth a million roubles. It is a
blaze of diamonds, pearls, sapphires, and rubies.
The famous bell tower (Ivan's Tower) was built
in the fifteenth century by Boris Godounov, son-in-
law of Ivan. It contains forty-five bells, of all
sizes, but only half are now used. The big bell of
Moscow — in its time the largest in the world —
received its death crack some years ago, and now
stands on the ground outside the tower with a large
piece knocked out of it. One other feature of
special interest is the collection of 875 cannon from
98 AMONG THE HERETICS
" 1812." They were taken from the French,
Austrians, Germans, and Spaniards. Close at hand
is the monument showing where the Grand Duke
Sergius was killed in 1905.
There are four entrance gates to the Kremhn —
viz. the Gate Nicolai, the Holy Gate, Trinity Gate,
and Boravitzki Gate. The last-named was the gate
by which Napoleon entered in 181 2. Entering or
leaving by the Holy Gate, every Russian reverently
uncovers his head.
Being httle better than a barbarian in the
matter of pictures, I hesitate to refer to the Tretia-
koff Gallery in Moscow, except to say that it
impressed me more than any other gallery that I
saw in Europe ; and, after all, the value of a picture
to most people other than collectors is the impres-
sion it makes on one. It was a rehef to get away
from the nude. A story told me on my travels con-
cerning two Quakers from Pennsylvania voices my
own sentiment. They had visited most of the
European galleries, and came at last to Madrid.
They had scarcely begun their tour of inspection
when William called out impatiently, " John, I'm
sick to death of naked women ; and not beautiful
women, either. I'm going out." He suited the
action to the word, and John went too.
The Tretiakoff Gallery includes a wonderful
variety of pictures, representing in the main, of
course, the best examples of Russian painters, of
MOSCOW'S TREASURES 99
whom Tretiakoff is chief. The Makobsky pictures
make a striking collection. Kronnby is represented
by his pictures of Salome bearing the head of John
the Baptist on a charger, " Christ in the Wilderness,"
and "Christ in Gethsemane." Rooschoff's "Christ
before Pilate," "Judas' Betrayal," and "The Jews
in the Temple," are arresting pictures, as is also
Sovrakoff's picture portraying the departure of a
noble woman exiled to Siberia, and a companion
study by Repine, " The Return from Exile."
" The Procession of the Holy Ikon " depicts an
everyday scene in Moscow. The most celebrated
ikon in Moscow is that known as the Iberian Madonna.
It is an object of peculiar veneration, and has been
for many years. It is recorded that when Napoleon
was about to enter Moscow, as long ago as 1812, the
people besought the ecclesiastical authorities to take
the Madonna and lead them out armed with hatchets
against the infidel hosts. When the Tsar visits the
ancient capital, I was informed, he usually drives
straight from the station to the church where this
ikon is kept and pays his devotion. Every member
of the Orthodox faith, when passing the church,
uncovers his head and makes the sign of the cross.
It is considered to be very lucky to have this ikon
under one's own roof, and miraculous powers are
attributed to its presence. Accordingly, every morn-
ing the ikon is taken through the city in a closed
carriage drawn by four horses and driven by a bare-
100 AMONG THE HERETICS
headed coachman. I had the opportunity of wit-
nessing this strange procession. My attention was
drawn to it by seeing the people along the street
stop and cross themselves as the carriage passed.
In every house visited the ikon is carried through all
the rooms, and a brief ceremonial service is gone
through. It is a common sight to see the servants
prostrating themselves in the hall or doorway when
the ikon comes or goes, so that it may be carried
over them.
Of course it is all a matter of roubles. For the
privilege of a visit from the Iberian Madonna a sub-
stantial sum of money has to be paid, and only the
well-to-do can afford it. It is one of the devices for
repleting the exchequer of the Metropolitan, and a
large annual revenue is by this means assured. To
prevent any loss of cash at the church during the
absence of the ikon on its daily tour the priests hit
on a clever expedient. A copy of the ikon was made
to take the temporary place of the original. In this
way the devotions of the faithful and the flow of
cash into the Bishop's treasury are not allowed to
suffer interruption.
The most reahstic picture in the Tretiakoff Gallery
is undoubtedly Rapine's portrayal of Ivan the
Terrible's repentance and remorse after the murder
of his son. It is indeed awful. Is there any other
so terrible in its suggestiveness in all the European
galleries ? It is strictly in accord with the facts of
MOSCOW'S TREASURES i^oi
the crime. In a fit of madness Ivan killed his boy.
Remorse swiftly followed, and he is shown pressing
the lad to his heart with one hand while with the
other he is seeking to staunch the blood as it pours
forth from the temple. A characteristic example of
Tr^tiakoff's art is " The Baptism of Vladimir " in the
twelfth century. Vasnetzoff's " After the Battle "
(War with the Tartars) (thirteenth century) portrays
the shocking realism of war. A battlefield is strewn
with corpses, and only the vultures are left in posses-
sion. Equally symbolical of the horrors of war is
" The Pyramid of Skulls " (Verestchagin).
Ivanoff is represented by three notable pictures,
" Crucifixion," " Joseph of Arimathea Waiting for
the Body of Jesus," and " Mary and John." One of
the most charming studies is the portrait of the beau-
tiful Grand Duchess Sergius, whose husband was
assassinated in 1905. The Grand Duchess, who is a
sister of the present Empress, is now Mother Superior
of an Orthodox Greek convent, built at her personal
cost.
The Treasury building houses one vast collection
of ancient treasures associated with the personal
and political history of the Tsars. There is a curious
collection of helmets, illustrating the changing fashions
in that style of headgear, including the helmet of
Alexander Nevsky from the twelfth century, and the
helmet of Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great,
from the seventeenth century. There are examples
102 AMONG THE HERETICS
of the armour suits used by the Poles in the twelfth
century, arms and accoutrements from the Roman
(sixteenth century) period, the helmets worn by the
first and second Romanoffs. Arms taken from the
French in 1812 are preserved here, together with
Napoleon's map of Russia. Russian war axes of the
sixteenth century and the old flags of empire from
the fifteenth century and later cover large spaces
on the walls. Glass cases keep the dust from the
collection of field-marshals' batons.
A saddle, sword, and accoutrements presented to
Catherine the Great by the Sultan of Turkey find
a place of honour, and another saddle given to
Catherine by Abdul Hamid. Alexander I. is repre-
sented by a collection of fighting instruments and
accoutrements. Interesting among a collection of
chairs are : one taken by Peter the Great from Charles
XII. of Sweden in the seventeenth century, the chairs
used by the Emperor Nicolai and Empress at the
reception following their coronation, and the reception
chairs of Alexander II., Alexander III., and Elizabeth
Petrovna. Nicolai's family treasures include watches,
portraits, and locks of his children's hair.
There are crowns galore. Among the oldest and
the most unique is Vladimir's, from the twelfth cen-
tury. There is the crown of John III. and the first
Romanoff crown, globe, and sceptre — all, by the way,
made in Germany. The crown of Peter the Great is
surmounted by a cross, and an immense ruby in its
MOSCOW'S TREASURES 103
natural state. The crown worn by Catherine, Eliza-
beth, and Anna is Hkewise surmounted by the largest
known ruby in Russia. The coronation dresses worn
in the sixteenth century are preserved in all their
magnificence and glitter, as also the coronation robes
worn by Catherine and EHzabeth, Alexander I.,
Nicholas L, and their Empresses, together with those
of the present Tsar and Empress, and the Dowager
Empress.
Then there are the thrones first used in the fifteenth
century and still used. Both are in the Byzantine
style, and were made in Constantinople. A corona-
tion chair of Alexis, and used at the latest coronation
by the Dowager Empress, was made in India, and is
distinctly Oriental. The double silver throne used
by Peter the Great and his brother was made in Ham-
burg. The coronation flags of successive Emperors
have their historic interest. One large annexe is
devoted to the European presents to successive Tsars
in earlier centuries of Russian history. These are all
of silver. That the Russians fed out of big plates in
the twelfth century, at least, is shown by the unique
specimens of silver vessels from that period. Among
more modern royal presents are Napoleon's gift of
Sevres ware to Alexander I. and the coronation gift
of an immense eagle in ivory from the Japanese
Government to the present Tsar. The eagle stands
6 ft. high and its pinions measure about 4 ft, 6 in.
across.
104 AMONG THE HERETICS
The collection of royal carriages is quaintly sug-
gestive of the slow and cumbersome past. The first
carriage made in Russia, in the fifteenth century, for
the father of Michael is still preserved, as also the
coronation carriage of Elizabeth (made in Germany),
and the sleigh sleeping-car in which she travelled
from St. Petersburg for her coronation. Her corona-
tion car was made in Paris in 1754 and was the gift
of Count Razoumovsky. Carriages used by Peter the
Great, and an English car made for Boris Godounov,
remind one of the gilded State coach of the Lord
Mayors of London.
The bed and boots of Peter the Great are pre-
served as precious rehcs. The boots Peter made
himself. The rough beds used by Napoleon and his
aide-de-camp in Moscow in 181 2 are equally valued
as historic treasures ; and perhaps not less the cradle
of Alexander I. and his camp-bed, boots, and shoes.
When a Tsar ascends the throne he has to line
up like a poUce or military recruit, so that his height,
chest measurement, etc., may be officially recorded.
This record is preserved at the Treasury, and the
identical diagram is pubUcly exhibited.
CHAPTER XI
SHOPPING IN RUSSIA
Shopping in Russia is a luxury. From the English
or Australian standpoint everything is dear. Hence,
while the well-to-do live in affluence, and spend small
fortunes in dress, the poor have to be satisfied with
meagre and primitive clothes.
St. Petersburg is a cosmopolitan city, where the
fashions of Paris, BerUn, and London govern supply
and demand. One has to go into the heart of Russia
to shop in typical Russian fashion.
It is at Moscow that one's dreams are realised.
But even there it is necessary to know your way
about, or you will be keenly disappointed. Russian
merchants do not display their choicest goods in shop
windows. The best estabhshments — ^those which
represent all that is unique and characteristic of the
country — have no windows in the shopping sense.
They are not shops ; they are stores.
The day of emporiums and universal providers
has not yet arrived in Russia. It is only at the
koustari establishments that a wide range of articles
is exposed under the one roof. The stranger would
pass these stores unheeding, or mistake the building
105
io6 AMONG THE HERETICS
for some artistic private residence. The ordinary
shops — and there are plenty of them — offer nothing
but disappointment to the expectant stranger. In
them AustraUan or Enghsh ladies would find httle
or nothing to tempt or fascinate. To experience
the full charm and seduction of shopping in Russia
one must visit the stores. There one may revel in
such delights as no other country in the world can
offer. These stores are never crowded. Customers
are not pressed to buy. To see is to buy, and it takes
a long purse to stand the strain of the temptations
which beguile at every turn.
Koustari indicates in Russia the small rural
household manufacturer. The exact origin of the
word is unknown. Some, on account of the simi-
larity with the Russian word " koust," which means
bush, interpret the word in an allegorical sense, the
small industry being, as they say, like a bush com-
pared with the large manufacture, which is a tree.
Others say the word " koustar " (plural, " koustari ")
is derived from the German word " kiinstier " (artist),
and was adopted into the Russian language, with
many other German words, in the time of Peter the
Great.
All the work in this industry is what may be
termed home-made. That is to say, it is made by
members of the family in peasant communities, with-
out any hired help, and supplements the ordinary in-
come derived from agriculture. The industry, which
SHOPPING IN RUSSIA 107
is beginning to supply the markets of the world, had
its origin in the manufacture of garments, crockery,
tools, and ornaments for home use, and to provide
amusement and useful occupation during the long
winters. Gradually families came to exchange the
articles so made with neighbours, and then with con-
sumers in the towns, and thus the industry developed.
When the intermediary dealer came on the scene, he
stimulated the industry by creating new centres,
distributing the raw material to the peasants, and
lending the necessary money to start workshops.
To-day this koustari industry is one of consider-
able importance in the general economy of the Russian
Empire, In no other country can one find so large
a number of small household manufactories as in
Russia. Their number is estimated at 7,500,000.
The value of their products is said to total a biUion
and a half roubles, by which the peasants benefit
to the extent of £1,600,000 annually.
The territorial distribution of this industry has
mainly been influenced by economic conditions and
natural supphes. Basket-making, for instance, de-
veloped in the village of Bogorods-Koie, district of
Gorbatovok, owing to the existence in that locality of
the bootmaking and saddlery industry, which needed
a large quantity of baskets for packing purposes.
The purchase of an agricultural machine by a peasant
of Elabouga was the starting-point of the manufacture
of similar machines by the peasants in that district.
io8 AMONG THE HERETICS
An immense variety of articles is represented by
the koustari peasant industry. Dress and boots are
supplied to the Russian army and navy and railway.
These products are to be found not simply in the
homes of the common people, but in the Imperial
palaces and the luxurious hotels for which the chief
cities of the empire are famous. The roughest and
crudest kinds of products are turned out in great
quantities, as well as the finest and most artistic
examples of the peasants' skill. The output of fancy
objects for the drawing-room, artistic work in carved
and gilt wood and mosaic, is surprising to those who