Picturesque Russia and Greece (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1886 Excerpt: ...is something like, His most high holiness, the most dear and gracious lord, the lord archpastor. All these titles are most rigidly observed in addressing a letter; in addressing them personally, a little less strictness is permitted. Yet these very persons who so load them with verbal honor, are not thereby deterred from sometimes laying aside all respect for the most high holiness in a very unceremonious manner. So long as he is engaged in the performance of his functions, the priest is treated with extreme reverence. Not only the laity kiss the hand of the chief priests after the service, but the inferior priests do the same when they receive the chalice, Bible, or anything else from them; and withal, when the priests make state visits, the ladies kiss the hand of the meanest of them, on which account many carefully cherish a pretty hand, and decorate and perfume it when they pay these visits. These two occasions excepted, the priests enjoy no great personal influence or consideration. A priest's advice is seldom asked in family matters; even the domestic chaplains in great houses are there to perform divine service only, and never penetrate into the interior of families, as the Catholic clergy do. The German, French, or English peasants know no better counsellor than their pastor; but the Russian peasant, in cases of difficulty, rather turns to his saint's pictures, and invokes the sacrament rather than the priest who comes with it. 81 THE city of Kazan is situated on the small River Kazanka, about four versts from where it falls 1ft. into the Volga, four hundred and thirty miles east of Moscow. It contains over thirty churches, nine convents, and sixteen mosques, and is renowned for its numerous educational and literary institutions, including a univers...