Travel Sketches of Norway, Sweden, Russia, Austria, Belgium and Holland (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. 1916 edition. Excerpt: ...Moscow. Peter the Great moved the capital of Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg, now Petrograd, in 1712. As we were about to pass through a gate into the Kremlin I noticed a shrine in the wall fronting the street. The shrine contained various holy pictures, and was filled with a crowd of travel-stained, distressed looking pilgrims, who had come from a great distance to worship there. They were kissing the feet of the ikon and prostrating themselves on the floor of the shrine in complete subjection and humiliation. Many of them had sat on the steps all night, waiting for the doors of the shrine to open. They looked very poor and as if they were craving spiritual comfort. Inside the Kremlin we first visited the church of the Assumption where the Czars are crowned. They are baptized in the church of the Ascension, and up to the time of Peter the Great they were buried in the church of St. Michael, the archangel. The principal decorations in all of these churches are ikons made of gilded silver and heavily ornamented with jewels. It happened to be the Feast Day of St. Mary of Magdalen, and we hastened to the church of St. Sau-veur to be present at the full service. This church was built to commemorate the expulsion of the French from Moscow, and the service here on high feast days is most impressive. It began shortly after ten o'clock, and was conducted by three priests in heavy gold robes. One of them chanted in a deep, resonant voice from the altar, and was answered by a remarkable choir, stationed in stalls on either side of the altar. The choir boys wore handsome uniforms of black, with red vests and sleeves and white surplices edged with gold. Presently the choir left its place by the altar and marched among the standing congregation to the...