Russia at the time of the coronation of Alexander II. Being a series of letters addressed from Moscow and St. Petersburg to the "Daily news."

Introduction

The letters comprised in the following series are communications addressed by me, from Moscow and St. Petersburg, to the " Daily News," in my capacity of "Special Correspondent" at the coronation fetes of His Imperial Majesty Alexander the Second. They were written at periods of great excitement, and when the short space of time intervening between the termination of the festivity, and the departure of the mail, rendered anything in the way of literary composition a task of no mean difficulty. "What I saw I have endeavoured to describe ; and I believe that in the letters will be found tolerably faithful sketches of pageants, the record of which must henceforth form part of the history of Russia. The proprietors of the "Daily ]N T ews " have kindly permitted me to collect and revise them, and I have added some letters which, from one cause or another, had not been before published. Three of iv

INTRODUCTION.

them I kept back, deeming thein not sufficiently " coronation" letters to justify my intruding them on the hard-pressed columns of a morning newspaper ; and of the fourth and longest the transmitted copy miscarried through some neglect in one of the uumerous post-offices between St. Petersburg and London. I trust that, although not directly treating of the ceremonial, they will not be considered out of place, as the incidents described arose during the researches necessary for the main object of my journey.

London, October 31, IS 56.

ST. PETERSBURG. THE IZAK CHURCH. — THE WINTER PALACE.

THE STATE-CARRIAGES

Letter III

THE PRESENTATION AT PETERHOFF. THE MUJIKS. — THE

ISVODTSCHIKS. THE GREEK PRIESTS

LETTER IY.

THE NEVA. — THE ISLANDS. TSAl'SEO SELO. — THE EMPEROR'S

BATTUE OF THE THIEVES

LETTER Y.

PRINCE ESTERHAZY'S HOUSE. — THE VISITORS. — THE BLESSING OF THE APPLES. — PETERHOFF PALACE ....

LETTER VI.

MOSCOW. — THE RAILWAY JOURNEY. — THE GRAND DUKE CON- STANTINE. FIRST IMPRESSION .

LETTER YII.

(NOT BEFORE PUBLISHED.) MOSCOW. — ITS HOTELS ; THEIR COMPANY. — MONSIEUR CHOLLET vi

CONTEXTS.

LETTER YIII. page

SKETCH OP MOSCOW. — THE BOYARDS. THE PARADE OP THE

GUARDS .48

LETTER IX.

THE EMPEROR'S PUBLIC ENTRY INTO MOSCOW ... 53

LETTER X.

REVIEW OF TROOPS. — RAILWAYS IN RUSSIA. PERFORMANCE

AT THE GRAND OPERA ...... 04

LETTER XI.

THE PARADE OF THE TROOPS. — THE RECEPTION AT THE

KREMLIN. THE PROCLAMATION 70

LETTER XII.

THE CROWNING OF THE EMPEROR 77

LETTER XIII.

THE ILLUMINATIONS . . . . . . . .87

LETTER XIV.

THE SPECTACLE GALA. THE LEYEE. — LORD WODEHOUSE's

RECEPTION BY THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS. MOSCOW

CANARDS 92

LETTER XV.

MOSCOW CANARDS. LORD GRANVILLE'S HOSPITALITY. — THE

SHAM FIGHT . 98

LETTER XVI.

the merchants' dinner to the officers and soldiers. —

lady granville's ball. — the scotch piper . .105

LETTER XVII.

THE " FESTIN DU PEUPLE " Ill

CONTENTS.

Vll

LETTER XVIII. page

THE PEOPLE'S BALL AT THE KREMLIN . . . .120

LETTER XIX.

lord granville's state ball . . . . . .124

LETTER XX.

THE RUSSIAN CHASSE 126

LETTER XXI.

CONCLUSION OF THE MOSCOW FETES. — THE FIREWORKS . . 128

LETTER XXII.

MOSCOW. THE ENGLISH RESIDENTS. THE ENGLISH CHURCH,

ENGLISH GOVERNESSES. ENGLISH MANUFACTURES. — THE

TRACTIR- RUSSIAN POLICY TOWARDS THE ENGLISH . .131

LETTER XXIII.

(NOT BEFORE PUBLISHED.) THE MOSCOW RAILWAY. — THE PASSPORTS. — THE POLITE GEN- TLEMAN AT COUNT ORLOFF'S. — WAIFS AND STRAYS. — THE

MERCHANTS' DINNER. THE SERFS. POOR SKAIFFE'S

STORY. DEPARTURE 140

Appendix

THE PROGRAMME.

CEREMONIAL CONFIRMED BY HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER NICOLAIEWITCH, AUTOCRAT OF ALL THE RUSSIAS, OF HIS SOLEMN ENTRY INTO THE CAPITAL OF MOSCOW, AND HIS CORONATION.

PAGB

I. — SOLEMN ENTRY . .157

II. — PROCLAMATION OF THE CORONATION . . .160

III. — DECORATION OF THE CATHEDRAL OF THE ASSUMPTION 161

IV. — THE CORONATION CEREMONY . . . .162

E U S S I A

AT THE TIME OF

THE CORONATION OF ALEXANDER II.