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.
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.