OFFICIAL LIFE IN ST. PETERSBURG -1892-1894 109 



many of the visits thus made were perfunctory and te 

 dious, some were especially gratifying. My rule was, 

 after office hours in the afternoon, to get into the open 

 sledge ; to make my visits ; and as a result, of course, to 

 see and hear a vast deal of frivolity and futility, but, from 

 time to time, more important things. 



The entertainments given by wealthy Russian nobles 

 to the diplomatic corps were by no means so frequent 

 or so lavish as of old. Two reasons were assigned for 

 this, one being the abolition of the serf system, which had 

 impoverished the nobility, and the other the fact that 

 the Emperor Alexander III had set the fashion of paying 

 less attention to foreigners than had formerly been the 

 custom. 



The main hospitalities, so far as the Emperor and Em 

 press were concerned, were the great festivities at the 

 Winter Palace, beginning on the Russian New Year s 

 day, which was twelve days later than ours. The scene 

 was most brilliant. The vast halls were filled with civil 

 and military officials from all parts of the empire, in the 

 most gorgeous costumes, an especially striking effect 

 being produced by the caftans, or long coats, of the 

 various Cossack regiments, the armor and helmets of the 

 Imperial Guards, and the old Russian costumes of the 

 ladies. All of the latter, on this occasion, from the Em 

 press down, wore these costumes : there was great variety 

 in these ; but their main features were the kakoshniks, or 

 ornamental crowns, and the tunics in bright colors. 



The next of these great ceremonies at the Winter Palace 

 was the blessing of the waters upon the 8th of January. 

 The diplomatic corps and other guests were allowed to 

 take their places at the palace windows looking out over 

 the Neva, and thence could see the entire procession, 

 which, having gone down the ambassadors staircase, ap 

 peared at a temple which had been erected over an open 

 ing in the ice of the river. The Emperor, the grand 

 dukes, and the Archbishop of St. Petersburg, with his suf 

 fragan bishops, all took part in this ceremonial ; and the 



