RUSSIA. 



Russia, demands upon the sheep, the calves, the hens, the 

 -Y""' chickens, the eggs, the milk, the cream, and the ve- 

 getables of their peasants ; and at times they contrive 

 that their people shall make presents of these articles to 

 them. The starost, or elder of the village, knowing 

 the wants of his master, counsels the vassals to offer of 

 their own accord what they know may be taken from 

 them. Sometimes less ceremony is used, and an order 

 is sent to each peasant of a village to produce forty or 

 fifty eggs, get them where he likes, so that his lord 

 may have abundance to prepare for the grand festival 

 at Easter ; when, according to the custom of the coun- 

 try, boiled and stained eggs are presented to friends, 

 and even to every individual who enters another's 

 house, however low may be his rank. Even the coarse 

 linen, which is made by most of the females in the 

 village, is sometimes shamefully pillaged, or asked un- 

 der various pretences. The lot of the peasants of the 

 richer nobles, as those of most of the Sheremetefs, the 

 Galitsins, the Dolgorukiis, the Orlofs, &c. seems as 

 much to be envied by common people, as that of most 

 of those belonging to the very poor nobles is to be 

 pitied. What a difference is frequently remarked be- 

 tween adjoining villages which belong to different 

 proprietors. In some > indignation is roused at the 

 sight of man oppressed by his fellow-man ; in others, 

 delight is excited with the parental care of the noble 

 proprietor. Even the prejudiced and gloomy Dr. 

 Clarke observed, that the system of slavery in Russia, 

 like many t)ther evils, may sometimes be productive 

 of good. If the nobleman is benevolent, his slaves are 

 happy ; for by him they are fed, clothed, and lodged. 

 In sickness they are attended, and in old age they find 

 an asylum. In case of accidents from fire, if a whole 

 village is burned, the nobleman must find wood to re- 

 build it. 



To a Briton, a state of vassalage, though coupled 

 with all the comforts and pleasures of the world, can- 

 not but be regarded with the most painful emotions. 

 But in a country where, by the doom of nature, sla- 

 very is the portion of the greatest part of the people, 

 it is some consolation to find their condition even toler- 

 able. The civil, the moral, and the religious state of 

 the peasantry may easily be inferred from what we 

 have said respecting the nobles, the clergy, and the 

 merchants, and the statements now made; their vas- 

 salage, ignorance, and superstition, their customs, man- 

 ners, and mode of life ; and their dress, houses, occu- 

 pations and amusements, all merit attention from the 

 traveller. Their happy organization, hardiness, and 

 sensuality, are very remarkable ; and their improvi- 

 dence, cheerfulness, and propensity to inebriety, as 

 well as their national dances and songs, are quite cha- 

 racteristic. They are in the first or agricultural stage 

 of civilization ; they are therefore not in a state of bar- 

 barism ; neither are they civilized, but they are mak- 

 ing progress towards civilization, especially to the imi- 

 tative stage. In Russia, where, comparatively speak- 

 ing, so many manufactures, arts, and trades are carried 

 on by the natives, to supply the necessities and luxuries 

 of the civilized and polite part of society, the genius 

 of improvement, though shackled by slavery and des- 

 potism, must be in activity. " What a contrast," says 

 Lyall, " between the nomad tribes of Tartary, or the 

 savage mountaineers of the Kaucasus, and the tranquil 

 Russian boors, who till their own and their master's 

 land, who tend their flocks and herds in the same spot 

 from year to year, who are governed by laws, in some 



degree suited to their moral state, and who go on in Russia. 

 the same beaten path of religion from birth to death !" v ~-v<~*~ / 

 The former are in a state of barbarism ; the latter have 

 assuredly quitted its precincts, and, it is to be hoped, 

 under the generous auspices of the present sovereign ; 

 they will march forward with a steady pace toward that 

 elevated state of highly civilized society from which 

 they are far separated. 



RELIGION AND BIBLE SOCIETIES. 



Religion. The established religion of Russia is that Religion 

 of the Greek church; the principles of which are ex- a nd t5i!>le 

 plained under CHURCH, Greek, and therefore we shall Societies 

 not enter into them here. The church of Russia, by 

 way of distinction, is often called the Russo-Greek 

 church ; but the difference of the ceremonies are so 

 slight as not to require particular enumeration. Of 

 the genius of the Greek religion we have already 

 spoken, under the head Character of the Russians, in 

 so far as it regards this people. As the following in- 

 formation contains much novelty, and throws great 

 light upon the state of religion in Russia at present, as 

 well as of the Bible Societies, we shall make no apo- 

 logy for making use of it. 



An immense variety of images are worshipped in the 

 Russo-Greek church. About 150 different images of 

 the Virgin Mary alone, are well known in the Russian 

 empire. They are named after some town, as the mo- 

 ther of God of Jerusalem, of Kazan, of Vladimir, of 

 Smolensk, of the Don, &c. LyalFs Character of Ihz 

 Russians, and Detailed History of Moscow, p. 156'. 

 These paintings are used as ornaments of the churches, 

 or as objects of reverence in the national faith. Lyall, 

 in the work just referred to, has given numerous ac- 

 counts of these images in the churches of Moscow, as 

 well as in the interior of the empire, which excite both 

 curiosity and interest. 



It has been pretended by native divines, that the 

 Russians " do not attempt to draw upon the canvass a 

 representation of the unseen and incomprehensible 

 God, whom we never can represent ;" but this state- 

 ment is contradicted by facts, for almost every church 

 in Russia is adorned with pictures or images of the 

 Lord God of Sabao'th, or of the Holy Trinity. In 

 Ly all's work, various views are given of the different 

 manners the invisible Lord of Hosts has been re- 

 presented, which, as that writer hss observed, enable 

 us to estimate what ridiculous flights the unguided 

 imagination, and the impious pencil have made among 

 the sublimest subjects which can occupy the thoughts 

 of man. 



It has also been attempted to show the difference 

 beween an " affectionate salutation" to the pictures, 

 and the reverence or adoration of them. But this is a 

 distinction which not one in ten, perhaps in twenty of 

 the nobles observes, and which assuredly is unknown 

 among the illiterate peasants who form the mass of the 

 population of the empire, and who entertain the high- 

 est superstitious and idolatrous ideas about those pic- 

 tures, as well about the mostchi, or relics, and the powers 

 of departed saints. The general impression, therefore, 

 both upon ancient and modern authors, from different 

 countries of Europe, seems to have been, that most of 

 the Russians were, and are idolaters. Dr. Lyall thus 

 expresses himself on this point. " If the worship of pic- 

 tures be reckoned idolatry, and contrary to the second 

 commandment, as is the case in my humble opinion, 

 I fear no defence can be offered against the propriety 



