GLIMPSES OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE 



1075 



the said tall man's arm. But if near 

 enough, one will hear a slight click and 

 perhaps notice a suppressed smile as the 

 bold man with the kodak moves toward 

 his next victims (see page 1068). 



One of the conspicuous types of people 

 attending the races is the Caucasian, 

 wearing his peculiar garb. 



The Irish sportsman's exclamation on 

 his first sight of a dude, "Phat strange 

 things one does see when he hasn't a 

 gun," fairly expressed our sentiments at 

 the first glimpse we had of the ladies, 

 bearing on their heads the enormous in- 

 verted washtub hats at the Russian race 

 track. We thought as we snapped the 

 kodak on them that we had secured a 

 view which at home would rank in point 

 of interest with those of an ancient tem- 

 ple or an Indian war dance. Since our 

 return home, however, these head cover- 

 ings have become so commonly worn that 

 for the time being our highly prized 

 picture has lost the novelty, which will 

 probably return to it as years roll by and 

 civilization and reason obtain a stronger 

 foothold. The rapid evolution of ladies' 

 bonnets since our departure is well de- 

 scribed in the little rhyme : 



"Mary had a little hat, 



Not bigger than a stopper; 

 Mary soon got rid of that ; 

 Her present hat's a whopper." 



"ths city against nature;" 



To visit Russia without seeing St. 

 Petersburg, which has been so appro- 

 priately termed "The city against nature," 

 would be cause for genuine regret. 



Although nearly two centuries have 

 passed since the active career of Peter I 

 closed, the very atmosphere of St. Peters- 

 burg is still filled with reminders of his 

 great achievements. It is impossible to 

 comprehend the obstacles overcome by 

 the builder of this massive city, situated 

 as it is at the confluence of the great 

 River Neva with the Gulf of Finland, 

 almost within the Arctic circle and on 

 a marsh half under water and scarcely 

 above the level of the sea. The outlay 

 for labor and capital to bring logs from 

 the mainland and drive them into the 

 mud one on top of another, forming the 

 foundation on which to build, cost an 



amount sufficient in itself to complete a 

 town of considerable size. 



The building of the city of St. Peters- 

 burg under these conditions is alone a 

 warrant for the title "Great," given to 

 its indefatigable founder, had he not 

 earned it by his skill and perseverance 

 as a ruler, or been entitled to it on ac- 

 count of his physical proportions. While 

 history acknowledges Peter the Great the 

 creator of modern Russia, no other act 

 of this wonderful man more forcibly 

 illustrates his persevering energy than his 

 wresting from the waters the site of this 

 great city. 



saint Isaac's cathe;dral 



From either approach to this Imperial 

 City the most noticeable object is the 

 great gilt dome of Saint Isaac's Cathe- 

 dral, which raises its spire 336 feet above 

 the ground (see page 1069). Although 

 not as distinctly Oriental as Saint Sav- 

 iour's, of Moscow, it impresses one es- 

 pecially with the grandeur of its propor- 

 tions. Every outline is indicative of 

 simplicity as well as of permanence. Its 

 massive walls, like the entire city, rest 

 upon stilts. 



The pile foundation of the Cathedral 

 alone cost one million dollars, and the 

 total cost of the edifice is estimated to 

 have been over $16,000,000. About 56 

 years were required in its building. Its 

 form is that of a Greek cross. It has at 

 each of its four corners an enormous 

 portico in imitation of the Pantheon at 

 Rome, supported by single stone pillars 

 60 feet in height ; 200 pounds of pure 

 gold is said to have been used to gild its 

 dome and cross. 



Into the construction of no other build- 

 ing known to us has such a lavish quan- 

 tity of semi-precious stones entered. 

 These include a chancel rail of pure ala- 

 baster and ten columns 30 feet high of 

 malachite, besides others of lapislazuli 

 costing $30,000 each. 



At the service which we attended the 

 large auditorium was well filled, without 

 any distinction being made as to class, 

 the rich and the poor standing or pros- 

 trating themselves side by side. We, as 

 visitors, were assigned seats on the raised 

 platform inside the rail and next to one 

 of the antiphonal choirs. In the same 



