46 SIBERIA IN EUROPE. chap. v. 



But the most extraordinary feature of their religion is that 

 it forbids the use of potatoes as food. They are said not to 

 be very diligent in their attendance at church nor to be very 

 much under the control of their priests, holding the doctrine 

 that every man should be a priest in his own house, and 

 should conduct divine worship there. Our host was very 

 exemplary in this respect when he was sober, having an 

 excellent religious library, and we often heard him and his 

 family chanting Slavonic prayers. One of his books was a 

 Slavonic MS., dating about 1740, and profusely illustrated 

 with full-page coloured drawings, very carefully executed, 

 although somewhat stiff. It appeared to be the history of 

 some of the saints of the Greek Church. I tried very hard 

 to buy this book, but nothing would induce M. Boulegan to 

 part with it. In a corner of every Russian room is a sacred 

 picture or " eekon," before which every one on entering the 

 room bows and crosses himself several times before speaking 

 to the host. Some of these pictures are very old, being 

 handed down from generation to generation, and sometimes 

 there is quite a collection of these " eekona," varied with brass 

 and enamel triptychs of various ages and merit. Every 

 peasant wears a silver or bronze cross. Some of these are of 

 exquisitely delicate workmanship, frequently ornamented 

 with enamel, and occasionally set with jewels. On the back 

 of many of these crosses are elaborate Slavonic inscriptions; 

 A wonderful fertility of resource is found in the designs of 

 these crosses, which are always chaste and artistic, never 

 florid in the ornamentation or wanting in harmony of parts. 

 The great centre of all this religious art is, we were informed. 



