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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



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mmmtm 



Photograph by Nevin O. Winter 



PILGRIMS ON THEIR WAY TO KIEV, THE HOLY CITY OE THE UKRAINE 



According to legend, Kiev is "the mother of all the towns of Russia." It was the capital 

 of St. Vladimir, who, in the year 988, established the Greek church as the State religion. A 

 monument to this ruler was erected in the city in 1853, representing him baptising the Russian 

 people. Kiev has been a religious center since his day. 



can stop without charge. Sour black 

 bread and boiled buckwheat groats is 

 about the only food provided for this 

 class of pilgrims. 



PILGRIMS SHARE THEIR ELEAS WITH ALL 



Many peasants will travel on foot for 

 days and spend almost their last kopeck 

 for the sake of visiting this sacred mon- 

 astery in the holy city of Kiev. Sienkie- 

 wicz makes one of his principal charac- 

 ters say when faced with danger : "I shall 

 die and all my fleas with me." These 

 pilgrims certainly bring theirs with them 

 to Kiev and share them freely with any 

 one with whom they come in contact. 



It would be difficult to find a larger or 

 more varied collection of professional or 

 casual mendicants anywhere than congre- 

 gate here at Kiev during the pilgrimage 

 period. Dressed in rags and wretched- 

 ness, these mendicants expose revolting 

 sores and horrible deformities in order 



to excite sympathy. Some appear to en- 

 joy vested rights in particular locations. 

 Many might be classed as pious beggars 

 and have an almost apostolic appearance, 

 with their long beards and quiet bearing. 

 All of them may be worthy objects of 

 charity, but the Russian beggars are most 

 importunate. 



RUSSIAN PEASANTS EXTREMELY 

 CHARITABLE 



The Russians themselves are very char- 

 itable toward the unfortunate class. Poor 

 peasants, themselves clothed in rags, will 

 share their little with those poorer than 

 themselves. 



A foreigner, knowing the poverty of 

 the people and the inadequacy of public 

 relief, cannot but feel kindly disposed 

 toward those who are really helpless. 

 Here, as elsewhere, however, it is difficult 

 to distinguish between the unworthy and 

 the deserving. 



