Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/58

* MOSCOW. 46 MOSCOW. The second capital and historical- ly tin- most tanious city of the Russian Empire, capital of the military district and government of the same name, and the second largest city of Russia. It is situated on the river Moskva (a tributary of the Oka) in latitude 55° 45' X., and longitude 37° 37' E.. 400 miles southeast of Saint Petersburg, at an altitude of from 500 to 850 feet above the level of the sea (Map: Russia, K 3). It liius a rather cold climate, the annual tempera- ture being 39° F., ranging from a mean of 12° in January to (i6° in .Jul}-. The city is irregularly built. On the northern bank of the river rises the Krendin. the acropolis of old Moscow, for man}- centuries the centre of the political and religious life of Russia and still the most venerated place in the heart of every Russian. It was the nucleus of the modern city and contained in the early periods of the history of Moscow the palace of the Czar, the chief cliurchos and monasteries, and the palaces of the nobility. As the city developed, the mer- chants and the numerous artisans began to settle outside of the walls. Tluis grew up the commer- cial quarter east of the Kremlin, known as the Kitai Ciorod (Chinatown), still constituting the commercial centre of Moscow, and numerous small communities independent in their internal admin- istration and composed mostly of members of the same trade. These divisions are still retained to a large extent in the parishes into which the city is divided. They were subsequently grouped to- gether and surrounded by walls, and now form the Byely Gorod (white town), siirrounding the Kremlin and the Kitai Gorod, and the Zenilyanoi (Jorod (earthen town), inclosing all the above- mentioned quarters as well as Zamoskvoryetchye on the soulhcni bank of the river. There is also a fourtli inclosure(KramerKollezh, earthen wall) surrounding the outer parts of the city and form- ing the limits of Moscow proper. Only tli(> walls of the Kremlin and of the Kitai Gorod have been preserved, all others having been converted into boulevards and avenues. See Kl!E.lUN for illus- tration. Although one of the oldest cities of Russia, Moscow has pres<'rved comparatively few archi- tectural monuments outside of its churches and nnon.asteries, most of the old buildings having perished in the destructive conllagrations which figure so prominently in the history of the city. With the iul roduction of Western civilizati(]n into Russia by Peter the (!reat ami his successors, the Russian style of architecture gradually dis- appeared in connection with the swular and pri- vate buildings, and the application of Western standards not infrequently produced very peculiar results. I'nder Alexander II. a revival of Rus- sian architecture was inaugurated and a num- ber of successful restorations have been accom- plis'ied. The chief interest of Moscow, as alreaily stated, is centred in the Kremlin, both for its hi^toriial associations ami for its churches ami monasteries with their semi-barbaric splendor and curious architecture. The Kremlin is nearly tri- angular in shape and surrounded by a wall about a mile and a half long. The wall is svirmonnted by 18 towers and pierced by .') gates, among which is the Spasskiya Vorota (fiate of the Saviour) — one of the most revered historical places of Russia, and associated with many of the chief events of national histiirv. Within the walls of the Kremlin, the inost famous edifice is the Uspenski MOSCOW. Sobor (Cathedral of the Assumption), in which all the Russian monarchs since Ivan IV. have been crowned. The present building was erected by Arislotele Fioraventi in the tifteenth century on the site of an older church founded in' 132(3. It is Londjardo-Iiyzantine in style, with Indian cupolas. The .semi-dark interi(n- is adorned with numerous icons, covered with gems and precious metals. They are of great antiijuity, one of them being attributed to Saint Luke. The treasury of the cathedral, one of the richest in Russia, con- tains many valuable liibles, manuscripts, and sacred vessels, as well as numerous relics of saints. The Cathedral of Saint Jlichael the Arch- angel is the former burial place of the Russian monarchs. It dates in its present form from the beginning of the sixteenth century and is sur- mounted by five domes, the central one being of gilt. The interior is richly decorated and its walls are covered with the portraits of the Russian mon- archs interred there. In the partly Gothic Cathe- dral of the Ascension, founded in iS'J", the walls and the thick pillars are covered with portraits of saints and Greek philosophers, and the lloor is made of semi-precious stones of various colors. One of the sights of the Kremlin is the tower of Ivan the Great, 322 feet high and crowned by a gilt dome; it contains 34 bells, weigh- ing altogether aliout 580.000 pounds. In former- times the Kremlin contained numerous monas- teries and convent9,of which only a few have been retained. The most interesting of these are the Alaidon Convent, for centuries the burial place of the Russian princesses, and the Tchudov Mon- astery, an institution of great historical im- portance and a great factor in the devcdopment of ecclesiastical learning in Russia. Xear the Tower of Ivan the Great stand two objects very famous in Russia. One is the Czar Bell, cast in 1735, and now resting on a stone pedestal. Part of the bell, broken oil' during the fire of 1737, lies near by. It is over (iO feet in circumference around the rim. 19 feet high, and weighs nearly 199 tons. The other, near the Museum of .rms, is the Czar Cannon, cast in 1580, and weighing nearly 40 tons. The palaces of the Kremlin are mostly modern, and only a few portions of the old abode of the Russian mimarchs have sur- vived. The great [lalace. finished in 1819. is a. va.st building of white stone with a gilt cupola, and possessing numerous magnificent halls de- voted to the dili'ereiit orders of Russia. Attached to it are the living rooms of the old Russian rulers, known as the Terem, and dating from the seventeenth century. They are of great .irehi- tectural value and well preserved. Connected with the palace are the old banquet hall known as Granovitaya Palata. with its red stoop, from which Russian monarchs used to address the populace: and the Oruzheijnaya Palata (hall of arms), containing immense treasures in the form of crowns, scc])tres. thrones, costumes, banners, armor, gold and silver plate, carriages, etc. The j)alace of thi; patriarch, built by Nikon in 1(155. lias one of the most valuable libraries in Russia, and a treasury of fabulous wealth. The arsenal of the Kremlin is one of the largest in the worM. The Kitai (!orod. adjoining the Kremlin, also lias many historical associations. Kspecially noteworthy is the Red Square, used repeatedly as a camp by the besieging Mongols, as a forum by the Russian monarchs, and as a place of