Russian Life To-day

My first inclination, when the entirely unexpected proposal of the Publishers came to me to write this book, was immediately to decline. There are so many well-known writers on Russia, whose books are an unfailing pleasure and source of information, that it seemed to me to be nothing less than presumption to add to their number. But when I was assured that there seems to be a great desire just now for a book which, as the Publishers expressed it, "should not attempt an elaborate sketch of the country, nor any detailed description of its system of government and administration, or any exhaustive study of the Russian Church, and yet should give the impressions of a sympathetic observer of some of the chief aspects of Russian Life which are likely to appeal to an English Churchman," I felt that I might venture to attempt it.

It has been given to me to get to understand thoroughly from close and intimate knowledge the commercial development of Siberia by our countrymen; and yet everywhere, both there and in Russia proper, I have to go to every place specially and primarily to give the ministrations of religion. It can be permitted to few, if any, to see those two sides of the life of a great and growing Empire at the same time. This has been my reason, therefore, for undertaking this small effort, and my object is to give, as the Publishers expressed it, "personal impressions." I hope my readers will accept this book, therefore, as an impressionist description of Russian life of to-day, of which it would have been quite impossible to keep personal experiences from forming an important part. And though I write as an English Churchman, yet I wish to speak, and I trust in no narrow spirit, to the whole religious public, that I may draw them more closely into intelligent sympathy with this great nation which has seemed to come so suddenly, unexpectedly, and intimately into our own national life and destiny--and I believe as a friend.

HERBERT BURY, Bishop.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. RUSSIA'S GREAT SPACES 1

II. GENERAL SOCIAL LIFE 21

III. THE PEASANTRY 46

IV. THE CLERGY 71

V. RELIGIOUS LIFE AND WORSHIP 95

VI. HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE TSAR 118

VII. A PATERNAL GOVERNMENT 139

VIII. THE STEPPES 162

IX. RUSSIA'S PROBLEM 186

X. THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN RUSSIA 205

XI. THE JEWS 228

XII. OUR COUNTRYMEN IN THE EMPIRE 248

INDEX 268

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE TSAR Frontispiece

RUSSIA'S GREAT SPACES--WINTER facing page 4

RUSSIA'S GREAT SPACES--SUMMER " " 8

THE KREMLIN " " 21

THE GATE OF THE REDEEMER, MOSCOW " " 29

A WELL-CLAD COACHMAN " " 33

A VILLAGE SCENE " " 46

THE METROPOLITAN OF MOSCOW " " 71

THE CONVENT AT EKATERINBURG, SIBERIA " " 78

THE ABBESS MAGDALENA " " 84

THE RUSSIAN PRIEST AT SPASSKY " " 90

S. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL, PETROGRAD " " 95

INTERIOR OF A RUSSIAN CHURCH " " 102

THE CATHEDRAL AT RIGA " " 112

HER IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE TSARITSA " " 118

HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS THE TSAREVITCH ALEXEI " " 125

HER IMPERIAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUCHESS ELIZABETH, THE FRIEND OF THE POOR " " 139

CHARACTERISTIC GROUP OF RUSSIANS " " 144

A GROUP OF RUSSIAN PEASANTS " " 152

CONSECRATION OF BURIAL GROUND IN THE SIBERIAN STEPPES " " 162

OUTSIDE A KIRGHIZ UERTA " " 166

TARANTASS WITH ITS TROIKA FOR THE STEPPES " " 170

INSIDE A KIRGHIZ UERTA " " 180

RUSSIAN SERVICE AT THE ATBAZAR MINE " " 186

A CLASS OF RUSSIAN STUDENTS WITH TEACHER " " 195

THE ENGLISH CHURCH OF S. ANDREW, MOSCOW " " 205

THE BISHOP AND RUSSIAN CHAUFFEUR " " 216

THE BRITISH COMMUNITY AT ATBAZAR, SIBERIA " " 224

THE ARCHBISHOP OF WARSAW " " 228

A POLISH JEW " " 236

CAMELS AT WORK--SUMMER " " 256

CAMELS AT WORK--WINTER " " 262

MAP at end

RUSSIAN LIFE TO-DAY

CHAPTER I

RUSSIA'S GREAT SPACES

I will begin my opening chapter by explaining how I come to have the joy and privilege of travelling far and wide, as I have done, in the great Russian Empire. I go there as Assistant Bishop to the Bishop of London, holding a commission from him as bishop in charge of Anglican work in North and Central Europe.

It may seem strange that Anglican work in that distant land should be directly connected with the Diocese of London, but the connection between them, and between all the countries of Northern and Central Europe, as far as our Church of England work is concerned, is of long standing. It dates from the reign of Charles I, and from an Order in Council which was passed in 1633, and placed the congregations of the Church of England in all foreign countries at that time under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of London "as their Diocesan." It may be remembered that when the present Bishop of London went to Washington some years ago he took with him some interesting documents which he had found in the library at Fulham Palace, and which were connected with the time when Church work in the United States looked to London for superintendence and episcopal leadership. These he handed over to the custody of the Episcopal Church of America, knowing how interested that Church would be to possess them, and to keep them amongst other historical records.