Letters of a Diplomat's Wife, 1883-1900Waddington, Mary King
History
Letters of a Diplomat's Wife, 1883-1900
Waddington, Mary King
Europe -- Social life and customs
I was quite excited when we drove into the Kremlin--it is enormous,
really a city, surrounded by a great crenellated wall, with high towers
at intervals, quantities of squares, courts, churches, palaces,
barracks, terraces, etc. The view of the town from one of the terraces
overlooking the river is splendid, but the great interest is the Kremlin
itself. Numbers of gilt domes, pink and green roofs, and steeples. It
seemed to me that pink predominated, or was it merely the rose flush of
the sunset which gave a beautiful colour to everything. We saw of course
the great bell, and the tower of Ivan the Terrible (from where they told
us he surveyed massacres of hundreds of his soldiers), everywhere a
hurrying, busy crowd (though always quiet).
Thanks to our "Carte de Circulation" we pass everywhere, though stopped
at every moment. We crossed, among other things, a procession of
servants, and minor court officials, with quantities of silver dishes,
flagons, etc., some great swell's dinner being sent from the Imperial
Palace. We went from one great square to another, stopping at the Palace
where all the fetes are to be. There we found one or two Court officials
whom Mdme. Jaures knew, and they showed us as much as they could, but
everybody is "sur les dents," and nothing ready; and in spite of all the
precautions one feels that there is a strong undercurrent of nervousness.
We went to the Church de l'Assomption, where the Coronation is to take
place. There too we found officials, who showed us our places, and exactly
where the Court would be. The church is small, with a great deal of gilding
and painting. All the tribunes are ready, and what we shall feel like when
the ceremony is over I am sure I don't know. It will last about three hours
and a half, and we stand all the time. There is not a vestige of a seat in
the Tribune Diplomatique--merely a sort of rail or "barre d'appui" where
one can lean back a little.
We lingered a little on the terrace overlooking the river where there is
a fine view of the town, and came out by the Porte St. Sauveur, where
everyone, Emperor and peasant, uncovers. I was glad to get home and rest
a little before dinner, but I have had a delightful afternoon.
I will finish this evening, as the bag goes to-morrow. We had a pleasant
dinner, our personnel only, and Colonel Benckendorff, who told us all we
had to do these days. The day of the Coronation we meet at the German
Embassy (General Schweinitz, who married Anna Jay, is Doyen of the Corps
Diplomatique), and go all together to the Kremlin. The hour of
rendezvous is 8 there, and as it is quite far off, and the gala
carriages go on a walk, we must leave here at 7, and get up at Heaven
knows what hour. What do you think we will look like in full Court dress
at that hour in the morning? Our dinner was very good--wines, fruit,
etc. W. complimented Lhermite.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account