登陆注册
5382300000072

第72章 CHAPTER XI(1)

LORD NOVGOROD THE GREAT

Departure from Ivanofka and Arrival at Novgorod--The Eastern Half of the Town--The Kremlin--An Old Legend--The Armed Men of Rus--The Northmen--Popular Liberty in Novgorod--The Prince and the Popular Assembly--Civil Dissensions and Faction-fights-- The Commercial Republic Conquered by the Muscovite Tsars--Ivan the Terrible--

Present Condition of the Town--Provincial Society--Card-playing--

Periodicals--"Eternal Stillness."

Country life in Russia is pleasant enough in summer or in winter, but between summer and winter there is an intermediate period of several weeks when the rain and mud transform a country-house into something very like a prison. To escape this durance vile I

determined in the month of October to leave Ivanofka, and chose as my headquarters for the next few months the town of Novgorod--the old town of that name, not to be confounded with Nizhni Novgorod--

i.e., Lower Novgorod, on the Volga--where the great annual fair is held.

For this choice there were several reasons. I did not wish to go to St. Petersburg or Moscow, because I foresaw that in either of those cities my studies would certainly be interrupted. In a quiet, sleepy provincial town I should have much more chance of coming in contact with people who could not speak fluently any West-European languages, and much better opportunities for studying native life and local administration. Of the provincial capitals, Novgorod was the nearest, and more interesting than most of its rivals; for it has had a curious history, much older than that of St. Petersburg or even of Moscow, and some traces of its former greatness are still visible. Though now a town of third-rate importance--a mere shadow of its former self--it still contains about 21,000 inhabitants, and is the administrative centre of the large province in which it is situated.

About eighty miles before reaching St. Petersburg the Moscow railway crosses the Volkhof, a rapid, muddy river which connects Lake Ilmen with Lake Ladoga. At the point of intersection I got on board a small steamer and sailed up stream towards Lake Ilmen for about fifty miles. The journey was tedious, for the country was flat and monotonous, and the steamer, though it puffed and snorted inordinately, did not make more than nine knots. Towards sunset Novgorod appeared on the horizon. Seen thus at a distance in the soft twilight, it seemed decidedly picturesque. On the east bank lay the greater part of the town, the sky line of which was agreeably broken by the green roofs and pear-shaped cupolas of many churches. On the opposite bank rose the Kremlin. Spanning the river was a long, venerable stone bridge, half hidden by a temporary wooden one, which was doing duty for the older structure while the latter was being repaired. A cynical fellow-passenger assured me that the temporary structure was destined to become permanent, because it yielded a comfortable revenue to certain officials, but this sinister prediction has not been verified.

The journey would now be made by rail, but the branch line which runs near the bank of the river had not been constructed at that time.

That part of Novgorod which lies on the eastern bank of the river, and in which I took up my abode for several months, contains nothing that is worthy of special mention. As is the case in most Russian towns, the streets are straight, wide, and ill-paved, and all run parallel or at right angles to each other. At the end of the bridge is a spacious market-place, flanked on one side by the Town-house. Near the other side stand the houses of the Governor and of the chief military authority of the district. The only other buildings of note are the numerous churches, which are mostly small, and offer nothing that is likely to interest the student of architecture. Altogether this part of the town is unquestionably commonplace. The learned archaeologist may detect in it some traces of the distant past, but the ordinary traveller will find little to arrest his attention.

If now we cross over to the other side of the river, we are at once confronted by something which very few Russian towns possess--a kremlin, or citadel. This is a large and slightly-elevated enclosure, surrounded by high brick walls, and in part by the remains of a moat. Before the days of heavy artillery these walls must have presented a formidable barrier to any besieging force, but they have long ceased to have any military significance, and are now nothing more than an historical monument. Passing through the gateway which faces the bridge, we find ourselves in a large open space. To the right stands the cathedral--a small, much-

venerated church, which can make no pretensions to architectural beauty--and an irregular group of buildings containing the consistory and the residence of the Archbishop. To the left is a long symmetrical range of buildings containing the Government offices and the law courts. Midway between this and the cathedral, in the centre of the great open space, stands a colossal monument, composed of a massive circular stone pedestal and an enormous globe, on and around which cluster a number of emblematic and historical figures. This curious monument, which has at least the merit of being original in design, was erected in 1862, in commemoration of Russia's thousandth birthday, and is supposed to represent the history of Russia in general and of Novgorod in particular during the last thousand years. It was placed here because Novgorod is the oldest of Russian towns, and because somewhere in the surrounding country occurred the incident which is commonly recognised as the foundation of the Russian Empire. The incident in question is thus described in the oldest chronicle:

同类推荐
  • 洞玄灵宝太上真人问疾经

    洞玄灵宝太上真人问疾经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • OLIVER TWIST

    OLIVER TWIST

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 寄婺州温郎中

    寄婺州温郎中

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 闽县乡土志

    闽县乡土志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches

    The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 中华歇后语鉴赏

    中华歇后语鉴赏

    本书搜集整理了近1200条歇后语,从出处、注释、语义、故事等方面加以介绍。
  • 渣男别跑

    渣男别跑

    有厌女症的男主,在祖父的安排下被许多选出来的女孩围绕,因为厌恶,萧焱德德作弄了那些女孩,却惹怒了女主杜笑笑,倔强个性的女主主动跳下飞机,与此同时还将男主一起拉了下去,两个人开始了丛林冒险,另一方面男主的家族则在派出各路人马去找寻两人的下落,并同时调查女主的身份。
  • Julia's Cats
  • 难言之隐 (外二篇)

    难言之隐 (外二篇)

    他走了,把毛鸡留了下来。霏看它一直想用嘴啄竹篾,以为它饿了,去捉四脚蛇给它吃。但是它不吃,整晚一直凄切地叫个不停,微弱的叫声就像一滴滴血一样传到惹寺村。霏打开笼子的门,毛鸡乱拍翅膀,它站在面前非常忧伤地看着霏,好像在说,“为什么你坐在这儿,我老爸在哪儿?”霏愁闷地笑了,我多么希望自己晓得他现在在哪儿啊。他看我忧愁,所以把你留下,但是以后那个瘦小的老头忧伤了,谁叫给他听呢?在那之后,六岭大爷从来没有回来过。在那之后,茫茫人海中,霏又结识了许多新面孔,和他们一起开玩笑,唱歌给他们听,一起举杯喝酒一直到醉……但是再没有谁提醒他去剪头发,没有谁对他说:男人怎么留长头发呢。人海啊,如此茫茫无际……
  • 冷王商妃

    冷王商妃

    爱财腹黑的神偷丁思,因飞机失事,坑爹的小命玩完!魂穿到被活活饿死的丞相府懦弱嫡女丁思玥身上。再次睁眼,脱胎换骨!且看她护生母,整二娘,斗嫡妹,耍庶妹——誓要丞相府后宅变个样!再看她开酒楼,办银楼,创商行,建钱庄,玩的风生水起——谁说女子就只能乖乖呆在家?“姑娘家抛头露面,终归不好。商女焉能嫁贵胄为嫡妻?玥儿莫要再糊涂了。”“玥儿只愿一生一世一双人。否则,宁可不嫁。”众人纷纷摇头。此乃妄言!且不论她出外经商,不安于室。现今,哪个有身份的男子不三妻四妾?她如此固执,即便她是丞相府嫡女,怕也是嫁不到好人家了!然————俊美如俦的毅亲王轩辕毅!他战功赫赫,兵权在握,权倾朝野,却独独为她倾心。为她倾展温柔。助她羽翼更丰。更许她一生一世一双人!【且看风华绝世的冷面王爷如何极宠,溺宠,独宠来自异世灵魂的商界小王妃】
  • 无双七绝(4)

    无双七绝(4)

    春秋吴越争霸,贤臣文种忠而被诛,绝世奇冤,终酿成千年后武林惊世之争。范蠡设下一局“国破山河在”,以悼亡友,却为武林留下了千古奇谜。宁勿缺一介文弱,却以满腹经纶,赢得绝世武学与奇物血蝉。几番山穷水尽,几番柳暗花明,终洞悉惊天阴谋,在功尽人废之时,凭其天赋奇禀,临阵悟出至高武学,力挽狂澜。
  • 大总裁的出逃妻

    大总裁的出逃妻

    温馨霸宠第二季(本文喜剧)男人,三十如狼,四十如虎。就是在这样危险的年龄段,他遇到了他这一生爱得最痴的女人。他在电梯里强吻她,她走出电梯便收到异样的眼光。他故意在她身上留下欲的痕迹,偷偷的扯出她的上衣,解掉她的内衣纽扣。而她竟然浑然不觉。他巴不得天下人都知道,他们两个有一腿,她生怕被人发现,她和他有丁点关系。即使都上了床,他们还在耍心机。“佑寒,你知道的,我有心脏病,不能剧烈运动。”某人奸笑:“那好,你躺着别动,我来就行。”这还了得,岂不被他吃干抹净。于是房间内传来一阵乒乒乓乓的激烈战斗声。他腹黑,加无赖,动不动还要耍流氓行为。她可以和他云雨,但是隔天就翻脸不认人。他要把他骗回家,骗上床,骗进婚姻的坟墓。她可以做他的情人,做他的女伴,就是不能做他朝夕相处的妻子。因为,他不知道,他其实还有个酷酷的儿子,只是,儿子不认他这个老爹。所以她,不能和他结婚。楚墨寒篇:是个母亲都想要个这样的儿子。他楚佑寒的儿子(养子)被墨寒欺负了,楚佑寒气势汹汹的杀到学校,要求校长严惩“凶手”。于是就有了如下对话:楚佑寒:“你爸呢?”“死了。”墨寒说。“那你妈妈呢?”“跟你这样的人也没有什么好见的。”墨寒说。楚佑寒气的够呛,“跟我道歉!”墨寒抬头,“要我跟你道歉可以,你必须先给我妈妈道歉。”楚佑寒觉得孩子的逻辑大人好难懂。。。。。。得知是自己的亲生儿子时,楚佑寒跟诗情撒娇:“诗情,多给儿子讲一些有关我的正面优点……”“可是儿子认为你是抛妻弃子的恶人。”“告诉他那时候我也有无奈嘛!”柳诗情看着他,“你是挺无赖的。”楚佑寒鬼精灵的问:“你说的这个无赖怎么写的?”“不就写在你的脸上嘛。”……佑寒:“我家儿子挺鬼的嘛!”诗情嗔怪:“还不是像你。”“像我好,像我有媳妇疼!还能从天而降个酷儿子。”徐风华篇章她为报复前夫的无情,为踩到狐狸精,更为了夺回受虐待的儿子,她当了他的情妇,床伴,诱惑他在他家里,楼梯上,车里,旅馆的床上与她云雨。誓死打败狐狸精,夺回儿子的抚养权。袁天辰篇“王晓岚,你也太心黑了吧?如果你没有打定主意要跟我就该十年前提前通知我一声,我这等你都浪费了大半生的光阴,现在人老珠黄,哪里还有人要?”王晓岚:我从来没有说过要跟你结婚的,我只记得我说过我看见你就烦。
  • 良辰美景与君说

    良辰美景与君说

    莫然怎么也没想到,她会再一次遇见罗承锡;但却是在另一个时空,另一种身份.........
  • 坠入星河只为你

    坠入星河只为你

    她从小学习大提琴,不爱说话,每天除了学习就是练琴,父母禁止她做任何家务。他被同学叫面瘫,魔术高手,但只要是女生靠近他,他会立刻跟那个女生拉开三米距离。而这样两个不喜说话的人在同一所高中,刚开学时两个人被分到同一个班,还成了同桌,更不为人知的是,林柯就住在余洛家。不爱说话的大提琴小姐vs面瘫的魔术师先生“余洛,我帮你改作业。”“余洛,能不能借我看一下你的作文?”“余洛,你能教我拉大提琴吗?”她依旧不爱说话,他却让人大跌眼镜。什么鬼!更令人吃惊的是,她还同意了他的要求。不正常,不正常
  • 活力:稻盛和夫的人生经营法

    活力:稻盛和夫的人生经营法

    稻盛和夫第一本人生经营书。我们每个人都是创业者,这个创业项目,就叫“人生”。只有一次的投资机会,你要怎么抓住?在富裕时代里成长的一代,物质需求充分被满足的这一代,我想应该很难有“无论如何也要克服这个困难”“一定要跨越这个障碍”的想法,相应地也会欠缺创造性和挑战的勇气……然而在这样一个风云变幻的世界里,一个不随波逐流,不被环境左右、孤注一掷地对一切苦难怒目圆睁喝出“你算哪根葱”的坚强精神尤为重要,即,我们必须要有“斗志”,我们必须要有“活力”。