The Story of Moscow

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preference against Slavonic peoples in the west. His chief delight was in building: churches, monasteries, city-walls, palaces-none of these came amiss to him; he constructed some of all, leaving Moscow much stronger, richer and more beautiful than he found it. He made the most of such services as the Italian masters could render, but in those times, all that was done in Moscow in any one age appears to

wn as the Granovitaia, which is still standing. But Herberstein wrote

f the Horde and promised yearly tribute. Vasili's voievodes at Riazan, thinking the terms shameful, intercepted the returning Tartars, routed them, and got back the treaty. The following year, goaded to action, Vasili got an army together and went out towards the Khan, challenging him to battle. The K

veil and married Helena Glinski, of Lithuania. This gave great offence to the Church; when he sent specially to the highest au

states shall become a prey to terrors and tears; rivers of blood shall flow;

masonry, and it is said, named that part of the town after a similarly designated enclosure in her native place. She bore Vasili two sons, Ivan, the Tsarevich, who

ROD, ILY

palace of the Terem and towers of the Kremlin wall, have been built in the style of the wooden erections they replace

nobles. In the Kitai Gorod lived the traders, the wealthy boyards and foreigners. The Bielo Gorod, "White" or Free Town, was occupied by boyards, merchants and privileged citizens; in the outer ring lived the artisans and labourers. Th

gh. When Moscow became a place of residence then a house was put up near where the Great Palace now is. Then followed the usual dependences; including a prison or dungeon. Ev

nce was the sleeping-room; then, adjoining it, the oratory or private chapel; the room for living or affairs of the town, the anti-

by a corridor or covered staircase, the bathroom and storerooms. Above the bel étage, either a large open loft, or a belvedere pierced with windows on all sides and

he windows of the Terem was red. Further ornamentation consisted in shaping the roof conical, making it arc

in the Kremlin in old days contained many chapels, and they now number more than a dozen. Apart from thes

m the house of even the Tsar, simply robbery. The churches were used as treasuries also by the nobles, and doubtless much of the church-plate throughout Russia was originally deposited for safe keep

f danger, intriguing for the succession and quarrelling among themselves for precedence. Vasili III. was the first ruler to treat them harshly and he spared none, not even his own near relatives if he thought they aspired to the succession. To render them less dangerous they were not employed as war-leaders, men of lower rank, the drujni of the Tsar and other princes being entrusted with comman

early days, but with the advent to Russia of Sophia Paleologus and the introduction of western customs, not only was the single palace found inadequate, but Iva

rough the throng by whom the princes were surrounded might speak with them. From the first the court etiquette, though not elaborate, was firmly insisted upon. Those who came to the palace had to dismount at some distance from the grand entrance, and approach it on foot. This accounts for the joy of Bowes, the English envoy, who rode right up to the grand entrance before dismounting. Those officers sent to meet foreign envoys had orde

the end of the city, interspersed with fields and meadows. Moreover not far from the city are some small houses, and the other side of the river some villas where, a few years ago, the Tsar built a new city for his courtiers, who had the privilege of the Tsar to drink at all seasons, which was forbidden to most, who were free to drink

churches within the palace, the porches of the Vossnesenski, Blagovieshchenski, and other Cathedrals within the Kremlin. The gilded and embossed metal work of the doors, the carved and bright-coloured columns and lintels, impressed visitors with the wealth of Moscow since the precious metals were so lavishly employed for merely d

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