Russia As I Know It

Nicholas I., who, with the sole object of shortening the journey for his own convenience, called for the plans, and with pencil and ruler drew a straight line between the two cities. The stations are therefore often a considerable distance from the adjoining town, to the serious inconvenience of its inhabitants. The ancient Muscovite city covers an enormous extent of ground?less by reason of its population (about one and a half millions) than owing to the fact that its squares, streets, parks and gardens are on such a vast scale, while the town stretches over a series of undulating hills, which render it a pleasing contrast to flat, monotonous Petrograd. My first impressions of the place were rather vague, for it would need at least a month to fully appreciate the features of historical and artistic interest which, at every turn, confront a stranger. There is, at first, a sense of incongruity, for modern thoroughfares and handsome buildings are promiscuously mingled with wooden shanties and mean-looking alleys, while portions of the city present more the appearance of a provincial town, or even village, than that of a great national centre. Only the principal streets are asphalted, others are of cobbles, with plank side-walks; some not paved at all, for even Moscow presents in places the untidy, unfinished appearance of all other Russian towns, with the exception of Odessa. Yet nowhere else in the world will you find such a bewildering array of constructive bea...