Themainhospitalities，sofarastheEmperorandEmpresswereconcerned，werethegreatfestivitiesattheWinterPalace，beginningontheRussianNewYear’sday，whichwastwelvedayslaterthanours。Thescenewasmostbrilliant。Thevasthallswerefilledwithcivilandmilitaryofficialsfromallpartsoftheempire，inthemostgorgeouscostumes，anespeciallystrikingeffectbeingproducedbythecaftans，orlongcoats，ofthevariousCossackregiments，thearmorandhelmetsoftheImperialGuards，andtheoldRussiancostumesoftheladies。Allofthelatter，onthisoccasion，fromtheEmpressdown，worethesecostumes:therewasgreatvarietyinthese;buttheirmainfeatureswerethekakoshniks，orornamentalcrowns，andthetunicsinbrightcolors。
ThenextofthesegreatceremoniesattheWinterPalacewastheblessingofthewatersuponthe8thofJanuary。ThediplomaticcorpsandotherguestswereallowedtotaketheirplacesatthepalacewindowslookingoutovertheNeva，andthencecouldseetheentireprocession，which，havinggonedowntheambassadors’
staircase，appearedatatemplewhichhadbeenerectedoveranopeningintheiceoftheriver。TheEmperor，thegranddukes，andtheArchbishopofSt。Petersburg，withhissuffraganbishops，alltookpartinthisceremonial;andthemusic，whichwasselectedfromtheanthemsofBortniansky，wasverysolemnandimpressive。
Duringthewintercamecourtballs，and，aboveall，the"palmballs。"Thelatterwere，inpointofbrilliancy，probablybeyondanythinginanycourtofmoderntimes。Afterareception，duringwhichtheEmperorandEmpresspassedalongthediplomaticcircle，speakingtothevariousmembers，dancingbegan，andwascontinueduntilaboutmidnight;thenthedoorswereflungopenintoothervasthalls，whichhadbeenchangedintopalm—groves。Thepalmsforthispurposeareverylargeandbeautiful，fourseriesofthembeingkeptintheconservatoriesforthisspecialpurpose，eachseriesbeingusedonewinterandthenallowedtorestforthreewintersbeforeitisbroughtoutagain。Underthesepalmsthesupper—tablesareplaced，andfromfifteenhundredtotwothousandpeoplesitattheseastheguestsoftheCzarandCzarina。Theseentertainmentsseemcarriedtotheextremeofluxury，theironlydefectbeingtheirsplendidmonotony:onlycivil，military，anddiplomaticofficialsarepresent，andanew—comerfindsmuchdifficultyinrememberingtheirnames。TherearesaidtobefourhundredPrincesGalitzinintheempire，andI
personallyknewthreeCountsTolstoiwhodidnotknoweachother;
butthegreatdrawbackisthefactthatalltheseentertainmentsareexactlyalike，alwaysthesamething:merelycivilandmilitaryfunctionariesandtheirfamilies;andforstrangersnooccupationsavetodance，playcards，talkfutilities，orsimplystare。
TheBerlincourt，thoughbynomeanssobrilliantatfirstsightandfarsmaller，——sincethemostIeversawinanygatheringintheImperialSchlossattheGermancapitalwasaboutfifteenhundred，——wasreallymuchmoreattractive，itsgreaterinterestarisingfromthepresenceofpersonsdistinguishedineveryfield。WhileatSt。Petersburgonemeetsonlycivilandmilitaryfunctionaries，atBerlinonemeetsnotonlythese，butthemostprominentmeninpolitics，science，literature，art，andthehigherrangesofagriculture，commerce，andmanufacture。AtSt。
Petersburg，whenIwishedtomeetsuchmen，whoaddedtothepeacefulgloriesoftheempire，Iwenttotheirhousesintheuniversityquarter;atBerlinImetthemalsoatcourt。
Astocourtepisodesduringmystay，oneespeciallydwellsinmymemory。Onarrivingratherearlyoneevening，Inoticedalarge，portlyman，wearingthebroadredribbonoftheLegionofHonor，andatoncesawthathecouldbenootherthanPrinceVictorNapoleon，theBonaparteheirtothecrownofFrance。ThoughhewasfarlargerthanthegreatNapoleon，andhadtheeyesofhismother，PrincessClothilde，hislikenesstohisfather，PrinceNapoleon（"Plon—Plon"），whomIhadseenyearsbeforeatParis，wasverymarked。Presentlyhisbrother，whohadjustarrivedfromhisregimentintheCaucasus，cameupandbeganconversationwithhim。Bothseemedgreatlyvexedatsomething。OnthearrivaloftheItalianambassador，henaturallywentupandspoketotheprince，whowasthegrandsonofKingVictorEmmanuel;butthecuriousthingwasthattheFrenchambassador，CountdeMontebello，andtheprinceabsolutelycuteachother。Neitherseemedtohavetheremotestideathattheotherwasintheroom，andthisinspiteofthefactthattheMontebellosaredescendedfromJeanLannes，thestable—boywhomNapoleonmadeamarshalofFranceandDukeofMontebello，thusfoundingthefamilytowhichtheFrenchambassadorbelonged。TheshowofcoolnessonthepartoftheimperialfamilyevidentlyvexedtheFrenchpretender。Hewas，indeed，allowedtoentertheroombehindtheimperialtrain;
buthewasnotpermittedtositattheimperialtable，beingrelegatedtoadistantandverymodestseat。Iwasinformedthat，thoughtheEmperorcould，anddid，havetheprincetodinewithhiminprivate，hefeltobliged，inviewoftherelationsbetweenRussiaandtheFrenchRepublic，tocarefullyavoidanyspecialrecognitionofhiminpublic。
AfarmorebrilliantvisitorwastheAmeerofBokhara。IhavealreadyspokenofthewayinwhichhewasplaceduponthethronebyGeneralAnnenkof。HenowcametovisittheCzarashissuzerain，andwithhimcamehiseldestsonandanumberofhisgreatmen。Thesatraphimselfwasasingularcombinationofsplendorandstoicism，wearingagorgeousdresscoveredwithenormousjewels，andobservingthebrilliantscenesabouthimwithhardlyeveraword。EvenwhenhetookhisplaceatthetablebesidetheEmpresshewasveryuncommunicative。Facingtheimperialtablesathisgreatmen;andtheirembarrassmentwasevident，onespecialsourceofitbeingclearlytheirsmallacquaintancewithEuropeantableutensils。TheAmeerbroughttoSt。Petersburgsplendidpresentsofgoldandjewels，aftertheOrientalfashion，andalsotheheirtohisthrone，whomheleftasasortofhostagetobeeducatedatthecapital。
AneminentRussianwhowasinverycloserelationswiththeAmeergavemesomeaccountofthisyoungman。Althoughhewasthenperhapsfourteenorfifteenyearsofage，hewas，asregardsconduct，amerebaby，burstingoutintoloudboohooingthefirsttimehewaspresentedtotheEmperor，andshowinghimselfveryimmatureinvariousways。Curiouslyenough，whenhewastakentothecadetschoolhewasfoundtobeunabletowalkforanyconsiderabledistance。Hehadalwaysbeenmadetosquatandbecarried，andthefirstthingtobedonetowardmakinghimaRussianofficerwastotrainhiminusinghislegs。Hetookanespecialfancytobicycles:intheparkattachedtothecadetschoolhebecameveryproficientintheuseofthem;and，returningtoBokharaathisfirstvacation，hetookwithhim，notonlyabicycleforhimself，butanotherforhisbrother。Shortlyafterhishome—coming，theAmeerandcourtbeingassembled，hegaveadisplayofhispowers;but，tohisgreatmortification，theAmeerwasdisgusted:theideathattheheirtothethroneshouldbeseenworkinghiswayinthisfashionwascontrarytoalltheideasofthatpotentate，andheorderedthebicyclestobeatoncedestroyed。Butontheyoungman’sreturntoSt。
Petersburgheboughtanother;resumedhisexercisesuponit;andwill，nodoubt，whenhecomestothethrone，introducethatformoflocomotionintotheMohammedanregionsofNorthernAsia。
Amongthegreaterdisplaysofmyfinalyearwereaweddingandafuneral。TheformerwasthatoftheEmperor’seldestdaughter，theGrandDuchessXenia，atPeterhof。Itwasverybrilliant，andwasconductedaftertheusualRussianfashion，itsmostcuriousfeaturesbeingtheleadingofthecoupleaboutthealtarandtheirdrinkingoutofthesamecup。
Comingfromtheceremonyinthechapel，weofthediplomaticcorpsfoundourselves，atthefootofthegreatstaircase，inacrush。Butjustatthesidewasalargedoorofplate—glassopeninguponanoutergallerycommunicatingwithotherpartsofthepalace;andstandingguardatthisdoorwasoneofthe"Nubians"whomIhadnoticed，fromtimetotime，attheWinterPalace——anenormouscreature，veryblack，veryglossy，withthemostbrilliantcostumepossible。Ihadheardmuchofthese"Nubians，"andhadbeengiventounderstandthattheyhadbeenbroughtfromCentralAfricabyspecialcommand。Atgreatassemblagesintheimperialpalaces，justbeforethedoorswereflungopenfortheentranceoftheMajestiesandtheircortege，twogreatblackhandswerealwaystobeseenputthroughthedoors，readytoopentheminaninstant——thehandsoftwoofthese"Nubians。"Ihadbuiltupinmymindquiteastructureofromanceregardingthem，andnowfoundmyselfinthecrushatthefootofthegrandstaircasenearoneofthem。AsIlookedupathimhesaidtome，withdeferentialcompassion，"Ifyouplease，sah，wouldn’tyouliketogitoutofdecrowd，sah，throughdisyeredoah？"Byhisdialecthewasevidentlyoneofmyowncompatriots，and，thoughinasortofdazeatthisdiscovery，I
mechanicallyacceptedhisinvitation;whereuponheopenedthedoor，letusthrough，andkeptbackthecrowd。
Splendid，too，initsway，wasthefuneraloftheGrandDuchessCatherineattheFortressChurch。Itwasveryimpressive，almostasmuchsoasthefuneraloftheEmperorNicholas，whichIhadattendedatthesameplacenearlyfortyyearsbefore。TheEmperorAlexanderIII，withhisbrothers，hadfollowedthehearseandcoffinonfoot，andhisMajestywasevidentlygreatlyfatigued。
Soonheretiredtotakerest，andthenitwasthatwebegantohavethefirstsuspicionofhisfatalillness。Uptothattimetherehadbeenskepticism。Veryfewhadthoughtitpossiblethatamanofsuchgiantframeandstrengthcouldbeseriouslyill，butnowtherecouldbenodoubtofit。Standingnearhim，I
noticedhispallorandevidentfatigue，andwasnotsurprisedthathetwicelefttheplace，inorder，evidently，tosecurerest。Therewasneedofit。IntheRussianChurchtheruleisthatallmuststand，andallofusstoodfromaboutteninthemorninguntilhalf—pastoneintheafternoon;buttwohighofficialscoveredwithgoldlaceandorders，bearingtapersbythesideofthegrandduchess’scoffin，toppledoverfromexhaustionandwereremoved。
Astootherspectacles，oneofthemostsplendidwasthemidnightmassonEastereve。AtmyformervisitIhadseenthisattheKazanChurch;nowwewenttotheCathedralofSt。Isaac。Theceremonywasbrilliantalmostbeyondconception，asintheolddays;themusicwasheavenly;and，astheclocksstrucktwelve，thecannonsofthefortressofPeterandPaulboomedforth，allthebellsofthecitybeganchiming，andalight，appearingattheextremeendofthechurch，seemedtoruninalldirectionsthroughthevastassemblage，andpresentlyallseemedablaze。
Everypersoninthechurchwasholdingataper，andwithinafewmomentsallofthesehadbeenlighted。
MostbeautifulofallwasthemusicatanotheroftheseEasterceremonies，whenthechoristers，robedinwhite，cameforthfromthesanctuaryandsanghymnsbythesideoftheemptysepulcherunderthedome。
ThesingingbythechoirsinRussiais，inmanyrespects，morebeautifulthansimilarmusicinanyotherpartoftheworld，savethatofthecathedralchoirofBerlinatitsbest。IhaveheardtheSistine，Pauline，andLateranchoirsatRome;andtheyarecertainlyfar...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：