PETROGRAD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 251, 27 November 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

PETROGRAD.

RUSSIA'S NEWLY-NAMED CAPITAL.

ITS STRANGE AND VARIED HISTORY.

<Ju a little ponin.stila where Hows tlie clear and bcamitul nvtr Neva, off the Gulf ol Finland, standi the "city ol the Czars Si. Petersburg. In the" Admiralty Square of tiia v city htands the iqucslrian statue ot IVUt tlio (treat. loi«ad;.>r ol 'tho Hntssiau capital, th<> mum ol which L'zar Nicholaa, ui his < ifoi i to puige it troiu i.s i'euiuuic appellation recently changed from ".Sauk; IVuTaburg." a. tho .MtiicovitVb call it. to IVtroy ad.

Wonderful as it may seem. onh two cenlu;ie> ago th t . place where now stand, one of tho worlds magnificent tin's was nothing more than a dreary, tnar.-ln H.i.-o, siiiiouid d V foe ts and thickets. When iho severe climate permitted a tew lonely Finnish hshcrnioii inhabited that w ddcinu-. Ho \- <vi r. ■", - borui as 0' tolvr apprua: h d

vitii it -. howling w iiul- and biting frosts they forsook their mud huts, and sough' shel or in tb" interior of Finland. Near its mouth, the Neva takes a "harp turn and divides into three or lout hranelie-i. Thos'V hy s'.ib.sC'i'icn' r'do i. ion. lojiu ,i numlcr < !' 1.1 n/i . largo a'id small. 1-r mauv yc:if s th» ■■> i land., «t-i-(i in th- possession <f tho Swedes. On on ( \ i-!and, commanding 'lie entrance to Lake Ladoga. IY> S'wci: - maintained a strop™ fort res . for which thr> Pus<i;,ns struggled. Peter not only Thought thp plar ( » valunVe from ,i irilitirv and commercial pointof view, but he al-o found it noi'snnal' ,- aHr.ictixc. I! was „ol until 17(t\ li.ecrer. afl-r Hi • fall of N'eMi.sba/. Hi..! ' b Sw - des \\ ,-re dliv ell from their foi t. re-~. F\en before neare was .-1 Peier (be C,< at n-M-e lir-Vrs I . liui'.i a ed\ which now hears the name of P. !,-,.■ ■ ,d 11-., -.,.,- , ! ||. o f . ,;■-!■„- f\ >,),* .-;; um btt.i«we the spu/ffl of a t|iotum»J

|>K\ wuo alinoit ueoiroyeu. but i'ei :i , ■•«»& uu(u.-ma|vtt My me niiSiOi tune. ji«->ioiiaii3 ei.Uiii mat iiiuie Ui.m 100,- | "m.i ...u penciled uniiiig uie msl to .^ •1.0.i uio t,l .iiu C0U51.1 Uv'UUU 01 ,";. Uio l;uii 01 implements. L.lv wi'll ui loud, toui'JUlt'U V'llil lue •■vncrity 01 tae climate, caused u.o u>aui oi thousands ol &\\cdi»u priso.i us wiiu wore employed 111 Hie budding work. \\ lie.Hiarrowts »ei e a thing uuiwi'r.ui. >paucs and shoiels wvue 1101, li-A'd. The t-oil was dug \\li\l slacks ol aood and canied awa\ in Ui,. cuds el I .l.e i-i orders shuts ui on pitve.s ol niai ! ting.

i o attract all llie ng>wu el" iliv emI"'" I ', n »' .is torbnid' ii nn paiii hi cm,j iiud cunliMMiiun ol ({uodo, iu couatruci stone houses auuwiero but at i>l. l , oUr,burg. Lvt'i'.v proprietor ouuiufj ■XftJ scrls was obliged to pu; up a stone duelling of iv,o stones, l'lioio who had 10-cr iminbcii dubVd together and built one stoi.e building aiuoug them. A> white .stciiuh ueie scarce in those I'iar liv wa tes, cvei v boat that bought harbour in the N-: \ a haj to bi ing a cer. .ain iiuuil)-. i- vi w liite- stones. Also over v wajiou that readied tin eitv was forced to do lih.u ire. In spite ol disease mid I hi' l:ij;h mortality ninoim tlv men. R.i spile -in the Hoods, which m the first >'< a I' co\ ( T.-..1 11 ii) |y (lie w hole pkuv, tli-i work w, nt mi w uli roinarkabl,, nip''li > . A : dii.' time, bivi'innii; aw arc id ll:v div mail monalitv an;uii<; his wot k- • i. P"iei i" K>i<> in (mvei i er (■ nerd KeMi.id 'ii'l.-v tn scud him -dM tlncn » and eiiiiiiiuu who uci'e to U' .cut in Siberia. Rejjardl'a.-. ol hLs statio.i i'i 1:1', r:i<] oblivious of many J.itip i ; I'll j. n"iin;:liii£; with the criminals and piise.r.ci'v iHMf-onnlly superintended the i o!is:ruttiiin of 1 ho city thai was to iutrod'icr Rns'ia to v.e-iern Europe. Si . I'i lc|-"lll';_; Has tilt* ilpplo ol' i\ l< ' ■'- < y. 11 w as his " paiadi.M'." as !'_. ('lion (.i11.,| ii in lik letters. The rii;i lulls ui.'iniH r with w liicb bt> pnrMird (In unrK imum'.l eoiiMMi'l-tblo alarm anion 1 ! the Swedes and Fin"S. Tli v denied d.niL'in-. The quickly- :•'■"" in -it b I . i.'n- ..f i,--\\l\< j--11-i-n - hMr-t tho IN.h n M iflj lpr,.„ ■NVp CljQrJo XI I jo,

formed of tho fcv.udi.tion of the now city ho raonchalnmly remarked; "Let the Czar tiro himself with founding inn towns; wo will keep lor ourselves the honour of talcing them Inter." In its infancy, true to Charles's comment., si. Petersburg was enusUinttj menaced _by the Swedes. On several ovca>ioiis it u;i, in great danger from their attacks, Loth b> land and m>h. it: !7()3 it v, is threatened trm» the side ct FiulatHi by General Krunhojort, who wa.s encamped with a huge forw, while \ic .'-Admiral Nummcrs's ship* Jar at anchor a, the moiitli of the- Neva. The severity of the climate for one* came to Peter's rescue. Numbers had to withdraw, wliil,. p 0 t<w ltd « strong forco trains; General Kronhojoiv and defeat. Ed liiui.

The founding of Petrngrad, however meant more to l'otor than tlio acquit 'ion ol now territory. His studies and travels abroad had brought him to n full rcalihatii.n of the uncivilised state of Ins country. To PeU?r the founding of the city meant a window upon western r,urope. through which the EuropwiU culture might filter through upon Ktiv.

lo tli.- Russian Empir 0 iiie founding t (he new capital meant a new epoch in the history of it, lif,.. It. meant sliakuig ott .Mongolian influence. A humorous incident is related of Peter's de sir© to change the habita and custonm ot the people. A legend has it that he ordered all the peasants to «ma\« oil their heavy whiskers and modernise their aa.no. 'fho Russians, uho were used to bushy beards, did not tnk© kind. y to the edict, but obeyed it. He orced his nobhs to louesuke their Bnug homos in Alowow and Noygorod and Uike up residonco in St. Petersburg. Hit; hatred which th 0 nobles fc| t for >M. lo.ersburg may be illustrated Ly 1 lie comment of Princess .Mary a hah. sister of Peter the Great:— ■• Petersburg will not endure after jur tune; may i, remain a dtsert." Kogaixilttis of the inauv obstacles, the cny was making wondwlu] progress. Jn < I lfti-r proclaimed tl. e city thecal). it"l o! Russia, and. aw was tho custom oj European rulers, adopted the title of LnHHtw. At that time the city had '"early tU.CJUU huge and small buildinT »»«r yea.* later the Government of the Kmpire was tiansUwed to St. Peters- .»"«, while 31.0UU labourers were Mont '•"in th, interior of Rua i« to construct Uie administration buildings. A.s the city assumed more definite "'P-turns. and with tbo cmpfetiSo! i'.e in my churehes and palaces Peter ">iU U hts «ttent i<m t 0 mkJ nii| re- , 0 ,u,1<, ,d tfie "Petersburg Ga/.etie, v fin,, ~u Ulc f ,« ?™l>»'c He gather about him lh •fiinrHnt noble,. fortaoi .alow, and uiuio udie and good clue,- bowed u •''-adaa.otiMd to interest them j at £ affnira of western Kuro|>e. • ' "liar as it may stem, ;i, O Russian !'".;t.s never t d the city annhiiTfft IVtrogrnd Pushki,,. ™«ovand o»hers alw ay ß spoke of i t b T ■'■t .name. ~ was Pushkin Mho £ go«u..ng t,he fate of the ancient cajt tai. .Moscow, wrote: •llcfore the new capital, Petrograd Sri!■ I'' , ; ol<, t ll T VO, carina.» J<-rt.i... buhant boulevards itrttch hem.sthes majostioally ahum thedrettrv wastes oi oil'",. ~„.„, »| ~ '"ear.y and P-il 11 -i i Mnr ble palace,,