b o o k long maintained between the great-dukes and the emperors
— v— < of Conftantinople ; and becaufe the patriarch of that city
■ was formerly the head of the church .eftabliihed in Ruffia;
,but likewife becaufe the Ruffians, being converted to Chrifti-
. anity by the Greeks, were accuftomed, after their example,
-to decorate their temples with -various figures, and muft
have received from them many portraits of faints, which
form in their religion a neceffiiry part of divine worihip.
-We may conclude, therefore, that the cathedral of St. Sophia,
which was built in the n t h century, and is one of the
-moll ahtient churches of Ruffia, was neceflarily ornamented
with the figures of faints by fome Greek artifts, which
the great-dukes of Novogorod drew from Conftantinople.
The daubings ,in <jueftion, indeed, are fo indifferent, as
not to have deferved a particular inquiry, i f they had
not affifted in illuftrating the progrefs of the liberal arts,
and in afcertaining the early introduction of painting into
this country, at a period when it was, unknown .even in
.Italy*.
Several princes ofthe ducal family of Ruffia are interred in
•this cathedral. The firft is Vladimir Yaroilavitch, who was
born in 1020, died in 1 0 5 1 1, and was buried in this church,
■which he himfelf had founded, and juff lived to fee completed.
Befide his tomb, are thofe of his mother Anne,
daughter of the eaftern emperor Romanus, his wife
-Alexandra, his brother Miclliflaf, and, laftly, of Feodor,
brother of Alexander Neviki, who died in 1228. The
raoli antient of thefe fepulclires are. of -carved wood gilt and
lilvered, and furrounded with iron ,-rails; the others are of
* ‘Jam -diu pingiiiHt Rutheni, et qnis ere - Effai fur la Bib. &c. p. ic).
dat? feculo. duodecimo, fays Falconi.-^-See f TS- R, G . vol^V. p. 399,
hri ck
brick and mortar. Within the famftuary the walls are co- chap.
vered with curious Mofaick compartments, of coarfe work- ■ . *
manfhip, and feemingly very antient.
Our landlord was a German ; and his inn, though fmali,
was one of the moft commodious we had hitherto met with,
in Ruffia: it was neatly furniihed, and afforded us beds,
a great article of luxury in this'country, which we had no
fmall difficulty to, procure even in the city of Mofcow.
By .the affiftance of our landlord we obtained the following
lift of the price of provifions in thefe parts:.
^ di s. d„
Butcher’ s meat per Ruffian pound* I * to 0 »
Black bread per ditto . s |
m.
White comijion ditto. 1
French ditto 2
Butter ditto ’ 4
Ten eggs from 1 1 to 0 I t f
Pair o f fowls from | 2 3 to 1 %
Fatted goofe 1
Couple o f wild ducks 6
Tame ditto. x 3.
Brace o f partridges 10
Blac]c game, cock and hen„ X. (>
Hare. 7 i
Quart o f milk 4
Beil fpirituous liquors per quart- v 51
Worft fort H
Pair o f peafants leather fhoet« > 3
Boots 4 10
Round hat> * 3
Peafant’ s ihirt, no collar or wriilhand, and very fhort 1 3
Our coach was. fo ihattered by the bad roads, that we
thought it moft prudent to leave it at Novogorod, and
■* A Ruffian pound *= i42/'Englifh ounces»
we