Impressions of Russia

Brandes, G.

ISBN 10: 0844617288 ISBN 13: 9780844617282

Publisher: Peter Smith Pub, 1966

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889 edition. Excerpt: ...of France sent an embassy from Cyprus to the great Khan of Tatary, whose force at that time occupied a large part of Russia. The messengers found a Russian architect and a French goldsmith working for him. And Du Plan Carpin, who in 1246 was sent by Innocent IV. to the great Khan Gajuk, and who described the pomp and wealth of the Tatar Court, speaks of a Russian goldsmith who was a favorite of the Khan, and who had made a throne of ivory, adorned with gold and precious stones and ornamented with bas-reliefs. It is utterly improbable that the Tatars, in the long time they ruled Russia, should have tried to give a different direction to the artistic taste and style of the people. Nomads as they were, they had no artistic style of their own, and did not trouble themselves about the Russians, except to get money out of them. But the Tatar Khans, in all probability, served as means of communication between the Asiatic races who possessed an artistic style, on the one hand, and the oppressed Russian people, on the other. The Russian artists who resided among them looked deeply into the art forms of the interior of Asia, which were new to them, and they remembered them when they came home. In 1247 INFLUENCES FROM THE EAST. 159 the Russian national hero and saint, Alexander Nevsky, celebrated for his victories over the Swedes and the German order of knights, was obliged to pay a personal visit to the camp of the golden hordes, and was thence taken to the great Khan himself, in order to obtain a desired alleviation and mitigation of the conditions of vassalage. The journey took two years, and shows how many points in common there were between the two courts, and how easily impressions must have been received. In this respect, I am greatly struck by a...

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