Kiev The Contract, or Annual Fair Monastery of Pestcherskey Arsenal Barrier Gates Manufactures Population.
KIEV is the chief town of the district of the same name*. It is much the best town * In remote periods the Sarmates resided here, and long before their subjugation by the slaves, they built the town of Kief, and named it from the situation of the place ; for Kivi, in the Sarmatian language, signifies a mountain. Even the people who inhabited the mountainous shore of the Dnieper were called Kivi. After the subjection of the Sarmates the slaves settled among them, and gave to those who inhabited the mountainous shore of the Dnieper the name of Goraues, which is of equal import with the Sarmatian Kivi ; those who inhabited the plain, they called Polanes. Tooke's History of Russia, vol. i. p. 5.
Ancient writers say, that Kiev, in the pth century, in the reign of Oleg, son of Rurik, contained 400 churches, eight market-places, and an immense number of inhabitants. Of this splendour and magnificence no vestige remains. which we have seen, and of far greater extent than any except Riga. The shops are very superior, and manythings are to beboughtcheaper here than in any other part of the country which we had previously passed.
A fortnight after we left Kiev, was to be the annual fair called the Contract ; and people assemble from all quarters, insomuch, that not a lodging can be found after the Contract has begun : it lasts three weeks, and during that time even private families let their houses, or a part of them, to the annual visitors. All kinds of merchandize are brought here for sale, and all the noblesse of the country come to purchase. In almost all the towns, the shops are in large squares, and are not adjoining the houses, as in England.
The gentlemen formed an acquaintance here rather singularly, which afterwards proved an acceptable one. Passing in the streets a young man, who from his dress and appearance they took to be an Englishman, they could not resist inquiring if he was one ; he replied that he was not, but if they were, they could possibly give him some information of Mr. Y., to whom he had a letter of introduction. Mr. Y., ofcourse, announced himself. This young man, whose name was Tiel, was a partner in a mercantile house at Moscow, and had just commenced business at Kiev. By this gentleman we were introduced to Col. and Mrs. Beshkakoff. Mrs. B. is a woman offashionable manners and address : both herselfand the Colonel were from Petersburgh, and could speak English well ; they gave us a general invitation to their house, and treated us with much hospitality and attention.
The ladies here wear very handsome Turkish shawls, without which no woman in company thinks herself well dressed ; they give from five hundred to two thousand rubles for them. Mrs. Beshkakoff shewed me three, one ofwhich cost eight hundred, another a thousand, and one twelve hundred rubles. The Russian ladies dress extravagantly and expensively, and particularly so at Moscow and Petersburgh; I am told, usually in the French style, and with much elegance and taste.
Colonel Beshkakoff very obligingly took us in his carriage to visit the Monastery. It was founded in the eleventh century, and calledPestcherskey, because the Monks formerly lived in pestchera, or caverns. On arriving there, the first object that excites attention is the assemblage ofdevils, which in large paintings adorn the exterior of the building. I shrunk, afraid to enter a habitation apparently so guarded, until assured it was only meant to shew how pure and holy must be the sanctuary where the evil genius ofman was thus kept without, and not allowed an entrance. "Where," said they, " can these powers ofdarkness be so effectually excluded, as in a place like this, the residence and the repository of saints!" The interior of this building presented a very different aspect ; theMonkswere engaged in prayer ; theirappearance, and the solemn grandeur of all around, inspired other feelings than those with which we had viewed its exterior , the ground we trod wasconsecratedbyReligion,and respectawaited her votaries.
This Monastery is richly endowed, and its church very splendidly decorated : the body of it is almost covered with paintings, and burnished gold ornaments; the candlesticks and chandeliers are all of massy silver, and extremely valuable. The robes, and caps or mitres worn by their priests, are most superb, and have been given in presents by different parts of the Imperial Family, or some of the wealthy nobles, at different times to the church.