The Hermitage

Snuff box carved by Peter I - Hermitage

We revisited today the Hermitage, which was in a great degree destroyed by fire some few years since, and is not got entirely rebuilt, still containing a very fine collection of paintings, and a most splendid suite of apartments, private and for public view.  In one of the many chambers, are several pieces of the work of Peter the Great, some carving in Ivory very [13] well executed, by this Imperial Jack of all Trades. The Palace of the Emperor, stands directly next to and in fact is connected with the Hermitage, and outwardly is the finest of any of the Palaces I have seen in Europe.  The size is immense, built of the various orders of Architecture, and all of (in appearance at least) the red sandstone that we use for the coping and/or Windows at home in brick houses. I say in appearance, for I have found out that the finest buildings in the city are almost entirely built of stucco, which however detracts nothing from its beauty, for they are all admirably styled and handsomely ornamented with bas-reliefs &c. &c. 

Capt. Waters

A word while I think of it about our Captain Lieut. Waters a regular Irishman, so full of his jokes that we were laughing nearly all the while during our passage

{Viz—Kicking off shoes.  All dance. Box of Dominoes.  Straw and six foot wall.  Mrs. Paul’s 
{tongue hung in the ship.  Irishman in a Scottish Eating House, and others too numerous to 
{mention such as Tender & delicate.

St. Petersburg without a guidebook

After finishing this disagreeable visit to the Custom House, we dressed ourselves and felt quite like other beings having in feeling made quite a voyage. [unint.] We took now our first walk in this really most magnificent city.  Every thing is laid out on the most grand scale.  The streets broad, airy, clean, and frequently paved with wood, and of very great length, and one can scarcely turn around without viewing on every side some of the finest buildings of any [11] continental city.  St. Petersburg is situated on the Neva, which runs directly through the city, the largest and prettiest looking stream that I can recollect of having seen passing through any city.  The sides are built upon its whole length.  Long beautiful quays built of huge blocks of dark granite giving the whole a noble appearance.  I have as yet taken but short walks through its principal streets, and though having seen the Palaces admired the Hermitage etc. can hardly say which is which as the Police (bless them) have got my guide books. This is one of the fête days in the Greek Church (the Church of Russia) and every thing is like on a Sunday.  T’is the day of St. John the Baptist, and what is very singular the people of the Church on this day do not eat any thing round such as apples, potatoes &c.  What the reason is, I cannot judge; unless it should be that the Baptist’s head on the charger [12] was round—Tis a strange thing, but nevertheless true, that I left London on the first day of September 1840, and yet, though I was nearly nine days on the passage I reached St. Petersburgh on the twenty-eighth day of August 1840.  

Searching and censorship in St. Petersburg

Immediately on getting our [9] breakfast, we sallied out in order to pass our luggage at the Custom House.  I have done the same thing many a time before and this time felt quite independent, as I thought I had nothing at all that could possibly be called upon for duties. but alas!  such  searchers I never saw. every stitch was unfolded, shaken and sometimes even ripped open, and every book that was found was laid on side immediately , not even opened for the Censor general to pass judgment upon it. So though I thought myself safe all my books were taken together with a pair of pistols.  and I must wait for four days before any of them can be delivered up to me.  Should the books contain anything in them disparaging to the Government generally, or too strongly in favor of Democracy, they are to be retained by the Censor, until you leave the country, or if you should insist on [10] keeping them yourself, the parts offending are torn out (par example in Byron’s Don Juan) and the remainder should there be any is returned to you.  So with this trouble I escaped the severest Custom House Scrutiny as well as that of the police that I ever underwent.  Before you are allowed to leave the country you must have himself advertised in three different papers for nine days as a guard against contracting debts without paying them.  A Good Rule but rather inconvenient at times.  

Detained at Customs; Miss Dee's Boarding House

The Winter Palace about 1840 by Ferdinand Victor Perrot

The River Neva is a fine broad noble looking river and formerly / this is denied by some & asserted by others.

had a fine channel but one of the former Emperors placed a bar in its bed for the purpose of preventing any vessels of war coming to the City.  It is said that if any one should be found sounding the river, he would
in all probability be sent to Siberia.  At Cronstadt is a very fine [8] Navy Yard, and almost completely filled with fine ships, though the Russians have not at the present moment a large Fleet at sea. On our arriving at the City (which from its being now being [sic] quite dark & raining we had not opportunity of seeing well, we were detained for some length of time for the Custom House officers to board us.  On our passports being delivered up to us, we were obliged to go through the same examination for the third time.  When after a quite rigorous personal examination we were allowed to go on shore, through without  the least article of our luggage, not even a dressing case.  After a short walk we four Yankees proceeded to Miss Dee’s an American landlady where we were made quite comfortable, and found the house filled with American Captains though no travellers.*  
*"From the total absence of everything like comfort, cleanliness, or attendance, at the hotels in St. Petersburg, several boarding-houses have sprung into existence ; which, being conducted by English women, combine every advantage that a traveller can expect or require. Those kept by Miss Benson on the English Quay, and by Miss Dee in the Galerny, are extremely good: the attention and arrangement of those ladies leave nothing to be desired. They are frequented by numbers of English and Americans, and occasionally by travellers of other nations; and, as English is naturally the language used, there is less constraint and reserve, probably, than at other tables in the empire of a public nature."  Edward P. Thompson, Life in Russia, or The Discipline of Despotism (London, 1848), 31.

Arrival in Kronstadt and St. Petersburg

 A birds eye view of Kronstadt from 1855.

We then once again embarked and finished the remainder of our passage to St Petersburgh very pleasantly or rather as I should say to Chronstadt. When in London, on going to have our passports viseed by the Russian Consul we were obliged to obtain a written guarantee from some one known to him to the following effect. “that the person (myself) [6] was known to them as respectable, born in New York, aged so many years, such & such a profession, the reason for going to Russia and the name of some respectable person in St Petersburgh to whom I was addressed.”  I thought this class enough.  however by the politeness of my Bankers, I obtained the required guarantee of good behavior to[o] , and started. On our approaching Chronstadt, a number of officers form the guard-ship there boarded us and proceeded to see if there was anything contraband on board, and soon after this leaving us. We were visited by some twenty members of the Secret Police of his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias etc. etc. etc.  The leader of them, was at the head of the Secret Police of the Empire, having a most unremarkable face and such an one as would imply (as our Captain observed) that he would smile at the same time [7] that he would cut your throat.  They all descended into the cabin, and arrayed their papers when we were all called up in turn, and obliged to answer questions to the same effect as those proposed in London, and moreover write it all down ourselves and place our signature to it.  This was frustrating enough but they had not finished with us yet.  We now went on board a smaller steamer in order to approach the city, the channel not allowing vessels but of small size to go up to the City.  

The Opera and the search for oysters

After partaking of a very good and at the same time remarkably cheap dinner, we again returned on board the Sirius, expecting to proceed on our voyage immediately but on embarking were informed by the Captain that we should not sail before three o’clock a.m.  On that hint we again went on shore, to the Opera, and though not understanding a syllable they sang [5] were much pleased with the opera, and the audience.   Leaving the ladies in the Theater a young Russian, Hancock, & myself, went out in order to get an oyster-supper for which meal, we understood the place was celebrated.  after a great deal of talking in German French & our mother tongues we found it was not the season for oysters, and so calling for something piquant we finished our search for oysters by taking a Danish dish composed of Eggs cooked in Champignons, a singular compound truly, but good notwithstanding.  

King's Chateau, the shady General Scholton, and Hamlet's Elsinor

Fredensborg Palace

Peter von Scholten

Again returning to our Carriage we took a drive outside the walls of the City to the King’s Chateau, with certainly very pretty grounds in a part of which [3] the English during the siege of Copenhagen, had their head-quarters.  The chateau, beautifully situated on an eminence commanding a fine view of the City on the plain beneath is now occupied by the queen Dowager (Christiana); the gardens & grounds attached are always open to the Public, and contain many small houses in the avenues frequented by the citizens for tea-drinking solely.  I found on enquiry that General Scholton who was governor of St. Croix when I was there has returned again to his command though since his visit to Denmark he has been accused of at least conniving at the introduction and sale of slaves, if not being actually a participator of the [facts].   His character generally has saved his reputation for the time being, or at least till he has had a fair investigation, though at one time the populace were so enraged at the charge, that the King [4] advised him to leave the City.  We finished our short view of the city by returning by the Pere la Chaise of Denmark, a very [long?] burial ground, and taking a short turn outside the Walls.  To view the city from without we would say that it were next to impossible to take it, yet History has proved to the contrary more than once.  On our passage to Copenhagen we passed by Elsinor, at which spot if I recollect me aright Shakespeare laid his scene of the Garden in Hamlet.

Elsinor

Assistens Cemetery

Thorvaldsen

St. Paul

Jesus

Quite well pleased with our visit we next proceeded to the Church of Notre Dame, famous from being enriched by the thirteen statues of Thorvaldsen (the Danish sculptor).  The figures are those of Christ and the twelve.  The casts of most of them I had already seen at his studio at Rome, but the marble of course is far superior to mere plaster.  Those of Christ & John are truly admirable, particularly the latter.  They are all so arranged that the whole of the figures [2] are seen at one and the same time, and are placed not as usually in niches, but according to the wishes of the Sculptor himself, some two feet from the wall. The church is very [chaste & neat?] but not as yet finished entirely.  The statue of John has the most heavenly look of any that I have ever seen.  We next drove to his studio in order to see perhaps the greatest sculptor of his age but coud not have the pleasure, from his being engaged on a piece of work in which he did not wish to be interrupted.  He has become now quite an old man, yet still intends in the course of a few weeks, returning to Rome where he raised himself to his present rank as the first sculptor of his day.  

Hotel d'Angleterre, Copenhagen

Entry One: Embarkation for Copenhagen

Journal of Sheldon Leavitt

S.S. Sirius

            Tuesday Sept. 1. 1840.. Embarked this morning at 8 o’clock on board steamer Sirius for St Petersburgh via Copenhagen, in company with my future travelling companion Chapman.  Punctual to the moment as stated, and after rather a disagreeable passage of about three days, arrived at Copenhagen. The scenery around is much spoken of for its beauty, and fully justifies our expectations.  Without any detention from Passports we landed and proceeded to the Hotel d’Angleterre, where we were quite refreshed with a good breakfast, and taking a carriage we went in company with the American, Mr Hancock and his pretty cousin Mrs. [Wade?] to view the City of Copenhagen.  The city naturally has the appearance greatly of a Dutch town plainly but substantially built, and [2] the houses almost all of them covered with the Dutch tiles and built of the Dutch Brick. Our first ride was around the ramparts of the city to the Palace Rosenburg, fitted up four hundred years or more since and throughout unoccupied by the Royal Family, still kept in the same state as though it were, and containing all the furniture, adornments, &c. of former times as well as the insignia of the Danish Royalty.

The travel journal of Sheldon Leavitt, 1840

A photostat copy of a duodecimo travel journal kept by Sheldon Leavitt (1818-1875, Yale 1837) turned up at our house at 38 Arlington Street this summer.  Leavitt was the grandfather of Josephine Crosby, my grandmother.  The photocopied journal is 8 1/2" x 6 3/4" and 87 pp. long, with 2 diary pages per sheet (making the whole about 172 pp. long).  It's an account of his "grand tour" initiated in 1840,when he was 22.  I've started to transcribe it and it proves to be quite fascinating.  In this blog, I will post my transcription from time to time as I go through the volume.  I think it will be interesting to family members.

I look forward to your comments!

Rob Forbes