David Leavitt, Sheldon's father

David Leavitt by Samuel Lovett Waldo
Brooklyn Museum of Art

David Leavitt has a quite extensive Wikipedia page.

Fête for Princess Marie of Hesse and Prince Alexander; checking out at customs

Wedding of Grand Prince
Alexander and Princess Marie
of Hesse (Maria Alexandrovna)

The whole city had been topsy-turvy for some time past, with sham fights, taking the citadel near the Hermitage fete all for the amusement of L’affiancée of the Grand Duke, Prince Royal—the fact is, the citizens must give up every thing to military movement.  The bridges across the Neva are removed and they must cross in small boats.  The squares are filled with Cossacks, cannon fire, and all must keep their windows open, if they do not wish them broken bvy the cannon.  Military life is all in fact.  My books I had the good fortune to retrieve from the Customs House, but my pistols were not delivered up, until the moment we sailed (midnight Oct 4.) and then were brought down by a soldier to Cronstadt some 20 miles from the city. Thus I was forced to pay the duty of Six silver rubles a pound on them nearly 5 dollars a pound.  

Museum of Mines

We had now but one sight to look at, when we should be glad  and ready to leave the country having been really so bothered by the Police what we began to get out of humour.  Thus our last visit was to the mining corps, and the museum of minerals attached to it.  The whole is indeed a very large fine looking building, and is considered as being a collection of minerals not surpassed in their kind in Europe.  The mines, are fac-similes of the different mines of Russia and the Urals generally, all under ground and made with great care and exactitude.  It gave us a very good idea of Siberia and other places, and the [49] the manner in which the convicts labor there.

Return to St. Petersburg

After taking another drive around the city we concluded to start again for St. Petersburg hoping to reach it in time to see the Entrée of the Royal Family (our passports for this once we were able to have arranged by a Valet—Duplace).  We again started in the same conveyance, and after rather a shorter drive than before, reached the city, and learned that the Fête had taken place in our absence, the Emperor as usual only giving the people one days warning.  I myself was in most excruciating agony on my arrival from a rheumatism in my left shoulder, that came upon me suddenly in a few hours and luckily passed off in a day or two.  The climate is worse than any other that I have ever heard of, such sudden changes.______ Now we were again obliged [48] to again repeat the ceremony with regard to our passports, and to show the papers in which we had advertised ourselves for nine days (9).  We obtained a Russian pass for Hamburg and had some difficulty in getting back our original passports.  A piece of money settled that however.  

Church of St. Basil

We now visited the singular Church of St. Basil said to have been constructed for one of the Emperors who, after it was finished, tore out the eyes of the artist in order that he might not build another similar for any other monarch.  It is a singular [47]  building composed of several distinct chapels so arranged that services can be performed in them all at the same time, without the one disturbing the other.

Greetings to our Baltic visitors

Sveicināti mūsu latviešu draugiem!

Ja tere ka meie sõbrad Eestist.

We took a drive the next day to visit a branch of the Great Foundling Hospital of Moscow.  We were quite anxious to gain admission to the main part hwere the younger children were, but we were told by our lying valet-de-place, who had had some quarrel with the governor that it was repairing, and could not be seen.  So we were obliged to content ourselves with the smaller one, which however contains some 300 boys. The institution founded by Catherine II has under its protection 20,000 children of different [45] ages. In the larger branch of the habitation, there are 700  Wetnurses employed and once a week different peasants, come into town, and being known to the Directors, are allowed to take one of the young children with them to bring up, being paid a small sum for their care.  The major part of the children formerly were illegitimate.  No questions were asked when they were left—if but a small sum was left along with them, the boys were made officers in the army, and the girls governesses—if no money was left at the time, they were brought up to some useful trade.  Their education is well attended to, and they are particularly instructed in any one branch that it is found their talents are adapted to.  Each child on entering the institution has a numbered token attached to its’ neck a duplicate of which is given to the parent, who by this can reclaim the child whenever they may feel disposed to.  The children after leaving pay some sujm annually, for a certain [46] length of time to the Institution.  The 300 boys that we saw were all occupied at trades or their studies . [The] Establishment is kept in admirable order, with fine dormitories, a hospital, &c.  We saw them enter the room for dinner, marching in regular order and each standing behind his seat, then at a signal given they all commenced singing in a manner I have never heard surpassed by boys.  Music, Painting, drawing &c &c are well taught.  The expense of such an Establishment is necessarily enormous, though the Emperor by means of it obtains annually many for his army.  Different rules are being made relative to separating legitimate from the illegitimate children__________ 

Fedor Alekseev and his pupils. The Foundling Hospital in Moscow.1800-1802.
Watercolour on paper. The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia.