. Petrograd, past and present . n this region ; the worship offorests, hills, rivers and the offering of human sacrificeswere common. Even the children were immolated,and traces of these horrible customs still exist amongthe Finnish tribes of the Volga. Tree-worship andthe belief in forest spirits were common, and round thecapital spots are still to be found where the accom-panying rites were practised. Most of the sacredgroves, where on Midsummer Day the superstitiouspeople sang, wept and danced round immense fires(bale), were cut down by Markarie, Archbishop ofNovgorod. The human sacrifices
. Petrograd, past and present . n this region ; the worship offorests, hills, rivers and the offering of human sacrificeswere common. Even the children were immolated,and traces of these horrible customs still exist amongthe Finnish tribes of the Volga. Tree-worship andthe belief in forest spirits were common, and round thecapital spots are still to be found where the accom-panying rites were practised. Most of the sacredgroves, where on Midsummer Day the superstitiouspeople sang, wept and danced round immense fires(bale), were cut down by Markarie, Archbishop ofNovgorod. The human sacrifices have been for-bidden, but on that day the Finns even nov/ danceround their sacred fires in the remoter parts ofScandinavia. The little islet on which Peter built his fortress wascalled Elesaree, Finnish for Hares Island ; anotherwas named Hervasaari, or Elk Island, as it was afavourite haunt of the elk, which still survive in con-siderable numbers in Finland and the interior ofRussia. This place is now occupied by the Petrograd. C i PETROGRAD DURING REIGN OF FOUNDER 67 Exchange, a classical building on the model of anancient Greek temple. Opposite are two triumphalcolumns to commemorate a naval victory over theSwedes. It was not till 1711 that the city began tobe populated by Russian merchants and noblemen, butsome of these were compelled by Imperial decree toreside in the capital, under threat of heavy penaltiesfor disobedience. At first the houses were generallyone storey high, and built in a fashion similar to onewhich Peter erected with his own hands. This hetermed a model after the Prussian manner, forhe was obsessed by Prussian ideas and ideals. Hissubjects at last became so indignant, hating, as theydid, everything Njemetsky (German), that seriousriots broke out in Moscow, Kazan, Astrachan andmany other parts of Holy Russia. The inhabitantswere scandalised at such heretical and anti-Christianinnovations, and among the first to suffer was theunfortunate Tsarevitch Alexis,
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