Letter from T.H. Barker to his wife Mary, 14 December 1903

Transcription
Slavianisky Bazar Hotel Moscow 14 Dec 1903

My dearest Mary

I wired & wrote you on Saturday after arrival here. I also wired Sir Alfred, & had reply from him, ‘home greetings’. I did little on Saturday but see Consul, read home letters and wrote. Yesterday all shops and places were closed until the evening. I went to the morning service at St Saviour’s Church, the greatest church in Moscow, magnificently decorated & with magnificent ritual. Bishop wearing his mitre & surrounded by liveried choir & priests. This church is just beyond the Kremlin - I walked back thro’ the Kremlin & saw the 3 cathedrals therein;  the Archangel Cathedral, where all the Russian Kings & Emperors are buried;  the

Annunciaton Cathedral with magnificent shrines & reliquaries, & the Assumption Cathedral where all the Emperors are crowned. Today I saw all the Crowns, Thrones, Royal Carriages, Plate & the Palaces of the Kremlin, with are magnificent & very varied in style. Tomorrow I go to the Canterbury of Russia, a little way from Moscow. I have seen Coote, the F.O. Agent & have to see him again: also, if possible, the Commercial & Technical. Moscow is a large place & it would take a fortnight to get a good look at it. The view from the Kremlin Terrace as “mo-gul”, such a mass of beautiful domes, spires & minarets, gilded and painted are not to be seen elsewhere.

At 10 last night I had to dress, & call on Madame Nicolievna Slevansky, sister of Baron who was staying with the Princess Voranksoff at the West End of Moscow. She & her husband, a Military Judge, Judge of the Court Martial, received me most amiably. She is like her brother, a very happy creature, with 2 beautiful children, boy & girl. I was there until midnight, as the Judge, a Major General, was going to Toules today & I should not have had another chance of seeing him. I am going to see the Father, Paul Baron Hofer at St Petersburg. I have not yet had time to call on Mr Deakers ?, people are late in the morning here, & have a long break for lunch in the middle of the day, & daylight ends at

four. I have bought four packages of post cards today. Moscow, St Petersburg, Russian peasants & Russian Military, from which you will get some notion of my surroundings. I hope to get away from St Petersburg on Saturday & should travel via Berlin, maybe there on Sunday. I expect to reach London on the 22nd & come down on the 23rd. I had better see Milne & tell him to go home for his X-mas holidays. You say he looks fagged & X’mas & New Year at home may do him good. I shall be some days before I settle to work, as I am on the  with so much to do & see, & may feel reaction;  therefore prepare all for X’mas without waiting to consult me, & get what money you want from the Bank. I hope you will have received by then, the 3 cases from Japan, the Dresses etc - Don’t you think it would be well to ask your cousin to stay over X’mas; she will be dull at Woodleigh & would perhaps enjoy being with the boys. I will try to write her a line from St Petersburg. I was not able to write in the Siberian train, owing to the oscillations of the cars, the springs of the bogies are rather weak.

I must write a line now, so goodbye & am, & with much love, I am your affect husband Tom Mrs Barker 36 Judges Drive Liverpool