Letter from T.H. Barker to his wife Mary, 12 December 1903

Transcription
Moscow

Saturday

12 December 1903

My dearest Mary

I have just received a batch of letters from Mr. Grove, British Consul, viz 4 from your dear self, one from Frank, a very kindly one from Henry, one from Mr Herman Deaker, and one from Ellis Edwards. I did not get any letters at Omsk: in fact I did not remember having asked you to write there. I was there only one day, as I could not afford to miss the express for Moscow, as I should have had to wait 2 days for another. I will write for the letters to be sent home. It took me 4 days to travel from Omsk here, thro' the Oural Mountains & over the great Volga Bridge. I enjoyed the Oural scenery much: we had a splendid observation car & sat best part of the daylight in it. The daylight lasts only about 8 or 9 hours. I was berthed in a beautiful car with a Polish Gentleman, who for some reason

appeared to have taken a fancy to me. I was alone to Chelabinsk when a gentleman put his head throught the curtains and said  you', I know you and came in. He was a Pole whom I had met 2 or 3 times before. He sat on the opposite berth & said 'gut': he knew little more than that of German, & I said in Russ is 'very good' & he took up his quarters with me, & seemed very happy. He was full of anticipation of meeting “liebe Fran” in Moscow. He wore a fur coat worth £25 & had his violin: & he played for me several times. We also had meals together, & tho he only spoke Russian he seemed happy, & shook hands many times. He had a purse full of English coins, which he said were better than Russian money.

We reached here 5 hours late at 6.15pm last night, & I wired you & Sir Alfred today. I had working & re-packing to see to, & did not get out until 11am today.

I then went first to buy a German guide to Moscow & afterwards spent 1 ½ hours with the British Consul, Mr or rather Capt Groves. Afterwards I drove round the Kremlin to St Saviour's church, a gorgeous church. There they make much of Christ & less of the Virgin. Russia is most religious. The cabdrivers, take off their hats reverently on passing favourite shrines. Whatever the weather here we go on wheels, as there is little snow in the streets.

Moscow is a sight, a city of magnificent, ponderous buildings & ancient, richly coloured walls, towers and statutary, a place of barbaric splendour, with every attention to material and pleasure. The baths are magnificent. We have nothing like them: they are relics of Rome.

I shall be here until Tuesday night, when I leave by express for St Petersburg. I have to see here Baron sister, who is married to Major General something, Judge of the Court Martial court, evidently a great & powerful functionary. They say the Russians are the English just now.

Mr Groves has just told me of the narrow escape of our Queen – how delighted I am at the news. It would have been dreadful had she been burnt. The Russian Empress is better, & I hear the German Emperor is middling.

I will write you again tomorrow & when I must see Cooke the Foreign Office court agent.

I note all home news & wish best love to you all, am yours ever affect husband, Tom.

Mrs Barker

36 Judges Drive

Liverpool

PS I hope you have got the Japanese things. Parcels go by English mail via Suez; they are larger than standard letters.