Salt Lake Telegram | 1927-01-16 | Page 11 | Cathedral Gold is Replenishing Soviet's Coffers

Cathedral Gold GoldIs Is Replenishing Soviets Soviet's Coffers LENINGRAD J Jn n. n 15 Gold AP-Gold and silver from the famous Cathedral Cathedral Cathe- Cathe dral of St. St Peter and St St. Paul Js Is 1 ie- ie e- e the coffers Many articles of the metals including in- in eluding the intricately wrought wreaths of pure gold representing funerary offerIngs to the royal dead from the Russian people and from foreign sovereigns have been removed removed re- re moved by the state authorities and melted into coin JEWELS ALSO REMOVED Even the jewels and semiprecious stones which embellished the granite granito gran- gran ito ite tombs have been removed leavIng leaving leav- leav ing only the the holes In which they were set The historic edifice bu built lt by Peter the ti-ie Great and containing all of Russia's imperIal dead from the time of that monarch to Czar Aexander Mex- Mex ander III has been converted nto a museum by the bolshevik author author- ties who charge the public 10 cents admIssion But there is little to see in the cathedral beyond the bones of the nations nation's maul moul- dering sovereigns PETERS PETER'S GOLD BOAT GONE American visitors familia with vl th th the cathedral before the bolshevik revolution have noticed the disappearance disappearance of the gold model of the first beat built by Peter the Great w rich hung over the monarchs monarch's tomb for Years Presumably y thus piece was Of pure puce has like many other rare objects ob- ob been convert d nto coin 0 11 Ln the soviet state treasury or removed removed re- re moved to a museum The g crosses candelabras and hOly incense lamps have also been removed In sharp contrast to the glittering exterior of th the old church whose slender golden spIre pOints like a giant finger toward heaven is the naked interior Once imperial Russas Russa's Russia's Rus- Rus Pantheon it sias sia's now flow an abandoned monastery Its Its' wals formerly covered with hundreds of resplendent wreaths garlands and other tokens of pure gold and silver are bereft of everything except the nails that held the ornaments The elaborate gold and silver trimmings which once made the altar litter glitter brilliantly under thousands of an dies are no longer seen I