znerSMRT AB, fe Prwel Govt, falls on the same day as. foreign Easter, was celebrated merrily and with gastronomical gusto. 'This holi day i deeply Footed In the history of Holy Russia. Even the custom of holding willow-branches in lieu of palms while in church dates back to when St. Lazarus, one of Christ's friends, permitted' Russian peasants Use' the Russian willow in that symbolic custom," Shanghai has an abundance of palms, yet to change this ancient tradition would be unthinkable, As in previous years, willow branches were shipped here from Harbin in great quantity, and their fresh fragrance brought spring into many houses. The. Women's Monastery" sent bundles—together with a letter from Mother Superior Ariadne—to prominent people in the "To cosmopolitan Shanghai it has become well-known through the 20 yenrs that Russians numbering $0,000 have lived in the city that zautrenia, the service on Easter Night, is not only a service but an official, national holiday. It would be enough to say that all military and eivit authorities Russia, beginning with the Emperor, had to attend the service in full Uniform, with all their medals and decorations. Churches all. over the country were brilliantly lighted; while in the villages where there were no electric lights buckets of Durning tar were used to excellent effect. Fire has always played a major role in the Easter ceremonies. 'Me fire of the candies held by the congregation during the Easter service is counted holy; that is why. this candle must be' carried home still Durning and a eross inscribed with iis. flame above the door. Many Russian writers, great and small, attempted to deserible the zautrenta service, but it needed the genius of Leo Tolstoy to do it full justice, in hiis novel "Resurrection."
The Easter The emblem of Russian Easter is the coloured yg; in this respect there is-no. difference from Easter among other nationalities. But in Russia many beliefs and euistoms axe connected with this Easter egg. the first place, it must be kept even after the holiday ends, and if at some later time the house should catch on fire, one need only carry this youd the buildings three times for the fire to die down, no matter how Mongo wind is fanning it-at the ime. A most widespread custom is to pit the strength o€ one exis agains nother, This often takes the form of 4 game' of chance, Where the main streets cross ina city or village the "players," mostly young, people, meet with a jiood supply of coloured oxus.
layer "holds the eyg ina hed fist, the other hits the ex= portion with his egi. The one nose el is broken in the encounter ust surrender it.to the winner.
Another widespread custom is the rolling of eyes. "From a small chute the players. vell their eqs, which being of irregular shape roll down in the most fantastic zig-zags. If on its downward course one egg comes ayainst smother, both belong 10 the former's owner. Me custom of the Easter kiss 4s also guarded jealously, fund) year after year non-Russiay alking on Aventio Joffre are sui prised to see men embrace each other and exchange three kisses. (Women kiss only inside houses). The Tears of Moscow, after the conclusion of the Easter Service, exchanged Easter kisses. wi then ave their ha and finally bowed ancestors and placed one red ex on top of exch, Russian Emperurs tip 1 the late Nicholas TI also. conserved this custom, and bestowed the Easter kiss not only' on members of the Imperial Family but officers of the highest rank and even soldiers of their personal Guatd.
Following the custom of previous years, wishes of the season were ex-med by members of the ex-Ofiicers' Chub and their friends, whi Bishop. John accepted the Russian Cathedral to ancient custom, Russians in jails were made the recipients of money and these two Easter, delicaies—"passkha" and "kuliehi."
Russian Chamber of Comme To augment the Sogiety of Russian businessmen and Industeiatists, which existed for & number of years and whose present President is Mr, Mironoll, the Russian Chamber of Commerce has been recently founded.
rules and regulations are based on those of a Chamber which was sormed in Shanghai in 1917 but was Tater disbanded. The first on Grigorieff, who pointed out that jew of increasing competition Rus sian businessmen and industrialists in Shanghai should unite to a. still greater extent. The Chamber of Commerce, he stated, should help the growth of Russian business in this oily. and protect the interests Russian businessmen, and stressed that as Russian Commerce in the Far East has been alive for hundreds of years, it would be in the interests of all to keep in close touch with Russian Chambers of Commerce in other cities of China and Japan. The following were elected to the Board of Directors: Messrs, Grigorieff, Long, Zalevsky. Stepanoff, Ulanoff, 'Tsepkin, Ivanoviteh, Larin, Zalle and Goncharoft. Mr. Metzler' was "elected Honorary President. Mr. V._E. Ulanoff was Elected President, Mr. P. S. Grigorieit Vice-President, Mr. V. S. Tsepkin Treasurer and Mr. Zoile Honorary Secretary.
Mr. M.A. Moshkin, who has been recently re-elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Russian Club on Aventie Foch, has stated that in view of the approach of summer the Club's hall, which was built the vardon $0 s to give maximum. protection from the heat, is a major Requirement. The construction cost '$12,000, but this sum is being steadily wered. During the past year the jub'sfinaneial position improved considerably, and its surplus receipts reached the sum of $0,000, The number of members has likewise increased, now having. passed the 200
'On' Wednesday, Apri 14, the Bohemian Club "khlom" is holding 4 Carnival Night at the Russian Club, which will be called "Shanghai ter-Time." The purpose of the lam" Is to give a humorous por-tradal of how Russian and. foreign, Shanghai celebrates Easter. The Interesting forms which the "tustieston"
of cosmopolitan Shanghai takes at Enster-time will also be depicted.
Seamen's Society Celebrates In spite of soaring prices and the depression "experienced by many forms of business, Russian newspapers cannot complain'of hard times. Ail of them issued large Easter numbers, especially the "Shanghai Zaria" which consisted of no less than 80 pages of the usual newspaper format The Society of Russian Scamen of the Mercantile Marine has celebrated ten years of its existence. A reception was held in the Society's pre-Inises on Rue di Consular, In adio tion to members it was attended b3 presentatives of the colony. an numerous friends. Mr. N. I. Klopfer is Chairman of this Society, Mr. K. K. 'Atemusoff vice-Chairman,, and Mr. G.M. Borodin Honorary' Treasurer. Among the guests of honour was Commander P. N. Krasheninnikolt, Chairman of the Union of Onicers of the Russian Imperial Navy.
Summer Camp for Russian Children in Tsingtao is at present being organized by the Society of the "Friends of the Ecole Remi. Doctors ure examining children to constitute how many of them are in veal need of a holiday in the summer resort. The finances of this projected. lunderiaking are also being' studied, being the aim to find out how much the two-way trip and residence Tsingtao will be for each person.
he children will be sent to Tsing tio under experienced directors, and lo there. lessons In foreign guages Will be given to those who need them. It is estimated that a few dozen children will be able to to this camp.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.