WARSAW.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 68, 20 March 1915, Page 14

WARSAW.

• J POLAND'S ANCIENT CAPITAL. ITS STORMY HISTORY. Warsaw-is beautifully situated upon the left bank of the broad Viatula River. Built upon an elevated terrace, on the edge of a fertile valley, which descends abruptly by steep slopes to the river below, the city lies on a terrace which rises from 120 to 130 ft above the Vistula. Thvs river is from 1,300 to almost 2,000 ft broad, where it is connected .with the suburbs on the opposite shore. Three bridges cross the Vistula, joining Praga with Wansaw. Tire railroad bridge passes so close as to ibe almost under the guns of the old Alexander citadel, which lies to the north. The : story goes that the citadel was erected in 1832 as a punishment for the Polish insurrection of the year before, when Warsaw'was captured by Prince Ivan Paskevitch, the commander-in-chief of the Russian forces, who later became Governor of Poland. South of the citadel lies the old town of Stare Miasto, the Jewish quarter. While it is as uncleanly, it is not as bad as sections found in many other Russian cities. The old town, with its antique buildings and crooked and narrow little streets, suggests Germany in many parts. The old Cathedral of St. John is the most ancient edifice in Warsaw. It was built in the thirteenth century and restored in" the' seventeenth. In another suburb, known as Wola, , there is a large field, in which for many years the kings of Poland used to -be elected. I ITS MILITARY IMPORTANCE. I From a military standpoint Warsaw is undoubtedly the most important city, not j only in Poland, but a:so in Russia. ' Poland was divided into several parts [years ago. Austrian Poland, the portion acquired by Austria, now forms iGalieia, the Crown land of Austria Hun-

Gary, the capital of which is Lemberg Prussian Poland is the part acquired by Pn»sia on the partition of Poland between Rues'.a, Prussia and Austria in the last part of the eighteenth century. It now constitutes what is known as the province of Posen, almost all of West Prussia and paTt of East Prussia. Riuasian Poland is the name usually given to the ten Russiam governments of the "Vistula Land." It comprises Suwalki, Lomza, Siedlce, Lublin, Kielce, Radom, War-saw, Plock, Kalisz, and Piotrkow, of which "governments" Warsaw is the chief city and capital. •Throughout Poland the- chief religion is Roman Catholic, and the principal oc- > cupation is agriculture, particularly the I 1 raising of grain. While the inhabitants arc mostly Poles, there are also many Jews and Ruthenians. AN EVENTFUL HISTORY. Warsaw, like the rest of Poland, has had a stormy history. In fact, the history of Warsaw is the history of Poland. Xot until 1815 was the territory formed ' into the kingdom of Poland, under the Russian Emperor, by the congress of Vienna, a kingdom which comprised the bulk o.f the whole Duchy of Warsaw. In November, IS3O, there was an uprising of the Poles, which was suppressed by Prince Ivan Paskevitch, the royal warrior, as has been mentioned. In 1832 the constitution of Polaaid was abolished. In 1546 another unsuccessful attempt -was made by the Poles to escape from the Russian yoke, and again in ISG3 tlrere -was another insurrection, which was finally suppressed in 1564. From about this time Poland as a kingdom actually ceased to exist. Warsaw is ancient, having been founded in the twelfth century. It is known to have beem the residence of the dukes of Mazovia until the sixteenth century. It became a raj-al residence about 1550, and the capital of Poland a little more than a half century later Warsaw was captured by the Swedes, bus' retaken by Peter the Great, in the northern war. Im 170-t and 1793 it was occupied by the Russians.

. A THRIVING CITY. ' % ;''..;' Despite its turbulent history, Warsaw is a charming city. It Has. a- sp:endid situation on the high banks" of the Vistula, and it boasts not only a-.very extensive commerce, but it also ranks as a t thriving .railway centre. By , rail it is 387 mi'ks cast of Berlin, while .Petrograd I lies about 095 miles away. : tq -the northeast. The population of the city in 1914 is estimated -to. be. 872,000, •of . whom 1 300,000 are Jews. ,;..'. • • Warsaw is much more like a western European metropolis than:a-Russian- city.Set on a fertile plain 'on.a»-great .navigable riyer, -below fte confluence,, with the Pilica and the- Wiepriz, - which, .drain South Poland, it also has the advantage ■of being situated within easy distance of the Narew arid-Bug Rivers, which tap a wide region, of which . it naturally. becomes the chief commercial, centre. The. streets of the city are adorned with beautiful trees and .many fine buildings. Splendid palaces, the homes of the ancient Polish nobility, are frequently seen. The city is rich in -beautiful public buildings and the'ornate church edifices for which Russia is famous.' Warsaw is also well supplied with public gardens. The pride of the city is v its theatre of Polish drama and ballet, a fine building which shelters under one roof both theatres, which are in the midst of the beautiful Lazienki garden. This garden Is.laid but in what was the old and fertile bed of the Vistula by King Stanislaus Poniatowski in 1767. SIGISMUND SQUARE. The centre of WansaWs busy life is Sigismund Square, on which is situated the former royal palace of Zatnek Krolewski. It was built by the dukes of Mazovia, it is said, and enlarged by Sigismund 111., whose memorial stands in front of it. The Poles proudly tell that the famous John Sobieski once owned the palace. He it was who led an army of 20,000 Poles against the .Turks in 1683 who were hammering at the very gates of Vienna,' and by - vanquishing them- he saved Europe from toe threatened Moslem invasion.

From the Zaiuek Ivrolewski branch out | the four main thoroughfares of the city. iTh'e.Krakoivski Przedmiescie is .the finest, street in Warsaw.; It-joins the.-Ndwy j Swiat.<and ;the .avenue - of. Ujazdowska Aleja, which-lead. to.the '..Lazie'nki' gardens., Many . of. the city's finest, and .most modern; buildings, are: on, or -near these streets'.. Tfee.Wenuie ■'. has- ' lovely lime trees,.and is,lined with " cafes, "and places "of ahyusement.' It'is.the Champs Elyisees.'of"Warsaw. , ." /..•„",- •'.',. The : magnificent . Orthodox :•, r Greek' Church is the Cathedral of St. Alexander. Nevski on Saxe Square It was built in 1894, amd was completed in 191.2. It is in the .Byzantine style of architecture, and its five gildied domes .and detached campanile are meet ornate. .Russia's, Greek churches' are .justly' . famous j for "their almost Oriental gorge oneness. : SIGNS TN; TWO, LANGUAGES. " Every street sign.in-Warsaw is in. both. Polish and Russian, but still' a- mystery except.to the initiated. Senators Street, which begins at -Sigismund Square, contains the -finest shops in the city, but the centre of traffic swirls around Palace Square, with its big bronze statue .of King. Sigismund, which lis eight, and ahalf feet-tall. He holds a sword in his right hajnd and a large cross in his left. The statue was erected in 1644 by the son of Sigismund. ... The University of Warsaw is one of the finest in all Russia., It was founded in 1816. After the great Polish insurrection in 1831 it was closed, and riot again opened until. 1869, at which time.it be-' came a Russian seat of learning, in which the Russian language replaced the Polish tongue. It contains a remarkably fine library oi more than 500,000 volumes. It also has a splendid natural history collection, as well as a' large botanical garden and well equipped modern astronomical observatory. . Warsaw Medical School enjoys the highest repute in the' scientific world. The city's school of art, academy of agriculture and forestry amd conservatory of music are all high-class institutions, of which the cittern of Warsaw are justly proud* . : ~ -' —•• -