SECRET OF CENTURIES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 150, 21 December 1929, Page 14

SECRET OF CENTURIES

SEARCH FOR TREASURES

A PRECIOUS LIBRARY

(Copyright.) Professor Boris Stolotzki, famous Eussian archaeologist, and his group of assistants, who have boon digging for months in tho crypts and subterranean passageways of tho Kremlin Citndol at Moscow, in search of tho olusivo secret treasuro hoard of Tsar Peter tho Great and tho hidden library of Tv.-w Ilio Terrible, believo they havo found tho key that will unlock tho mystory of conturies. Information reaching Prof. Paul Houriot of Paris indicates that in tho courso of removing several huuo oakon cases from one of tho collars right boncath tho main Kremlin gato, known as Tainik, workmen hoard strange musical sounds. Upon investigation it was discovered that tho cases woro linked by a mechanical dovico with some crude medioval organ or musicbox, that started to play automatically as soon as tho oakon cases wero shifted. Tho music-box remains ' hidden howover, behind a thick wall.

Tho archaeologists aro provonted from breaking down the wall for tho present becauso its removal or weakening would endanger tho safety of one of the main Kremlin towers above ground.

As no reason lias ever been found for the naming of the main Kremlin gate by the name of Tainik, which, means "the secret," Prof. Stclctzki thinks that the appellation was bestowed upon it because of its connection with tho secret chambers whero Ivan the Terrible hid his legendary Golden Library" during tho anxious days when Tartar hordes massed outside. Moscow intent upon sacking and looting the city ana murdering the Tsar. ■ .

Prof. Steletzki denies "that he' is searching for gold or treasure, although the likelihood is admitted by him that these researches may lead to the_ uncovering of sections of the Imperial treasury. "What I want to find, ? he writes, "is the library of Ivan tho. Terrible, which that Tsar in--6n + ted { I 0?. his father > Vassili, who iirturn^had.it from the Patriarch of Constantinople. It is without a doubt the most precious collection of early ecclesiastical manuscripts in existence and has never been destroyed. „ , Ts e ]a4 t we know of "is the arrival of. a German savant, Johann Wettermann, who came to Moscow in 1567 upon the invitation of Ivan to put the library m order. This Wettermann later declared that he would have been willing to give his life if he could have'taken the collection out of Moscow and taken it with him to Germany.

«, ,2 ld "i 14 tfcasure it because of the gold and jewel-studden bindings which Ivan had given to the books, but because of the wealth of informa--I™°,Jte .Christian Church that the books contained one of them notably^is supposed to have been a detailed description of the life of the founder of the Christian religion which is m direct conflict with the Gospel narratives that we possess " P On. several occasions in history researches were undertaken to find the Golden Library. ■ Peter the Great himself made an attempt, but always somo untoward incident forestalled carrying out of the projects. While Peter wa! searching, a revolt broke out in Mos" cow. Later, when Napoleon ordered his grenadiers to uproot the entire Kremlin, blowing up the entire citadel with- gunpowder if needs be, the Russians put the City of Moscow in flames, and Bonaparte was forced to abandon his quest and flee for his life. When the mausoleum of Lenin was constructed on the Bed Square some years ago, the builders discovered beneath the gate, known as the Gate of tiie Senators, a subterranean chamber the existence of which was totally unknown. Prof. Steletzki is of the opinion that the chamber also connects refchS^r 78 leadißg t0 the Be^

.• The progress of the search is exciting, widespread interest in archaeological circles all over Europe. The archives of the Kremlin are being ransacked by a ■ commission of scholars for all documents relating to the Ivan Library and assurance gains ground that although popular imagination has constantly increased the amount and value of the buried treasure, there is room to believe that an important collection will be returned to humanity once the secret is solved.

The most interesting document unearthed m the archives contains the deposition of the , bellringer of the Kremlin, a man named Ossipoff, who declared under oath in .1724 that ho had known a serf who had personally worked-jon the. hiding of the treasure. Ihe serf was the only one who had es-1 caped the -general massacre of his felA°,T?x,. upon the completion of the task. All the others were killed or had their eyes put out so that they would never be able to reveal the location of the Imperial hoard. >- The researches carried on at present have so far had another important result in that they have shown that there are at least three systems of superimposed crypts, all dating from different epochs. Various Tsars and Muscovite princes, after, the; destruction of the Erenilin of their days, immediately started building new palaces on the Old: site without removing the foundations, of previous citadels or edifices