Singing Russian Soldiere.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 12761, 14 January 1905, Page 7

Singing Russian Soldiere.

* 77 j Mr, Carl Joubcr.t, writing in the Nineteenth Century, says Iho Russian soldiers are always singing. They singf on the march, they sing in the traifr, they sing whilst they are eating tboir black bread and kopusta (sour ca,obage), they sing in the I>harchovna (puiblichouse). ''lie has," ho P^joceedsj. '"seen ,a gang; of over four hvjnr dred prisojiers in chains-on • their way to Siberia, . and they, too, sang as they inarohed to . the station and afterwards. in>the ;irarn> 2Vlxil l Jouboj"tr, howevißr, explains that the .Russip.u merely sings in .order to £tav<s oS- d%&* trial memories. Thoir songs axe iemaricable compositions, and- t!ie orig In of thGsn'is worth'recording. ' 33v<ry company in, a regiment lias a clcfMit. He is selected by the captain 1 of "the company on account of hig accompliuhments. Before he became a soldier ho probably lived by his wits in, a city und, ;p'ossetsing a nuanoftr of his own and a ready tongue, Tie soon mailcs for himself -the reputation- of a wag in the regiment. Tie ) is,. therefore, appointed clown to his company, apd hi. that, capacity Jie..marches in froit, singing and dancing! for,..the cntfertainmient of "his comratdes. ' He exempted from carrying 1 arms, so -that he may 1 be able, t,o perform the upcdu'th" Russian dances which' have become familiar to thie British public on. the music-hall stage. ' Then- he will strike up a verse of a song, and the, whole company will join in the refrafn^ and for a time .they forget tneir swollen feet and the .weight of the knapsack which galls their shoxdders* JK he is a clown of genius, he" compos: js songs'for his "company"when »c Is in barracks, and "sings them on the march.' Soiwetimes he will mafce 'a great 'hit' with, "one of his compositions.' It spreads frotm company |o company, and from regiment iio regiment, until it- becomes a nartionfil song." ♦ \