_Mfr./I.—The Russian boundaries were'first advanced to the sea under Peter the great, and from the genius of that monarch the Russian sprang. Besides the naval depots on the Baltic. the Black, and the Caspian seas, there are also naval establishments on the shores of the North Pacific and on the Amur. In 1875 Russia had 137 war-vessels in the Baltic sea, 31 in the Black sea, and 55 on other waters. In a1, there were 223 ships with an aggregate burden of 190,000 tons, 29 being iron-clads. The expenditure for the navy was in 1876 estimated at £3,576,900.
Religion ana Chnmies. —Toleration of all religions which do not violate public morality or good order, exists in Russia, and not to profess the orthodox Greek faith, the national religion, does not disqualify for the enjoyment of any civil rights. The law does not allow those who already belong to the established faith to secede from it; and if, in a household, either of the parents be a member of the Greek church, all the children must be brought up within that communion. The emperor is bead of the church, the affairs of which he directs by means of a synod composed of the chief prelates, who are summoned from their dioceses to attend its meetings(see Russrivx Csraucu). The direc tion and regulation of all other religious communities emanates from a department iu the offices of the minister of the interior. In 1871 there were in European Russia, exclusive of Finland and Poland. 53,139,247 orthodox Greeks; 922.079 Raskolniks; 37.136 Gre gorian Armenians; 2,882,991 Roman Catholics; 2,234,112 Protestants; 1,829,100 Jews; 2,358,766 Mohammedans; and 255,503 heathens. In 1861 there were 614 orthodox con vents, 137 of which were occupied by women. There were 5,648 monks, and 4,879 lay brothers; 2,931 nuns, and 7,669 lay-sisters: 60.394 priests and deacons, and 63,421 other persons, who were employed in religious services in the 50,165 orthodox churches. For the education of the clergy, there me 4 academies, 50 seminaries, and 201 schools, iu which 54,000 persons are trained. The churches, convents, and the ecclesiastical depart ments in general, arc maintained by government..
Public In8tr2letio1h—The department di' public instruction in Russia is presided over by a ministry, although many of the schools are directed by other departments. The greater number of these establishments are supported out of the imperial treasury. Russia in Europe, excepting Finland, is divided into nine educational districts—namely, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Dorpat, Kiev, Kharkov, Kazan, Odessa, Wilna, and Warsaw —each, Wilna accepted, having a university. Of the students—who do not reside within the universities—the.poorest are allowed stipends for their maintenance, and the candi
dates for admission as students must have passed satisfactory examinations in the courses of instruction gone through at the gymnasia. Degrees arc conferred in law, medicine, philology, mathematics, natural history, and the oriental languages. Degrees in theology are granted at Dorpat to students of the Lutheran faith. The professors are appointed and paid by the government. Four institutions, the law school and lyceums of St. Petersburg, Nijni, and Jaroslav, are specially devoted to legal science. The gym nasia, schools of the second class, about 130 in number, are found in the provincial towns. Besides the universities and gymnasia, there are numerous district schools; but the means of instruction, though rapidly increasing, arc very insufficient. in 1853 there were only 3,000 village schools; in 1863 the number had enormously increased. There are also numerous special schools for instruction in mining, in wood-craft, civil engi neering, navigation, etc. The military schools form a separate system. The cadets are transferred from the military gymnasia to the "military schools," in which they qualify to fill the posts of commissioned officers. Three academies, for the staff, the engineers, and the artillery, are devoted to the higher branches of military science. Theological education for the orthodox church is superintended by the clergy. According to the report of the minister of public instruction, there were in 1875, in the nine educational districts, 20,376 primary schools, attended by 670,186 boys and 169.379 girls.
Literary and Scientific Institutions, Museums, Press, etc.—Many of the most important institutions in Russia, as the academy of sciences and the Pulkova observatory, flourish in or near St. Petersburg (q.v.). There are, however, throughout the empire numerous institutions and societies for the promotion of the arts and sciences. The imperial library at St. Petersburg, with upward of a million volumes, is one of the finest in the world. The press of Russia, not yet much developed, is subject to special censorship, which, though rigorously exercised under the reign of Nicholas I., is now, under the milder government of Alexander II., considerably less strict. Each year gives evident _proof of the rapidly increasing taste for literature and mental culture in Russia. In 1863 there were published within Russia and in the Russian tongue 1652 volumes. In the years 1873 and 1874, 5,206 books were published in Russia, of which 447 were trans lations from other languages.