"Every glance was turned towards the door by which the Emperor was to enter. The door opened; the Emperor, the Empress, and the Grand Dukes walked down the gallery between the two rows of guests, addressing, with gracious and noble familiarity, a few words to the notabilities whom they met. Then the whole imperial group disappeared through a door opposite the one by which they had entered, followed at respectful distance by the great officers of state, the members of the diplomatic body, military officers, and courtiers...
In Russia Court balls are opened by what is called a polonaise. It is not a dance, but a sort of filing-past, of procession, of torchlight march, which is very striking. The company divides so as to leave a sort of lane in the centre of the ball-room. When everybody is placed the band plays an air of a slow, majestic rhythm, and the promenade begins. It is led by the Emperor with a princess or other lady whom he desires to honour.That evening Emperor Alexander II. wore a hand-some military uniform, which set off his tall, well-made, handsome figure. It consisted of a sort of white tunic coming half-way down the thigh, with gold frogs, and with blue Siberian fox trimming. He wore the stars of the great orders of knighthood; his legs were set off by close-fitting breeches and light boots. The Emperor wears his hair cut close, so that his smooth, full, well-shaped brow was completely seen. His absolutely regular features seem intended to be reproduced on a gold or bronze medal. His blue eyes acquire a peculiar beauty from the brown tints of his face, which is less fair than his brow, on account of his many trips and his taking much exercise in the open air. The outline of his mouth has a clearness and sharpness of line which is quite Greek and sculptural. The expression of his face is majestic and sweet, lighted up at times by a very gracious smile...
The uniforms and Court dresses of the men are so brilliant, so rich, so varied, so heavily covered with gold embroidery and orders, that the ladies, in spite of modern elegance and the graceful lightness of thepresent fashions, find it difficult to rival this massive brilliancy. As they cannot be more splendid, they are more beautiful; their bare shoulders and bosoms are better than all the gold embroideries in the world. To rival such splendour they would need to wear, like the Byzantine Madonnas, gowns of stamped gold and silver, pectorals, gems, and halos studded with diamonds; but how could one dance with such a weight of gold-work on one’s body?
Yet it must not be supposed that the ladies carry simplicity to extremes; their plain dresses are of English point-lace, and the two or three skirts they wear are more costly than a dalmatic of gold or silver brocade. The sprigs of flowers upon the tarlatan or gauze skirt are festooned with diamond clasps; the velvet ribbon is clasped by a gem that might have come from the Czar’s crown. Certainly a white gown of taffeta, tulle, or watered silk, with a few rows of pearls and a head-dress to match, a knot of two or three pearls twisted in the hair, is utmost simplicity ; but the pearls are worth a hundred thousand roubles, and never will a diver bring up from the depths of ocean rounder or purer gems. Besides, simplicity of dress is a way of paying one’s court to the Empress,who prefers elegance to splendour. It is quite certain that Mammon does not lose by it; only at the first glance, and when passing by quickly it might be supposed that Russian women are less luxurious than the men, which is a mistake: like all women, they have an art of making gauze more expensive than gold...
The Emperor walked around, speaking to those whom he desired to honour, sitting down occasionally and putting a glass of champagne to his lips, then going to repeat the same politeness farther on. ‘These stops of a few minutes are considered a very great favour.After supper dancing was resumed, but the night was waning apace; it was time to leave; there could only be a mere repetition of what I had seen before. The sleigh which had traversed the square, to stop at a little door in the street which separates the Winter Palace from the Hermitage, reappeared going towards the church of St. Isaac, carrying off a pelisse and a fur cap under which no face could be seen. As if the heavens sought to rival the splendours of earth, the Aurora Borealis was: flashing its silver, gold, purple, and pearl fires, and extinguishing the stars with itsphosphorescent beams".
Theophile Gautier "Travels in Russia"
