The Tsar & the President

This is a very interesting traveling exhibit that I saw yesterday at the Union Station. It closes April 19. Abraham Lincoln and Tsar Alexander II of Russia were in office during the same period, and their was correspondence between the two. Alexander II, the eldest son of Emperor Nicholas I, was schooled from birth to become the head of a millennium autocracy. Lincoln, with less than 2 years of formal education, was elected to head a struggling young democracy. But they shared a common vision of freedom for all. Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves in the rebellious states; and Nicholas issued a decree abolishing serfdom. Each paid the price: assassination. In the exhibit are a number of colorful paintings that were on the wall in Nicholas' residence, including a huge painting of his favorite cats and dogs. On display are many artifacts relating to Alexander and to Lincoln. One of the many historical facts revealed to me: the presence of the Russian fleet in the harbors of New York and SanFrancisco in 1863,. One effect of their presence: discouraging England and France from entering the civil war on behalf of the South. A startling picture that appeared in Harper's Weekly, shows the many Russian sailboats, with their huge sails in place.