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Alexandria Gazette
Alexandria, Alexandria County, District Of Columbia
What is this article about?
Description of kissing as a customary greeting in Russia, including husbands kissing wives, men kissing each other, and the Emperor kissing officers. Anecdote about Peter the Great publicly kissing a degraded officer on the Bridge of Kisses in St. Petersburg.
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Kissing, which with the western nations is a caress, seems to be considered in Russia rather as a greeting, a national salute, a universal custom, derived from remote antiquity. A traveller in that country says not only husbands kiss their wives and fathers their children, whenever they enter and leave their apartments, though it be forty times a day, but men kiss each other—the Emperor kisses his officers—smart cadets are rewarded with an imperial kiss—old generals with rusty moustachios kiss—whole regiments kiss! It is said that one of the bridges in St. Petersburg is to this day called Potzalui Most, or Bridge of Kisses, in commemoration of Peter the Great, who, having in a fit of passion unjustly degraded an officer in face of his whole regiment, kissed the poor man in the same open way, upon the next public occasion, on this very bridge.
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Where did it happen?
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Russia
Key Persons
Outcome
officer unjustly degraded then publicly kissed by peter the great as reconciliation.
Event Details
Kissing is a greeting and national custom in Russia, practiced frequently among family, men, Emperor with officers, cadets, generals, and regiments. Bridge in St. Petersburg named Potzalui Most or Bridge of Kisses commemorates Peter the Great's public kiss to a degraded officer.