Blessed Maisonette

Along with driving taxicabs, selling gowns and keeping track of complicated collections of identification papers, a favorite occupation of "white" Russians is to run night clubs. In Manhattan last week was opened a new cabaret, La Maisonette Russe at the Hotel St. Regis. Though the usual socialites and columnists were present to drink vodka and listen to gypsy music, the religious editors of the town, such as Rachel McDowell of the Times and Dr. W. A. Nichols of the World-Telegram, did not show up. Their presence would not have been extraordinary because La Maisonette Russe was the first night club in the U. S. to open with the full blessings of a church of God.

The afternoon of the Maisonette's opening, the Rev. Vasily Kurdiumoff, portly, bull-voiced rector of the Russian Orthodox Church of Jesus Christ the Savior, went down to the St. Regis, put on his ceremonial blue brocade riza. Assisted by the conductor of his choir, General Sergey Savitzky, he chanted prayers before an improvised altar on which ten candles illuminated an ikon. Then Priest Kurdiumoff presented a loaf of bread and a small silver salt cellar to Mrs. Anne Tiffany, decorator, and to Mrs. Vincent Astor. whose husband owns the hotel. Up to the priest, one by one, filed Russian musicians, waiters, bus boys, cooks and, in white chef's garb, Spiridon Ignatovich who used to cook for Tsar Nicholas II. Each kissed the priest's crucifix, each received on the forehead a dab of holy water from a long black brush. Finally the Rev. Vasily Kurdiumoff marched around La Maisonette Russe brushing it liberally with the holy water.

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