October 28 1812: Te Deum

On October 28, 1812, in St Petersburg, John Quincy Adams writes in his diary the following  entry :

28th. About noon I went with Mr. Smith to the Kazan Church, and attended the Te Deum for Marshal Koutouzof's, or rather for General Benningsen's victory, and for the delivery of Moscow. The Duke of Serra Capriola and Baron Armfeldt were in the highest exultation of glory. Armfeldt had a letter from his son, who was with Benningsen at the battle, written the day after, in all the insolence of victory. Armfeldt went about reading it to anybody who would hear him. Without moving from where I stood, I heard him read it seven times. Prince Plato Zuboff, the last favorite of Catherine, was also there. I had seen him at Berlin in 1797 and 1798. I did not know him again, and asked who he was. He has been in disgrace ever since the present Emperor's accession, but his estates in Poland, where he resided, being now overrun, he is again admitted at Court. Count Romanzoff apologized to me for having permitted Mr. Harris yesterday to take me a paper with bad news. I congratulated him on the occasion of the Te Deum, which he said it was to be hoped would be followed by important consequences, and especially that it would correct some opinions concerning the Russians, which had been industriously disseminated. I suppose he alluded to the reputation of the military skill of their generals. The music of the Te Deum was remarkably fine. After it was finished, the Emperor, the Empress and Empress-mother, the Grand Dukes Constantine, Nicholas, and Michael, and the Grand Duchess Ann, made their prostrations and adorations to the miraculous image of the Virgin. When the Emperor left the church to return to the palace, he was greeted with three shouts by the crowd of people who surrounded the church. The city was illuminated again in the evening.