ad been captured by Charles
XII of Sweden in 1704, and bombarded in 1848. As capital of the
crownland of Galicia, it had come to be a handsome city, of many parks,
wide boulevards, three cathedrals, many churches, and a great number of
important public monuments. It was the seat of a university which
contained a highly valuable library of books and manuscripts and a great
many treasures of historic and antiquarian interest. Its population was
about 200,000.

The Austrians declared that Lemberg had been evacuated in order to save
all these treasures from destruction. It is certain that the civil
population of the town was strongly opposed to its being defended. It
was cosmopolitan and contained elements, doubtless in the minority, who
sympathized with Russia and who welcomed the Russian troops with great
enthusiasm. Whatever other reasons may be given for its abandonment,
however, the fact remains that any attempt to hold it would have been
futile.

After the Russians had taken possession of Lemberg, tranquillity again
prevailed. Although it was crowded for a considerable time thereafter
with Russian soldiery, there was no violence, disorder, or confusion. On
every hand were seen Russian soldiers of all branches of the service
fraternizing with the people of the place. If a soldier even jostled a
civilian accidentally he saluted and apologized. No drunkenness was
permitted. A considerable number of Austrian policemen continued to
patrol the streets, with a Russian badge on their arms, however.

Austrian surgeons and nurses, left in the town when the Austrian troops
retreated, continued to help care for Austrian wounded, also left there,
and received the same pay for their services as their Russian associates
of the same rank. Austrian Red Cross attendants were allowed to walk
about the streets at will, unmolested.

After its occupation by the Russians, Lemberg at once became a huge
hospital base. For the care of wounded that daily came in from the
front, there were forty-two immense institutions.

The inhabitants of Lemberg welcomed the Russians as deliverers. A
deputation came to General Russky and requested him to make known to the
czar the readiness of the whole Slav population of the city to be loyal
"sons of Russia." In surrendering the government to Count Bobrinsky,
whom the czar appointed Governor General of Galicia, M. Rutovsky, Mayor
of Lemberg, said:

"Not without our cooperation have the Austro-Hungaria