Getting Acquainted with Russian Bells and Ringers

A complicated series of exchanges in the 1930s led to the bells of theSt Daniel monastery in Moscow being installed at Lowell House atHarvard (then) College. In the 1980s, after the monastery wasreturned to its original pre-Soviet religious function, negotiationsbegan to return the bells. The ultimate outcome was that a new set ofRussian bells were cast for Harvard and the original ones returned toMoscow.

During the time leading up to the removal of the old bells and thearrival of the new ones, there was a lot of press coverage by theBoston Globe and other media outlets. In a feeling of bellringersolidarity, the Boston Change Ringers got in touch with the folks atLowell House, who welcomed the overture. Three Russian bellringerswere in Boston supervising the elaborate preparations, and eventuallyan outing was organized bringing them to Old North to see and hear ourbells and have a handling lesson. Hierodeacon Roman Ogryzkov, headbellringer at the monastery, Konstantin Mishurovsky, curator of theMuseum of Bells at Izmailovo and bellringer at the Moscow Kremlin, andIgor Konovalov, Patriarchal bellringer at the Moscow Kremlin andchairman of the Russian Society of Church Bell Ringers cameaccompanied by their translator Alex and by Ben Rapoport of the LowellHouse group. They took lots of pictures, enjoyed watching the bellsduring ringing, admired the bell model (Konstantin is planning toorder one from Sherbourne Teaching Aids to display in the museum), andpulled very straight backstrokes.

I was amused to learn that although the technique for ringing Russianchurch bells is very different (somewhat like chiming, with the bellshung dead), the most common correction given to beginners is “Don'tpull so hard.” The cables attached to the clappers apparently alsoneed a light touch, for the most part. We can't speak fromexperience, because on our return visits the tower was stillconsidered a construction site and we were not allowed up.

It was entertaining to see Father Roman, dressed as usual in hissomber black cassock, wearing a bright red hard hat when he went up toring for us. We were shown pictures of the casting of the new bells,given a lot of historical information, and were shown parts of aSoviet documentary film about various nearly-defunct folk arts. Thismovie is one of the few sources of documentation for the old styles ofringing, aside from some notes and the memories of very old people.The Soviet suppression of religion did not quite kill off the ringingtradition in Russia, but it came frighteningly close. It is a reliefto know that revivals of both ringing and casting bells are well underway.

More information can be found at the web site:http://www.danilovbells.com/bellsonrussia/coming/