What time do the church bells ring?

What is the purpose of church bells

In the arrangement of a Christian church, every thing has its own purpose. The souls of Orthodox Christians, when listening to church overflows, are filled with light, joy, peace, and tranquility. When the bells sound like an alarm, Christians know that trouble has happened.

The Orthodox ringing is filled with amazing power, which has the ability to penetrate human hearts . In church sounds and overflows, Russian Orthodox people have learned to distinguish triumph, call and alarm, hearing a certain ringing.

An amazing phenomenon - when the bells sound, doves, prototypes of the Holy Spirit, do not fly away, but, on the contrary, rush to the churches.

Hearing the sound of the bells, the Orthodox people rush to the Divine Services, to which they are called by the rhythmic strikes of the bell. The sounds announcing the triumph of the Church and festive services fill the hearts of believers with joy and joy. Celebration and reverence cause chimes to ring during solemn services.

Types of bell ringing

Having fallen in love with the ringing of church bells, the Russian Orthodox people connected all their solemn and sad events with it. The Orthodox bell ringing serves not only to indicate the time of the Divine service, but also to fill joy, sadness and triumph. This is where different types of ringing came from, and each type has a name and meaning.

Only a church-going person with certain qualities can be a bell-ringer:

gut instinct;
sense of rhythm;
knowledge of sounds;
knowledge of performance techniques;
knowledge of the Church Rules.

The bell ringer must be a prayer book and observe fasts in order to convey to people the triumph of Orthodoxy through the play of sounds.

Hearing the uniform strikes of a large bell, Orthodox Christians know that this is the gospel , calling for worship .

The more significant the event, the greater the voice of God:

The festive gospel sounds on Easter or on special holidays; in order for it to sound, the blessing of the rector of the temple is necessary.
The Sunday gospel sounds on Sundays, the polyeleos - for special services.
Daily services begin with the weekday gospel, and during Great Lent - fast.
The alarm that announces trouble, thank God, sounds extremely rarely.

When all the bells in the church are struck repeatedly and in turn, the chime rings, water blessing prayers, Liturgies, and temple holidays are announced.

During the actual ringing of the bells, the bell ringer strikes two bells.

The trezvon speaks for itself, at this time all the bells, large and small, work, each time producing three strikes with a short break. Low and ringing sounds fly straight into the sky and the souls of Christians, announcing the beginning of the Divine service or the end of the gospel.

Bells of Holy Rus'

Catholic legend dates the appearance of bells to the 5th century. In Italy, in the city of Nola, Bishop Paulinius, walking through a field, began to beg God to perform some miracle. Suddenly Peacock heard that blue wildflowers - bells - were emitting a wonderful ringing. In memory of this miracle, Peacock ordered a huge bell flower to be cast from copper and hung on the top of the church. According to legend, this was the first bell. However, archaeological excavations have shown that bells were known to the ancient peoples. For example, an Assyrian bell with images of evil spirits was found, which is about 3 thousand years old. In ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece, many pagan temples had bells.

The presence of bells in various religious cults is explained by the fact that the bell was considered a witchcraft means of scaring away evil spirits. Pagan views on the bell as a means of driving away evil spirits were adopted by Christianity. On the ancient bells of Catholic churches there are inscriptions: “I put demons to flight,” “I ring, driving away thunder, lightning, infection, Satan, evil people,” and others.

The only musical instrument in an Orthodox church is the bell. Already in the 4th-5th centuries, instrumental music, which was widespread in the early Christian period, left the Orthodox tradition. The Church Fathers gave preference to the human voice, considering it the most perfect instrument created by God Himself. But still the bells remained. At first, their role was exclusively auxiliary - to call believers to prayer.

The bells, which today seem so familiarly Orthodox, came to us from the West, and the organ, an indispensable instrument of Catholic worship, was brought to Europe from Byzantium, where it was sounded at the court of the emperor on major holidays. Bells were brought to Rus' from the West until their own bell-making masters appeared here. Even such a seemingly native Russian expression as “raspberry ringing” comes from the name of the Belgian city of Mechlin, in French - Malin, where bells were cast, which were especially valued in Russia.

From the 16th century, many bells made by Russian foundries have survived. The earliest Russian bells date back to pre-Mongol times; they were decorated with inscriptions or modest geometric designs. Subsequently, the inscription indicating the time of creation of the bell, the temple for which it was intended, the name of the customer, and often the master, became the most important part of the decorative decoration of Russian bells. In the XVI - 1st half of the VXII centuries. Dutch and German influence was noticeable in the decoration of Moscow and Pskov bells, incl. direct reproduction of the favorite motifs of Western European foundries - characteristic plant curls, palmettes, mascarons, animal figurines and mythological characters, in particular, winged sphinxes and siren mermaids. In the 17th century, relief images of six-winged cherubs were often included in the decoration of bells.

The ringing of bells, one of the most striking features of Russian life, had not only liturgical significance, it was destined to become a special, completely independent language of Russian culture. They greeted distinguished guests, gathered people at a meeting, announced recruitment, announced a wedding, death or execution, miraculous signs and healings, warned of fire and epidemics, the approach of the enemy, gave time signals, showed the way to travelers in a blizzard, and to ships at sea - even before the appearance of the lighthouse - they reported in a storm about the proximity of the coast.

The Russian ear was familiar with many types of ringing, as well as the names of the bells themselves. The bells and ringings were “red”, “lenten”, “blizzard”, “prophecies”, “veche”, “retreat”, “wired”, “dispersal”, “counter”, “siege”, “call signs”, “military” " etc.

Almost all the meanings attributed to bells have become part of traditional folk culture and folklore over time. Gathering recruits by the sound of a church bell gave rise to the riddle “The Tsar has a bell throughout Russia.”

Both in life and in songs, the ringing of bells informed the world about the most significant and important events and incidents. So, for example, the bride lamented before the wedding, forever saying goodbye to her maiden life: “You bizhi-tko, my loud voice, to the cathedral church; There, strike the big bell, so that the ringing will go through Russia, pity will go through your acquaintances, so that people will know, know that I am a betrothed girl, my will is imprisoned.”

A large number of foreigners who visited the Russian state in the 16th-17th centuries were surprised by the number of bells in Rus'. “In Moscow,” wrote John Brembach, secretary of the embassy of the Hanseatic League, to Tsar Boris Godunov, “there are extremely many churches and chapels with many bells, the ringing of which is carried out in the evening and early in the morning until the day itself, so if anyone is not used to it, It’s impossible to sleep.” But most of all, foreigners were shocked by the bell tower of Ivan the Great, as well as the large bells of the Moscow Kremlin, which were cast at the behest of the Russian sovereigns, who competed with each other in whose bell would be heavier. So, for example, the bell of Ivan III, cast in 1503, weighed about 400 pounds (6.4 tons), the bell of Vasily III, made in 1533, weighed 1000 pounds (16 tons), and the great bell of Ivan the Terrible weighed 2200 pounds. (35.2 t). But the most famous bell in Russia, of course, is rightfully considered the “Tsar Bell,” cast by Russian craftsmen I.F. and M.N. Matorins (sculptor F. Medvedev) in 1735. It weighs over 200 tons! During the fire of 1737 it was so filled with water that a piece weighing 11.5 tons fell off. Under Nicholas I, the bell was placed on a pedestal. Currently, the “Tsar Bell” stands in the Moscow Kremlin, striking everyone with its size. The relief figures of the Savior, the Mother of God, John the Baptist, the Apostle Peter, the Prophetess Anna, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Empress Anna Ioannovna, baroque-heavy, echo the contours of the bell itself and support the overall impression of monumentality and power. This impression is also facilitated by the placement of the inscriptions, which do not encircle the bell, as usual, but are inscribed in magnificent cartouches-stamps that fill the free space between the figures.

Notes from foreigners more than once mention that Russian bell ringers did not swing the bell itself (as was most often done in Europe), but its “tongue.” Here is what S. Maskevich, a Polish nobleman who visited Russia in 1609-1612, wrote about this: “The Church of St. John is remarkable for its high stone bell tower, from which you can see far in all directions of the capital. On it 22 large bells hang in 3 rows, one above the other; There are more than 30 smaller bells. It is not clear how the tower can support such a weight. The only thing that helps her is that the bell ringers do not swing the bells, like ours, but beat them with tongues (bell tongues), but to swing another tongue, it takes 8 or 10 people; Not far from this church there is a bell, cast for one vanity, it hangs on a wooden tower 2 fathoms (a little more than 4 m) high, so that it can be seen more clearly: its tongue is swinging by 24 people.”

With the advent of bells in Rus', a unique bell mythology, numerous rituals and beliefs appeared. What is surprising about the popular perception of the bell is that it is perceived as a living creature, in many ways similar to a person. There is plenty of evidence of this. The bells were given personal names and nicknames. Back in 1290 Rostov princes Dimitri and Konstantin Borisovich sent the “Great Bell of Tyurik” to Veliky Ustyug. The well-known bells are “Sysoi” (named after the Rostov Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich), “Reut” (“Howler”), “Swan” (so called for its ringing, similar to a swan’s cry), “Hunger” (it was rung during Lent) etc. The bells were addressed in prayers along with God, the Mother of God, and the saints: “Mother Most Holy Theotokos, holy bell.”

Thanks to human imagination, bells have been endowed with will and the ability to act independently since ancient times. In the Lives of Saints you can often find lines about the unauthorized sounding of bells. Thus, the legend about Alexei the man of God tells of a whole series of miracles that followed his death: “The bells rang, the royal doors were destroyed, the church books were corrupted, the censers themselves were lit, the candles lit up.”

In the folklore of many European countries, bells themselves choose the place where they hang, and most importantly, they remain faithful to their bell tower. In Russia, similar stories are associated with the decree of Peter 1 on the removal of bells and their transfer to cannons, which were supposed to replace the artillery that sank near Narva. A text from the early 18th century is known. “The Miracle of 1701 with the Bells of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery,” which tells about the bells of the Trinity Lavra, which resisted the fate prepared for them and eventually returned to the places from which they were taken by force. One of the bells disappeared and was only later found in a pond next door, the other, which they wanted to break, did not give in and buzzed non-stop for 3 days, and 2 others, called “brothers” in this text, were not removed from their hooks for a long time, and then suddenly fell to the ground themselves.

Among the legends and traditions about bells, and in almost all European traditions, the most prominent place is occupied by stories about sunken bells. The most famous legend tells about the sinking of Kitezh to the bottom of Lake Svetloyar during the invasion of Batu, as well as about miraculous visions and phenomena that happen on the shores of this lake. They say that on one summer night in the waters of the lake you can see the outlines of the city, the reflection of church crosses and praying people, hear chants, the sounds of church services and the ringing of bells. There are a great many similar legends about villages, cities, churches and monasteries that have sunk underground in Russia: bells fall into the water and disappear in lakes and rivers if they are in danger of falling into the hands of wicked people, foreign enemies or robbers. Sometimes the people themselves, not wanting the bells to fall into the hands of the enemy, buried them in the ground or drowned them in the waters of lakes or rivers. In any case, the silent bells, ringing only occasionally from under the ground or from the water column, recalled mournful events and marked one or another tragic milestone in Russian history. Bells that have gone underground or flooded, as a rule, cannot be returned to their place, and even their ringing becomes quieter and muffled over the years, and not everyone gets to hear it, but only children and righteous people.

The ringing of bells and the bells themselves in the traditional worldview were incompatible with lies, injustice and sinfulness. When moving bells from place to place, when the tide went out and, especially, when raising them to the bell tower, certain rules were always followed. For example, it was believed that if among those present there were child killers, daughters-in-law, foreigners, or the bell was cast with unjust money, then something would definitely happen to it. He will fall or crack along the way, or his voice will be devoid of ringing. Therefore, undesirable participants in the action were called out from the crowd before it began and expelled. At the same time, the ringing of bells served as a kind of measure of righteousness and goodness. “Rye is purer than ringing”, “a voice is purer than ringing”, or “glory is like a bell ringing” - this is how they said what was worthy of the highest assessment and praise. It is not for nothing that among Russian legal customs there was the so-called purifying oath, taken not only over an icon or cross, when a person swore that he was right and kissed the icon or cross as proof, but also under the ringing of a bell. “Walk under the bells”, “go under oath with the ringing of bells” - this is what they said about people who were deprived of the opportunity to prove their innocence in any other way and decided to justify themselves in church in front of a crowd of people and under the ringing of bells.

In Russian traditional culture, the ringing of bells has always been perceived as the “Voice of God,” and the time when the bells rang on a holiday was considered favorable for the beginning of important household affairs, for many rituals and magical acts.

In Russia, the Easter bell was especially famous. On this day, every person could climb the bell tower and ring whatever he wanted on the bells. People not only rang the bells themselves on Easter, but also carefully monitored the correctness of the Easter peal. If the bell ringer is a little late and does not ring immediately after mass, it means there will be a crop failure. The beekeepers tried to keep in their apiary a fragment of a church bell that they had obtained at the first Easter ringing; it was believed that this would make the bees swarm better.

Several years ago, Japanese scientists discovered the healing power of bell ringing. “The bell strikes excite ultra-light particles (microleptons) that surround any object. The microlepton fields generated in this way break rigid molecular bonds and remove harmful isotopes, which leads to healing and even rejuvenation of the body; it is also capable of destroying cancer cells formed in the body.” Therefore, it is no coincidence that in ancient times a seriously ill person was carried to the church at the time when the bells were ringing. After such “music therapy,” the patient felt better and soon recovered.

The ringing of bells was an indispensable attribute of all funeral and memorial ceremonies. The ringing “at the meeting of the soul” helped the dying person during severe agony. According to the existing belief, severe agony indicated a person who had greatly sinned in life (a sorcerer, a criminal), whose soul was being hunted by evil spirits, and the ringing of a bell had the power to drive them away. Mourning for the deceased implied a limitation of the “sound palette” of one’s entire life, and therefore loud conversations and laughter were prohibited at this time. As for bells, the most expressive example of “mourning” is their silence on Good Friday on the occasion of the death of Christ.

The ringing of bells seemed to man as a beneficial and righteous force capable of saving his soul. The most striking manifestation of faith in the saving power of bells is to buy them in memory of your family and friends. This is also reflected in the traditional inscriptions on the bells, confirming the intentions of their investors. According to the inscriptions of the 16th-17th centuries, the bells were donated “for eternal remembrance”, “For many spiritual benefits”, “For one’s soul and for one’s parents”, “For the remission of sins”, “To pray to God, and after death to remember for their souls”

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In Russia, since ancient times, a tradition also arose in honor of a military victory or the miraculous salvation of someone or something to cast a bell. So, for example, on the personal initiative of Emperor Alexander II, as a gift for the Solovetsky Monastery, which from July 6 to 7, 1854 heroically defended the monastery from the artillery fire of two English sixty-gun frigates “Brisk” and “Miranda”, at the Yaroslavl bell foundry (factory C .D. Charyshnikov) a bell weighing 75 pounds (1.2 tons) was cast from metal taken from the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg from ritual decorations at the burial of Nicholas I, during whose reign the Solovetsky Monastery distinguished itself. On July 19, 1860, a great celebration took place in the monastery on the occasion of the reception of the bell that arrived from Arkhangelsk, which was called the “Blagovestnik”.

At the top of the bell, around the entire circle, there were images of the Mother of God (one of the last unexploded cannonballs was discovered behind the icon with her image), saints and Solovetsky wonderworkers; the “ears” of the bell were crowned with a cross. On the body of the bell there is an image of the shelling of the monastery and 3 medals with inscriptions in Church Slavonic. In the lower part, in a circle, there is an inscription in Russian from the 67th Psalm: “ Let God rise again, and let his enemies be scattered, and let those who hate him flee from his face.”

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The Solovetsky Bell, a monument to the heroism of the Russian monastery, miraculously survived, and the chapel was destroyed in the 1920s, but its image was preserved on pre-revolutionary postcards.

And on the occasion of the most miraculous rescue of the imperial family during a train crash on October 17, 1888. it was decided to build the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in the Russian-Byzantine style not far from the site of the disaster, and opposite the Chapel of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

The clergy of the Kharkov diocese (it was in this province that a tragedy occurred in which several people died and were wounded, but the royal family remained unharmed) decided in honor of this event to cast a bell from pure silver weighing 10 pounds (160 kg), about which the Archbishop of Kharkov and Akhtyrsky Ambrose made a representation to the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod with a request to seek permission from Alexander III to carry out this plan.

An inscription was composed that was supposed to appear on the bell: “This silver bell was built in 1889 by the zeal of the clergy of the Kharkov diocese in memory of the miraculous rescue on October 17, 1888 from mortal danger, during the crash of a railway train near Kharkov, of the Sovereign Emperor Alexander III, the Empress Maria Feodorovna and their August children - Heir Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, Grand Dukes - George and Mikhail Alexandrovich and Grand Duchesses - Ksenia and Olga Alexandrovna"

Portraits of those miraculously rescued were supposed to be placed on the bell, but Alexander III ordered initials to be placed instead of portraits.

According to the plan, the bell was supposed to hang on a special bracket on the outer wall of the bell tower of the Kharkov Cathedral. Every day at the first hour of the day, i.e. at the very time of the miracle of saving the imperial family, it was supposed to ring this bell for 5 minutes, so that every Russian person who heard this ringing would cross himself with a feeling of gratitude to God.

Money and scrap silver for the casting of an unusual silver bell were accepted at the house of the Kharkov archbishop and in all parish churches of the diocese. Donations exceeded all expectations, and in one month they raised an amount that made it possible to publicly announce that the weight of the bell would be 20 pounds.

The silver bell was cast on June 5, 1890 in Kharkov at P.P. Ryzhov’s factory, and on October 14, 1890 it was solemnly raised and strengthened on the 1st floor of the cathedral bell tower in a chapel specially made for it. The royal bell was rung daily. It has become a landmark of the city. After the revolution, the bell disappeared. How did I.A. find out? Dukhin from the “News of the Tauride Public Committee” dated May 30, 1918, in an article about the congress of hierarchs of the Kharkov diocese, it was written that at the congress it was unanimously decided to “remove the Tsar’s bell and send it to the Mint, and donate the money received for it to the contempt of children -orphans of the Kharkov province, whose fathers died during the First World War"

. The bell would indeed be sent to the Mint for melting down.

The death of the “Tsar’s” bell became the forerunner of the mass destruction of bells in subsequent years.

For example, from a secret information letter addressed to the secretary of the Gubkom Zhukov “On the state of the Optina Museum”, the Optina Museum, of course, meant the Optina Pustyn monastery in Kozelsky district, you can find out that by the beginning of 1925 the monastery had not yet become a “Soviet museum” , but it looked more like a monastery. The letter indicated that the monastery was a gathering point for nuns numbering about 600 people. Local peasants also prevented the final closure. When the Bolsheviks began to remove the bells, about 200 peasants from the neighboring village of Stenino came to prevent this. The peasants said that “local Bolsheviks are arbitrarily removing and destroying the monastery’s valuables.” A group of peasant walkers specifically went to Moscow to ask that the bells be left. At the end of the letter, in order to strengthen anti-religious propaganda, it was recommended to change the staff of the museum.

In signs and customs, ringing is associated with news, conversations and gossip, which, like the ringing of bells, spread on their own everywhere. In dream interpreters, the ringing of a bell always foreshadowed something new and unexpected. So, for example, the Optina elders also dreamed of a ringing on the eve of receiving news of the beginning of the liberation war in the Balkans.

In folklore and ancient Russian literature, ringing and bells became a symbol of glory and fame. Let us at least remember the image of the ringing glory passing through the “Tale of Igor’s Host”: “When they laugh behind Sula, the glory rings in Kiev.”

Also, the symbolic connection of bell ringing with a variety of sounds and voices is reflected in the literary language and Russian dialects. With the help of words denoting bells and their ringing, realities and actions related to speech and the spread of rumors are often described. The words “to ring” and “to ring” took on the meaning of speaking quickly and incessantly, spreading news, lying, or speaking loudly. A “bell” was also a name for a chatterbox and gossip.

But, despite the fact that the bell and bell ringing have many meanings, they still remain one of the most important components of religious cult and church service.

“Where the forgotten graveyard mourns the reality of passing, distant times, in the sensitive coolness, sometimes it happens to hear a quiet, thoughtful ringing,

A ringing sound that will never part with you, a ringing sound that will soar with hope again, a ringing sound that is foggy with deep sadness, as if washed away by longing with tears...” A. Tipakov

Sources

1. Kavelmakh V.V. "Great evangelists of Moscow 16th - 1st half of the 17th century." 2. Belobrova O.A. "The miracle of 1701 with the bells of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery." 3. “Notes of foreigners about ancient Moscow.” 4. Encyclopedia for children Avanta + “Religions of the World”, part 2. 5. M. Zabylin “Russian people”. 6. Orthodox encyclopedia. 7. Platonov S.F. "Textbook of Russian History". 8. “New pages of Russian history of the 20th century.” 9. Magazine “Russian House” No. 5 for 1999.

First published in the Kaluga diocesan magazine “Orthodox Christian”

The history of bells

The first mentions of bells were found in documents that are more than 6 thousand years old. The prototype of this marvelous work is the bell flower, whose petals move at the slightest breath of wind. The first task of the bells was to give a signal. They were put on pets and hung on doors.

Interesting about Orthodoxy:

China is considered the birthplace of the first cast bells, where bells are used in purification rituals. According to legend, the master could not mix the right metals to achieve the desired sound; all the products either cracked or did not sound. On the advice of the monks, the master’s daughter threw herself into the molten metal, and the first large bell, “Lovely Flower,” sounded throughout China.

Egyptian monks were the first to use bells to call Christians to services.

For information! Church chimes became most widespread in Rus' in the 16th century, surpassing in weight all those available in European countries.

God's voice has become an element of Russian culture. According to legend, bell ringing drives away evil spirits, so during times of pestilence and enemy invasions, church bells did not stop ringing.

Over time, even musical notation appeared for playing these unique works of human hands. In Russia, bell ringing festivals are often held, filling everything around with God's glory.

The healing power of bell ringing

Scientists have proven that bell chimes have healing powers not only in cleansing space from evil spirits, but also in healing people.

An amazing discovery made by researchers shows that church sounds propagate through space in waves in the shape of a cross, having a positive effect on a person’s physical, mental and spiritual state.

Repeatedly, Christians celebrated recovery, deliverance from birth illnesses after being under the cover of the overflow of God's voice. Especially the ringing of bells has healing powers for psycho-emotional diseases.

Modern achievements make it possible to listen to various sounds of church music in recordings while indoors, thereby cleansing the surrounding space of evil spirits.

Advice! Turn on the songs of the bells and enjoy the joy and peace in your home, not forgetting that sound therapy lasts no more than half an hour.

Why do church bells ring?

When the church bells rang according to the ancient Russian tradition, the men took off their hats and crossed themselves, as if they had already entered the temple of God. The bell ringing seems to have spiritual power and euphony. Their purpose is to disturb the soul and call it to the temple.

Prince Vladimir also brought “ringing vessels” to Russian cities as one of the main attributes of the Christian faith. First of all, their ringing was heard by the people of Kiev, Novgorod, and parishioners of Polotsk and Smolensk churches. Their existence was first mentioned in the chronicles of 988.

From the history of bells

Of course, the ringing of bells was known in Rus' even before the adoption of a single faith in Jesus Christ. Ordinary people often used bells. But church bells of the canonical form began to be made much later.

The world heard the bell ringing 4000 years ago. At least, archaeologists date the finds they made in China to this time. Therefore, the first Christians perceived bells as an attribute of the pagan faith. But gradually the church began to use bells as a means of fighting evil spirits. The bells became the voice of the church.

Where to ring the bells for Easter?

Only on Bright Week the charter allows the bells to be rung at odd times, not during liturgical times: you only need to take care that the ringing does not fall during the liturgy or evening service and does not interfere with people praying in the church.
Municipal laws also prohibit making noise on weekdays after 10 p.m. The rest of the time everything depends on the blessing of the abbot of the temple. The week of the birth of bell ringers and the death of bells

It is believed that the tradition of opening bell towers wide already existed by the 19th century. It was revived in the 1990s, when the newly opened churches had not yet acquired heavy bells, real works of art. Where they rang the ship bell, where they rang the bells.

Nowadays you will hardly come across a temple where you will be allowed to see the bells “unattended.” This is dangerous for the ringers, for the bells, for their control system, and for other belfry equipment.

Imagine a small town on the southern coast of Crimea ten years ago, a temple next to the sanatorium park, the sea rustling under the mountain, cypresses and magnolias greeting the Easter dawn. In the morning, everyone was allowed to ring the bell taken from the boat: it hung on a tree not far from the temple and was then the only church bell in Lower Oreanda. Variations on the theme of “half moon” performed by the broken (but sober) pilgrims resounded around the area, when the cord holding the tongue of the bell broke and the metal blank flew down... Thank God, the holiday was not marred by injury, but the simple idea that the bell requires careful relationship, was illustrated with the utmost persuasiveness and clarity.

In addition, the bell can be broken; too strong blows can distort the ringing, the bell will begin to screech or, on the contrary, go deaf. Therefore, one should not be offended by the ban on going up to the bells in the absence of a professional.

If, after calling (or not having time to call) on Svetlaya, you decide that you want to climb the bell tower regularly, Moscow provides every opportunity for this. Every month there is a new enrollment at the School of Bell Ringers at the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Saburovo. During its existence, the school has graduated about 1,000 certified bell specialists. Students master the history, production of bells and the Charter of bell ringing, and gain the skills of hanging and tuning bells.

Are you welcome or are no outsiders allowed?

In most churches, you can climb the bell tower only if accompanied by a bell ringer.

“Come to Svetlaya, how can you not let us in?” - they said to the “Neskuchny Garden” in the Church of the Epiphany in Kitay-Gorod. Also, accompanied by a bell ringer, they promised to allow ringing in the Church of the Great Martyr Anastasia the Pattern Maker in Teply Stan, in the Solovetsky Metochion (Church of the Great Martyr George the Victorious in Endov), in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khoroshevo, in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in Pereyaslavskaya Sloboda, in the Church of the Holy Martyr Tatiana at Moscow State University.

Some churches warn that the schedule for ringing “sessions” will appear only on Easter. This will be the case in the Novospassky Monastery, where the bell tower is opened every year, but the bell ringers jealously watch over their household. On Easter Sunday, the schedule will also appear in the Church of the Resurrection of the Word in Danilovskaya Sloboda and in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy” in Maryina Roshcha. When the bell ringer will be able to take you to the bell tower in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki, you can check by phone.

In the church in honor of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God in Alekseevsky, people are allowed into the upper tiers of the bell tower only with the permission of the rector and accompanied by a bell ringer, but on the walkway of the temple there is another, small bell tower. There are too many people on Easter day itself, but on Bright Week those who wish can ring these bells.

In the Church of the Great Martyr George the Victorious in Koptevo, people are allowed into the bell tower only on weekdays of Holy Week, and on Easter itself they prefer silence. Also on weekdays, accompanied by a bell ringer, you can ring the bells of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Listy and in the Church of the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God in Kuzminki.

In the Church of the Martyrs Adrian and Natalia in Babushkino they said that you can ring if a person knows at least a little how to handle the bells, “and not just chime until everyone goes deaf.” Here they are happy to show children the basics of ringing and bless them to come to the bell tower. In the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills, on the contrary, they are afraid to let children and teenagers into the bell tower, and adults are required to take a personal blessing from the abbot.

Churches where entry to the bell tower is prohibited are in the minority. For example, this is the Church of the Holy Nine Martyrs of Kizichesk in Bolshoi Devyatinsky Lane. “The city hall and the American embassy are nearby, is it worth disturbing them by ringing?” - they said in the temple. In the Church of the Ascension of the Lord on Bolshaya Nikitskaya (Little Ascension), not last Bright Week, people were not allowed to ring because the bell tower was not repaired, and the bell was large, and for a beginner this adventure could be dangerous. In the church in honor of the Icon of Joy of All Who Sorrow on Shchepkinsky Lane, the building is too dilapidated, and the staff do not even have the opportunity to supervise the bells. And in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God outside the Peter's Gate, even the bells have not yet been hung.

Traditionally, fans of large ringing are not allowed into the bell tower of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Its bells weigh up to thirty tons, they are located at a height of about forty meters above the ground, the control system is quite complex and must always be prepared for the ceremonial ringing.

See once, hear a hundred times

According to tradition, as part of the Moscow Easter Festival, Bright Week will become a week of bell ringing, and the matter will not end with St. Thomas Sunday: the ringing festival will last until May 9. You can hear the best bell ringers from different dioceses share their experience and practical secrets of their craft on April 15 at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior at 15-30, there on Monday April 16 at 13-30, then on Tuesday at the Epiphany Cathedral in Yelohovo, and later in dozens of other Moscow (and even St. Petersburg) churches. On April 20, the bells of St. Basil's Cathedral (Intercession on the Moat) will ring, and on April 26, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower will ring. For the first time, the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khoroshevo (April 23), churches in the Kolomenskoye estate (April 29), and the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Kadashi (May 1) are joining the festival. The final bells will ring on Sunday, May 9.

About the bell ringing for worship and during worship

Orthodox Christians are called to church services by ringing bells. The ringing of bells also announces to those not present in the church about the most important moments of the Orthodox service. Finally, the bells rejoice and celebrate with us, preaching to the world about the coming Resurrection.

Currently, the number of bells in church belfries varies, but generally there are no less than 4, and most often 6–8 bells. We have already mentioned the rite of ringing (blagovest and trezvon) for Little Vespers and All-Night Vigil. There we talked about how ringing is arranged at the 7th bell belfry. Now we will talk about ringing with 4 bells hanging. This belfry has 4 bells. This is the 1st - large Sunday bell, 2nd - polyeleos bell, 3rd - daily bell and 4th - ringing bell.

What are the features of this event, signs for health and marriage?

First, you need to consider the location of the bells. If we are talking about an open belfry, then access to it can be obtained at any time, with the exception of the period of worship. With closed bell towers it is a little more difficult - you can get there with an accompanying person with the permission of the clergyman. Often, those who wish to call on Easter are given a certain time, especially since there can be quite a lot of such “hunters”. It is best to do this after morning and evening services.

Secondly, before the ringing begins, an Orthodox Christian must perform a number of actions: turn towards the altar or in the eastern direction and read the Easter troparion three times. Thirdly, ringing bells is not as simple as it seems. You may encounter difficulties. It is better to be instructed by a professional bell ringer. Such experts advise not to use all the bells at once. You need to pick up two strings of bells and try to set their rhythm. You need to listen to the sound, and then you will be able to get a truly euphonious melody.

There is a good omen for the ringing of a church bell. It is believed that when the first strike of the bell sounds, one must say: “Christ is risen, and the servant (name) of health” - this will bring healing even in the most difficult cases. People also believed that you could get married soon after Easter; you just had to say at the first strike of the bell: “Christ is risen, and the suitors come to me.” Amen".

Order of ringing during the service of the All-Night Vigil

The good news for the vigil is carried out for 15–25 minutes, followed by ringing all the bells three times – “in three verses” (trezvon) (see page 13).

During the singing of the troparion for “Now you let us go,” the second ringing of all the bells is made twice—“in two verses” (see page 44).

During the singing of the prokeme, before the reading of the Gospel, a third ringing of all bells is made “in one verse” (see page 55).

On the 9th hymn of the canon, the gospel is sounded with 25 strikes on the large bell (see page 62).

When a bishop is present at the vigil in the church, after the vigil there should be a “conducting” ringing, beginning with the singing of “Under Your Mercy” or kontakion for the 1st hour.

The order of ringing during daily worship

For a regular evening service, the gospel should be preached for 15 minutes, before 9 o’clock. After reading the 9th hour, there should be a threefold ringing, led by the bell in which the gospel was sounded.

Towards Matins, preach the gospel at the end of the Midnight Office, 5 minutes. After reading the Midnight Office, ring three times, as at the beginning of Vespers.

If Matins is polyeleos, then a single ringing is performed during the prokemene before the Gospel; on the 9th canto a gospel sound is made in 25 beats.

The order of ringing during the service of the Divine Liturgy

During the service of both early and late liturgy, a single order of bell ringing is observed: the bell is ringed for 15 minutes (see p. 71), before the reading of the hours begins, and after the reading of the hours there is a triple ringing (see p. 74).

On “Worthy” 262, during “I Believe”, a gospel of 50 blows is made (see page 126).

The only difference between the ringing at the early and late liturgy is that the blagovest before the beginning of the early liturgy is performed with a rare accent, and the blagovest before the late liturgy with a frequent accent.

When the bishop is serving, the good news at the beginning of the liturgy, during the procession, is replaced by ringing all the bells, and at the end of the procession the good news is sounded again with one bell and continues (all the time the bishop is vesting) until the beginning of the hours.

After the liturgy there is a ringing ringing.

Free call period is limited

Fourth - the last rule is no less important. After completing the procedure, the bell ringer must turn to the church altar again to pronounce the doxology with the sign of the cross.

The period when everyone can ring the bell to announce the resurrection of Jesus Christ is coming to an end on Saturday evening. The Royal Gates, open throughout Bright Week, are closed. From now until next Easter, only bell ringers will once again have access to church bells. These are the rules, and they have been respected for hundreds of years, without any exceptions.

Comments

Ringing order for other services

When performing the blessing of water, from the beginning of the prayer service to the immersion of the cross, all the bells are rung from large to small, 25 strikes on each bell, and when the cross is immersed three times, all the bells are rung three times, with short stops.

When performing funeral services, rare strikes are made on one large bell, and when singing “Eternal Memory”, all bells are ringed once, when the large bell is struck “over the edge”.

When performing prayers, the ringing of many years is made three times or once, depending on how many times “Many Years” is sung.

Some instructions for the bell ringer

The ringing of bells is an equivalent temple ritual, therefore:

any bell ringing should be made only with the blessing of the rector or serving priest;

every bell ringing must be accompanied by a prayer: if the Church Charter specifies what exactly needs to be read in a given case, then the one indicated in the Church Charter, but if it does not indicate, then the prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me who has sinned,” followed by a ladder (rosary ) by the number of times the bells are struck.

The bell ringer must observe (and the church warden or one of his assistants helps him in this) so that the ringing before the service, and especially during it, is not late, but is made at exactly the time specified by the Charter (not, as often happens, during reading the Six Psalms or the Gospel, but before reading).

This refers to the chant “It is worthy and righteous to worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. "

Source:

With the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga. Recommended for publication by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. SATIS. Saint Petersburg. 2011

When did bells appear in the Church?

In Old Testament times there were no bells. In the first centuries of the Christian Church there were no bells either. In the Western Church they appeared and spread in the 4th-9th centuries, in the Eastern Church - in the 9th-12th centuries. In Rus' they began to sound soon after the adoption of Christianity, but spread widely from the end of the 16th century, and in the 17th-20th centuries they so widely and firmly entered into church use, so merged with the worship of the Russian Orthodox Church and with the idea of Russian folk piety, that the question of their spiritual and symbolic meaning deserves special attention.

In the prayers for the consecration of the “campana, which is a bell or ringing,” in part II of the Breviary, seven silver trumpets are mentioned, which the Lord commanded Moses to create to call the people to sacrifice and prayer, to strengthen the courage of the army during wars. These silver trumpets, which the Israeli priests blew, shook the walls of hostile Jericho, so that not only with “intelligent and animate creatures,” but also with soulless ones, “like the rod of Moses and the copper serpent in the desert,” the Lord God has the power to perform glorious deeds and miracles.” for the salvation and benefit of the faithful." On this basis, God's blessing and power are asked for the consecrated bell so that those who hear it day or night will be excited to glorify the name of God and gather in church; so that the very ringing of the bell gives glory to God; so that the ringing of a bell would sanctify the air and drive away all harmful forces from it; so that with this ringing wind storms, hail and whirlwinds and terrible thunder and lightning will calm down and stop; so that, finally, hearing him, the faithful servants of God would be strengthened in piety and faith and courageously resist “all the devil’s slander,” defeating them with prayer and praise.

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself says that at the end of the world He will “send His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matthew 24:31). The Apostle Paul speaks of the last trumpet that will sound, the trumpet of God, during which the change of living people into immortal beings and the resurrection of the dead will take place (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16-17).

It is significant that in early Christian times, in the 4th century, in Egyptian and some Palestinian monasteries, trumpets were used for the same purposes for which bells were later used. In ancient times, in monasteries, wooden, iron, copper, and even stone beaters and rivets were widely used to call the brethren to prayer and during divine services to especially arouse the attention of those praying. Such beatings and riveting moved to Russian monasteries. The ancient Statutes, which the Church still uses today, were drawn up before the spread of bells. Therefore, everything that is said in the statutory texts about the beater, rivet, and great tree should be attributed to bell ringing. Sometimes even the origin of the word “bell” is associated with the custom of striking a stake against a stake, creating a sound - a signal. And in a wooden bell, and in a bell made of a complex alloy, and in a silver trumpet, the most important common thing that unites and equalizes them is the sound itself as a signal corresponding to the mysterious cry at midnight: “Behold, the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6), which covertly depicts the Second Coming of Christ. Such a signal is nothing more than the good news of the Coming of the Judge and Deliverer. The sound of trumpets, beats, rivets and bells is also the gospel of worship. Therefore, the ringing of bells in Russia received a remarkably accurate name - blagovest. From this point of view, the ringing of bells for a church and parish or for the brethren of a monastery is similar to what the Gospel is for the entire universe, which translated into Russian means “good news.”

In liturgical books, the bell is called campan, which is etymologically connected with the name of the Roman province of Campania, where the best copper for bells was mined, with the Greek-Latin name of the field - campi and with the name of the bell flower growing in the fields - campanula. There is an opinion that the name of the bell (campan) is due to the fact that, just as a person can walk across a field without hindrance, so the sound of a bell travels freely through the air.

In its external form, a bell is nothing more than an overturned bowl, from which sounds seem to pour out, carrying God’s grace.

In the Eastern Orthodox countries in the 11th-12th centuries there were many opponents of bells as belonging to the Latin Church, but in the 12th century an official blessing followed for their use in the Orthodox Church.

At first, the bells did not have a permanent place in the temple: they were hung in the arches of the entrance doors, and inside the temples, and in the dome towers, and on individual belfries near the temples, and on the gates of the church fence, on the gates of the monastery wall. In the Russian Church in ancient times, belfries were built for bells in the form of a wall with through openings in which the bells were hung. Since the 14th century, multi-stage towers with a cone-shaped or domed roof, under which there were bells, have appeared in Rus'. Like the belfry, bell towers were initially built separately from churches. But in the Moscow architecture of the 16th-17th centuries, and then everywhere, temples appeared, built together with bell towers, which are part of the temple building, making up a whole with it. Such bell towers are placed on the western side of the temple so that the entrance to the temple is through the lower floor of the bell tower, which in this case can be a vestibule. Along with such bell towers, churches with bells in domes on the roof or in free-standing bell towers continued to be preserved and built. The emergence of bell towers was due to the desire and ability to create large and sonorous bells. In addition, the higher the bell is raised, the farther it can be heard, so the high bell tower seems to be inherent in the very idea of the bell. The bell tower spiritually can mean the mountain from which the Lord preached the Gospel, and the mast of the ship, where the observer is located, announcing the danger or the approach of the long-awaited goal of the voyage, and the pinnacle of the earthly history of mankind, on which the Archangel trumpet will sound, announcing the coming of Christ and the beginning of Eternal Life .

In accordance with the requirements of the Charter and the significance of divine services, several types of ringing are distinguished. Blagovest is a ringing in which one bell is struck rhythmically. The striking of different bells in turn is called chiming or ringing. The word "ringing" also has a narrow meaning, meaning the ringing of several bells at the same time. Ringing, in which different bells are struck simultaneously in three steps with pauses between them, is called trezvon. The Blagovest occurs three times: at Vespers, Matins and Liturgy, or more precisely, at the hours before the Liturgy. At the Liturgy itself there is a trezvon. For solemn services, the bell ringing is immediately followed by a trezvon. On especially solemn occasions, first there is a bell, which turns into perezvon (perezvon), and this is followed by trezvon.

The ringing during the Liturgy and Matins calls upon believers outside the church to unite their prayers with the prayers of those present at the service. During the Liturgy, the gospel of one bell begins with the singing of “It is worthy and righteous to worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” and continues until the singing of “It is worthy to eat, for truly to bless Thee, the Mother of God.” This rule applies during later Liturgies and when one Liturgy is served; This ringing is not allowed at early masses. At Matins, many bells are rung during the singing of the polyeleos. Before the early Liturgy, the gospel rings with one bell, infrequently, there is no bustling or ringing. Before the late liturgy, the bell rings frequently, and then the trezvon. After the end of the festive and Sunday Liturgy, the trezvon is started. Special bells and ringings accompany solemn prayers, blessings of water, and religious processions.

The calls vary depending on the nature of the services. Some bells ring during Great Lent, others on other days of the year, some on holidays, others on weekdays; special bells are used for funeral services. With many bells in churches, a distinction is made between festive, Sunday, polyeleos, ordinary (everyday) and small bells. In this case, there may be several small ringing bells of various sizes, which accompany the ringing of the main bells. The names of the bells also indicate the cases in which each of them participates in the gospel or ringing. The art of Russian church bell ringing is unique and represents not only a great spiritual phenomenon, but also a true masterpiece of world culture.

Votserkovlenie.ru

Actually the ringing

According to church traditions, this type of sound is produced by a large number of bells and is divided into several varieties:

Trezvon - ringing all bells three times with short breaks. The ringing of the trezvon means joy from a great Christian holiday.
Double ringing - ringing a bell on all available instruments, but with a double break.
Chime - multiple strikes on each bell in turn. They start with the main thing (large) and end with the smallest. The chime is repeated many times without interruption.
Bust - starting with the smallest bell, everyone is struck one by one with a long break. After the last blow, all instruments are struck simultaneously. This order is repeated several times. Most often used during funeral events.

What does ringing church bells mean?

Like any other religion, Orthodox Christianity is full of symbolism. Trezvon, percussion, blagovest - this is a special language in which the bells speak to believers, the language in which God addresses his flock.

Faktrum will help you learn to understand it.

To begin with, it must be said that bells in Orthodox churches do not sound the same as in churches of other faiths. This is achieved due to the fact that the bell itself is motionless and the bell ringer controls only its “tongue”.

There are several types of bell ringing, but among them the blagovest . Believers hear it most often. The Blagovest is preceded by three slow, until the sound subsides, strikes on the largest bell, followed by calm, measured strikes. The purpose of the gospel message is to call the flock to church and inform people that the service has begun. It should be noted that the sound of the gospel changes during the most important church holidays: for example, during Lent they ring a smaller bell.

In addition to the bell, there is another, ordinary ringing: when either several bells are used at the same time, or all at once. Surely you heard it at least once while passing by the church.

Types of ringing include trezvon : striking all bells at once, separated by short pauses into three time periods. In this way, believers are notified of the beginning of the Liturgy and the all-night vigil.

On Good Friday and Holy Saturday, a chime : one slow and measured strike in turn on each bell, starting from the largest to the smallest. This is a symbol of exhaustion and death of the Savior. Also, the chime, or rather its accelerated version, is used during various church celebrations.

The ringing is the ringing bell for a funeral ritual. It is a reverse chime: one strike on each bell, starting with the smallest and ending with the largest and most solemn. After hitting the big bell, everyone must hit it at once - and the search will start all over again. However, the funeral procession very often ends with the ringing of trezvon as a symbol of the resurrection and transition of the deceased to a better world.

And, of course, the alarm : very frequent and strong blows to the bell, which were used during fires, wars and other incidents.

By the way, the opinion that only people with church rank can ring bells is not true. It is very easy for ordinary people to find and enroll in a ringing school. The training there lasts only a couple of months, but the end result is a real professional who can start working in the temple. In addition, on Bright Week - seven days after Easter - any believer can climb the bell tower and inform the world about the resurrection of the Savior by ringing the bells.

Blagovest

The most significant Orthodox bell gets its name from the carrying of good news. He convenes all Orthodox Christians for the beginning of the service. The announcement is made by striking the main bell in a special order:

three lingering, rare;
uniform.

If there are several “evangelists” in the bell tower, the bell ringer selects them by weight. The more serious the event, the heavier the bell.

Festive – produced on Easter. The bell ringer hits the largest instrument. But the festive gospel is sometimes permitted during other church events. For example, the consecration of the throne. To use this type of ringing, the blessing of the temple abbot is required.

Sunday - if there is a holiday evangelist, then Sunday is considered the second in weight.

Polyeleum – used for special services.

Everyday – evangelist is used to designate daily Orthodox services.

Lenten - strikes during Lent.

The types of evangelists determine the types of bell ringing. Their use on a given day depends on the determination of the abbot.

In Rus', another ringing was once used - the alarm. These are single alarm blows, notifying about a sad everyday event: an invasion of enemies, a fire, a flood or any other disaster.

Everyone can ring the bells on Easter, how to do it correctly

In the Russian Orthodox Church, there has long been a tradition of ringing bells on Easter and Bright Week for everyone, and not just the blessed bell-ringers. In order for anyone to be able to ring with all their heart and without temptation, the editors turned for advice to the bell ringer of the Spassky Cathedral in Penza, A.V. Tsaran.

Coming out of Lent with benefit for the soul and without harm to the body

For almost 20 years now, Arkady Vladimirovich has been meeting numerous people at Easter who want to glorify the Risen Savior with ringing rings, so he can talk about the features of this event.

First of all , pay attention - does the temple where you want to ring a bell have an open belfry or a bell tower? Most often, if the bells are in an accessible place - on the belfry, then you can ring freely, the only restriction is the time when worship is taking place in the church. However, if the bells are located on the bell tower, you need to contact a clergyman. Most often they go up there with an accompanying person. Sometimes, a certain time is appointed, more often after the morning service or before the evening service, when groups of those wishing to ring go up to the bell tower. However, if the bell tower is not high, the bell hanging system is strong, the stairs are comfortable, then access can be always free. Now there are bell towers with carillons - automated bells. You probably won't be allowed in there either.

Secondly , if an Orthodox Christian starts ringing, then before starting you need to turn to the east (or to the altar) and read the Easter troparion three times.

If in front of you is a belfry or a small bell tower, then step three.

In order for the ringing to turn out truly “red”, that is, beautiful, you need to know some features. Do not try to use all available bells at once. A beginning bell ringer can place one or two rods from low-pitched bells under his left hand. Try to set a simple rhythm with them, striking one bell or the other. Most often, pulls are stretched ropes and only light blows on them are enough to produce sound. With your right hand you can grasp the three pulls of higher-sounding bells. Having decided on the rhythm of ringing with your left hand, you can apply ringing with your right hand. Try to first hit between the blows with your left hand and alternate blows with your right hand, and sometimes it is possible to hit two closely spaced bells at the same time. At this time, you need to stop worrying and listen to the melody that you come up with. Surely you will understand what can be changed to make it more harmonious. Once you are comfortable with this number of bells, you can try adding more.

Fourthly , after the end of the ringing, the Orthodox must again turn to the altar and say a doxology with the sign of the cross.

Well, in conclusion, I must add that the calls of everyone stop on Saturday evening. It is then that the Royal Doors, open throughout Bright Week, close, and the ringing of bells by the laity ends. This rule is observed very strictly.

Cleansing

The power of the bell ringing is so strong that it cleanses the space around it, saturates it with love and goodness. Sound waves from the bell towers spread in the form of a cross, this explains the powerful positive effect on the physical body and spiritual state of a person. It has been proven that with the help of bell vibrations, viral diseases are reduced and the psycho-emotional state returns to normal.

To heal and cleanse the soul, the ringing of bells can be listened to in recordings on high-quality media and without the use of headphones. It is recommended to enjoy live sound at least once a year.

You can get a positive influence only if the sounds do not irritate the person. A sound therapy session, even with a live bell, should not exceed 20 minutes.

Varieties of bell ringing have different abilities and healing properties. But the positive impact depends on the strength of a person’s faith in God.

Where to ring the bells in the Moscow region during Easter week

The tradition of ringing bells on Bright Week - the entire first week after Easter - originated in Rus' back in the 6th-7th centuries. The ringing of bells announced the Resurrection of Christ, and anyone could climb the belfry. This tradition is still observed today, but not all belfries are accessible to visitors. A RIAMO columnist found out in which churches in the Moscow region you can try yourself as a bell ringer.

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Bell tower of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra

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You can climb the bell tower of the main shrine near Moscow - the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra - throughout the entire Easter week. As noted in the Lavra's tourist center, groups, accompanied by a bell ringer, ascend the bell tower throughout the day - from 10:30 (after the end of the morning service) until 17:00 (before the start of the evening service).

The bell tower of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra was built at the end of the 18th century, its height is 88 meters. Visitors will see the Lavra bells, including the largest functioning bell in the Orthodox world, the Tsar Bell, weighing 72 tons. In order to call the “Tsar” you need at least six people, since his tongue weighs 2 tons.

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Kolomna Kremlin

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Guests of the ancient Kolomna Kremlin can climb the bell tower of the Church of the Epiphany in Gonchary, which is located on its territory. People climb the bell tower in small groups, accompanied by a bell ringer or guide. You can join the group directly on the spot or as part of an excursion. In Kolomna, excursions are held on Easter, where they talk about local Easter traditions, paint gingerbread cookies and climb the bell tower.

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Zvenigorod Kremlin

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During Easter Week, the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum prepared several festive programs. On April 12 at 12:00, a concert of bell ringers, included in the program of the Easter Festival, will take place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. And for those who want to try themselves as a bell ringer in the Kremlin, they have prepared an interactive program “Ring, Zvenigorod!” During the excursions, they talk about the history of bell ringing in Rus', and then everyone goes up to the belfry of the Assumption Cathedral and rings the bells under the guidance of an experienced bell ringer. You need to sign up for the tour by calling 8 (915) 939-55-65.

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Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery

Anyone can climb the bell tower of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery in Dzerzhinsky near Moscow only once a year - on Easter week. The bell tower, which reaches a height of 93 meters, offers a magnificent view of the monastery and the floodplain of the Moscow River. They go up there only accompanied by a bell ringer or a temple employee. You can arrange an excursion right on the spot, they explained at the monastery’s pilgrimage center.

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Belfry in Zaraysk

You can also ring the bells on the territory of the Zaraisky Kremlin by climbing the belfry next to the St. John the Baptist Cathedral. During Easter week, everyone can ring the bells by notifying the temple staff. You can also climb the belfry in the Elias Church in Zaraysk. In addition, the Zaraisk Kremlin Museum-Reserve has prepared an excursion route “Orthodox Zaraysk” especially for Easter. The excursion will tell you about the spiritual history of the city - from the bringing of the miraculous image of St. Nicholas to Ryazan land to the revival of churches in the post-Soviet period.

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Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Yegoryevsk

Those who wish will be able to climb the bell tower of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Yegoryevsk only on April 15, Fomino Sunday. The main city cathedral was built at the end of the 19th century, and the bell tower was erected in 1914. Currently, the bell tower has 11 bells of different sizes, the largest of which weighs 3.5 tons.

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Belfry in Balashikha

Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, VKontakte

You can also ring bells in small churches in the Moscow region, where portable belfries are installed during Easter celebrations. For example, in the Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in the Kuchino microdistrict of Balashikha near Moscow. The bells on the portable belfries are small, so even kids can ring them.

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St. George's Church in Ivanteevka

You can also ring the bells at the St. George Church in Ivanteevka. The temple in the name of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious in Novoselki was built by Princess Irina Feodorovna Sheremeteva in 1730 - 1737. To ring the bells, those wishing to do so are asked to make arrangements in advance with the temple staff by calling 8-496 585-19-53.

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Days when church bells can be rung by anyone

The bell as a symbol has been known for a long time. Its sound has always been interpreted and perceived in different ways: in one case, the cheerful ringing of bells announced happy events in people's lives, such as a holiday, wedding or victory; in another, an alarm bell signaled impending danger, enemy invasion, misfortune; in the third, a sad and solemn ringing sound was heard when someone was having a funeral service and buried; in the fourth, the sound of the bell only dispassionately marked the passage of time. Hence the symbolic meanings of victory, danger, death and time, of which the bell is the herald.

Often the ringing of a bell is even interpreted as the Divine voice, and its tongue (beat) as the tongue of a preacher, bringing the word of God to people. And church bells are even credited with the power to cast out demons... That’s all true.

But bells are also simply amazing and interesting musical instruments, often just gigantic structures of different sizes, shapes, sounds, mesmerizing with their ringing and attracting attention, especially children's.

And why not take the opportunity to take a walk to the bell tower on the bright days of Easter, when this is allowed*, ring the bell yourself, and at the same time think about the Easter holiday, rejoice together, get to know each other, communicate, prepare gifts! That's what we did. Children's Center of St. Catherine's Orthodox Brotherhood and Children's Art School named after. Andrei Rublev invited friends on a tour of the temple and the bell tower.

Many children and adults gathered for this Easter walk. First, they told the guests about the Church on the Blood, about the history of its construction, about the royal family, they saw icons, and found images of saints and Russian tsars they already knew. Two ten-year-old boys Anton and Timofey talked about those saints that they remembered. Anton spoke about the recently famous tsarist doctor Evgeniy Botkin. He was surprised that Saint Eugene, knowing that he was going to his death, leaving his own children, went after the royal family, fulfilling his duty to the end. Timothy spoke about Saint Philaret of Moscow, about how he taught and enlightened people, what a faithful and brave man he was. Timothy remembered this incident from the life of the saint: how Bishop Philaret refused to consecrate the triumphal arch in Moscow, erected in honor of Russia's victory in the battle with Napoleon, because pagan gods were depicted on it. The Metropolitan performed a prayer service for the foundation of the monument, but when the gates were built and the sovereign wished that the Moscow archpastor would consecrate them, the fearless saint refused to do so, declaring that “it is impossible for a servant of the true God to consecrate and sprinkle with holy water statues representing pagan false deities.”

The culmination of the excursion was, of course, the ascent to the temple bell tower and the festive ringing of bells at an altitude of sixty meters above Yekaterinburg, which deafeningly announced the Resurrection of Christ.

After such a joyful ascent, the children “descended” to the art school, where they were able to make gifts for friends and drink tea.

* During Holy Week (the week after Easter), church regulations allow bells to be rung during non-liturgical times. The tradition of opening bell towers to everyone is believed to have already existed in Russia by the 19th century. She received her second birth in the 1990s.

Bright Week: why bells are rung and sex is prohibited

From May 3 to May 9, 2021, Orthodox Christians celebrate Bright Week, Bright Week, or, as they also say, Holy Week - a unique time that must be spent correctly. The first week after Easter is special, and each day is called that way: Bright Monday, Bright Tuesday, Bright Wednesday, and so on until Bright Saturday. The first Sunday after Easter already has three separate names: Fomino Sunday, Antipascha or Red Hill (May 9). The special status of Bright Week (week is a week in Church Slavonic) is emphasized by the fact that the usual fast for believers on Wednesdays and Fridays has been abolished, but only for food. The ban on intimate relationships remains. On Bright Week they do not get married, do not read prayers of repentance during the service, do not bow to the ground, do not go to the cemetery, and the dead are buried according to a special rite (rule). But the bells ring often. Our grandfathers and grandmothers had a saying: “On Bright Week, who is not a bell ringer” - this emphasized that everyone could ring the bells on Bright Week - such jubilation was caused by this holiday, which lasted the whole week. The people knew how to rejoice.

But if Bright Week is a time of joy, why strict restrictions? Let's figure it out.

Easter is such a great event that its celebration lasts not one Easter night, and not even one Sunday day, but all forty days. The Risen Christ was with His disciples for exactly that long, right up to the moment of His Ascension into heaven. The Feast of the Ascension of the Lord in 2021 is celebrated on June 10, which means Easter, the holiday of the Bright Resurrection of Christ lasts until June 9 - exactly forty days. On June 9 there will be the so-called “giving of the Easter holiday.”

But now the celebration of Easter is just beginning, and, like all these forty days, believers greet each other with the words: “Christ is Risen!”, “Truly He is Risen!” In the pre-Covid era, when saying a greeting, it was customary to kiss three times, this is called “Christification” (emphasis on the “o” in the second syllable) - and the tradition has been going on since apostolic times. In 2021, it’s worth forgetting about it—hopefully, for a while.

Easter is a time of jubilant joy that having risen, having conquered death, Christ gave us all a chance for salvation, therefore the entire Easter period, and even more - until the holiday of Trinity (June 20, 2021) - it is customary to pray standing, without bowing to the ground . Look, bowing to the ground in the Church symbolizes not only humility, but also the unworthiness of fallen man. But since on Easter we celebrate the victory of Christ over the consequence of the Fall - over death, then kneeling becomes inappropriate. Therefore, kneeling itself is abolished until Trinity, when believers bow in prayer to the Holy Spirit.

During the Easter service in churches, the famous “Word for Easter of St. John Chrysostom” was read, which spoke of the Lord’s love for us, people, and such a comforting message sounded for all of us: “Let no one cry for his sins, for forgiveness has shone from the grave . Let no one fear death: Spas’s death freed us.” That is why, during the days of Bright Week, repentance, so necessary for every person, seems to fade into the shadows; Christians are overwhelmed by another feeling - overflowing joy about the Resurrection of the Savior, about the restoration of us, people, to our dignity. Therefore, throughout Bright Week, instead of the usual prayer rule for believers at home - morning and evening - a prayer rule, where there are many prayers of repentance, special Easter hours are read (and in churches they are not just read, but sung!).

The entire first Easter week is like one day of Easter. The services of Bright Week are virtually the same, including the solemn procession of the cross, which is moved to the end of the Liturgy. On Bright Week, all services are held with the Royal Doors open - the doors separating the altar from the main space of the temple. The open Royal Doors are a symbol of the fact that from now on heaven is open to us! And for believers who come to the Holy Week service, this is also an opportunity to observe what happens during the service in the altar.

Another distinctive feature of Bright Week is the joyful ringing of bells. Remember, like Yesenin:

The dormant bell

Woke up the fields

Smiled at the sun

Sleepy land.

The symbolism here is clear: for a long time, the ringing of bells was considered a sign of Divine victory over the ancient enemies of the human race - the devil and death.

There are no funeral prayers during Bright Week. Funeral services for the dead are performed, but more than half of them consist of Easter hymns. Death and the dead are remembered more often on the Holy Resurrection of Christ than on other holidays. But on Easter it is a victorious remembrance that by His death the God-man Christ conquered death as such, because He was Risen! And now this is the way for all of us who believe in Christ. The Easter holiday is a consoling confession that life is given to “those in the graves.” Therefore, those who die on Easter and Bright Week are honored according to a special rite. And if there is no funeral, people don’t go to the cemetery these days. Look how the Church wisely provided for everything! Whether we like it or not, even the most church-going of us, who know by heart the words of the Creed “I await the resurrection of the dead,” come to the graves of loved ones and grieve. The bitterness of loss comes to life in our hearts, which is natural. Therefore, so that we do not experience contradictions in our feelings: either sorrow or joy about the Resurrection of Christ, so as not to plunge us into falsehood in any of these experiences, equally dear to the Church, the Church does not encourage going to the cemetery on Easter and during the entire Bright Week. To commemorate the dead, a special day is given - Radonitsa, the second Tuesday after the day of the Bright Resurrection of Christ (May 11).

And finally, about fasting, intimate relationships and weddings. Yes, in honor of the joy of Easter, the usual fasting for believers on Wednesdays and Fridays is canceled. But only in food. And here everything is logical: our joy is spiritual, we should not confuse it with bodily joys, there will still be time for them. That's why they don't get married on Holy Week. Weddings begin on Krasnaya Gorka - the popular name for Fomin Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter (May 9).

It is believed that good deeds, help and donations to orphans, widows, the sick and disadvantaged, performed during Bright Week, help remove sin from the soul. In Russia before the revolution, this tradition was sacredly observed: throughout Bright Week, Easter gifts were distributed to hospitals, prisons, orphanages, and money was donated.

On Bright Friday, May 7, when the celebration of the icon of the Mother of God “Life-Giving Source” takes place, after the liturgy there is, according to custom, a small consecration of water.

The 4th century saint Gregory the Theologian said that “Easter rises above other holidays, like the Sun above the stars.” And the Bright Week of celebrating the Resurrection of Christ flies by like one moment belonging to eternity, where, as it is said in the Revelation of John the Theologian, “there will be no more time.”