Bells - prayer in sound
Moscow Bell Center at the Church of St. Nicholas in Zayaitsky acts with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy and trains highly qualified bell ringers of Orthodox churches. Sharikov Viktor Grigorievich- head of the center
– Viktor Grigoryevich, when did the first bells appear?
– The first non-church bells appeared long before the beginning of our era. The Bible says that one of the signs of the priesthood in Israel was the bells on the priest's robe. But why did bells become one of the main attributes of Christianity? There are different opinions on this matter. There is a legend according to which in about 402-405. Bishop of the city of Nola, Saint Peacock the Merciful, was returning from a round of his flock, tired and decided to rest in the field. He dreamed of an angel with field bells in his hands. From the bells came a wonderful ringing. The bishop was so amazed by what he saw in a dream that when he came to the city of Nola, he ordered bells from the foundry workers, shaped like field bells. The dream was prophetic. According to the legend, after the completion of the work, it turned out that all the bells were a success - they sounded great. Before that, bells already existed - riveted, forged, of various shapes - square, round, cone-shaped, but they did not ring. A miracle happened. Coincidentally, the city of Nola, one of the major cities in the province of Compana (or Company) of the Neapolitan state, was the center of the copper-smelting industry. So, thanks to God's providence, Nola's casters began to cast bells, which then spread throughout the world under the name "company".
What composition was used to cast the bell?
- The bells were poured out of bronze. The composition was found quickly, which is confirmed by excavations, and was mostly preserved: approximately 80% copper and 20% tin. But the shape, material and method of manufacture were different. Bells can be used in different ways in ringing and installed in different places: at the entrance or inside the temple, at the refectory, in the dome of the temple, etc. The main thing is not the material or form, the main thing is the symbol, spiritual essence and prayerfulness.
– Are there rules about what patterns should be on the bell, what phrases?
- At first they wrote words from the Gospel, later they began to put the date of manufacture, describe in honor of what event, with whose blessing, under which king the bell was cast. From the point of view of ringing, inscriptions, patterns, icons only worsen its quality.
– When did the first bells appear in Rus'? 
– In the 6th-7th centuries, bells sounded in all corners of Europe. Pope Sabonian issued a special decree on the blessing of the use of bells. Several centuries passed before the bells appeared in Rus'. With the adoption of Christianity in Rus', they knocked, they only rang the beater. At that time, the Christian Church was divided into the eastern, headed by Constantinople, and the western, headed by Rome. Having adopted the Greek faith, we also accepted the ringing. And in the Eastern Christian Church, they only rang the beater, which had existed since the end of the 3rd century. First, wooden beaters appeared, then metal ones. The Eastern Church considered the bells to belong to the Latins. Upon returning from the holy land of Athos, Father Anthony, one of the founders of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, left memoirs in which he mentioned that the beating beat was rung by the Angel's suggestion, and the bells were rung by the Latins.
Thus, bells were not used primarily for a spiritual reason. But there was another reason: their high cost. Bronze was considered a semi-precious metal, too expensive for widespread use. However, soon the bells could be seen at the grand ducal cathedrals, at the metropolitan and vladyka cathedrals - the bells became a sign of power. In the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (then the Holy Trinity Monastery), bells appeared in 1420, thirty years after the death of Sergius of Radonezh, when the relics of the monk were opened and the question arose of his canonization. The successor of Sergius of Radonezh, Nikon, bought two bells in honor of this event, one of which has survived to this day and now, almost 600 years later, is active. Although the monk himself believed that monastic life should be quiet and modest, and the bells were too loud and pompous.
From the 15th century, the time of the unification of the lands around the Moscow principality, stone churches appeared everywhere, monasteries were surrounded by stone walls, special attention was paid to the solemnity of worship, the rite of worship, and znamenny singing was created. And the bell business begins to develop. At first, foreigners were invited, later, from the 17th century, domestic craftsmen appeared.
– Is the beater being used today?
- For centuries, the traditions of ringing have developed against the background of the use of beats and rhythmic riveting (stress) in them. Therefore, the basis of the Orthodox ringing is not in the melody, but in the rhythm and interaction of the timbres of the bells and beats. The beater can be used not only in church bells, but also to convene people in emergency situations.
– What is the “Russian profile” of a bell?
– “Russian profile” is a special ratio of the diameter, thickness and height of the bell, which ensures its euphony (rich timbre) and melodiousness.
How is sound produced from a bell?
– In the old days, there was a “glass” method, in which the bell itself swayed. This method has been preserved in some monasteries in our time. But more often, the "lingual" method is used, when the ringing occurs due to the swing of the tongue and striking it against a fixed bell. The basis of the ringing is not notes, but the harmony of each bell. It is not allowed to replace the bell ringer with a phonogram.
What are the bells about?
– The most ancient obedience of the bell is to call everyone to the temple of God, proclaiming around the words of the holy Gospel: “Come to Me, all who are in need and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew, ch.11,28). There are four types of canonical chimes: blagovest, enumeration, chime and chime.
The blagovest carries the good news of the beginning of the divine service and is carried out with measured strokes on one of the largest bells or beats, the blagovest begins with three rare strokes, and then there are faster measured strokes.
The busting is a funeral ringing, it is carried out by slow blows to each bell and beats from the smallest to the largest.
Chimes - a sad solemn ringing, performed twice a year (on Good Friday and Great Saturday on the day of the Lord's Death on the Cross and His free burial) by striking each bell in turn or striking from the largest to the smallest.
Trezvon - ringing all the bells or beats - expresses joy and triumph. Trezvon is carried out, for example, after the wedding, when the newlyweds leave the church, and also after baptism, when the newly baptized leave.
- There can be several bells in the bell tower. How are the roles distributed in the bell family?
- According to a strict hierarchy, the bells are grouped into three groups. The biggest ones with a low voice are evangelists. The biggest and deepest voice sets the rhythm for the others. The smallest (2–4 bells) are bells. The ropes from their tongues are tied for the convenience of the ringer in one knot. Their voices shimmer with trills. Ringing (middle) bells are more impressive. The ropes from their tongues are located on a special column, usually under the ringer's left hand.
- Where can I learn to be a bell ringer?
- Now there are not enough bell ringers as well as bells. The largest number of bells died in the 30s of the last century. But in our time, no less die for various reasons: theft, speculation, inability to work with bells, especially old ones. Bronze becomes brittle with time and is easily destroyed by a strong blow. Over the past 15-20 years, we have broken half of what we got. This is the first problem. Gradually, it is solved with the help of new bell-smelters and benefactors, or sponsors, as we now call them. The second problem is ringers. She has enough of them. In Russia, the senior bell-ringer took students for himself and taught them according to the “Do as I do” method, without methods and textbooks. And now there are ringers who prepare their own shift. 
When in 1995 we decided to organize the Bell Center, the main task that confronted us was the training of bell ringers, and intensive training at that. Within three months, students must master both theory and practice. In 2005 we have an anniversary - the bell center turns 10 years old. During this time we have trained 600 bell ringers. Every year we release two courses: autumn - for Christmas and spring - for Easter. Sometimes there is also a summer course. Classes are structured as follows: weekly 2 hours of theory, 3 hours of practice with a teacher and 2 hours of independent work. It is possible to organize intensive training due to the fact that we have two belfries that are not connected with the temple.
How many girls are studying in your school?
- Usually a fifth, a fourth of all students.
– Are there any special entry requirements?
– There are no special requirements, but, of course, those wishing to become bell ringers must be believers, churchmen. In church, no one will allow you to ring without blessing. The Charter of church bells says: “Ringing is carried out by a bell ringer over whom a special prayer has been read or who has the blessing of the rector of the church or monastery and carries out this obedience with due responsibility.” And the second condition is the desire to learn. Sometimes people ask if a musical education is necessary? No, neither musical education nor absolute pitch is required. All you need is a sense of rhythm. If you dance or sing a little, that's enough. In addition, a sense of rhythm develops, there would only be a desire. We have developed our own teaching methods, we have a library, video films, audio cassettes, CDs. Our teachers have a higher musical education and extensive experience in churches. We train ringers for Moscow, the Moscow region and other regions.
In Russia, the traditions of ringing have been preserved in many places. There are Rostov, Pskov-Pechersk and other traditions of ringing. Now there are bell-ringing schools: in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Novo-Petrovsky Monastery. Basically, these are schools at temples. In Novosibirsk, Saratov, Krasnodar, electives are organized. Their students are engaged in bell ringing "for self-education", often do not believe in God. Finish the course, what's next?
– Can a bell ringer become a famous person? the names of the bell ringers?
- Ringer is not a profession, especially a prestigious one. The ringer is both an obedience and a vocation. Therefore, very little information has been preserved. The ringer is the link between the temple and heaven. His ringing precedes the prayer in the church and becomes its continuation at the end of the service.
– Anyone can climb the bell tower?
– No, only with the blessing of the abbot. Children are allowed on Easter and Christmas. But this is very dangerous. Although, of course, memories remain for life. We took a different path: we organized a museum-lecture hall, where visitors get acquainted with the history and tradition of Orthodox bell ringing, the art of casting bells. Bells are like people, each has its own story, they can also be heard at lectures. At the museum belfry, everyone is given the opportunity to ring the bells, as well as hear all kinds of canonical chimes.
Before the revolution, there were no bell-ringing schools, and bell-ringing skills were passed from teacher to student on the principle of “do as I do” directly on the bell tower. But during the years of the Bolshevik hard times, churches and bell towers were destroyed, most of the bells were destroyed, the continuity of the bell ringers was broken.
The idea of creating a unique School of Bell Ringers was born together with the beginning of the production of bells at the turn of the 80-90s of the XX century, but, for one reason or another, its opening was postponed and the School of Bell Ringers was born only in the XXI century.
Ilya Mikhailovich Drozdikhin, a well-known Moscow bell ringer and master of bell ringing, was the founder and head of the School of Bell Ringers.
When creating the School, in compiling the methodology, we tried to convey the continuity of the bell traditions, carefully preserved by enthusiasts of the revival of bell ringing - the now deceased bell ringers of the Rostov Kremlin, the Arkhangelsk bell ringer Ivan Danilov, the bell ringer of the Novodevichy Convent Vladimir Mashkov and the senior bell ringer of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra Abbot Mikhei (Timofeev) whose labors were not in vain.
In the revival of the traditions of bell ringing, a great merit belongs to the ever-memorable His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, who blessed and always supported this charitable cause.
The School of Ringers by Ilya Drozdikhin is located in the Danilovsky deanery of the city of Moscow - on the territory of the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Saburovo. In a separate room of the clergy house on the ground floor, a small belfry of 7 bells was installed.
For obvious reasons, the first classes cannot be held at the temple bell tower, because. the first, not yet professional, ringing of novice bell ringers can interfere with the conduct of worship, and simply annoy the surrounding residents.
The educational belfry is a small set with an evangelist of only 80 kg, for the belfry of the temple, of course, this is not enough, but it is quite enough for training in a soundproof room. The suspension of the bells of the educational belfry is close to the conditions that graduates will meet in a real bell tower, it has four ringing bells - a Moscow tradition; three ringing bells and one evangelist.
In addition to classes in the classroom, all students are given a unique opportunity to make several excursions to the bell towers of churches and monasteries in Moscow and the Moscow region.
The School of Bell Ringers graduates 120-150 graduates per year. The workload was distributed over time by means of a monthly set, so about 10-12 people study at each of the 12 sets.
At the end of the School and the successful passing of the exam, all graduates in a solemn atmosphere are awarded the official diploma of the School of Bell Ringers, which testifies to the passage of professional ringing education and allows the bearer of this diploma to competently perform canonical bell ringing in churches and monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church. The School of Ringers tries to help its graduates in every possible way with both theoretical advice on the competent hanging of bells, equipment of the bell ringer's place, and practical assistance. During these works, not only masters are present, but also students who, gaining experience, will be able to further help in arranging the bell tower of their temple.
In addition to liturgical bells, it has become traditional to hold various festivals, one of such events is the annual Moscow Chime Festival, which takes place during Bright Week. This festival has been held since 1999 in various churches in Moscow and this year celebrated its 10th anniversary. The festival has established itself as a holiday not only for parishioners, but also for bell ringers, who meet and exchange experiences on the bell tower of the temple, portable belfries and at the end of the day at the round table. March 24, 2012 2012-03-24
Bell ringer Alexander Gorokhovsky tells about the bell tower:
Do you know that before the October Revolution of 1917, which led to the desecration and destruction of Orthodox churches, there were 13 bells in our belfry? It was a complete belfry, wonderfully made and adjusted. It suffered the common fate of almost all belfries in Rus': the Bolsheviks dropped the bells, however, without having time (or they did not succeed) to get to a large bell weighing about 25-30 pounds, cast at the factory of Dimitry Samgin in 1848. Only a piece was chipped off along the edge of his skirt; thankfully the crack didn't go any further and it still sounds great.
When I came to the church in the early 1990s, as a musician it was interesting for me to participate with the priest in the restoration of the belfry. Only now, after these years, I understand with what difficulty, meagerly, bit by bit, we collected grandmothers' rubles, gifts from parishioners. There was a catastrophic lack of money, because the entire restoration of the temple had to be started from the beginning. And yet, Father George himself is a wonderful musician.understood that the bells were our first concern.
Then everything was new where to cast, how to order? I remember we went to the light metals plant in Kuntsevo and agreed on an order. When we purchased and delivered the first pound bell to the temple, I suggested that the priest hang it next to the one that was preserved. But he said: “No, we will wait until everything is poured out for us, so that we can immediately have a belfry.” And we ordered 4 more bells. In 1994, on the feast of the Holy Trinity, they were consecrated and raised to the bell tower.
Today we have 10 bells. I'll tell you the story of the last one, Blagovest. In 2006, during a common Easter meal, I told the parishioners the history of our bell tower, saying that we still do not have the main bell "tonnik".
And people responded vividly, starting fundraising. It would seem that the main thing is to collect the required amount. Nothing of the kind, thanks to the efforts of donors and philanthropists, this issue was resolved. But the difficulties were associated with acquiring exactly such a bell, which we need in terms of sound. As a result, a bell weighing 1280 kilograms was cast for us at the Anisimov factory in Voronezh. By the way, it was at this plant that copies of the famous "Harvard" bells were cast (in fact, these are bells from the pre-revolutionary belfry of the St. Danilov Monastery in Moscow), and the Americans returned these bells to the monastery of the blessed Prince Daniel in Moscow.
... With God's help and vigilant labors, 13 years after the first bells we acquired, on the feast of the Trinity in 2007, the first ringing of the Blagovest rang out in our bell tower. With excitement and hope, I follow how the art of bell ringers is being revived and developed in today's Russia. I regularly travel to Yaroslavl for the bell ringing festival and will take part in its program. It is clear that there is no limit to improvement, so we comprehend the wisdom of Russian bell ringing.
Easter bells
Bell concert on the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
The first anniversary of the bell
Now in our church there is a school of bell ringers named after St. Peacock. As you know, it was this saint who lived at the turn of IV - V centuries introduced bell ringing in the Church. We are pleased with the success of the students (both boys and girls among them), who regularly ring the bell tower of our church in the frost of minus thirty with strong gusts of wind, and in the summer heat, and also start the old clock. Our guys also rang in other churches, as well as at various bell-ringing festivals, for example, in the church of St. Andrew the First-Called in the village of Fedyukovo, Podolsky district.
Pupils of the School of Bell-Ringers named after St. Peacock on the bell tower
By the grace of God, the ringing of bells pleases the inhabitants of the surrounding villages and villages and calls them to prayer in.
Headings: ,… It was a long time ago. Somehow, on the playground in the village of Grasshoppers, I heard from mothers about good preparation for school in the early childhood development group. I really wanted to put my son in this group, and my husband and I met with Ilona Stanislavovna and began to ask her to take us. She warned that she would continue her work at the Sunday School at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Shchapovo. “Where you are, there we are” was our answer.
I must say that at that time our family was far from faith. To consecrate eggs and Easter cakes for Easter - that's all the trips to the Church. But new times have begun. Everything was new in the Sunday School class. We wrote down the words of the prayer in a notebook and taught with our son together. And how difficult it was to stand in the temple for “whole” 40 minutes before communion! After all, we did not even come to the beginning of the service.
I remember the building of the old Sunday school. How we fit in there, how we managed to spend the holidays in a small classroom! But everything was done with such love, such sincerity, that I wanted to come there again and again.
We are still on excellent terms with all mothers, we support each other, we consult on many issues. And our teacher, Ilona Stanislavovna, is the sun of the Sunday School. She taught and teaches our children kindness, understanding, mutual assistance, love. And she answers all our adult questions, finds an approach to everyone.
Rehearsals of our holidays are a separate creative process. After all, preparing a script for the holiday, considering all the details is only part of a huge iceberg, all the complexity is hidden from the eyes of the audience: to gather all the participants, encourage adults to participate in the performance, make costumes, come up with fun games, nursery rhymes and so on. And at the same time - so that the children do not get tired, so that it is great ...
So, gradually, together with the eldest son, we came to the temple. When he was seven years old, they prepared together for confession. Now three of my children are studying at Sunday School, the eldest has already participated in the service - he read and sang with the choir. Now more teachers work with our kids. Sunday School has become a part of our lives.
I would like to sincerely thank Father George for the availability of this training to everyone. And a huge thankful bow to Ilona Stanislavovna for her truly titanic work. May God give them good health and many good years!
For the tenth year now, I have been going to our Dormition Church ... The first time I appeared in it, as they say, in company with my cousin. Then, throughout the entire service (it seemed to be endless), I, exhausted, thought only about when it would end. And when I left the temple, I didn’t feel anything in myself. I decided that it was not time yet, that I would come again when my soul really required.
Years passed, I became a mother. We baptized our first child only at the age of three. And there was no understanding of what it was for - everyone baptizes, and so do we. The eldest son was in his fourth year when our daughter was born. By God's providence, and there is no other way I can explain it, I learned from a new acquaintance about the Sunday School at our Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. I thought it would be very handy. The child will prepare for school, because I didn’t have time for him at all - my daughter was very capricious, I had to be with her all the time. Meanwhile, the son was walking in the yard with older friends and, as a result, began to swear ...
I remember coming to ask how you can enroll in the school. There was no one on the temple grounds. And then Mother Maria (now deceased - the Kingdom of Heaven to her!) comes out, so calm, good-natured and says: “You come at the end of summer, Ilona Stanislavovna will take the child, she will definitely take it, she takes everyone.”
Since September 2006, a new life has begun for me. So imperceptibly, somehow naturally, I began to visit the temple with my children. At first, she only gave communion to children. That was the way it was, on the Twelfth Feasts the children from the Sunday School went to communion. And then she began to take communion herself. It's a completely different state of mind. It's great when you feel the need and when you have the opportunity to come to the temple!
Over time, Sunday School became our second home, and we all became one big family for each other. It is very important to understand that in any, even the most difficult life situation, there is someone to rely on. I also discovered acting skills in myself. After all, at school we prepare performances for children. When you are tired of the endless worries of life, you come to a rehearsal, you see your own, already so close, people there, then you get distracted, come back to normal and feel that everything is in order. And at the celebration after the performance - the joyful faces of the children and the kindest, happy face of our father George.
Now I have four children, I live in a different place, I go to another church, but whenever possible I go with my children to Shchapovo, to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which became for me the beginning of a new, spiritual, bright life, my salvation and spiritual joy.
With all my heart I wish our parish and Father George, our kind and patient mentor, many and good years.
… Exactly ten years ago in the Klenovsky House of Culture a set of children was announced to prepare them for school. One of the initiators was a teacher from Shchapovo - Ilona Stanislavovna Simakova. The group, unfortunately, did not get enough, but I firmly decided that I would take my five-year-old son Misha to classes at the Shchapovsky recreation center.
At the first parent meeting, Ilona Stanislavovna announced that classes with children would be held at the Sunday School at the Assumption Church, where, along with the main subjects, she would acquaint our kids with the Law of God and the basics of the Orthodox faith. As far as I remember, this did not bother my parents, but I was even pleased. At that time, I myself was not just an unchurched person, but, to put it mildly, “complete darkness.” So I thought that at least someone would tell and introduce my child to “this science”.
I will say right away: my son just fell in love with Ilona Stanislavovna. He said that she, like a mother, is kind and attentive. I always looked forward to the day of classes and was happy to go on the road. In those days, we had a tiny class in a one-story building attached to the temple. But what is surprising: they managed to hold classes, rehearsals, and performances in it! Now, after so many years, looking at old photographs, I never cease to wonder: how was this possible? ..
In the Sunday School we lived as one big and friendly family, all parents were involved in this life: someone cooked food, someone sewed costumes, someone cleaned and washed dishes, someone photocopied educational materials, someone negotiated about pilgrimages. And most importantly - we were all, as they say, "in the spirit of God" - everything was done with prayer and the word of the Lord. We all understood that our salvation in the midst of an all-consuming world is only here, at the temple.
Slowly, I also became a church. As a small child, "learned to walk." I felt, in the literal sense of the word, an informational hunger that needed to be urgently quenched. I began to read Orthodox literature. The Lord sent me believers who could answer my questions, I listened to lectures, visited holy places. If earlier the word “father” was associated with the fairy tale “The Scarlet Flower”, now I tried to take the father’s blessing for starting any important business. I acquired not only knowledge. My life completely changed. Verily, the Lord makes His own children out of stones...
My boy was growing up, sharing what he learned at school, retelling interesting stories from the Old and New Testaments. I studied with him. Two years flew by unnoticed, the question arose - where to go to study. We wrote an application to the Podolsky Lyceum No. 26, we were waiting for an invitation for testing. At the same time, I asked Ilona Stanislavovna if she knew a good, “strong” school. She replied that there is such a school in Plyoskovo, plus everything is Orthodox. However, it is very difficult to enter there - a serious competitive selection among children, a conversation with parents.
For our bilingual family, where dad is a Muslim, this will be very difficult. Batiushka blessed us, because nothing is impossible for God, and we decided to try to enter there too. I do not want to be verbose, I will only say that after the first round the teachers told me that the boy had a good preparation. As a result, he entered Pleskovo, and passed the test at the Podolsk Lyceum. We, of course, did not choose and with great joy accepted the gift from the Lord.
I want to say one more thing. Before coming to Sunday School (I think that I, like my son, also came there), I was a staunch supporter of one child in the family, who should be given a decent education and upbringing. In general, my head was filled with the standard selfish thoughts of a person brought up by the Pioneers and the Komsomol, and this despite the fact that I myself grew up in a large family.
Only here, in the Sunday School, I saw with my own eyes the joy of large families, I understood the true value of the family and the purpose of the mother. In 2008, at the age of 33, my second son was born. Exactly one year later, Ilona Stanislavovna had a third daughter. Our children were born on the same day - May 20.
Misha, the eldest, now attended Sunday School not twice a day, like a preschooler, but on Saturdays, still in the same small classroom of the old building. And only in 2009, with the help of God, a new two-story building was restored: it was breathtaking from the spaciousness and beauty! Our large family grew every year, now the children were not crowded. I started bringing my youngest son, Matvey, to school from the age of three. He followed the same path as the older one. Those parents whose firstborn had been in Sunday School were now bringing in second and third children as well. And now the time has come for the graduation preschool department, ahead is admission to a comprehensive school. We are trying, with the blessing of the priest, again in Plyoskovo. Not as easy as in the case of Misha, but - they did it! Wonderful are your works, O Lord, and great and sincere gratitude to my husband. Unfortunately, he did not become a Christian, but throughout the 22 years of my life together he was my like-minded person, a wonderful husband and father.
Ten years have passed, and my other parents and I still remember how it all started then, what we, our children were like ... When we get together, the phrases sound every now and then: at the door?..”, “Do you remember what a small and cozy refectory we had?..”, “Do you remember how my friend said in class that a defeated demon turns into a dirty, smelly puddle?..”, “Do you remember , how did a film crew from television come and shoot a film about a dimensional icon with the participation of our children? ..». Such endless “do you remember” will be enough for us for the rest of our lives, because it was they who became the powerful foundation on which our churching took place.
My life was divided into two halves: before coming to Shchapovo and after. Now, by the will of God, I teach children the basics of the Orthodox faith at the Klenovo Sunday School and attend classes at the folk choir at the church, sometimes the priest blesses us to sing at the liturgy and evening service. I can’t imagine my life outside the church, without prayer, and I endlessly praise and glorify the Lord for opening the way to salvation for me and my family ten years ago, the starting point of which was Shchapovskaya Sunday School and a wonderful, sympathetic and sincere person - Ilona Stanislavovna.
Marina Holmurodova, Klenovo
At the Danilov Bell Center there are bell-ringing courses.
Accepted for training
Persons of the Orthodox faith over the age of 14, a recommendation from a priest is desirable.
Organizational information about the recruitment for the next cycle of classes is published in the "Announcements" section and sent by e-mail to news subscribers.
Basic learning cycle
It is 3 months and includes:
1. Practical personal training with a teacher on a belfry-simulator with real bells.
2. Self-study on the belfry-simulator.
3. Theoretical part, lectures on topics:
Rule of worship and bells;
- the basics of musical literacy;
- the history of bells in the Christian Church;
- improvement of the bell instrument for Russian ringing.
4. Organization of 4 excursions to the outstanding historical bell towers of Moscow and the Golden Ring.
Full cycle of training
The term of study is 5 months.
A full training program is offered for graduates of Danilovskaya and other bell ringing schools, as well as for experienced bell ringers without education. Upon admission, a test is conducted on the practice and theory of ringing to determine the level of the applicant.
1. The full course involves the study of Russian historical practice of ringing in its various directions: Pskov ringing, Rostov, metropolitan tradition, ringing of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
2. The theory course was expanded with additional seminars on historical chimes and features of the bell instrument of these directions.
3. 6 excursions are made to the outstanding historical bell towers of Moscow and the Golden Ring, as well as to museums and the bell factory.
Our teachers
P on the blessing of His Eminence His Eminence Kirill, Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov on September 28, 2005, opened in Yaroslavl " Yaroslavl School of Bell Art"- an association of Yaroslavl bell ringers, foundry workers and campanologists (researchers of bell art). The founders of the "School": the Yaroslavl-Rostov diocese, the bell factory of Nikolai Shuvalov and the All-Russian exhibition-fair of bells. The main goal with which the new association was created is the restoration of a high professional level, the originality of style and the former glory of the art of bell ringing, for which the Yaroslavl land was famous not only throughout Russia, but throughout the world.
The main part of the "Yaroslavl school of bell art" is the first opening in Yaroslavl Bell ringer school. This is a rare professional educational institution for Russia, which is designed to train church bell ringers for high-quality and responsible work in an Orthodox church. The period of "spontaneous" initiation into the profession of a bell-ringer (90s) is long gone, when sometimes random people who did not know the profession, were unable to provide either the authorized performance of church bells or supervision of the technical condition of the bell instrument, got to the bell tower. Now many churches have well-equipped bell towers, sometimes with multi-ton bass bells. This part of the material costs is one of the highest for the parish, since the bells themselves are very expensive (metal, expensive custom-made work), and the construction of the bell tower requires both large funds and the participation of high-level professionals in the work. That is why the requirements of today's church bell ringer are high and varied, namely:
Each of the above topics in the Bell Ringer School will be devoted to a separate subject, divided into theoretical and practical parts. The experience of conducting master classes of church bell ringers at the Exhibition-Fair of Bells (annually, since 2001) helped the organizers of the School to develop a balanced curriculum for the course. Required items include:
Leading teacher and head of the bell ringer school - senior bell ringer of the Yaroslavl-Rostov diocese Vladimir Degtyarev. Practical classes on the technique, genres and traditions of bell ringing will be held on the bells of the All-Russian exhibition-fair of bells and on the existing bell towers of Yaroslavl churches. Theoretical classes will be held in the building of the Spiritual and Educational Center of the Yaroslavl diocese, one of the premises of which is provided by the "Yaroslavl School of Bell Art" of the Yaroslavl-Rostov diocese.
The full course of study at the Bell Ringer School will be 1 month (daily classes). The program includes trips within the Yaroslavl region in order to familiarize future professional bell ringers with the outstanding monuments of the Yaroslavl bell art and the technology of casting bells at the factory of Nikolai Shuvalov. In order for each student to be given sufficient time for individual lessons with the master, enrollment in the school is limited - no more than 7 people per course of study. At the end of the course, examinations are held in the main disciplines and a document is issued confirming professional qualifications.
