Russian Orthodox bell ringing

Russian Orthodox bell ringing has a history starting from the baptism of Rus in 988 and plays an important role in the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Theology

The ringing of bells is one of the most essential elements of an Orthodox church.) is the striking of each of the bells, once or several times, from largest to the smallest, with a final stroke on all at once. The pattern may be repeated many times, but the final stroke on all bells is made only at the very end.

This peal symbolizes what the Orthodox Church holds to be the "kenosis" (self-emptying) of God the Son when he became incarnate (), and is sounded only twice a year, on Great Friday and Great Saturday during those moments which recount Jesus' death on the cross and his burial.

Trezvon

The "Trezvon" (triple-peal) is the rhythmical ringing of multiple bells, using all the major groups of the bell scale. The trezvon is the most joyous of the various types of rings. The order of ringing the different bells is not fixed, but may be composed by the bell-ringer himself and prompted by his creativity and self-expression. For the trezvon, the elaborate pattern is repeated three times, with a short pause between each repetition. All three groups of bells participate in the trezvon (soprano, also, bass), and each group has its own part in the peal. Traditionally, the tempo for a trezvon is 3/4 or 4/4. The largest bell which can participate in it is the blagovestnik which was used to ring the blagovest for the given service, or a smaller bell, but not a larger one.

The trezvon is usually rung in three stages: the "beginning", the "zvon" itself, and the "finale". The beginning usually consists of three slow tolls on the blagovestnik for that day, symbolizing the Holy Trinity. The main part of the trezvon, the zvon, is often performed in several movements— one, two, or three, often called “verses”— each of which is finished with one, two, or three chords (formed by striking several select bells at once), corresponding to the number of verses. Each movement might have its own particular rhythm, dynamic, and composition. The trezvon is usually finished with three chords. The length of thetrezvon is normally the length of the time it takes to read of Psalm 50; but on more festive occasions it should be longer.

The "Dvuzvon" (double-peal) is the same as a Trezvon, except the pattern is repeated only twice instead of three times.

Occasions

The above types of zvons may be combined and rung at particular times during the same service, or used exclusively on certain occasions. The following are general guidelines, and cannot accommodate the full richness and diversity of the Russian Orthodox Church. There are also variations in local tradition.

All-Night Vigil

Divine Liturgy

Holy Week and Pascha

Feast days

Funerals

References

ee also

*Tsar Bell
* (a concise chapter in the general article Campanology)

External links

* [http://www.russianbells.com/intro/intro.html Extensive information about Russian bells: history, technology, liturgy, etc.]
* [http://zvonarhome.orthodoxy.ru/mp3.php A free collection of Russian bell-ringing mp3 recordings]
* [http://www.russianbells.com/ Photo: Consecration of a Bell]
* [http://en.liturgy.ru/photo/x5.htm Photo: Consecration of a Bell by a bishop]
* [http://russia-ic.com/culture_art/traditions/466/ Traditions of Orthodox Bell Ringing]
* [http://www.russianbells.com/bless/bless3.html The Order for the Blessing, Naming, and Chrismation of a Bell]
* [http://www.russianbells.com/ringing/typikon-bellringing.pdf Typikon for Church Bell Ringing] Approved by the Synodal Commission for Divine Services, Russian Orthodox Church (English translation)