First view: the actual ringing
Actually, church ministers call ringing the ringing of bells, which is produced using all existing or several church bells.
This ringing is divided into several varieties: - trezvon; - double ringing; - call back; - overkill. The trezvon is performed by striking all the bells. Such blows are carried out three times in three steps. First, all the bells are struck, then there is a short break, then another strike and a break, then another strike and a break. Thus, the bell rings three times.
When beating, after striking a large bell, all the bells are struck at once and this is repeated many times.
Double ringing - this ringing is the name given to the strikes that are made twice on all the bells. At the same time, the bells are rung in two stages. Chime is the alternate extraction of sound from a bell, which begins with the largest and ends with the smallest.
Picking is a slow ringing of each bell once in turn, starting with the smallest and ending with the largest.
Different regions of Russia have their own styles and types of bell ringing. For a long time, Moscow, Ivanovo, Rostov, Pskov and other bells have been distinguished. Nowadays, bell ringing depends on the personal taste and skills of the individual bell ringer. In Moscow you can hear not only the Moscow ringing (which is followed, for example, in the Novodevichy Convent). For example, in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and in the Kremlin, they adhere to Rostov bells.
The sound of bells is influenced by the materials from which they are cast, as well as the shape of the dome. The thickness of the side walls of the bell determines mainly the strength of the sound, its purity and duration.
The distinctive features of Russian bells are their sonority and melodiousness. This became possible by using the optimal proportion of tin and copper in the alloy. It is typical for Europe to obtain sound by swinging the bell dome itself. In the 20th century, in Western European countries there was a tendency to use electronic ringing. With the help of an electric motor, the bell rotates, the tongue swings, resulting in a blow.
For bells in Russian churches, a fixed mounting method is usually used. The domes are stationary, and the sound is achieved using a tongue freely swinging inside the dome.
Bell ringing: different types For each church service there is a special bell ringing: bell ringing, trezvon, perezvon, perezvon. In 2002, the Russian Orthodox Church adopted the “Charter Ringing Charter”. It contains information about the types of ringing, how to initiate bell ringers, consecrate and store bells.
Blagovest Blagovest - ringing with measured strokes of one large bell. First, two blows are made until the sound completely subsides, and from the third - measured blows. The duration of the ringing is 10-20 minutes. The Blagovest announces the beginning of the service. The same ringing is used during the most important moments of a church service.
Trezvon Trezvon is the ringing of all the bells. People say about him that they are calling “in all seriousness.” This most solemn type of ringing is performed in three steps. Used on major holidays and other important church events. Sounds before the start of the service (after the gospel), before the reading of the Gospel and at the end of the service.
A type of trezvon is the “red ringing”. It is only possible where there are many large bells and several ringers. In the old days, medium-sized bells with a pleasant melodic ringing were called “red.”
Ringing with alternate strikes on each bell, starting with the largest and ending with the smallest, is called chime. This is both a solemn and mournful type of ringing. It is used to show the importance of the upcoming service. Therefore, chime is used only on certain days of Lent (Good Friday and Great Saturday) and when consecrating water on the feast of the Epiphany (January 19).
Bust Bust - ringing with alternate strikes on each bell, starting with the small one and ending with the big one. This type of bell ringing is also called funeral ringing and is used during the funeral service of the deceased.
Raspberry ringing The concept and phrase “raspberry ringing” is widely known. It has nothing to do with raspberries. The name comes from the French city of Malines - Malin (modern Mechelen, Belgium). Here, in the Middle Ages, craftsmen developed a successful alloy for casting bells that produced a “velvety” ringing. Over time, when such bells appeared in Russia, the beautiful, melodiously iridescent ringing began to be called “raspberry”. That is, “raspberry ringing” means “very pleasant, soft in timbre.”
The second type of bell ringing: blagovest
Church ministers call the gospel the measured strikes of a huge bell. This type of impact can be heard very well over a long distance. That is why church workers decided to use this bell ringing to call people to worship.
Such a ringing was called the Blagovest because with its help the good news about the beginning of the divine service is announced.
The gospel is carried out in a certain way. First, the church minister makes three slow and drawn-out blows, waiting for the sound to fade, and then makes more measured blows. In this case, the impact effects may differ, depending on the size of the bell itself. If it is relatively large, they are produced along the entire diameter of the bell. If it is not very large, the tongue of the bell is simply pulled with a rope to its edge and, using a placed board, strikes are made by pressing the foot.
In turn, the bell ringing is divided into several varieties: - ordinary (frequent) - such ringing is produced using the largest bell; - Lenten (rare) - this type of ringing is performed using a small bell during Lent.
If there are several large bells at the temple, and this is possible in large monasteries, cathedrals, laurels, then large bells, depending on their purpose, are divided into several types: - Sunday; - festive; - everyday (simple day-to-day); - polyeleous; - small.
Types of bell ringing. Musical dictionary, grade 3. methodological development in music (grade 3)
Types of bell ringing.
The unity of folk song and bell ringing can be traced in a variety of aspects. After all, for Russian bell ringers, folk song is a musical form, a standard, the spiritual beginning of every person. This is a role model.
The different contents of bell ringing music, in connection with certain purposes, contributed to the formation of its genre varieties.
Blagovest, festive, wired (funeral) chimes, everyday bells, wedding bells, red bells, great bells - this is the main list of genres, which is supplemented by the types of bells of regional traditions and local “schools”.
The sounds of one church bell represent something sublime and solemn; and if the ringing of several more or less coordinated bells is heard, then an even more majestic euphony occurs. The powerful ringing of bells, acting on our inner feelings, awakens our souls from spiritual slumber.
What mournful, depressing, and most often irritating tones the bell rings in the soul of the evil, wicked apostate. The feeling of anxiety and spiritual anguish is caused by the ringing of bells in the constantly sinful soul.
Meanwhile, in the soul of a believer seeking peace with the Lord God, the ringing of church bells arouses a bright, joyful and peaceful mood. So a person can determine the state of his soul by the ringing of a bell.
You can give many examples from life when a person, tired of struggling with everyday sorrows, falling into despair and despondency, decides to encroach on his own life. But, behold, the church bell reached his ears, and the one preparing to become a suicide shudders, fears himself, involuntarily protects himself with the sign of the cross, remembers the Heavenly Father, and new, good feelings arise in his soul - and the lost one is forever reborn to life. Thus, in the strikes of a church bell there is hidden a wondrous power that penetrates deeply into human hearts.
Having fallen in love with the ringing of church bells, the Russian Orthodox people connected all their solemn and sad events with it. Therefore, the Orthodox bell ringing not only serves as an indication of the time of the Divine service, but also serves as an expression of joy, sadness and triumph. This is where different types of ringing came from, and each type of ringing has its own name and meaning.
Church bell ringing is divided into two main types: evangelistic ringing itself.
BLAGOVEST
Blagovest is the measured sound of one large bell. With this ringing, believers are called to the temple of God for Divine services. This ringing is called the gospel because it announces the good news about the beginning of the Divine service.
The gospel is performed as follows: first, three rare, slow, drawn-out strikes are made (until the sound of the bell stops), and then measured strikes follow. If the bell is very large or huge, then these measured blows are made by swinging the tongue at both edges of the bell. If the bell is relatively small, then in this case its tongue is pulled with a rope quite close to its edge, a board is placed on the rope and blows are made by pressing the foot.
Blagovest, in turn, is divided into two types:
Common or frequent and produced by the largest bell; And
Lenten or rare, produced by a smaller bell, on the weekdays of Great Lent.
If there are several large bells at the temple, and this happens at cathedrals, large monasteries, laurels, then the large bells, in accordance with their purpose, are distinguished into the following bells: festive; Sunday; polyeleous; simple everyday or everyday; fifth or small bell.
Usually in parish churches there are no more than two or three large bells.
ACTUALLY RINGING
Actually, ringing is called ringing when all the bells or several bells are rung at once.
The ringing of all bells differs in:
1. Trezvon is ringing all the bells, then a short break, and a second ringing of all the bells, again a short break, and the third time ringing all the bells, i.e. ringing all the bells three times or ringing in three steps.
The trezvon expresses Christian joy and triumph.
In our time, trezvon began to be called not only ringing all the bells three times, but, in general, ringing all the bells.
2. Double ringing is ringing all the bells twice, in two steps.
3. Chime is ringing each bell in turn (one or several strikes on each bell), starting from the largest one to the smallest one, and repeating this many times.
4. Bust, otherwise a funeral or funeral bell, expresses sadness and grief for the deceased. It is performed in the opposite order than the chime, that is, each bell is slowly struck once, from the smallest to the largest, and after that all bells are struck simultaneously. This mournful funeral chanting necessarily ends with a short peal, expressing the joyful Christian faith in the resurrection of the deceased. Its tragic melodic sound symbolizes the connection between earth and sky - single blows on everything in turn from low to high and, conversely, from high to low, followed by a sharply dissonant blow on all the bells at the same time, sounding like a hysterical cry of singing voices. Festive - especially loved by the people. It is a reflection of the political makeup of the Russian people, their ability to enjoy life, have fun, creating a life-affirming holiday atmosphere. Festive ringings are very diverse in their musical content. They are distinguished by the epic solemnity of the sound of great bells, which create a musical image of unusual power and strength. Such musical imagery recreates the element of folk creativity and rejoicing in the music of bell ringing.
Alarm bell is an alarm bell (in case of fire, flood, etc.).
Bell ringing - can be heard early in the morning
What time do the bells ring? Usually the bells can be heard early in the morning, for example around 8 am. Because at 8:30 the morning hours already begin in the temple. In monasteries, the ringing of bells can be heard much earlier, for example, 6 am, because their services begin at 6:30, and sometimes at 6:00.
The ringing can be heard at any time. It depends on which church and what time the divine liturgy begins.
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Bells and ringing
Bell ringing can be called a special type of prayer: just as church singing intersects with the prayers of the priest, so Orthodox ringing symbolizes important moments of the service.
In the first centuries of Christianity, when believers were hiding from pagan persecution, they were called to worship quietly, without any noise, through deacons or special messengers. Later, Christians began to be called to church by shouting “Alleluia” , or they used a mallet, which was used to hit the door of the monastery cell. By the end of the 3rd century beaters and rivets were already widely used in churches and monasteries . A bell is an ancient signaling instrument made of wood or iron, and the sound is produced by striking the surface of the instrument with a stick or a special hammer.
beat
There were two types of beats: great and small. The great beat was a wide and thick wooden board, about 2 meters long and 1 meter wide. The small beater was also made of wood and consisted of a long (2-4 meters), narrow (4 or 5 fingers wide and up to 2 fingers thick) board with an interception for holding with the hand in the middle. Also in use was an iron or copper beater, which was called a rivet and consisted of an iron or copper strip bent in an arc.
Large monastery bell-arc (rivet) of the 16th century
With the help of a wooden beat they called for vespers on non-holiday days, and on holidays they hit an iron rive. In Russia, due to the fact that trees that conduct sound well did not grow, the iron or copper beater, which was struck with an iron hammer, came into general use .
After the end of the persecution of Christians in 311, the Byzantine emperor Constantine the Great trumpets - for calling to worship , but after his death they did not last long.
Saint Paulinus, Bishop of Nolan. Icon
The invention of bells is attributed to St. Paulinus the Merciful , Bishop of Nolan (353 - June 22, 431), who served in Campania , hence the bells, based on their place of origin, are called Campanians .
According to one legend, a bishop, returning home one day after a service, lay down in a field to rest and fell asleep. In a dream, he saw angels with wildflowers-bells, from which pleasant sounds came. He was so amazed by what he saw that, upon arriving home, he immediately ordered the craftsmen to cast several bronze bells like field bells. This form of bells , called "campanians" , began to spread rapidly throughout Europe, and the science of bells became known as campanology .
Ancient bells: No. 1 and No. 2 from the ruins of the Tithe Church, No. 3 found next to the Tithe Church, No. 4 found in Kyiv
The first documented mention of the use of bells in Christian church services dates back to the 6th century . The official introduction of bell ringing into church services belongs to Pope Sabinian in 604-606 . In Byzantium, where Orthodoxy came to us, bells appeared in 865 , when the Venetian ruler Orso I a dozen small bells as a gift to King Michael III , which were hung on a specially built tower next to the St. Sophia Cathedral . the bells to Russia not through Byzantium, but through other Western countries, often as war trophies . In the chronicles of Russia, mention of bells appears at the very beginning of the 11th century . In 1106, the Monk Anthony the Roman , arriving in Novgorod , heard a “great ringing” in it. At the end of the 12th century, bells were already described in the churches of Polotsk, Novgorod-Seversky and Vladimir on Klyazma.
The inscription on the Zvenigorod bell. Made in the 16th–17th centuries
Only two ancient Russian bells from the pre-Mongol period and fragments of another 40 bells have survived intact to this day. The size of the lower diameter of these bells ranges from 30 to 60 cm . The bronze from which they are cast contains 20-24 percent tin. Some of them have inscriptions in Old Church Slavonic, while others, brought from the West, have inscriptions in Latin. During this period, in all Christian countries, bells were made according to a single standard, and already at that time the optimal percentage of copper and tin in bell bronze was achieved.
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 towers of the domes, and on individual belfries near the temples, and on the gates of the church fence or monastery wall. Belfries for bells were built in the form of a wall with through openings in which bells were hung. Since the 14th century, multi-stage towers with a cone-shaped or domed roof, under which there were bells, appeared in Russia.
The emergence of bell towers was due to the desire and ability to create large and sonorous bells. Like the belfry, bell towers were initially built separately from churches, and only in Moscow architecture of the 16th-17th centuries did churches appear that were built together with bell towers, which formed a single whole with the temple building.
Belfry of the Rostov Kremlin
However, the Charter of the Kiev-Pechersk bells until the 15th century . Thus, the abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery, the Monk Theodosius (1062-1074), used the beater to notify the brethren, according to the rules of the Greek Studite monastery, where the monks were famous for their strict piety and harsh life, and the rest of the Russian monasteries followed the rule of the Pechersk monastery. The chronicles preserve a mention of the beat in connection with the death of St. Theodosius of Pechersk: “After five days of illness, he ordered the brethren to take him out into the courtyard. At approximately seven o'clock in the evening, the brothers put him on a sled, took him out and placed him in front of the temple. There he asked to convene all the monks. To fulfill his request, they began to hit the beater.”
St. Sergius of Radonezh (1314-1392) was also an opponent of bells, the echoing metallic ringing of which hurt the ear, and the first bells in the Holy Trinity Monastery, which he founded, were installed only 30 years after his death. Even during the heyday of bell-casting art in Rus', individual monasteries and monasteries still used the bell. Nevertheless, over time, the Russian people accepted and fell in love with bells, and the art of Russian church bell ringing became so unique that at the moment it represents not only a great spiritual phenomenon, but also a true masterpiece of world culture. It is interesting that in Western European countries the ringing of bells was created by loosening the bell itself, and in Russia they most often struck the bell with their tongue , which gave it a special sound and protected the bell tower from destruction. According to the instructions of the church charter “Oh, what a sign it should be every day,” the bell rings “three times a day”: for evening, morning and afternoon church services.
The different names or types of bells come from the methods of bell ringing:
- Blagovest is the measured ringing of one bell, which calls believers to the temple of God and notifies them of the beginning of the service. It differs into frequent or ordinary and rare (rare emphasis) or good news, for the Liturgy and for the hours of fasting;
- The ringing is the ringing of several bells. If the ringing is performed in three steps, then it is called a trezvon. It occurs after the gospel before the start of more solemn services;
- Chime or ringing with brute force - ringing several bells, but not all together, but ringing each bell in turn. The chime occurs before the blessing of water on temple holidays and when the Cross is immersed in water during the blessing of water. This chime is done like this: first they strike a large bell, then another smaller one until the smallest one, once at a time, then they strike it in the same order.
There is also another type of chime , which occurs before the removal of the Holy Cross at Matins on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, on the week of the veneration of the Cross, the first of August, before the removal of the shroud on Good Friday at Vespers and on Holy Saturday at Matins. This chime differs from the previous one in that, starting not with the largest, but with the smallest bell, each bell is struck in turn.
Gradually, bells turned from casting objects into works of art - bell makers over time invested more and more effort into the design of bells. Until the 13th century, inscriptions were engraved in the body of the bell, and from the 14th century they began to be made convex. Since the 15th century, the bells were mostly smooth, the inscriptions contained the time of manufacture and religious texts, and the names of the foundry masters were not written. Subsequently, the content of the inscriptions became more complex; they began to be dedicated to historical events, sovereigns, and donors. The inscriptions were made in Church Slavonic, Russian or Latin, and a whole Russian style of patterns and various decorations of bells was developed.
Modern type of bells. Bell factory of Nikolai Shuvalov in Tutaev (Yaroslavl region)
Travelers who came to Russia were amazed not only by the abundance of bells, but also by their weight. By the middle of the 16th century, Russian bells surpassed Western ones in this regard. If in the West bells weighing 100-150 pounds were considered rare, then in Russia they were quite common. Swedish diplomat and historian, traveler and writer about Russia Peter Petrey , who visited Moscow at the very beginning of the 17th century , wrote: “There are supposedly 4,500 churches, monasteries and chapels in the city and outside the city. at least four or five, and in some even nine or twelve bells, so that when they all ring at once, there is such a roar and shaking that one cannot hear each other.”
In Rus', a bell was often identified with a living creature, as evidenced by the names of its main parts: tongue, ears, queen cell, shoulder, body (or skirt).
Type of bell and its main parts
The bell makers kept the secrets of production, they knew what needed to be added to the alloy to make the bell ring more softly or loudly, so each master’s bells sounded special. Perhaps that is why the bells, like people, were given names; during hostilities they were taken prisoner, punished with whips, exiled, their ears or tongues cut off.
So, in 1595, Boris Godunov punished not only people for the murder of Tsarevich Dimitri, but also the bell that was rung on the alarm on this occasion. For his daring behavior, the bell was ordered to have his ear cut off , and he was exiled to Tobolsk .
Uglich exile bell
The bell, under the name “ Uglitsky Kornoukhy”, remained in exile for almost 85 years. Like many convicts, he did not live to see his liberation; he died in a major fire in 1677. A copy of the disgraced bell was transported to Uglich in 1892, where, by order of the governor, it was placed in the museum. The inscription on the bell reads: “This is the bell that rang the alarm during the murder of the noble Tsarevich Dimitri in 1593...”.
Another alarm bell of the Moscow Kremlin was imprisoned in the Nikolsko-Karelian Monastery in 1681 because its ringing disturbed the sleep of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich . In 1771, the bell that took its place, by decree of Catherine II, was removed from its place and deprived of its tongue for calling the people to revolt.
MM. Germashev "Easter Bell"
Bells were used in Rus' not only during the celebration of church services, they became an integral part of the life of the Russian people. Having fallen in love with the ringing of bells, the people associated all their solemn and sad events with it - the bells were used to convene people to a veche, warn of danger or bad weather, show the way to lost travelers or sailors, call for the defense of the Motherland when sending troops to war, and celebrate victories.
The sound of a church bell hides an amazing power that penetrates deeply into human hearts. The ringing voices of bells instill happy rejoicing in souls, preaching the glory of the name of Christ and awakening Christians from spiritual slumber.
