What is the name of the largest bell on the belfry of the Rostov Kremlin? Sysoy (bell) How many bells on the Rostov belfry

It was built by order of Metropolitan Jonah Sysoevich. A letter has survived, in which he said: “I pour bells on my yard, and people are amazed” (Lyubimov L. D. Art of Ancient Rus. Moscow, 1981, p. 314).

The Church of the Entry into Jerusalem is located on the lower floors of the belfry. On the top floor there is an open area with a four-span arcade. Each of these spans is fenced off with a metal lattice, and at the top they are completed by semicircular arches (zakomars). Above the spans there are four drums with heads crowned with crosses. To get to the upper floor of the belfry, you need to go along a narrow staircase. From the spans to the ground, there are voids inside the belfry, which turns the building itself into an excellent resonator. The acoustic effect is also enhanced by the location of the belfry close to the open space of Lake Nero.

The construction of the belfry of the Rostov Kremlin dates back to 1682, when a three-span belfry was erected. By order of Metropolitan Jonah, the foundryman Philip Andreev made two large bells ("Polyeleos" and "Swan"). The chord of the bells of the belfry was in minor. This did not suit the Metropolitan and he invited the foundry worker Flora Terentyev from Moscow, who turned the belfry into a major mode. In 1688 the master cast the Sysoy bell, which weighed 32 tons. This giant required a separate belfry, which, in the form of a fourth span, was attached to a three-span one. Three bells - "Sysoy", "Polyeleyny" and "Swan" - together formed the C major sound. The bell tower was completed in 1689 when 13 bells were hung from two oak beams. In the second half of the 19th century, 2 more bells were added.

Bells of the belfry of the Rostov Kremlin

« Sysoy"- the largest bell. Its weight is 32 tons. It was cast by Flor Terentyev, a foundry worker at the Moscow Cannon Yard. Metropolitan Jonah named the bell after his father Sysoi, a humble rural priest. The main tone of the bell is "C" of a small octave.

« Polyoleonic". The name is translated from Greek as "many merciful". The weight is 16 tons. Made by Philip Andreev and his son Cyprian - craftsmen from Moscow. The main tone is the "mi" note of a small octave.

« Swan". The weight is 8 tons. Made by Philip Andreev. Minor octave G note.

« Hunger". Weight 2800 kg. One of the most beautiful bells in its sound. They beat him during Lent, from this fact he got its name. The note is "la".

« Ram". Weight 1310 kg. The oldest bell on the Rostov belfry. It was made in 1654 by the Moscow master Emelyan Danilov for the belfry, which was located at the Assumption Cathedral earlier. The note "mi".

« Red". Weight 491 kg. The note "G" of the first octave.

« Goat". Weight 327 kg. It was made in the 19th century at the Olovyanishnikov plant in Yaroslavl.

« Nabatny"Or" Jonathan's ". Weight 106 kg. Made in 1894 at the Olovyanishnikov plant. The main tone is "mi" of the second octave.

The belfry also has four unnamed bells weighing 180, 144, 87 and 72 kilograms.

The bells were threatened with destruction several times. During the war with Sweden, Peter I was going to cast the bells into weapons. But the metropolitanate gave from their storerooms about 245 kg (15 poods) of silver, and later paid a huge amount for that time to the state treasury - 15 thousand rubles. In the 20th century, during the civil war, there were proposals to melt the bells into raw materials. After 1928, bells stopped ringing. However, Rostov bells were used in the filming of the films "Peter I" and "War and Peace". In the late 60s of the XX century, the ringing gradually began to return.

The belfry, together with the Assumption Cathedral, are part of the historical monuments of the Rostov Kremlin, but they do not belong to the Rostov Kremlin Museum-Reserve. Therefore, the ticket office for visiting the belfry is located on its ground floor.

V.A. Gorokhov

From early childhood to death, a Russian person heard bells ringing - in the morning and in the evening, on holidays and sad days. For all people, regardless of their position and condition, the voice of the Church - the voice of Orthodoxy - sounded the same. This is probably why bell ringing in Russia has long become a deeply national phenomenon. This living voice seems to come from the depths of centuries even now. Russian bells are heard by Orthodox Christians in different parts of the world, but only in Russia did the most sonorous, most melodic and most soulful bells sound and sound. You listen to them and do not understand, "either ringing from the sky, or from the ground" ...

If in the capital of the maturing Moscow state the largest bells in the world were cast, golden domes burned high in the sky on the largest churches and the highest bell towers, then in the provinces, “in the depths of Russia,” there was less monumentality - everything was somehow calmer, more everyday, more human.

The exception is the bells of Rostov the Great, but this is a special case - their unique ringing is recognized as the best today. At one time this city was also the capital of the Rostov principality.

A. Kosnichev. "At Sysoi". 2007 Oil on canvas

The Rostov Kremlin is an amazing monument of Russian architecture. Here are collected samples of icon painting, fresco painting, stone and wood carving, artistic modeling and ceramics, foundry art and blacksmithing. Glory to Rostov the Great was brought by the unique bell ringing. The most famous of them were heard eighteen miles away, in the distant environs of Rostov the Great.

The city was first mentioned in the "Tale of Bygone Years" under the year 862, when Ugro-Finnish tribes inhabited its district. Novgorod word and Smolensk krivichi began to penetrate the territory of the Rostov-Suzdal land from the north and west in the 9th century. At the very beginning of the XI century, the Christianization of the region took place, the influence of Kievan Rus increased.

In 1164, the relics of St. Leonty of Rostov were found in Rostov - this happened for the first time on the territory of North-Eastern Russia. The first white-stone church was built here under Andrei Bogolyubsky.

The central part of the city was formed by the Vecheva Square, where people gathered at the ringing of the bell, the episcopal court, the Ioannovsky and Grigorievsky monasteries, and later the Assumption Cathedral, the Borisoglebskaya Church. In the XIII century, this city core, located on the shores of Lake Nero, is surrounded by wooden fortifications and a moat with water.

Rostov has long been famous for its bells, and they were cast by the best craftsmen in those years. In the "History of the Russian State" N.M. Karamzin cites a fact from the chronicle that in 1290 a bell was sent to Ustyug from Rostov the Great "Tyurik"... And later, in the chronicles of the 15th century, there are numerous records of bells "watered in Rostov".

On the main bell tower of Ivan the Great, the Moscow Kremlin rings "Rostovsky" bell weighing 3267 kg, cast in 1687. It was cast in the Belogostitskiy Monastery, located near Rostov (hence the name of the bell). The author of the bell is the Moscow smelter and bell-maker Philip Andreev, who worked at the Cannon Yard from 1664 to 1688.

Belfry of the Assumption Cathedral. 1682-1689
Metropolitan Court, Rostov the Great

A large earthen fortress "about nine corners", later called the Rostov Kremlin, was built in the first third of the 17th century. The main building was a large complex of the Bishops' House, surrounded by earthen ramparts with eleven towers. The vast area around is left undeveloped. The creation of such a mighty fortress city is associated with the activities of the follower of Patriarch Nikon, Metropolitan Jonah, a supporter of the idea of \u200b\u200bthe domination of church power over secular power. The huge Assumption Cathedral (the burial vault of Rostov princes and metropolitans) and a belfry to the east of it become the architectural dominants of the city.

The modern Assumption Cathedral was built in 1502-1512, but services at this place were conducted much earlier, since 991, in the very first church. And there were five of them, and many legends are associated with them. One of the cathedral's rectors was the father of the epic Russian knight Alyosha Popovich, who died heroically in the battle with the Mongols on Kalka. In 1314 the youth Bartholomew - Sergius of Radonezh was baptized here.

In the chronicles and documents of the XIV century, the Rostov Archbishop Theodore is often mentioned, and not by chance. At the age of twelve, the nephew of St. Sergius of Radonezh, John, was tonsured with the name of Theodore from his uncle and subsequently, with his blessing, founded the Simonov Monastery in Moscow, became his abbot and confessor of the Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy.

Having an excellent command of the Greek language, being an educated, erudite man and a subtle diplomat, the saint in the 80s of the XIV century carried out the most responsible assignments of the prince in the Byzantine capital. After his last visit to Constantinople, Patriarch Anthony elevated him to the dignity of Archbishop of Rostov, and Saint Theodore became the second archbishop in Russia (Vladyka of Veliky Novgorod was the first to receive this high rank). In his homeland, in Rostov, he founded a convent in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos and wrote an icon of the Mother of God for this monastery. In 1394 he was buried in the Assumption Cathedral of Rostov.

Gate Church of the Resurrection. OK. 1670 g.
Metropolitan Court, Rostov Kremlin

In 1609, the townspeople, who did not recognize False Dmitry, defended in the cathedral, and many died under its arches; In this church, Poles and traitors seized Metropolitan Filaret, the future patriarch, and took him prisoner for almost ten years. The Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt served the Liturgy in the cathedral, and in 1913 the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II prayed.

The most striking architectural monument of the Rostov Kremlin is the belfry of the Assumption Cathedral. The construction of a three-span belfry began not far from the cathedral in 1682, and soon Metropolitan Jonah decided to cast a bell weighing 2,000 poods and for this he invited the famous Moscow master bell-maker Flora Terentyev to Rostov, who perfectly coped with the task set before him.

Flor Terentyev poured the bells in the late 17th - early 18th centuries. In 1688, the master made a 2000-pound giant that has survived to this day. Its bells sounded in Moscow (Intercession Cathedral on the Moat), Yaroslavl (Church of St. Demetrius), there were two of them in the Pskov Annunciation Cathedral; these are temples about which information has been preserved. Since his name was never mentioned in the documents of the Pushkar Order, it can be assumed that the master worked independently, took on a specific job and performed it brilliantly.

In 1688, a powerful high tower was added to the belfry with an opening for the cast giant bell, which later received the name "Sysoy", and with a tongue weighing a hundred pounds; it was ruled by at least two bell ringers.

Portrait of Metropolitan Jonah III (Sysoevich),
the builder of the Rostov Kremlin and the White Chamber,
written during the life of the saint in the 17th century.
Photo by S.M. Progudin-Gorsky, 1911
State Museum-Reserve« Rostov Kremlin»

The legend told us the words of Metropolitan of Rostov and Yaroslavl Jonah (Sysoevich, 1607-1690), from whose name the bell most likely got its name from the largest of Rostov bells: “I pour bells in my courtyard, little people are amazed”. They contain pride in what they have done with their own hands, love for their home. Affectionate, diminutive suffixes were often used in the Russian language in those years, the time was good and promising. A "bell" could weigh two thousand pounds.

In 1689, all the work on the belfry was completely completed, and thirteen bells took their designated places on the larch girders, occupied for a long time - they are still hanging, only two more bells were added to them in the 19th century; now there are fifteen of them.

This is how the famous researcher M.N. describes the set of bells of the Assumption Cathedral. Tyunina:

« "Sysoy" - 2000 poods (32 tons), cast by Flor Terentyev in 1688 and erected on a specially attached high part of the belfry;

– "Polyelein", or "Polyeleus" - 1000 poods (16 tons), cast in 1682 by the Moscow craftsman Philip Andreev and his son Cyprian;

– "Swan" - 500 poods (8 tons), cast in 1682 also by Philip Andreev. Named for its beautiful trumpet sound;

– "Hunger" - 171 poods (2.7 tons), was poured three times, the last time in 1856; so named because it was called during Lent to certain services;

– "Ram" - 80 poods (1.28 tons), cast in 1654 in Rostov by the Moscow craftsman Yemelyan Danilov, who died in the same year from a pestilence.

The following lighter weight bells are named "Red", "Goat", the rest are untitled except for two small "ringing", the first and the second.

On the eastern wall of the cathedral, facing the belfry, hung a small but sonorous bell "Yasak", which gave the bell ringer a sign of the beginning of the ringing "(see: Tyunina M.N. Rostov bells and ringing // Bells: history and modernity. - M., 1985).

A. Kosnichev. "Ringers". 2000 Oil on canvas

The historic belfry is still one of the largest in Russia in terms of its dimensions: it is 32 meters long, almost 11 meters wide and 17 meters high. Its proportions, successful placement next to the older Assumption Cathedral, traditional strict design make it a harmonious and very attractive building of Russian architecture of the late 17th century. The bell openings, framed by white frames, are immediately eye-catching. Calm power emanates from the huge, at the same time graceful, dark bells. And below each span is emphasized by a horizontal line - a light openwork metal lattice. The gaze slides higher, rises to the roof, and on it, above each span, there are graceful domes with crosses directed into the sky. This composition, built by talented architects, is perfect in its forms, and you can admire it endlessly. However, let's consider the main volume of the belfry. It is just as simple and elegant, despite its size - six vertical shoulder-blades in the form of columns and three horizontal cornices. Against a white background, not superfluous, functionally necessary doors in the basement, narrow loopholes on the second and third floors and barely noticeable windows illuminating the staircase laid inside the wall array.

Experts, researchers studying the rare phenomenon of bell ringing, believe that the beauty of the sound of Rostov bells is largely determined by the design of the belfry. The fact is that inside the body of the belfry, from the upper platform of the spans, directly under the bells, channels are left - voids in the masonry, going to the very ground, which resonate and amplify the sound (a technique used in organs). And one more little secret of the builders of the Rostov belfry: it was placed near the lake, the water surface of which also enhances the acoustic effect.

The fate of the Rostov bells was not so simple, it happened that only a miracle saved them and they remained to live, which means - to ring.

The bells from the belfry of the Assumption Cathedral escaped the fate of hundreds of their sonorous brethren, who, according to the decree of Peter I, after the defeat at Narva, were cast into the cannons needed by the tsar for future battles.

Then about a quarter of all the bells of Russia were melted down, some of them were priceless. But the Tsar's decree on the removal of the bells did not touch the belfries of the Assumption Cathedral. The fact is that in the very first years of his reign, starting in 1691, the tsar turned to the Rostov metropolitanate with a request to give him silver in order to mint coins. The tsar was met halfway, the amount was provided very substantial for those times - fifteen thousand rubles; it was this ten years later that saved the bells. More than once, the bells were close to death during fires, this terrible disaster of wooden buildings in Russia. The fires were especially strong in 1730 and 1758, but the belfry survived, only soot and slightly burnt beams remind of this threat. After the fire of 1758 in the Rostov Kremlin, all wooden roofs covered with planks, ploughshare, shingled roofs and domes were replaced with metal.

Bell "Sysoy"

A real threat loomed over the bells in 1919; at the initiative of local authorities, they were to be removed and melted down for the needs of industry. Unexpectedly, help came from the head of the People's Commissariat for Education A.V. Lunacharsky, who at a meeting of the city activists said: "Keep the historical values \u200b\u200band monuments of Rostov and be responsible for their safety." The people's commissar's words were taken as an indication, and the local authorities left the bells alone.

The ringing of the Rostov belfry at the services was stopped in 1928, but in 1932 the bells rang during the filming of the film "Peter I". Since then, the Rostov Kremlin and the belfry have become popular with filmmakers. Rostov bells rang in the historical epic War and Peace, in the films The Brothers Karamazov, Hold on to the Clouds, Seven Notes in Silence, etc.

In early November 1941, when the enemy was nearby, it was decided to remove the bells and evacuate them to the rear, but after the defeat of the Germans near Moscow, this was no longer necessary.

In August 1953, a tornado, unprecedented in these places, demolished the roof and damaged the heads of the belfry. Soon the restorers restored the lost and damaged.

Gallery of the belfry of the Rostov Kremlin

A new page in the biography of Rostov bells was opened in 1963, when in "Nedelya" (No. 13), an appendix to the newspaper "Izvestia", appeared A. Butlerov's essay "Russian bells" with excellent photographs of V. Akhlomov and P. Nosov. As veterans of "Izvestia" say, it was the idea of \u200b\u200bthe editor-in-chief A. Adzhubei, who visited Rostov the Great, saw the miraculously preserved pearl of Russian architecture, magnificent bells and sent correspondents there. At that time it was an act - after all, Adzhubey was the son-in-law of the First Secretary of the Central Committee and the country's first fighter against God, N. Khrushchev. Here are excerpts from a historical sketch, when the "last of the Mohicans" - virtuoso bell-ringers came to the meeting, to show their art and leave it to the descendants in the record.

“They are sitting in a large room under the belfry - five craftsmen who know the value of their rare skill. Each of them is under seventy, but all are strong, okay, similar to the old artisans ...

There was a rehearsal the day before. I saw how Alexander Sergeevich Butylin, the main bell ringer, carefully examined all the bells, especially "Red", his beloved, then tied the tongues of seven small bells with ropes, arranged a "foot pedal" from a large wooden bar to the eighth one and suddenly pulled the ropes towards himself. The bells rang out at once, then the sound crumbled - now in two, now in three, then one by one they spoke, the bells began to sing, transparent, thick, ringing music rushed into the sky. Elusive movements of fingers Butylin controlled her ...

It's funny, of course, to talk about some kind of revival of bell music. The era of bells is over. But we preserve the monuments of antiquity, because our present art is connected by inseparable traditions with the art of previous generations! It is necessary to preserve the ringing of bells, and not only in sound recording. In the same Rostov-Yaroslavl, his famous ringing could become the main museum exhibit. "

These words ended an essay written 45 years ago.

The name of the master Flora Terentyev on the bell

We treat the author with a feeling of understanding and deep gratitude, who, in the early 60s, delivered a vivid and unforgettable story about Orthodox bells and their place in the history of our people, and drew the attention of readers to the problem. And this at a time when the leader of the party and state loudly announced that in twenty years there will be not a single priest and not a single believer in the country, that "the present generation will live under communism." True, instead of the declared communism, the Olympics were then held, and history and the people made their own amendments. I would not like to repeat everything again.

After the essay was published in a popular newspaper, the new generation learned about the beautiful bells of Rostov, about their history. And soon (by historical standards), three years later, during the preparation for the EXPO-67 World Exhibition in Montreal, the Melodiya company released a disc with the recording of Rostov bell ringing, and world fame came to them.

What happened during the recording of the ringing of the bells of Rostov the Great, who broke his silence after many years, and how the locals reacted to it, was written in his memoirs by the actor of the Maly Theater Anatoly Borisovich Sventsitsky.

“… S.P. Shchipachev, whom I knew well, told me at the dacha in Peredelkino how they tested and recorded the "ringing" in Rostov the Great. "We, writers, musicians, newspaper correspondents have arrived and are waiting ... And now the first bell, then the second, the third, began the raspberry ringing ... And the residents of the city ran, crossing themselves, to the monastery, both old and young - they thought the Soviet power was over … We were disappointed, "added Stepan Petrovich, smiling.

Years have passed since then ... Bells are ringing in Russia again, and there is no Soviet power in it.

I think that today Stepan Petrovich Shchipachev would have crossed himself with the Russian people. "

This disc appeared in my back in 1967. Initially, there were three of them. Two flew to Africa. Seeing me off on an exotic distant business trip, my father decided that this ringing should accompany his son and remind him of home. He turned out to be right: Orthodox bells sounded excitingly at the foot of Dzhur-Dzhura and in the sands of the Sahara. The one that remains, I listen to on an old gramophone. Bells sound, reminding of youth, helping to reflect on the past, present and future.

Ringing (small) bells

And yet it is best to listen to the bells in Rostov the Great.

Today pilgrims and tourists from the farthest corners of Russia and abroad come to hear the ringing of these bells. And bells sound during services in churches and on festivals, when the best bell ringers come to show their skills - masters of the amazing art of ringing.

The belfry of the Assumption Cathedral is included in the ensemble of monuments of the Rostov Kremlin. Its building is built next to the Assumption Cathedral and stretches from north to south. The cathedral and the belfry are in good harmony with each other, although the time of their construction is more than one century apart. The building of the belfry is dissected vertically by flat projections - blades; horizontally - with three belts. The lower floors contain a church and utility rooms. The upper floor is an open area with a four-span arcade. Each of the spans is fenced with an openwork metal lattice and is completed at the top with a keeled zakomara, above each of the spans on a round drum there is a head crowned with a cross. A steep, narrow staircase within the walls leads to the upper floor, revealed on the façade by tiny windows. From the bell spans to the ground, the belfry has continuous voids, making the building an excellent resonator. The closeness of the belfry to the open space of Lake Nero enhances the acoustic effect.

The belfry was built in two stages. The beginning of construction dates back to 1682. During this period, the main three-span belfry was built. Craftsman Philip Andreev, by order of the Rostov Metropolitan Iona Sysoevich, made two of the largest bells for the belfry - "Polyeleyny" and "Swan". The chord of the bells of the belfry was minor, which for unknown reasons did not suit the Rostov metropolitan. Iona Sysoevich invited the bell-maker Flora Terentyev to Rostov, who was given the most difficult task - to transfer the belfry to the major key. The master did an excellent job with this task.

In 1688, he cast the Sysoy bell, weighing 2000 poods. A huge bell, with the weight of one tongue alone about 100 pounds, required a separate belfry, which in the form of a fourth span was attached to the previous three-span structure. "Sysoy", "Polyelleus" and "Swan" together formed a C major triad. The work was done very accurately, the tone of "Sysoy" deviates by less than a third of a percent from the frequency required by the musical system for the formation of a major chord. Presumably satisfied, Iona Sysoevich named the new bell after his father. In one of his private letters, the Rostov Metropolitan wrote: "I pour bells in my courtyard, little people are amazed."

There is still a version that the pond in the middle of the Kremlin courtyard served as a casting pit, however, this is very unlikely. In such a case, the transportation of the bells to the belfry would be very difficult, especially since the walls separating the pond from the belfry had already been erected by that time. Perhaps the casting pit for casting large bells was located on the cathedral square behind the Hodegetria church - opposite the belfry, however, this assumption requires archaeological and documentary verification. The final construction of the belfry was completed in 1689. Then 13 bells were hung in one row and firmly fixed on metal hooks and a thick oak bar, except for four of them, hanging on another bar, attached to the main one at right angles. In the second half of the 19th century, 2 more bells were added to them. Since then, 15 bells have been hanging on the belfry of the Rostov Kremlin. The threat of annihilation repeatedly hung over the Rostov bells.

During the war with Sweden, Peter I ordered the removal of the bells in order to compensate for the lack of weapons. However, Rostov churches and the belfry of the Assumption Cathedral escaped this fate. This was due to the fact that in 1691 Peter I took 15 poods of silver utensils from the metropolitan's storerooms for minting coins, and later, from 1692 to 1700, the Rostov Metropolitanate paid another 15,000 rubles to the state treasury. The huge fees undermined the economic power of the once very rich metropolitanate, so that any significant new construction on its territory became impossible. However, this helped to preserve the Rostov bells, about which Platon Levshin wrote the following in the 18th century: Near the cathedral there is a small bell tower, but wide; on that bell tower there are bells: the first one is 2000 poods, the ringing of Gvostovsky, the second one is 1000 poods, the third one is 500, and all, 13 bells; the ringing is amazing and has no example anywhere, for it is arranged according to instrumental music and sweetly summon three decent concerts: the first is called Georgievsky, the 2nd Yakimovsky, the 3rd Arsenievsky, and all the bells are tidy, and the bell ringers ring with attention to each other and they look at the stress of the bells. In the 20th century, with the advent of Soviet power, a new threat loomed over the bells.

In the difficult years of the civil war, in the wake of the struggle of the new government with religion and everything that reminded of the tsarist regime, there was a proposal to remove the bells from the belfry and turn them into raw materials for industrial needs. Fortunately, then the director of the Rostov Museum D.A. Ushakov applied for the preservation of the bells in Moscow. Thanks to him and the People's Commissar A.V., who arrived in Rostov in the summer of 1919 with a group of scientists. Lunacharsky, the bells were saved. However, in 1923 another misfortune fell on the belfry - the belt on which the tongue of "Sysoy" was held was broken. The fastening of the tongue should be soft, in ancient years it was first suspended on a walrus vein, then on a specially made rawhide belt. In the years of devastation, there was no way to find suitable material. The tongue was fixed on a metal rod and pulled up. After that, the blow began to fall not into the musical ring, but a little higher. This weakened the strength of the sound, changed its timbre, caused squeaks.

According to experts, the bell tongue must be outweighed in order to return it to its former sound, especially since for hundreds of years there have been traces of blows on both sides of the Sysoi, although at different times the bell was struck in different ways - sometimes in one both edges. The flight time of the bell tongue is 1.4 seconds. Since 1928, ringing on the belfry of the Assumption Cathedral was stopped, and the cathedral itself was closed in 1930. Since then, they have been reproduced in 1932 during the filming of the film Peter I and in March 1963, when the Gorky Film Studio recorded ringing for the country's music library, in June 1963 during the filming of the film War and Peace and for a number of subsequent films. In 1966, the All-Union Recording Company "Melodia" released a massive circulation of the vinyl record "Rostov Ringing". The disc became an exhibit at the EXPO-67 world exhibition in Montreal. From that time on, the Rostov bells began to gradually revive.

Bells

"Sysoy" - 2000 poods (32 tons), cast by the foundry of the Moscow Cannon Yard Flor Terentyev in 1688 and erected on a specially equipped high part of the belfry. The main tone of the bell is an almost pure "C" small octave. The bell received its name in honor of the father of the Rostov Metropolitan Iona Sysoevich - Schema monk Sysoi. "Polyellein" - 1000 pounds (16 tons), cast in 1682 by the Moscow craftsman Philip Andreev and his son Cyprian. The name of the bell from Greek means "Most Merciful".

The bell is decorated with two wide belts of ornaments, the main tone of the bell is the note "mi" of a small octave, giving a large third to "do" of "Sysoy". "Swan" - 500 poods (8 tons), was cast in 1682 together with "Polyelein" by Philip Andreev and was named so for its beautiful trumpet sound. The bell forms a minor third from the "Polyelean" tone and a pure fifth from the "Sysoya" tone, sounds in the "G" note of a minor octave and, together with the two largest bells of the belfry, gives a C major chord. "Golodar" - 171 poods (2.7 tons), was poured three times; the last time - in 1856, so named because it was called in Lent for certain services. The bell sounds in the note "la ♭" of a small octave and therefore, in itself, a beautiful bell in sound, practically does not fit the C major of the Rostov belfry, however, the "Rostov old men" (1963-1970) managed to fit its sound into the general melody, and "Hunger" even diversified it. This can be heard very well in the 1963 audio recordings. "Ram" - 80 poods (1.28 tons), cast in 1654 in Rostov by the Moscow craftsman Emelyan Danilov. This is the oldest bell in the Rostov selection of bells.

"Ram" sounds in the note "mi" of the first octave and was once used to strike the clock. "Red" weighs about 30 pounds and is not dated. Nevertheless, the features of its ornament find the closest analogs among the bells of the 17th - early 18th centuries]. The main tone of the bell is the G note of the first octave. "Goat" - weighs 20 poods. Cast in the second half of the 19th century at the Yaroslavl Olovyashnikov plant. According to the recommendation of Father Aristarkh Israel, the bell was cast with a completely smooth surface so that the ornament did not have a detrimental effect on the sound. However, this precaution did not bring much euphony to the bell, and after the received damage the bell was rarely used. Nevertheless, this bell played a key role in the "Yegoryevsk ringing" by "Rostov old men" in 1963-1970. "Nabatny" or "Jonathanovsky" - weight 256 pounds (106 kilograms).

Cast in 1894 at the Yaroslavl Olovyanishnikov plant and was presented to the belfry by Father Aristarchus on the occasion of fifty years of service in the church of Archbishop Ionanathan of Yaroslavl and Rostov, as evidenced by the inscription in the upper part of the bell. Its main tone is "mi" of the second octave. There are also 4 nameless bells on the belfry: 11 pounds, - "before" the second octave (replaced in 2001 due to the fact that the first nameless one gave a serious crack. The new 326-kilogram "Pyatkovo" bell does not fit well in appearance into the ensemble of old Rostov bells and, despite the same basic tone, negatively affects the sound of the belfry)., 8.8 pounds, - "re" of the second octave, 5.3 pounds, - "fa" of the second octave, 4.4 pounds, - " fa # "second octave. In addition, the selection of bells contains 2 ringing bells: 7-pound - "salt" of the second octave 2.6-pounds - "la" of the second octave. On the wall of the cathedral, facing the belfry, hung a small but sonorous bell "Yasak", which was given bell ringer sign about the beginning of ringing. Thanks to Father Aristarchus, in the 19th century the bell fell on the belfry together with Jonathan's.

"Yasak" completed the scale of the Rostov belfry and became the third bell "do" in the selection. The bell is used very rarely. Sometimes in the Everyday ringing and in the small pealing of modern Rostov bell ringers. Basically, the bell participates in the Jonathan ringing, thanks to which it ended up on the belfry.

Bells of Rostov the Great

If in the capital of a maturing state the largest bells in the world were cast, golden domes burned high in the sky on the largest churches and the highest bell towers, then in the provinces, “in the depths of Russia,” there was less monumentality - everything was somehow calmer, more everyday, more humane ...

The exception is the bells of Rostov the Great, but this is a special case: their unique ringing is recognized as the best today. At one time this city was also the capital of the Rostov principality.

The Rostov Kremlin is an amazing monument of Russian architecture, folk art and crafts. The best examples of icon painting, fresco painting, stone and wood carving, artistic modeling and ceramics, foundry art and blacksmithing are collected here. Glory to Rostov the Great was brought by the unique bell ringing. The most famous ringing was heard eighteen miles away, in the distant environs of Rostov the Great.

The city was first mentioned in the "Tale of Bygone Years" under the year 862, when Ugro-Finnish tribes inhabited its district. Novgorod Slovenes and Smolensk Krivichi began to penetrate the territory of the Rostov-Suzdal land from the north and west in the 9th century. At the very beginning of the XI century, the Christianization of the region took place, the influence of Kievan Rus increased.

In 1164, the relics of St. Leonty of Rostov were found in Rostov - for the first time in North-Eastern Russia. The first white stone church was built here under Andrei Bogolyubsky.

Rostov has long been famous for its bells, and they were cast by the best craftsmen in those years. In the "History of the Russian State" NM Karamzin cites a fact from the chronicle that in 1290 the "Tyurik" bell was sent to Ustyug from Rostov the Great. And later in the annals of the 15th century, there are numerous records of bells "watered in Rostov". The fact that their fame was recognized in Russia is also evidenced by the fact that the “Rostov” bell weighing 3267 kilograms, cast in 1687, rings on the main bell tower of Ivan the Great in the Moscow Kremlin. It was cast in the Belogostitsky monastery, located near Rostov (hence the name of the bell). The author of the bell is the Moscow smelter and bell-maker Philip Andreev, who worked at the Cannon Yard from 1664 to 1688.

A large earthen fortress "about nine corners", later called the Rostov Kremlin, was built in the first third of the 17th century. The main building was the large complex of the Bishops' House, surrounded by earthen ramparts with eleven towers and vast undeveloped spaces. The creation of such a mighty fortress city is associated with the activities of the follower of Patriarch Nikon, Metropolitan Jonah, a supporter of the idea of \u200b\u200bthe domination of church power over secular power. The huge Assumption Cathedral (the burial vault of Rostov princes and metropolitans) and the belfry to the east of it become the architectural dominants of the city.

In the chronicles and documents of the XIV century, the Rostov Archbishop Theodore is often mentioned, and it is not by chance. At the age of twelve, the nephew of the Monk Sergius of Radonezh, John, was tonsured with the name of Theodore from his uncle and subsequently, with his blessing, founded the Simonov monastery in Moscow, became his abbot and confessor of the Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy.

Perfectly fluent in the Greek language, being an educated, erudite man and a subtle diplomat, the saint in the 80s of the XIV century carried out the most important assignments of the prince in the Byzantine capital - Constantinople. After his last visit, Patriarch Anthony elevated him to the rank of Archbishop of Rostov, and Saint Theodore became the second archbishop in Russia (the first to receive this high rank was the ruler of Veliky Novgorod). In his homeland, in Rostov, he founded a convent in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos and wrote an icon of the Mother of God for this monastery. In 1394 he was buried in the Assumption Cathedral of Rostov.

In 1609, the townspeople who did not recognize False Dmitry defended in the cathedral, and many died under its arches; in this church, Poles and traitors seized Metropolitan Filaret, the future patriarch, and took him prisoner for almost ten years. The holy righteous John of Kronstadt served the liturgy in the cathedral, and in 1913 the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II prayed.

The most striking architectural monument of the Rostov Kremlin is the belfry of the Assumption Cathedral. The three-span belfry began to be erected not far from the cathedral in 1682, and soon Metropolitan Jonah decided to cast a bell weighing 2,000 poods and for this he invited the famous Moscow master bell-caster Flora Terentyev to Rostov, who perfectly coped with the task set before him.

Flor Terentyev poured the bells in the late 17th - early 18th centuries. In 1689, the master made a 2000-pound giant that has survived to this day. Its bells sounded in Moscow (Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat), Yaroslavl (Church of St. Dmitry), in the Pskov Cathedral of the Annunciation there were two of them, these are the temples about which information has been preserved. Since his name was never mentioned in the documents of the Pushkar Order, it can be assumed that the master worked independently, took on a specific job and performed it brilliantly.

In 1688, a powerful high tower was added to the belfry with an opening for a cast giant bell, named "Sysoy", with a tongue weighing one hundred poods. It was managed by at least two bell ringers.

The legend told us the words of Iona Sysoevich: "I pour bells on my yard, little people are amazed." They contain pride in what they have done with their own hands, love for their home. Affectionate, diminutive suffixes were often used in the Russian language in those years, the time was good and promising. A "bell" could weigh two thousand pounds.

This is how the famous researcher M.N. Tyunin describes the set of bells of the Assumption Cathedral:

“Sysoy” - 2000 poods (32 tons), cast by Flor Terentyev in 1688 and erected on a specially attached high part of the belfry;

- "Polyeleos" or "Polyeleos" - 1000 pounds (16 tons), cast in 1682 by the Moscow craftsman Philip Andreev and his son Cyprian;

- "Swan" - 500 poods (8 tons), cast in 1682 also by Philip Andreev. Named for its beautiful trumpet sound;

- "Golodar" - 171 poods (2.7 tons), was poured three times, the last time in 1856; so named because it was called during Lent to certain services;

- "Sheep" - 80 poods (1.28 tons) was cast in 1654 in Rostov by the Moscow craftsman Yemelyan Danilov, who died in the same year from a pestilence.

The next bells of lesser weight have the names "Red", "Goat", the rest are unnamed, except for two small "ringing bells", the first and the second.

On the eastern wall of the cathedral, facing the belfry, hung a small but sonorous bell "Yasak", which gave the bell ringer a sign of the beginning of ringing "(see: Rostov bells and ringing. Bells. M., 1985).

The historic belfry is still one of the largest in Russia in terms of its dimensions: it is 32 meters long, almost 11 meters wide and 17 meters high. Its proportions, successful placement next to the older Assumption Cathedral, traditionally strict design make it a harmonious and very attractive structure of Russian architecture of the late 17th century. The bell openings, framed by white frames, are immediately eye-catching. Calm power emanates from the huge, at the same time graceful, dark bells. And below each span is emphasized by a horizontal line - a light openwork metal lattice. The gaze slides higher, rises to the roof, and on it, above each span, there are graceful domes with crosses directed into the sky. This composition, built by talented architects, is perfect in its forms, and you can admire it endlessly. However, let's consider the main volume of the belfry. It is just as simple and elegant, despite its size - six vertical shoulder-blades in the form of columns and three horizontal cornices. Against a white background, not superfluous, functionally necessary doors in the basement, narrow loopholes on the second and third floors and barely noticeable windows illuminating the staircase laid inside the wall array.

The fate of the Rostov bells was not so easy, it happened that only a miracle saved them and they remained to live, which means - to ring.

A real threat loomed over the bells in 1919; at the initiative of local authorities, they were to be removed and melted down for the needs of industry. Unexpectedly, help came from the head of the People's Commissariat for Education A. V. Lunacharsky, who at a meeting of the city activists said: "Keep the historical values \u200b\u200band monuments of Rostov and be responsible for their safety." The people's commissar's words were taken as an indication, and the local authorities left the bells alone.

In early November 1941, when the enemy was nearby, it was decided to remove the bells and evacuate them to the rear, but after the defeat of the Germans near Moscow, this was no longer necessary.

In August 1953, a tornado, unprecedented in these places, demolished the roof and damaged the heads of the belfry. Soon the restorers restored the lost and damaged.

A new page in the biography of Rostov bells was opened in 1963, when in "Nedelya" (No. 13), an appendix to the newspaper "Izvestia", A. Butlerov's essay "Russian Bells" with beautiful photographs appeared. As veterans of "Izvestia" say, it was the idea of \u200b\u200bthe editor-in-chief A. Adzhubei, who visited Rostov the Great, saw the miraculously preserved pearl of Russian architecture, magnificent bells and sent correspondents there. At that time it was an act - after all, Adzhubey was the son-in-law of the First Secretary of the Central Committee and the country's first fighter against God N. Khrushchev.

After the essay was published in a popular newspaper, the new generation learned about the beautiful bells of Rostov, about their history. And soon (by historical standards), three years later, during the preparation of the EXPO-67 World Exhibition in Montreal, the Melodiya company released a disc with the recording of Rostov bell ringing, and world fame came to them.

Forty years have passed since then. Today tourists from the most distant corners of Russia and abroad come to hear the ringing of Rostov bells. And bells sound during services in churches and during festivals, when the best bell ringers come to show their skills - masters of the amazing art of ringing.

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"Sysoy" (weighs two thousand poods (32 tons), -

Andrey Thinker (6892) 5 years ago
"Sysoy" (weighs two thousand poods (32 tons), -
the first, the largest bell of the belfry of the Rostov Assumption Cathedral. It was named so in honor of the father of Metropolitan Jonah, Schema-monk Sysoi, and was cast in Rostov in 1688.
Tongue of this giant bell weighs about one and a half tons, it is swayed by two bell-ringer.

The tone of this bell corresponds to the note "C". This bell has the special merit that, in addition to the basic tone "C", it also gives an upper harmonic tone, which constitutes a pure major third, corresponding to the note "Mi" located between the third and fourth lines of the note system with a bass clef. This upper tone - the big third of "Mi" becomes especially audible when we move away from this bell, during the evangelism into it. When played together with two smaller bells of the Rostov belfry - "Swan" (500 pounds) and "Polyelein" (1000 pounds), cast by the famous master Philip Andreev, respectively, in 1682 and 1683, their ringing forms a C major triad, and harmony, required for this is amazing. The lowest overtone of "Sysoya" coincides with the fundamental tone of "Polyelleo".

The diameter of the hole, or the diameter of the base, of this bell is 5 yards and 3/4 vershok. The diameter of its apex inside is 2 arshins 7 1/4 inches. The height of the bell inside from the base to the top, not counting the ears, is 3 arshins 13 1/2 inches. The thickness of the sound part, or the shaft, where the tongue is struck, this bell has 7 vershoks. The number of simple vibrations that this bell produces in a second, at 12 ° Reaumur, \u003d 130.92. The bell has a modest decoration. Near its head and edges there is a relief inscription made in ligature in the Church Slavonic language. From the text of the inscription, we know that "Sysoy" was cast by master Flor Terentyev.

Above, around the head, it is written: "In the summer of 7197, Noemvriya on the 11th day. Under the state of the Great Sovereigns, Kings and Grand Dukes John Alekseevich, Peter Alekseevich and the Great Empress and the Blessed Princess and Grand Duchess Sophia Aleksievna of all the Great and Small Samozhtsy and White Russia" , and below, around the edges, it is written: "and under the Blessed Sovereigns Tsaritsas and Grand Duchesses Natalia Kirilovna, Paraskev Feodorovna, Martha Matfeyevna and under the Great Lord Cyrus Joachim Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the diligence and zeal of His Grace Jonah and Metropolitan of Rostov in Rostov to the cathedral and apostolic church of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos and the great Rostov Wonderworkers Leonty, Isaiah, Ignatius of the bishops; and the bell was poured by the master Flor Terentyev; and the weight in this bell is two thousand poods. "