Russian bell ringing Veliky Novgorod / Колокола Великого Новгорода

Easter, April 20, 2014. Some of Russia’s most historic bells peal again at Veliky (Great) Novgorod thanks to an ingenious setup. During the German assault in 1941, the bells were removed from the belfries of St. Sophia Cathedral and local monasteries to keep them from being captured and melted down. The largest two were buried, and several smaller ones were loaded onto a river barge that was then sunk during a bombardment. After the war they were dug up and dredged up, but could not be reinstalled in the belfry because its structure was now too weak. The largest bell, the Праздничный (“Festive”), cast in 1659, had lost its fastener anyway. Weighing 1,614 Russian puds (about 26 metric tonnes or 29 U.S. tons), it was lowered onto its frame just three days before this presentation. The clapper is so heavy that two hands are required to pull it back. The lucky traveler who happened upon this presentation wonders how it was worked out with no apparent way to practice.

Видео Russian bell ringing Veliky Novgorod / Колокола Великого Новгорода канала Lyudmila