Spotlight On:
Ukraine
Bells in the breadbasket of Europe echo across rolling
hills and resound above the din of war.
“Anon he goes to the woodland spring,
The belfry near, where sweet bells ring.”
T. Shevchenko
Image: The wooden belfry at the Skete of All Saints, part of the Sviatohirsk Lavra holy site in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, in 2009, before destruction by Russian shelling in May 2022.
Scripture in Sound
The faithful of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine are called to worship not by a melody on bells, as might emanate from a carillon, but through the distinctive style of Orthodox bell ringing wherein a polyrhythmical sequence of sounds wafts from the belfry. To produce such an effect, the ringer gathers the ropes in tension and, through the deft pressing of hands and feet, brings each clapper into syncopated contact with stationary bells.
Hear Orthodox bell ringing in action.
Video: Victor Avdienko improvises on Orthodox bells to benefit Ukrainian refugees.
Museum of Bells
Want to learn more about the history of bells in Ukraine? Visit the Museum of Bells in the old stone tower at Lutsk Castle in Volyn Oblast. With more than 90 bells of the collection on display, including one that dates back to the year 1647, expect to see not only church bells, but also bells from schools, locomotives, ships, farms, and even livestock!
Songs for Ukraine
Join the tintinnabulation of the National Bell Festival by setting bells ringing in support of Ukraine. To help, we've collected a series of pieces arranged for carillon and made available as a free download. Click on the music below!
A literal carol of the bells.
Video: Carillonist Joshua Fenwick performs “Carol of the Bells” on the 52-bell Centennial Carillon Tower at Brigham Young University.
"Carol of the Bells"
Arranged as a shchedrivka, or New Year's song, by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych, the melody ‘Shchedryk’ was adapted in 1936 by American composer Peter J. Wilhousky and given a new name with English lyrics. It has become one of the most beloved and frequently performed Christmas carols of all time.
Ukraine at War
Since Feb. 24, 2022, UNESCO has verified damage to 457 cultural sites.
Throughout the invasion, the Russian Armed Forces have deliberately and systematically destroyed Ukrainian culture and historical heritage. Sacred sites, and the bells that hang within them, have not been spared. Significant damage has been verified by UNESCO at 143 religious sites, 231 buildings of historical or artistic significance, 32 museums, 33 monuments, 17 libraries, and an archive. The list continues to grow.
Image: A bell hangs next to the ruins of the Church of St. George the Victorious, destroyed by Russian shelling on May 8, 2022, in the village of Dolyna, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Courtesy: Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra.
Notable Bells
Centuries of history resound from the Carpathian Mountains to the Black Sea.
Chernobyl Liquidators Bell
Chernobyl Liquidators Bell
Hung to honor first responders who were called to clean and stabilize the radioactive exclusion zone in the aftermath of the nuclear disaster.
Bell at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra
Bell at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra
Crowned in tetramorph canons evoking the four Evangelists, swaddled in religious iconography, and hung in the belfry of Kyiv’s iconic cave monastery.
Bell of Chersonesos
Bell of Chersonesos
Cast in 1778 from Turkish trophy cannons, spirited to Paris after the Crimean War and hung in Notre-Dame, repatriated to serve a monastery, then repurposed as a fog signal.
Memorial Bell
Memorial Bell
Installed on the site of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and tolled to commemorate members of the Armed Forces lost in battles for Ukraine or in peacekeeping missions.
