The Wandering Microphone

The Russian Orthodox Easter is this year on 1 May. In the orthodox tradition, Easter is announced with the carillon. From miles away, people hear the call to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. During Easter, the people themselves may play the bells in the bell tower. Most sources tell us that the bells in Russia were probably dispersed during the Christianization of Russia. At first, the bells were used to call the believers to the service or to give certain signals. There are also some indications that the Russian bell tradition is rooted in the pre-Christian pagan Slavonic culture.

Modern bells
The bells came from West Europe in the 10th century. They were played by turning the bell. The Russians changed this construction and used a swinging clapper to play the bells. Because of this construction they were able to make very large and heavy bells.
The heaviest bell was made in the 18th century. The bell is 6.14 metres (20.1 ft) tall and weighs 210 tons. It is called the Tsar Bell.

The Tsar Bell
It is impossible to imagine the Russian cultural landscape without the massive heavenly sound of the bells. 
Despite the fact that the sound of the church bells is an archetypical sound for the Russians, many bells were destroyed by communists after the revolution in 1917. Just in Moscow alone, 2200 bells were removed from the church towers and were melted down. Not many bells remained and the production of bells was stopped. Since the 1980s, this tradition is restored in Russia and the fantastic and powerful sound of the bells can be heard in the Russian landscape once again.

Destruction of the bells after the revolution in 1917
Playlist:
1.  Blagovest (Evangelist), Novodevichi Klooster
     3:14, LP Chimes Of Moscow. Russian Disc
     R10 00657
2.  Easter Chime, Novodevichi 7:45
     LP Chimes Of Moscow. Russian Disc R10 00657
3.   Holy Water Chime  4.36
      CD Chimes of Russian North, 1990 Melodiya,
     SUCD11-00326
4.  Every Day Chime  4.53,  idem
5.  Meeting the Lord 4.57, idem
6.  Pasen Klokkenspel. Danilov Klooster 6:09
     Ringer I. Konovalov, LP Russian Disc R10 00657
7.  Wedding Chime, Rostov Velikij 4:34 
     CD Chimes of The Rostov The Bell Tower of The
     Uspensky Cathedraal. 2004 Russkiy Dom,
     Jaroslavl
8.  Kolokolnye Zvony Zolotogo Kolca. nr. 8 1:58
     CD Колокольные Звоны Золотого Кольца
     России,  Disam 2004, DS 12
9.  Kolokolnye Zvony Zolotogo Kolca. nr. 11, 2:02
     idem
10. Kolokolnye Zvony Zolotogo Kolca. Nr.15, 2:24
      idem
11. Mussorgski. Fragment uit de opera Boris
      Godunov. 3:08
12.  Ayarkhaan “Singing Bells” 2:48,
      CD Ethno-group Ayarkhaan
13.  Ioninski zvon  3:33
      CD Chimes of The Rostov The Bell Tower of
      The Uspensky Cathedraal. 2004, Russkiy
      Dom, Jaroslavl
14.  Akimovski Zvon 3:29. idem

Chiming the bells for Easter