RUSSIA: School in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod seeks to revive old religious art of bell ringing

Record ID: 187007

  • Title: RUSSIA: School in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod seeks to revive old religious art of bell ringing
  • Date: 22nd April 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH SERVICE IN PROGRESS IN CATHEDRAL VARIOUS INTERIOR OF CATHEDRAL
  • Embargoed: 7th May 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Quirky,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVAADSHL6UM21WB2402R89N1XIIU
  • Story Text: In the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, a regional centre founded in the 13th century, the ancient art of bell ringing is experiencing a revival.
    Students from both religious and secular professions are signing up for lessons at the newly opened 'School of Bell Art', at the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
    Nizhny Novgorod's school of bell ringing is relatively rare in Russia. Even in pre-revolutionary Russia, bell ringers learned the art themselves, memorizing melodies they heard played by other bell ringers, or were apprenticed by more experienced bell ringing masters. During the Soviet Union, the art of bell ringing was more or less abandoned, and it wasn't until the 1990s that interest began to grow.
    Alexei Pestretsov, the director at the 'School of Bell Art', said bell ringing was making a slow comeback, adding that the lessons conducted at his school were important to guide people in the basics of the traditional musical art.
    "The art of bell-ringing is recovering really slowly. A person by himself, if no one shows him, or gives him some kinds of basics - doesn't teach him the basic elements of bell ringing - can't ring bells correctly," Pestretsov said.
    In Russian history bells served not only as an important part of church liturgy, but also as a warning or signal for the surrounding community.
    The majority of students seeking tuition at the 'School of Bell Art' come from a non-religious background, counting a lawyer, a masseuse and a former DJ (disc jockey) among the 50-strong student body.
    Bell ringing is still considered as a primarily religious art in Russia. Most of the students at the class have come at the recommendation of their priests.
    There are no strict melodies to follow - students lend their own creativity to the tunes.
    Svetlana Kuznetsova, who works as a masseuse, says she has dreamed of learning to play the bells since she was very young.
    "It's been a dream my whole life. I really like it when you get up to the bells. It's an unexplicablee feeling - it's like talking to God," Kuznetsova said.
    The school's very first graduate, Alexei Kofanov, used to be a night club DJ.
    Kofanov says his professional experience as a DJ helps him to be able to play the bells in the tower of Nizhny Novgorod's John the Messenger Cathedral.
    "The feeling of rhythm came from (my time as a) DJ because here everything is founded on that feeling (of rhythm). You have to feel the rhythm. And you play quickly on the discs. Here that feeling of rhythm is also necessary. Subsequently, it's tempo, it's rhythm that you need to keep. So, in this I can say that my long time as a DJ really, really helped me with bell ringing," Kofanov said.
    The two-month courses, conducted at Nizhny Novgorod's Alexander Nevsky Cathedral aim to bring students to a level of professional bell-ringing competence.
    In addition to their musical practice, students are introduced to the history of bell ringing and belfry architecture as part of their studies.
    Russia's Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter this weekend (April 23-24).
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