Bells in the Russian Tradition
Christianity's 'Talking Drums'
African communities use drums to communicate over long distances— just as Russia's great cupola of booming bronze gathered her vast territories into a single liturgical soundscape without parallel in all the world.... And Russian bells are played like drums— as percussion, not melody instruments like carillons.
Bell-ringing in the Orthodox Church is a lot more than just a call to worship or an announcement of various parts of the services to those who are absent. It really is an important liturgical art form, like iconography or architecture. And sometimes bells are even called "singing icons".
The Typikon prescribes several ways of striking bells on different occasions. You can read about the methods in the table below, and about the different occasions here.
But if you listen to some actual zvons, you'll realize that Russian bells are far more than mere signaling devices.
In Russian bell music, wave upon wave of dancing alleluias declare above all thecommunion that has become ours in Christ.
Matter itself sings the vibrant hymn of the incarnate God!
Blagovest
("Annunciation")
Preliminary call to the major services. While reading psalm 118(119), strike the largest bell once at the beginning and once after every second 8-line section indicated in the psalm by a hebrew letter (12 times total). Alternatively, strike the bell once for each of 12 recitations of psalm 50(51). Blagovest takes a long time.
Zvon ("Peal")
Play the bells rhythmically. Depending on the bells you have and whether you’re using all of them at any given time, there are numerous ways to do this.
Dvuzvon
("Double Peal")
Play all the bells twice by striking a full zvon, then pausing for a moment (perhaps continuing the pulse with the largest bell(s) only), and then striking a second full zvon.
Trezvon
("Triple Peal")
Like dvuzvon, but play all the bells three times, pausing between movements (possibly keeping time with the largest bell). This peal is for the liturgy and at times of joy, and especially after the liturgy, it should last for some minutes if possible in your neighborhood.
Perezvon
("Chain-Peal")
Strike the bells in order, beginning with the largest bell and proceeding to the smallest, each bell several times before going to the next. Repeat this chain as long as necessary. Used at any blessing of water. A single perezvon is struck only twice a year, on Great Friday before the Shroud is brought forth, and on Great Saturday, at the magnificat of matins. Always followed by trezvon. The large-to-small pattern symbolizes the self-emptying humility of the Son of God..
Perebor
("Chain-toll")
Slowly strike each bell once beginning from the smallest bell and proceeding to the largest. After the chain, strike all bells together; repeat several times. This is the funeral toll. Symbolizes the christian’s ascent from birth to maturity; striking all the bells at once here symbolizes death. Alternatively, symbolizes the ascent from this life (small) to the life to come (great).
Nabat
(Vspoloshniy Zvon) ("Alarm")
A frequent striking of the largest bell.
Basic Occasions and Rubrics for Bell-Ringing
in the Russian Tradition
The meaning of the technical terms for ringing patterns can be found here.
Vespers,
Great or Daily,
with or without
Presanctified Liturgy
(Optina Typikon)
Traditions vary. Some say that daily Vespers is announced with 12 strikes of the main bell; others say to peal a zvon with all but the largest bell on Polyelei days, and all but the largest two bells on ordinary days. The same rules apply when Presanctified is served, but here, for 'It Is Truly Meet', the bells are not rung. For Great Vespers, use all the bells.
All-Night Vigil
Blagovest is rung before the service and is immediately followed by trezvon. Dvuzvon at the beginning of the reading of the Six Psalms or just before it. Immediately before the reading of the Gospel, zvon. During the Magnificat the bell is struck nine times. At the conclusion of the Vigil, trezvon.
Divine Liturgy
Blagovest is rung at the appointed time and ceases at the beginning of the Hours. At the end of the 6th hour, trezvon. At the Creed, which consists of 12 parts, the bell is struck 12 times in a unhurried fashion as a proclamation of the faith and to inform Christians who are absent that the time of the Consecration of the Holy Gifts approaches (some traditions call for this 12-fold ring at "It is meet and right" instead). After the Liturgy, trezvon on all bells.
Divine Liturgy
(Hierarchical)
The blagovest is sounded at appointed time. As the Hierarch approaches the temple, all the bells are rung. When the Hierarch enters the temple, the ringing stops and blagovest is resumed until the beginning of the vesting of the Hierarch. At the beginning of the Sixth Hour, trezvon, unless there is an ordination to the rank of reader or to the subdiaconate, in which case the trezvon is sounded after the Bishop's prayers before the Divine Liturgy. The rest as at any Divine Liturgy.
Lenten and Royal Hours
Before the Hours during Great Lent and at Royal Hours [i.e., before the First Hour] the bell is struck once; at the Third Hour, the bell three times, at the 6th, six times, and at the 9th, nine times.
Vespers of
Great Friday
At the bringing out of the Shroud and before the procession around the church, perebor, followed immediately by trezvon.
Funeral
At the carrying out of the deceased from the temple for burial, perebor. There is no trezvon after this bell.
Molieben with
Blessing of Water
When the cross is immersed into the water, a short trezvon.
Wedding
Blagovest and short zvon before the service. Solemn celebratory zvon on all bells at the exit of the newlyweds from church after the ceremony. It goes on the whole time the young couple is greeted by their friends and relatives at the threshold of the church. Their departure by car is accompanied with a zvon as well.
Civil Alarms
When enemies are approaching, fire has broken out, and other civil emergencies.