Since ancient times, Great Russia has been ringing a bell ringing - during the holidays, large bells sounded on church belfries, in everyday life bells were poured on the collars of horse teams, giving people joy and a festive mood. How did the history of the most famous Valdai bells in the world begin? Tell the pages of ancient books.
Who invented the bell?
The idea of creating bells came to the mind of Bishop Nolan Pontius Mirony Pavlin the Gracious. Finishing the inspection of his possessions, the bishop decided to take a break, stopping in a picturesque meadow covered with blue bells. Dozing off, he saw in a dream angels who touched the flowers, and they responded with a gentle, silver ringing. This sound shocked Pontius so much that when he returned to Nola, he told the master about it, who was able to cast an exact bronze copy of the field bell. Although, if you rely on the data of historians, the first cast bells met much earlier, they were still made by the Egyptians.
There are more romantic stories. A young girl bathed in a forest river. A wreath of forest bells twined her head. The girl drowned, and her lover - a local blacksmith - forged a bell in memory of the most beloved and dear.
There are several more beautiful assumptions about how the idea of the bell came about as a foundry, but all of them tell either about love or about its sad end.
The first Valdai bell. History
According to the legends, the story begins around 1478. Tsar Ivan III ruled at that time, who ordered the Novgorod bell to be transported to Moscow, taking it from the Sofia belfry forever. Everything went well until the carriers reached the Valdai Mountains. It was here that the sled, on which the veche bell was fixed, rolled along a slippery road, capsized, and the bell, falling to the bottom of the abyss, scattered into hundreds of small pieces. According to historians, it was from these fragments that the Valdai bells arose. After that, local residents began to come to this place. They collected bells and, bringing them home, asked the foundry masters to make copies of them. This was due to the belief in the miraculous power of this thing. People firmly believed that in a house where there is a Valdai bell, happiness, peace, harmony, peace, prosperity will certainly settle.
Production start
It is believed that the second half of the XVIII century became the moment of the beginning of production. The need to create bells was a priority - they were one of the components of the drivers on the busy roads of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Soon professional reflux workshops and workshops began to appear, in which the design and basic elements of the Valdai bell were studied and reproduced.
Very soon, the individual signature of the master who created his creation came into fashion. Nikita, Ivan, Alexey Smirnov, Philip Tersky - foundry workers whose products went down in history as a separate entry. From that moment on, the Valdai bell It became known precisely as the original Russian invention. Gradually, the Yamschitsky bells began to gain more and more fame - they were not only an important element of warning on the road, but also significantly raised the mood of the coachman, especially in bad weather or late at night.
Bell bell discord
It may be mistakenly assumed that they were all intended for one purpose only, but this is far from the case. Yamschitsky were issued with their own inscriptions - for example, it was often possible to read a rhyme on the product: “Links, console - hurry to go.” Gift bells were marked with the inscriptions “Gift of Valdai”, “Whoever I love, to whom I give” and the like. Soon the most expensive and important Valdai bell - the wedding one - appeared in the life of young people. It was a real masterpiece, with five birds flying in the sky above. It is also noteworthy that at that time the name of the master was not just known, it was stuffed on the product itself. One of the first casters who made his own inscription was Alexei Smirnov. Another author is also known - Tersky - today in 19 of his bells have survived in Russia.
From master to factories
Very soon, factories began to appear in the country, where emphasis was placed on the type of activity: "Valdai bells - production" - could be read at the very approaches to the workshops. The first half of the century before last was marked by the opening of the largest factory named after Smirnov, about which they said that only here the best bells are cast - the largest and the most sonorous. Truly gigantic products were born in the professional hands of masters - a bell could weigh over 1000 pounds. However, this does not mean that the Smirnovs forgot what a small Valdai bell is. The plant took many orders for their manufacture, and most of the products were cast for churches and monasteries in Russia. Soon, the Stukolkin factory entered the production market. Ivan Stukolkin went down in history as a master who cast 11 bells (their weight was almost 4,400 pounds), taking Siberian nickels as a basis.
The end of the factory business
The factories of the Smirnov and Stukolkins, which were hardened in the production market, gradually began to acquire competitors. The factories of Alexei Usachev, Georgy Andreev, and the Usachev brothers began to sell their products. Not only the Stukolkins, but also the Usachev brothers were already engaged in the outflow of bells for the churches of Valdai. The bells that hang above the doors, as well as the table bells, which call the servant, come into fashion. They practically did not differ from those used by the coachmen. And only the inscription made it clear what this bell is for. And then the October Revolution broke out, and the bell business in Russia was almost destroyed. The Usachev factory turned out to be the most resistant, but he soon closed his doors forever. The foundry was resumed a little later, but that same Valdai quality was no longer observed.
Immortalized in history
In order to preserve the history of Valdai casting, the Museum of Valdai Bells was created . The Valdai Museum of Local Lore was replenished with the first exhibits in 1980 - then the trophy products of the masters Andreev and Grigoriev were brought here, and there was also a place for foreign similar items. Ship bells, bells intended for cattle, Yamschitsky and table bells were brought here - expositions were replenished with amazing speed. After 15 years, the museum received a new administrative area - in the building of the Lviv rotunda. At that time, the collection already had not only small and medium exhibits, but large bells were also located here. A place was also highlighted where one could see the Valdai bell - photos - historians tried to restore the surviving photographs. But it's better to see it with your own eyes. It is believed that the ringing of Valdai bells cleanses the soul, cures of diseases. In addition, everyone is allowed to climb the bell tower and call himself.
What is unique about Valdai bells?
The uniqueness of the bells in their sound - they say that each bell has its own unique "voice". Their history was restored over the years, since no records were saved, and everything that is known today was studied using the data that could be found on the products themselves - names, dates, factories. One of the defining moments was the bell “skirt” - so called its bottom. Many historians have come to the conclusion that the shape of the bells directly resembles the camp of a Russian woman. Valdai production can be distinguished by other factors - streamlined shape, belts with rough edges, tongue and its suspension. Each detail has its own uniqueness, the analogues of which today simply do not exist. It is worth noting that this is why the cost of products has always been extremely high. Today you can find a lot of products marked with the Valdai brand - unfortunately, local manufacturers were not able to find out the secret of casting, which produced the famous pure, gentle ringing of Valdai bells.