One of the unique sights of the Moscow Kremlin is the world-famous Tsar Bell. This exhibit is considered a peculiar work of Russian art of the eighteenth century and the highest achievement of foundry in Russia. In addition, the Tsar Bell is a magnificent historical monument.
Idea of creation
Empress Anna Ivanovna signed a decree in 1730, in which she ordered a bell weighing up to ten thousand pounds to be cast. To do this, it was necessary to take a broken instance, adding metal to it. With the release of this document, the story of the Tsar Bell began.
Who cast the famous giant?
Originally, they wanted to find the skilled craftsman in Paris. However, the royal mechanic Germain, who was offered this case, refused to work. He took this demand for a joke.
He contracted to pour the bell of Grigoriev, which broke in the fire of 1701, the outstanding master of his time, Ivan Fedorovich Motorin. The case was started in 1730. For its successful conduct by the Moscow artillery office, a foreman, ten students and two officers were assigned as assistants to Motorin.
Preparatory stage
Before the work of the artillery office, drawings were made. Moreover, Motorin previously cast a small model of the future giant. She weighed twelve pounds. All drawings, cost estimates, as well as two developed models of the lifting mechanism were sent for approval in St. Petersburg. All preparation and approval of the created project took place over two years. In this regard, the very work on the manufacture of the conceived bell shape, as well as on the construction of furnaces, began only in January 1733.
Giant creation
In order to get the shape of the world's largest bell, two patterns were made according to the drawings of Russian masters. One of them was intended for the internal profile of the product, and the second for the external.
The giant bell was molded on Ivanovo Square. For this, a ten-meter pit was dug. Oak beams, interconnected by metal rims, strengthened its sides. Additionally, the pit was bricked. For the lower base of the mold, an iron grate was laid on oak piles driven into the bottom. Only then did the production process for the bell blanks begin. After its manufacture, a second template was installed, which repeated the external outlines of the giant. At the end of the work, the form was lifted by the hooks. For this, special devices were used.
At the next stage, the disc was finally finished. For the bell tongue, an iron loop was attached in the vault. The last operation of the technological process is the installation of so-called ears in special sockets on the top of the casing.
All work on the creation of the Tsar Bell was completed on November 25, 1735. A certificate was drawn up about this event. The weight of the largest bell in the world was two hundred and one ton nine hundred twenty-four kilograms. Its height is 6.14 m and its diameter is 6.60 m. Unfortunately, Motor Motor could not complete the casting of the giant, he died. The father’s work was continued by his son Mikhail, who had already taken an active part in the work.
Manufacturing subtleties
In order for the Tsar Bell to have a good casting, Ivan Motorin took a special design of the gate system. Slag and other contaminants did not get into the form, which was filled with liquid metal. This was made possible thanks to a special tank, which was constantly filled to the brim. In this case, pure metal from the bowl entered the mold, and slag, which had a lighter weight, remained on the surface.
When casting a giant, it was necessary to create certain conditions in order for the mold to withstand the pressure of hot metal. To do this, the ground was filled with all the space that was between the walls of the foundry pit and the casing.
Breakaway piece
Knows the story of the Tsar Bell and an unprecedented fire. After casting for more than a year, inscriptions were made on this amazing piece of foundry art.
Decorative ornaments were also made on it. The work was coming to an end when a strong fire broke out in the Kremlin. It happened in May 1737. The fire destroyed the wooden structures and the tent, which was erected over the foundry pit. The hot bell began to be watered. Due to the temperature difference, cracks formed in the giant’s body, which led to a significant piece breaking off from it, weighing eleven and a half tons.
Foundry pit
The Tsar Bell, whose history began so unsuccessfully, could not be reached for a long time. Until 1836, he was in a foundry pit, which was cleared, surrounded by a railing and made a staircase. On it, visitors went down and admired the great work of art.
On July 23, 1836, a brilliant bell raising took place. On specially prepared skating rinks, he was moved and placed on a stone pedestal having an octagonal shape. Soon, four brackets were installed on the giant supporting the ball, on top of which there was a bronze cross. Where is the Tsar Bell now? On the same pedestal in the Kremlin.
Restoration work
The Tsar Bell was planned to be soldered several times. However, the work was never carried out. The high cost of soldering prevented this. In addition, fears were expressed that, even having restored the bell, it would be impossible to achieve its normal sound. That is why, if you visit the Kremlin, the Tsar Bell will meet you in the form in which it was once removed from a foundry pit. This unique monument has great historical significance. That is why experimenting with him is simply unacceptable. The Tsar Bell for children and for the adult generation is the history of the Fatherland.
The study of the unique monument was carried out in 1979. Then, its restoration was also completed. The work consisted of flaw detection of the giant’s body and the preparation of a special card on which the dimensions, position, and the number of cracks formed were recorded.
During the restoration, the surface of the bell was cleared of numerous layers of paint coatings, which distorted the appearance of the giant. In parallel, they carried out a small repair of the pedestal. A fragment of a bell was raised to the surface of the earth, which was buried into the cultural layer by forty centimeters.
All work was performed by specialists as well as scientists of the Military Academy named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky. At the same time, constant consultations were held with the All-Union Research Institute of Restoration. It is worth noting the fact that the creation of technology and methods for the restoration of a historical monument of this type was carried out for the first time.
A unique example of foundry art
Those who visit the Kremlin today will be met by the Tsar Bell in its original form. The giant again acquired a silver-gray color, giving a greenish patina. The specific shimmer and natural tone are returned to bronze. On the cross, which crowns the head, gilding glistens. It was restored using gold leaf. You can clearly see the elegant ornament and artful images that adorn the bell. The beauty of sculptural jewelry pleases the eye. The lower and upper body of the giant is decorated with a frieze, the pattern of which is palm branches. Unfortunately, when filling the form with metal, some parts of the bell were washed away. This can clearly be seen in the images of some figures. Despite this, thousands of people visiting the Kremlin every day now appreciate the beauty of the historical monument.
The Tsar Bell in Moscow was created almost two and a half centuries ago. However, the fame of the giant is increasing every year. An amazing monument of Russian art of casting successfully fits into the architectural composition of the Kremlin. The Tsar Bell, just like the Tsar Cannon located nearby, cannot be separated from the artistic image, which has worldwide fame.
Historical facts
For casting the bell, the master Motorin received a minuscule fee. It amounted to only a thousand rubles.
There is an inscription on the bell that it was cast by Ivan Motorin and his son Mikhail. The famous foundry master, to imprint his name, filed a petition to the Senate. Empress Anna Ioannovna it was approved.
The proposal to create a giant bell was received by the sculptor Carlo Rastrelli. However, the son of the world famous architect Francesco Rastrelli requested a very high payment for his work. As a result, his services were refused.
Images of Tsar Bell General Denikin used to issue thousand-ruble white-guard notes. This money is popularly called "bells."