Church, steeple, man ringing bells Fx: Bell soundsBrissenden: For most of the past seventy years this church and its bell tower were used as a chemical warehouse. Today the bells are ringing again. 21.26.03
Pavel Markelov is the guardian of an ancient Russian tradition. He is one of Russia's few experienced bell ringers. A man in much demand.
Pavel: I've been ringing the bells now for eight years. At first I visited the Davilov Monastery bell tower. There was a ringer there called Igor Konovalov who was great.
Interview with Pavel
He showed me some secrets, some tricks. It was good to talk to a master, then I was confined to this tower because there was no other place for rehearsals. 22.14.05
Pavel showing Brissenden bells Brissenden: Breaking the years of silence in his Moscow tower has been a labour of love but Pavel is a persistent character. 22.30.10
Many of the bells that are now here were recovered from the provinces. They were dug up in fields and even found in rivers.
Brissenden to camera In the past few years Russia has experienced an unprecedented religious revival. Much of the property seized after the revolution has been returned and the Orthodox church is rapidly reclaiming its central role in Russian society. But the rush to religion has created a few problems. For one thing there is a critical shortage of bell ringers. 22.45.22
Man ringing bells, people listening, Pavel speaking to group, woman playing bells
Pavel: The hand should be relaxed but ready for work, it shouldn't be stiff in this place and here it must not be tense. 23.05.10
Brissenden: Pavel Markelov is a man with a mission. Twelve months ago, the Cathedral of St. Sophia was a silent horror - today it's the venue for a three month crash course in bellringing.
Pavel: You probably had to adjust the strings a bit, look what you can do so that it reacts better.
Brissenden:: The students who come from all over Russia, take the secrets back to their own churches.
Interview with woman
Woman: Yes, we'll be buying the bells. We are now collecting money and our priest wants to have them installed. 24.07.15
Pavel playing bells, church exterior
Brissenden: In the classroom, Pavel and his students work with an improvised arrangement of borrowed bells. The original bells of the Cathedral of St. Sophia have been lost forever. St. Sophia was just one of thousands of churches trashed in the 1920s. The cathedral's last pries was shot back in 1929. 24.13.17
TV footage Fx: War sounds 24.31.14
building collapsing, toppling bell, churches today, man walking into building, making bells
Brissenden: Soviet leaders wanted to rid their country of religion. Communism they said was the only true path to enlightenment. Church bells were put to more practical uses. Many of them were melted down and turned into guns.
As a result Russia today not only suffers from a shortage of bell ringers but also a shortage of bells.
Before the revolution there were more than thirty factories making bells - today there's only half a dozen. The 'Renaissance' Foundry in suburban Moscow makes sheet metal for rockets - now it's making church bells as well.
It is a business with a big future.
Interview with man.
Foundry Worker: Because of the development of the churches, if there are churches then there's demand for bells, ringing is needed, we're Christians after all. 25.22.24
Brissenden: Bell making, like bell ringing, is an exacting art. According to the master, a good bell makes all the difference.
Interview with Pavel, Pavel ringing bells
Pavel: Some secrets are gone forever, and it's hard to find good bells now. They are just producing ordinary wash basins now. The big bell is the heart of the music, nothing can happen without it. Small and medium bells can sound beautiful, but without the big bell there is no heart. It is the big bell that provides the heart. 25.56.21
Fx: Bells
Brissenden: This bell towers passionate master is doing his bit to keep the heart beating.
The church, and the bells are back and bell masters like Pavel are ensuring that the old ways have a secure future in the new Russia.
George Negus
Negus: Michael Brissenden: in the Belfries of Moscow. That's the program for this week, join us again next week, see you then. 26.47.08
CREDITS:
KUWAITReporter GEORGE NEGUSCamera TIM BATESSound VIACHESLAV ZELENINEditor IAN HARLEYProducer WAYNE HARLEY 26.56.18
BELLS POSTCARDReporter MICHAEL BRISSENDENCamera TIM BATESSound VIACHESLAV ZELENINEditor IAN HARLEYProducer ROBERT GUTNIKOV 27.02.19
Presenter/Editorial AdviserGEORGE NEGUSTitles MusicRICK TURKStudio CamerasDICK BONDMARK CRONINStudio SoundWAYNE KEALYVision MixerDENISE HARRISON 27.09.04
Operations AssistantBANESSA REIDDYLighting DirectorRAY MILLSGraphic DesignANN CONNORProduction AssistantTRACEY ELLISON
DirectorSUSAN O'LEARYSupervising ProducerMARK DAVISAssociate ProducerMARTIN BUTLERProducerRUTH DEXTER
Executive ProducerDUGAL MAUDSLEYForeign CorrespondentAustralian Broadcasting Corporation ©1994 27.33.11
Pavel Markelov is the guardian of an ancient Russian tradition. He is one of Russia's few experienced bell ringers. A man in much demand.
Pavel: I've been ringing the bells now for eight years. At first I visited the Davilov Monastery bell tower. There was a ringer there called Igor Konovalov who was great.
Interview with Pavel
He showed me some secrets, some tricks. It was good to talk to a master, then I was confined to this tower because there was no other place for rehearsals. 22.14.05
Pavel showing Brissenden bells Brissenden: Breaking the years of silence in his Moscow tower has been a labour of love but Pavel is a persistent character. 22.30.10
Many of the bells that are now here were recovered from the provinces. They were dug up in fields and even found in rivers.
Brissenden to camera In the past few years Russia has experienced an unprecedented religious revival. Much of the property seized after the revolution has been returned and the Orthodox church is rapidly reclaiming its central role in Russian society. But the rush to religion has created a few problems. For one thing there is a critical shortage of bell ringers. 22.45.22
Man ringing bells, people listening, Pavel speaking to group, woman playing bells
Pavel: The hand should be relaxed but ready for work, it shouldn't be stiff in this place and here it must not be tense. 23.05.10
Brissenden: Pavel Markelov is a man with a mission. Twelve months ago, the Cathedral of St. Sophia was a silent horror - today it's the venue for a three month crash course in bellringing.
Pavel: You probably had to adjust the strings a bit, look what you can do so that it reacts better.
Brissenden:: The students who come from all over Russia, take the secrets back to their own churches.
Interview with woman
Woman: Yes, we'll be buying the bells. We are now collecting money and our priest wants to have them installed. 24.07.15
Pavel playing bells, church exterior
Brissenden: In the classroom, Pavel and his students work with an improvised arrangement of borrowed bells. The original bells of the Cathedral of St. Sophia have been lost forever. St. Sophia was just one of thousands of churches trashed in the 1920s. The cathedral's last pries was shot back in 1929. 24.13.17
TV footage Fx: War sounds 24.31.14
building collapsing, toppling bell, churches today, man walking into building, making bells
Brissenden: Soviet leaders wanted to rid their country of religion. Communism they said was the only true path to enlightenment. Church bells were put to more practical uses. Many of them were melted down and turned into guns.
As a result Russia today not only suffers from a shortage of bell ringers but also a shortage of bells.
Before the revolution there were more than thirty factories making bells - today there's only half a dozen. The 'Renaissance' Foundry in suburban Moscow makes sheet metal for rockets - now it's making church bells as well.
It is a business with a big future.
Interview with man.
Foundry Worker: Because of the development of the churches, if there are churches then there's demand for bells, ringing is needed, we're Christians after all. 25.22.24
Brissenden: Bell making, like bell ringing, is an exacting art. According to the master, a good bell makes all the difference.
Interview with Pavel, Pavel ringing bells
Pavel: Some secrets are gone forever, and it's hard to find good bells now. They are just producing ordinary wash basins now. The big bell is the heart of the music, nothing can happen without it. Small and medium bells can sound beautiful, but without the big bell there is no heart. It is the big bell that provides the heart. 25.56.21
Fx: Bells
Brissenden: This bell towers passionate master is doing his bit to keep the heart beating.
The church, and the bells are back and bell masters like Pavel are ensuring that the old ways have a secure future in the new Russia.
George Negus
Negus: Michael Brissenden: in the Belfries of Moscow. That's the program for this week, join us again next week, see you then. 26.47.08
CREDITS:
KUWAITReporter GEORGE NEGUSCamera TIM BATESSound VIACHESLAV ZELENINEditor IAN HARLEYProducer WAYNE HARLEY 26.56.18
BELLS POSTCARDReporter MICHAEL BRISSENDENCamera TIM BATESSound VIACHESLAV ZELENINEditor IAN HARLEYProducer ROBERT GUTNIKOV 27.02.19
Presenter/Editorial AdviserGEORGE NEGUSTitles MusicRICK TURKStudio CamerasDICK BONDMARK CRONINStudio SoundWAYNE KEALYVision MixerDENISE HARRISON 27.09.04
Operations AssistantBANESSA REIDDYLighting DirectorRAY MILLSGraphic DesignANN CONNORProduction AssistantTRACEY ELLISON
DirectorSUSAN O'LEARYSupervising ProducerMARK DAVISAssociate ProducerMARTIN BUTLERProducerRUTH DEXTER
Executive ProducerDUGAL MAUDSLEYForeign CorrespondentAustralian Broadcasting Corporation ©1994 27.33.11