an independent reference on the history of bells and bell-ringing

Danilovbells

An independent, secular reference on the history of bells. This is not the website of the Danilov Monastery, the Russian Orthodox Church or Harvard University; we do not provide religious guidance.

an independent reference on the history of bells and bell-ringing

Danilovbells — a reference on the history of bells and bell-ringing

A bell is at once a musical instrument, a feat of the founder's craft and a historical document. Its surface may carry inscriptions, and its fate can trace the events of an entire era. This reference explains how a bell is built and how it is rung, how the Russian ringing tradition differs from Western European ones, what happened to bells in Russia, and how the bells of Moscow's Danilov Monastery came to Harvard and later returned home. We write in a secular, respectful and neutral voice and rely on verified sources.

Every old bell has a biography: who cast it, where it hung, what happened to it. This reference helps you learn to read it.

— Editor's note

Where to start

I need dates

An annotated timeline, from the founding of the monastery in the late 13th century to 2008.

Reference sections

  • Historical context

    Five eras in the history of bells in Russia, from the Middle Ages to the return of the bells in the early 21st century.

  • Key ideas

    An A–Z glossary of bell terms, from blagovest to the clapper.

  • People

    Historical figures: Daniel of Moscow, Charles R. Crane, Thomas Whittemore, Konstantin Saradzhev and the Motorins.

  • Texts and sources

    The kinds of sources on bell history and how to work with them: inscriptions, archives, newspapers, memoirs.

  • Analysis

    Methods: how to date a bell and tell legend from document. Also home to the article catalogue.

  • Timeline

    Key dates, from the founding of the Danilov Monastery to the return of its bells in 2008.

  • FAQ

    Answers to common questions about this reference, about bells and about the fate of the Danilov bells.

How to work out the history of a single bell: five steps

  1. Read the inscription

    Many bells carry cast inscriptions and images. They may tell you where the bell was intended to hang, who commissioned it and when it was made. The inscription is the first and often the most reliable source.

  2. Find the founder and the year

    The name of the founder or foundry and the year of casting help place a bell in its era. If the bell itself does not carry this information, it is sought in inventories and archival documents.

  3. Check the weight against documents

    Legends and newspapers often exaggerate or round off a bell's weight. Inventories, foundry records and modern measurements are more reliable than oral accounts.

  4. Trace the bell's journey

    Bells were moved, sold, taken down and melted for scrap. Find out where a bell hung in different years and how it reached the place where it is today.

  5. Cross-check your sources

    Compare information from several independent sources: inscriptions, archives, newspapers, photographs and memoirs. The Texts and sources and Analysis sections explain how to do this.

Common questions in brief

Is this the Danilov Monastery's website?

No. This is an independent, secular reference. It is not the website of the Danilov Monastery, the Russian Orthodox Church or Harvard University and does not speak on their behalf.

Where can I find the ringing schedule?

On the monastery's official channels. We do not publish schedules of services or ringing, nor addresses or contacts of religious organizations.

Did the bells come back from Harvard?

Yes. The bells of the Danilov Monastery, bought in 1930 by Charles R. Crane and given to Harvard University, returned to the monastery in 2008.

Can I see replicas of the bells?

Replicas of the bells were cast for Lowell House at Harvard and installed there in 2008. For visiting arrangements, check the university's official channels.

About the project

This domain previously hosted a website about the bells of the Danilov Monastery. The current reference is not connected with it, does not reproduce its materials and does not speak on behalf of the monastery. Up-to-date information from the monastery is available on its official channels.

Danilovbells is an independent, secular reference for the general reader. We cover how a bell is built, the kinds of ringing, the history of bells in Russia and the people connected with the fate of the Danilov bells. We give no religious instruction, publish no schedules or contacts, do not write about living people and offer no judgments on faith or politics. Where exact information is lacking, we say so plainly.

  • Historical context

    Five eras in the history of bells in Russia, from the Middle Ages to the return of the bells in the early 21st century.

  • Key ideas

    An A–Z glossary of bell terms, from blagovest to the clapper.

  • FAQ

    Answers to common questions about this reference, about bells and about the fate of the Danilov bells.

Sources

  • Great Russian Encyclopedia
  • Harvard University — Lowell House (history of the bells)
  • Harvard Gazette / Harvard Magazine (2007–2009)
  • Encyclopedic sources on the history of bells

This reference relies on encyclopedic works and on publications of Harvard University. The weights, numbers and dates of individual bells can differ from one source to another, so we give only verified information and say clearly where exact data are lacking.