Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Ringing of the bells: St. Petersburg, Russia

More than famous names in one of the city's historical treasures.

Entrance to Alexander Nevsky Monastery, resting place of Tchaikovsky and Dostoevsky, among others. (stock photo)
Entrance to Alexander Nevsky Monastery, resting place of Tchaikovsky and Dostoevsky, among others. (stock photo)

Cemeteries have always fascinated me, and I have visited them all over the world.

On a recent trip to Saint Petersburg, Russia, I visited the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Founded in 1710, it contains some of the oldest structures in the city besides boasting several unique burial grounds – including one for World War II Soviet generals, another for famous composers, and one for the motherland’s most noted authors. It's a who’s who of Russian history carved in giant slabs of granite and marble. It is also full of cloistered monks who go about with hooded robes and heads bowed to avoid public attention.

Sponsored
Sponsored

I wandered through the maze of stone monoliths visiting Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Pushkin, when the clock struck 5 o’clock and the church bell began to toll. I counted five rings, but then, not only did the tolling continue, slowly, one by one, additional bells took up the call.

The Musical Monk in his tower.

The bell tower was too high up and my camera lens too small to see with any great detail, but I could just detect the silhouette of a lone monk in the open window. There were eight bells of various sizes, all of them linked to a central control point by ropes.

The bells began to peel softly and slowly, and I could see the monk working the ropes, using a deft touch at first, and then gradually ascending in volume and tone as he became more animated. He seemed to be working his way from the smaller bells to the larger ones whose tones were so deep I could feel their vibrations where I stood. I could see him pulling on each individual rope and realized he was not just announcing time but creating a symphonic work. His movements increased as did the tempo and cadence, and within a few seconds he was moving like a symphonic conductor – or perhaps, and more likely, he was filled with religious fervor. He was not just making music, he was creating a prayer.

The monk began to bounce from side to side as he manipulated the ropes, dancing as much as playing, and I could see that he was also using both legs, operating some sort of foot pedals – probably akin to those on a piano – which seemed to make subtle variations in the tones. His entire body was as animated as the swinging bells, and I was surprised such sounds could be produced by an inanimate object, no matter how it was struck. This monk was not just a musician; he was a virtuoso of the highest caliber. Being cloistered I knew he did not speak, but sounds like this required no words. The bells spoke for him.

By now everyone in the church yard and cemetery had stopped and was staring, heads back and mouths open, at the aging tower that was issuing these heavenly tones through the blue skies of Saint Petersburg. I closed my eyes, gave myself to the music, and can honestly say I have rarely enjoyed an entire symphonic ensemble as much as I did this lone monk playing the bells. But that was just the opening act.

I finally checked my watch and realized that ten minutes had passed, but not only was the monk still playing, but he had picked up the pace and was now moving like a man possessed. It brought to mind statues of saints I had seen, in complete communion with God and in total ecstasy, and I wondered if I was privy to a one-time mystical event, or did this otherwise silent man do this with regularity? Was this how he prayed daily? It was hard to imagine one not completely taken by religious fervor doing this on a regular schedule.

The concert continued for a full half hour, not with an abrupt ending, but a gradual diminishing of volume and strikes as subtle as it had begun. The final notes as fine as a hummingbird's wings, gossamer tones floating on the wind, seemed to linger for several minutes, and as the last tone faded into the ether, the little monk gave a slight wave and disappeared from sight.

The crowd stayed, unmoving for several minutes, and I waited by the tower entrance. In a few minutes a tiny monk appeared, his head covered in his cowl. He walked past without speaking, head lowered, and as he did I quietly said, “Thank you.”

He stopped, turned slightly in my direction and gave a nod of his head before passing into the crowd unnoticed.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Operatic Gender Wars

Are there any operas with all-female choruses?
Entrance to Alexander Nevsky Monastery, resting place of Tchaikovsky and Dostoevsky, among others. (stock photo)
Entrance to Alexander Nevsky Monastery, resting place of Tchaikovsky and Dostoevsky, among others. (stock photo)

Cemeteries have always fascinated me, and I have visited them all over the world.

On a recent trip to Saint Petersburg, Russia, I visited the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Founded in 1710, it contains some of the oldest structures in the city besides boasting several unique burial grounds – including one for World War II Soviet generals, another for famous composers, and one for the motherland’s most noted authors. It's a who’s who of Russian history carved in giant slabs of granite and marble. It is also full of cloistered monks who go about with hooded robes and heads bowed to avoid public attention.

Sponsored
Sponsored

I wandered through the maze of stone monoliths visiting Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Pushkin, when the clock struck 5 o’clock and the church bell began to toll. I counted five rings, but then, not only did the tolling continue, slowly, one by one, additional bells took up the call.

The Musical Monk in his tower.

The bell tower was too high up and my camera lens too small to see with any great detail, but I could just detect the silhouette of a lone monk in the open window. There were eight bells of various sizes, all of them linked to a central control point by ropes.

The bells began to peel softly and slowly, and I could see the monk working the ropes, using a deft touch at first, and then gradually ascending in volume and tone as he became more animated. He seemed to be working his way from the smaller bells to the larger ones whose tones were so deep I could feel their vibrations where I stood. I could see him pulling on each individual rope and realized he was not just announcing time but creating a symphonic work. His movements increased as did the tempo and cadence, and within a few seconds he was moving like a symphonic conductor – or perhaps, and more likely, he was filled with religious fervor. He was not just making music, he was creating a prayer.

The monk began to bounce from side to side as he manipulated the ropes, dancing as much as playing, and I could see that he was also using both legs, operating some sort of foot pedals – probably akin to those on a piano – which seemed to make subtle variations in the tones. His entire body was as animated as the swinging bells, and I was surprised such sounds could be produced by an inanimate object, no matter how it was struck. This monk was not just a musician; he was a virtuoso of the highest caliber. Being cloistered I knew he did not speak, but sounds like this required no words. The bells spoke for him.

By now everyone in the church yard and cemetery had stopped and was staring, heads back and mouths open, at the aging tower that was issuing these heavenly tones through the blue skies of Saint Petersburg. I closed my eyes, gave myself to the music, and can honestly say I have rarely enjoyed an entire symphonic ensemble as much as I did this lone monk playing the bells. But that was just the opening act.

I finally checked my watch and realized that ten minutes had passed, but not only was the monk still playing, but he had picked up the pace and was now moving like a man possessed. It brought to mind statues of saints I had seen, in complete communion with God and in total ecstasy, and I wondered if I was privy to a one-time mystical event, or did this otherwise silent man do this with regularity? Was this how he prayed daily? It was hard to imagine one not completely taken by religious fervor doing this on a regular schedule.

The concert continued for a full half hour, not with an abrupt ending, but a gradual diminishing of volume and strikes as subtle as it had begun. The final notes as fine as a hummingbird's wings, gossamer tones floating on the wind, seemed to linger for several minutes, and as the last tone faded into the ether, the little monk gave a slight wave and disappeared from sight.

The crowd stayed, unmoving for several minutes, and I waited by the tower entrance. In a few minutes a tiny monk appeared, his head covered in his cowl. He walked past without speaking, head lowered, and as he did I quietly said, “Thank you.”

He stopped, turned slightly in my direction and gave a nod of his head before passing into the crowd unnoticed.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

How to make a hit Christmas song

Feeling is key, but money helps too
Next Article

How Much Time Do I Get With My BetterHelp Therapist?

Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader