In old times bells were assigned for the post: bell that brings a good news, raises an alarm, everyday bell...and vichoviy bell.
And today they have "hearts"
For ages bells were considered a living creatures: people remembered their birthdays, as a token of gratitude generously decorated them with flowers and for some especially large guilt mercilessly welted them with rods and contemptible and defeated from heavens and sent to banishment to world's end, particularly to Siberia.
They were punished for portending a misfortune, beat a late alarm or convened a common people on a veche, when it was unwanted by rulers. Each bell, large or small, as well as man had a "trunk", "ears", "heart"... And it was pulled out if its beat was not in unison with a historical epoch and bronze "ears" were beaten back. The humiliated and frigging "trunk" was only thing left.
Present bells also have "hearts" (so called in Ukraine shock-workers or beater), written and unwritten biographies, exactly determined role in own community, place under a comfortable roof. For example as in the bell tower of church of Pokrova of Saint Blessed Virgin.
Prayer in a bronze
Half an hour remains till an evening service. Roman Zakharchenko sits down on a special eminence. And instantly a large bell echoes in the center, after him – that on the right from a young bell, consequently the whole cluster of smaller bells may be heard. A quiet melody fills a whole bell tower. It rushes in the three windows (without window-panes!) on the different sides of the world: on a church, in a garden to new city sky-scrapers. Each time a melody responds to a church regulation on the whole, but its sound never repeats. Roman Zakharchenko, as well as other bell-ringers improvises to a great extent. He plays paying attention his soul. Because of the permanent shots internal surface of bells where "hearts" are beaten became shining as though silvery. And Roman Zakharchenko repeats an old belief of the real masters of a good pursuit: "Bells do not create music but prayer in a bronze".
That on the right of the biggest one.
Bells calm down and the evening service lasts in a church. Roman Zakharchenko takes off his headphones, goes down by the stages on a dais and standing near the biggest bell touches it with the fingers of his right hand and then as though fondles its smaller brothers: he thanks them for a combined creative work that lasted for half an hour.
A dim spring sun sets slowly. Roman Zakharchenko looks at it and utters thoughtfully:
- It is a true happiness to be under these bells on Easter, to glorify the biggest Christian holiday together with them. I believe that fourteen hearts – bells and my heart – will beat simultaneously, gladly, indeed Easter-like.
A young bell hides one by one window-sill. There is one left. The little sheaf of light shines under it. And then the unexpected for all questions comes out:
– And what bell out of thirteen would you appoint to position of vichoviy bell
– Here it is that on the right of the biggest one – mister Roman pulls twine resolutely. – Listen: how much anxiety and hopes is in his confident voice!
Actually a "heart" striking in a silvery bar on a bronze more loudly conducts the melody of appeal to the people: gather to groups on a wise council, on the honest viche!
Mykola YASEN'
Українська редакція
