St Michael’s Monastery’s bellringing tradition recognised as cultural heritage

The bell ringing of St Michael’s Monastery, which has a long tradition, is now included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine.

The relevant list of intangible cultural heritage has been updated. The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine posted the details on Facebook.

This tradition originated in a religious institution in the XV-XVI centuries. The sound of bells often accompanied major religious holidays and ceremonies, important events in the city, and also played a significant role in the defence of Kyiv, warning of the approach of enemies. It is known that the bells were used to call people to defend their homeland in tragic days. All the bells were also used to announce the victory over the enemy and the return of troops from the war.

One of the most famous cases of warning of danger was when the townspeople were called together during the Maidan in December 2013. Back then, Berkut officers were beating unarmed people. This fact went down in the history of independent Ukraine as a decisive moment of the Revolution of Dignity.

The first bells of the monastery were made of bronze. They were richly decorated with religious motifs and ornaments. Over the centuries, bellmaking has evolved, with new types of bells and techniques emerging.

During the Soviet occupation, St Michael’s Monastery was liquidated and the church was blown up. Nevertheless, this tradition of bell ringing was not interrupted: the bell ringers passed on their art to other existing churches and temples in Ukraine. In 1997, on the Day of Kyiv, the monastery wall with the Economic Gate was restored, and in 1998 the bell tower was built, and in the same year St Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral was officially opened.

As a reminder, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine held a Ukrainian service in the ancient St Cyril’s Church in Kyiv.