A Bell Tower to be restored in Karlovy Vary

The Russian church of St. Peter and Paul in Karlovy Vary obtained 19 March 2007 a set of bells cast in the town of Tutaevo, Yaroslav region. The bells will be solemnly blessed and mounted on 17 June 2007 during the celebration of the 110^th anniversary of the church. The total weight of the bells equals 550 kg with the heaviest weighing 225 kg.

Notably the previous bells were also cast in Yaroslav – at the factory ‘Olovyanishnikov and sons’ in 1895. At the church warden Kulomzin’s request Nikolay II provided a cannon scrap for casting the bells.

By 28 May 1897 – the day when the church was consecrated there already were six bells at the bell tower. The biggest weighed about 630. It had four images – Christ the Redeemer, Mother of God, John the Baptist and St. Nicholas. There also were two inscriptions on the bell: ‘Sing, the Earth, great joy, praise, Heaven, God’s glory’ and ‘Cast at the factory of the honorary hereditary citizen Olovyashnikov and sons in Yaroslavl.’ Unfortunately this bell was lost. After World War I broke out they were confiscated by Austrian authorities, brought to Vienna and obviously melted.

Only after World War II the warden of Karlovy church Lavrentiy Ivanovich Farkavets bought in Czechoslovakia four new bells which were mounted at the bell tower.

Thus the magnificent sound of the Karlovy bells will be heard again after nearly a century of interruption.

DECR Communication Service