Museum of Bells

Why do European bells “sing” while Russian bells “speak”? Where did the famous crimson peal come from, what links the coachman’s bell ensemble with a carillon, what did a Russian road sound like a century and a half ago, and does the Novgorod veche bell still exist? The Museum of Bells explores all of these questions. Staff demonstrate bell-ringing techniques and let visitors try them. The museum occupies an 18th-century architectural monument, the travel-palace church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr, designed by N. A. Lvov for Empress Catherine II. The varied collection includes an ancient Chinese bell from XVI BC, an Italian campana of the XII century, a Russian bell of the XVI century and a Buddhist wind bell of the XVII century. A highlight is a unique Valday coachman’s bell of the XIX century, with no known equivalent in Russia.