Bells to be rung for new Patriarch of Moscow

Moscow, January 25, (Interfax) - Bell ringers of Christ the Savior Cathedral are going to revive one ancient Russian bell ringing pattern which will accompany the enthronement of the 16th Patriarch of Moscow next Sunday, February 1.

"This ancient patriarchal ringing was first described by foreign travelers in the 17th century. We want to revive and ring it during the enthronement of a new Patriarch," Igor Konovalov, artistic director of bell ringing of the Moscow Kremlin and Christ the Savior Cathedral told a correspondent of Interfax-Religion.

According to Konovalov, this ringing pattern was played during the services celebrated to enthrone Patriarchs of Moscow and All Russia to the patriarchal see beginning from the middle 17th century to the epoch of Tsar Peter the Great, when the Patriarchate was cancelled.

Besides, all bells of the main Russian cathedral will ring during the enthronement.

Konovalov also mentioned that particularly solemn ringing was played on five bell towers of the cathedral - four main towers and one over-the-gate Spaso-Preobrazhensky tower - on Sunday morning before the opening of the Archbishops' Council which has to elect three candidates for the patriarch's office. This ringing was repeated on the Ivan the Great Tower in the Moscow Kremlin.