Ringing for Ukraine
It was only seven days after Russia invaded Ukraine that the cathedral bells of Europe started ringing in protest of the invasion and in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. At noon on March 3, 2022, the bells of Notre-Dame in Paris, St. Stephen’s in Vienna, Cologne Cathedral in Germany, and La Almudena in Madrid rang for seven minutes, each minute symbolizing one day of the invasion.
These were just a few of the churches that joined the ringing. The European Association of Cathedral Builders, who organized the ringing, said that churches “from Norway to Malta and from Spain to Ukraine” participated, and that:
With that peal (ringing), we declare our solidarity with the people who have to endure this war and fear for their lives.
With that peal, we mourn the dead from all the countries involved.
With that peal, we shall pray for all who are affected by this war.
With that peal, we shall pray for peace.
It was particularly poignant that Cologne Cathedral and Notre-Dame were part of the ringing that day. Cologne Cathedral has always been a symbol of resilience in the time of war, since its bell tower and bells survived the allied bombing of World War II when the rest of the Cathedral fell in ruins. And this was one of the few times that the largest bell of Notre-Dame, “Emmanuel” (pictured above) had rung since the fire in 2019 that destroyed so much of the Cathedral.
Many other ringing events have taken place in solidarity with Ukraine. On March 9th, all the church bells in Switzerland rang for three minutes at 10:00 in the morning to signal a moment of silence for the people of Ukraine. The Swiss parliament stopped its session for the occasion, while the Swiss President praised the gesture as a strong sign of peace. As one observer put it, “Instead of alarms and sirens blaring—as is a regular occurrence in Ukraine—the Swiss countryside will be filled with the sound of bells.”
On Sunday, March 20th, St. Paul’s, the seat of the Anglican Church in England, along with Durham cathedral, tolled its bells at four in the afternoon at the same time that church bells were being rung in the city of Lviv in Ukraine. The Dean of St. Paul’s said he hoped the people of Ukraine would "find comfort in this act of solidarity."
In Calgary, Canada, which has a large Ukrainian population, churches tolled their bells over the noon hour on March 18th as a symbol of hope and peace. As the head of one Ukrainian church said; “Many of our parishioners are under an extreme amount of stress and anxiety with loved ones back home in Ukraine. It means a lot to us to know we’re not alone here in Calgary.”
There have also been localized bell ringing events in the United States in places such as Cape Cod and Little Rock, Arkansas.
The deep, resonant sound of bells, particularly very large bells, has always made them a powerful way to express emotion. There are many war memorials where bells ring to remember and honor soldiers lost in war, as well as peace memorials where bells ring to inspire hopes of peace. Because bells are universal, they have no political boundaries, and, since their “voices” sound the same for everyone, they have no language boundaries. Rather than dividing people, bells have the capacity to bring people together in their common humanity, as they are now for the people of Ukraine.
Coming next on BellTalk is the story of the “Joy of Angels” bell tower, a remarkable carillon that famed architect I. M. Pei built in the ethereal mountains just outside of Kyoto in Japan.
Share your own memories, thoughts, and stories about bells with Jaan at: jaan@thebellsbook.com