Topic: St. Petersburg
The bells of St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg will be restored by the end of this year, says the Deputy Director of Operations Boris Pokrovsky.
The bells were cast in 1845-1846, according to the drawings by Auguste Montferrand. They were dismantled during the Soviet regime in 1931.
Nine new bells will be cast with work expected to be completed in November to late December. Once completed, the bells will then hoisted and installed in their original locations. The largest of the bells will be installed in the south-west bell tower.
Pokrovsky announced that the bells will ring out during major religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter.
In 1818, Emperor Alexander I commissioned Auguste Montferrand to build St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Construction lasted 40 years and was completed in 1858, three years after the death of Emperor Nicholas I.
© Paul Gilbert @ Royal Russia. 16 July, 2012