Like the rest of the monastery, the monastery bell tower has experienced periods of prosperity and desolation. Nowadays, it has been completely restored and pleases the guests of Optina Hermitage with the booming sound of bells and beautiful classical forms.
The history of the bell tower
The modern bell tower was preceded by a small stone belfry. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Vvedensky Cathedral was repaired in the monastery and it was decided to replace the old bell tower with a new one.
The high bell tower was built in 1801-1804 with donations collected by the monks of Optina Pustyn. During the heyday of classicism, the building was erected in the best traditions of this architectural style. By 1811, two fraternal wings were added to the bell tower.
The bell tower ended with a graceful attic tier and a high spire. On the third tier there were nine bells of different sizes, decorated with inscriptions and holy images. Since 1826, a striking clock was fixed on the building, and in 1845 they were equipped with a mechanism that chimed every quarter of an hour.
View of the bell tower from the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
Before the revolution, there was a passage in the lower tier of the bell tower. Pilgrims entered the territory of the monastery from the east - through the Holy Gates in the tower with the gate church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Then they went up a large staircase to the wooden paneled gates of the bell tower and got to the Vvedensky Cathedral. On the west side of the passage, the icon of the Savior hung on the bell tower, and on the east - the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos.
During the years of Soviet power, most of the church buildings of the monastery were destroyed. The old bell tower did not escape its sad fate. Its upper part was damaged during the Great Patriotic War. By 1987, when the Optina vacant lot was returned to the Orthodox Church, only the lower tier, disfigured by restructuring, remained of the building.
View of the bell tower from the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior
The restoration of the bell tower took several years. It was restored by 1999 without strict adherence to the original forms.
Architectural features
A slender bell tower rises opposite the entrance to the main temple of Optina Hermitage - the Vvedensky Cathedral. The bell tower is the tallest building of the Orthodox monastery. It rises to 64 m and is therefore visible from afar. Despite the different architectural styles, the bell tower and the cathedral church form a harmonious ensemble. Both buildings are painted in soft green, with decorative elements highlighted in white.
The bell tower is divided into three tiers. From the north and from the south, two-storey fraternal buildings adjoin it. The lower tier is a cube, and the upper tier is cylinders. In the tradition of classicism, the building is decorated with neat extended pediments with double columns, and its upper part - with strict cornices, panels, semi-columns and laconic platbands. The bell tower is completed by a blue hemisphere of the roof, on which a gilded dome with a cross rises.
Bell tower today
The old bell tower has been completely restored. Bells sound on it every day and during church holidays. Anyone who came to Optina Pustyn can see the bell tower and the surrounding fraternal buildings. But tourists are not allowed inside the buildings.
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