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Empress Anna Ioannovna signed the decree on casting of the Grand Assumption Bell named later Tsar Bell
July 26 (August 6) 1730 Empress Anna Ioannovna signed a decree on the casting of the Grand Assumption Bell (Tsar Bell).
Back in the early 17th century, on the order of Boris Godunov, the famous founder Andrew Chokhov made the first Kremlin bell of a great size (Grand Assumption Bell). However, it had not served long, because during the fire it fell and broke. In 1652, in the reign of Alexey Michailovich, it was decided to cast from its fragments a new bell, even bigger. In one year the founder of the Cannon yard Danila Danilov together with his son Yemelyan cast on the Ivanovo square of the Kremlin the second giant bell. That bell had not lasted for long either and cracked due to a strong blow of the clapper. It was Alexander Grigoriev who was in charge of casting a new bell instead of the broken one. After the casting, the bell was raised to the Assumption Belfry, but in June 1701, during a fire at the Kremlin, it fell down and broke.
July 26 (August 6) 1730 Empress Anna Ioannovna signed the decree on the casting of the new Grand Assumption Bell. Its creation was entrusted to the Office of General Artillery and Fortification. The report of 4 (15) August stated that with the casting of the bell was charged Ivan Motorin - hereditary master of the bell, the best caster, who cast the largest bells for the famous monasteries.
Shortly after the publication of the decree the elaboration of drafts began. Ivan Motorin cast a model one thousand times smaller than the future bell. Molding and casting of the Tsar Bell was made in a special pit, dug on the Ivanovo square, to the east of the belfry. Four furnaces were built to melt the metal. The manufacture of relief ornamental decorations for the bell was entrusted to St. Petersburg woodcarvers V. Kobelev, P. Galkin, P. Kohtev, P. Serebryakov, mould master P. Lukovnikov and sculptor F. Medvedev. The first attempt to cast the bell in November 1734 was unsuccessful. During smelting, three furnaces fried one after another, then the cast barn caught fire. It took the son of Ivan Motorin, Michail, and his assistants a year to overcome the consequences of the fire.
The new Tsar Bell was cast by November 25 (December 6), 1735. The melting of metal lasted 36 hours and in 1 hour 12 min. 12, 327 poods (201 tons 924 kg) of bronze were cast in the form. Once the bell had cooled, the coining began. Important place in the rich decoration of the bell took the pictures of royalty – Alexei Mikhailovich, Anna Ioannovna, and above them were oval medallions with images of saints. Over Alexei there was the traditional Deesis: Christ (in the center), the Virgin and John the Baptist. On the opposite side, near Christ - the prophetess Anna and apostle Peter. Two cartouches contained a lengthy inscription telling the history of the bell.
End of May 1737, during a severe fire, the burning roof of the foundry barn fell on the bell. When extinguishing the fire with water, the bell cracked from uneven cooling and a piece of 11.5 tons split from it.
More than a century the giant Tsar Bell remained in the casting pit, and only in 1836, O. Montferrand, the builder of Isaac's Cathedral and the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg, using special scaffolding and tools, managed to lift it and set on the pedestal. Then on the bell’s ears were hoisted the copper orb with gilded cross.
Lit.: Дружинин О. Н., Дубровин Н. М., Логовинюк П. И., Сельгеев В. Н. Исследование и реставрация «Царь-колокола» // Колокола. История и современность: Сб. М., 1985; Костина И. Д. К истории создания Царь–колокола: новые архивные материалы // Колокола: история и современность. М., 1993. С. 119–127; Он же. Царь-колокол и его создатели // Вопросы истории. 1982. № 5. С. 180-183; Портнов М. Э. Царь-пушка и Царь-колокол. М., 1990; Снегирёв И. М., Мартынов А. А. Московский Царь-колокол // Русские достопамятности. М., 1880. Т. 3; Царь–колокол [Электронный ресурс] // Кремль. 1997-2015. URL: https://www.kreml.ru/visit-to-kremlin/what-to-see/tsar-kolokol/.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: