St. Michael's bell ringing is officially recognized as an intangible heritage of Ukraine

The tradition of bell ringing of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery has officially become part of the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This was reported by Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.

The tradition dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries. The first bells for St. Michael's Monastery were made of bronze and decorated with prayers and religious ornaments.

Bell ringing also accompanies major religious holidays and city events and ceremonies. The bells also announced the approach of the enemy: a continuous ringing summoned the people to defend their land, and the victory over the enemy and the return of the troops from the war was accompanied by a three-ringed bell.

In December 2013, during the Maidan, a continuous bell rang in response to a Berkut attack. This event is one of the key moments of the Revolution of Dignity, according to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.

During the Soviet era, St. Michael's Monastery was liquidated and the church itself was destroyed. However, the tradition of bell ringing was preserved, as the bell ringers moved to serve in other existing churches. In 1997, the monastery wall and the Economic Gate were restored, and in 1998, the bell tower was built and St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral was officially opened.

The St. Michael's Carillon is the largest collection of bells in one place in the entire post-Soviet space. It is considered unique because for the first time in the Orthodox world, a chromatic set of bells combined with a piano key system was used here.