The Russian Orthodox Church Gets its Bells Back

For over fifty years, 18 brass bells which are beautifully decorated with religious images of Jesus Christ, Mary and angels have been ringing from the top of buildings at Harvard University. However, they are to be replaced with replicas and the originals will be sent back to the Danilovsky monastery in Moscow, Russia, where they originally rang. During the Soviet reign of Joseph Stalin, thousands of monks were killed and monasteries were burned. Luckily these bells, which represent not only the Russian Orthodox Church but also the culture and tradition of the people of Russia, were saved. Charles S. Crane, an American philanthropist purchased bells in 1930 and donated them to Harvard University. The bells should be returned to the Russian monastery by June of 2008.