MThA Opens Enrollment for Bell Ringing Courses
On July 22, 2026, the Continuing Education Department of the Moscow Theological Academy opened enrollment for the Church education programs “Fundamentals of Bell Ringing” for beginners and “Bell Ringing: Theory and Practice” for those who already have experience ringing bells in their churches. The courses will give students theoretical and practical knowledge of the bell ringer’s craft. The study period runs from September 2026 through May 2027.
The programs are intended for a broad range of people who wish to become acquainted with the art of bell ringing or improve their skills. The main areas of study are:
• Theory: the foundations of Orthodox culture, liturgics, the fundamentals of campanology, the order of liturgical bell ringing, acoustics, and the organization of a bell ringer’s work.
• Practice: seminars and workshops, small-group classes with teachers, and educational visits to bell towers in the diocese.
“The program is unique because students can learn to ring bells both in the Lavra tradition and in other traditions. The teachers of theory and practice represent different schools of bell ringing from Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Tutayev, Veliky Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Kostroma, and Yekaterinburg. The program will take place within the Moscow Theological Academy under the protection of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Graduates who pass the final assessment will be recognized specialists in their field, while those who complete the professional development course may go on to teach campanology. We look forward to welcoming our students!” said program coordinator A. V. Koksharova.
Theory classes will be offered in a combined in-person and distance format, while practical classes will take place in small groups with teachers at the Holy Trinity–St. Sergius Lavra and on the bell towers of churches in the Sergiev Posad Diocese. To be admitted to the final assessment, students must perform a canonical liturgical bell ringing sequence on the monastery bell tower. Final examinations in theory and practice will be held in person at the Lavra.
Classes will begin on September 20, 2026, and will take place on Sunday afternoons for three academic hours. A separate schedule will be drawn up for visits to the diocese’s bell towers.
Program details and admission requirements are available at:
For questions at any stage of applying, contact
Galina Mikhailovna Norievskaya, the department’s director of studies, at +7 993 278-49-54
E-mail: odo.lavra@mpda.ru
or program coordinator Anastasia Vladimirovna Koksharova at +7 922 208-55-24.