You Tube Bells

Category: Some Early History of Russian Orthodoxy, & the Russian bells,

in San Francisco, California-

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxDNeQARtt0    

 http://www.holy-trinity.org/node/87

Our Bells in News and Print

1985: The Bells of Russia. History and Technology By Edward V. Williams

Princeton University Press: Princeton, New Jersey, 1985.

The largest of seven Russian bells at Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral in San Francisco [OCA] was cast in 1888 at the Moscow bell foundry of N. D. Finliandskij. The inscription on the sound-bow records that it weights 144 puds 5 funts (5,205 pounds) and that it was founded "In memory of the miraculous rescue of the Russian Emperor Alexander III, together with the imperial family, October 17 [1888]." On that day the tsar and his family narrowly escaped with their lives in a train accident near the town of Borki in the Ukraine. (The San Francisco bells later narrowly escaped destruction themselves. Several days before the earthquake of April 18-19, 1906, they had been removed from their belfry in the old cathedral on Powell Street, which was scheduled to undergo structural repairs.) (The restoration of Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco, California, booklet published by the cathedral, [p.4].) [p.212n46]

[...] The Finliandskij plant [...] had been established [by Konstantin Slizov in Moscow] in 1774. Nikolaj Dmitrievich Finliandskij, owner of the foundry that bore his name, was the grandson of [Mikhail] Bogdanov, who founded the Great Uspensky Bell in 1817. [p.60; also p.211n24]

At the All-Russian Exhibition in Nizhnij Novgorod in 1896 bells from ten Russian foundries were on display. In his review of these exhibits Nikolaj Findejzen singles out three of the ten foundries for special comment. [...] He thought the Finliandskij foundry produced some of the most beautiful bells on display from the standpoint of their external finish and decoration, though he did not find their sound completely satisfactory. [p.63]

O

1999: Priceless Bells Stolen and Recovered On Saturday, August 28, 1999, as the Cathedral singers went to ring the bells to announce the beginning of the Vigil Service, it was discovered that three of the seven historic bells of the Cathedral were missing. On September 1, 1999, to the great joy of all, the bells were recovered. See articles including Cathedral Press Releases and media reports on this event.

Their version of their parish history: SF Holy Trinity Church

Our Story

A Brief History of Holy Trinity Cathedral

by: Archpriest Victor Sokolov (+2006)
Holy Trinity Cathedral Parish traces its history to December 2, 1857, when the first Orthodox Society was founded in San Francisco. Ten years latter, on September 2, 1867, it was incorporated as the Greek Russian Slavonian Orthodox Eastern Church and Benevolent Society. During these years, the Orthodox population of the Bay Area was spiritually and sacramentally served by chaplains from Russian Navy ships that frequented San Francisco Bay.
During the Holy Week of1868, an Orthodox Priest was sent to the City from Alaska to conduct the Paschal services here. That priest, Father Nicholas Kovrigin, became the first permanent Orthodox minister in San Francisco (until his return to Russia in 1879). Another Alaskan missionary, Archpriest Paul Kedrolivansky, became the first Rector of the San Francisco parish (+1878).
In 1872, the Right Reverend Bishop John (Mitropolsky; returned to Russia in 1876) transferred the headquarters of the ruling hierarch of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska to San Francisco. Since then, it has been a cathedral church, consecrated at different times in the name of St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Nicholas, St. Basil the Great, and finally, after the Most Holy and Life-giving Trinity. This episcopal cathedra was occupied by many hierarchs, some among whom were outstanding archpastors and missionaries: Bishop Nestor (Zass; 1879-82), Archbishop Vladimir (Sokolovsky-Avtonomov; 1887-91), Archbishop Nicholas (Ziorov; 1891-98), Holy Patriarch Tikhon (Bellavin; in San Francisco, 1898-1905), Archbishop Apollinary (Koshevoy, 1926-27), Archbishop Alexis (Panteleev; 1927-31); Metropolitan Theophilus (Pashkovsky; 1931-50), Archbishop John (Shakhovskoy; 1950-79), Bishop Basil (Rodzianko; 1982-84). Since 1987, Holy Trinity has been the cathedral church of the Right Reverend Tikhon, Bishop of San Francisco and the West.
In the history of the Cathedral, there were many outstanding pastors who with great zeal and much sacrifice served the community. While it would be too long to list all of the clergymen who served this Cathedral, some names must be prayerfully remembered: the venerable Alaskan missionary, Archpriest Vladimir Vechtomov (1878-88); the future Metropolitan and builder of the present Cathedral temple, Archpriest Theodore Pashkovsky (1897-1912); the "Guardian Angel" of refugees from the Russian Revolution and the firm defender of the Cathedral from the assaults of the Renovationists, Archpriest Vladimir Sakovich (1917-31); Archpriest Alexander Vyacheslavov-Mattison (1931-38); Protopresbyter Gregory Shutak (1938-48); Mitred Archpriest George Benigsen (1951-60; 1980-81); and Archpriest Roman Sturmer (1961-75). The New-Hieromartyr Alexander (Hotovitsky) was ordained at the San Francisco Cathedral, and many outstanding priests and bishops of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America began their sacred ministry at this little church with a great history.
The bell tower of the Cathedral is adorned with a set of five wonderful bells donated by the Emperor Alexander III in 1888. Two other bells were locally recast from older bells that melted during one of several fires that seriously damaged the temple in the course of the years.
The temple itself is illumined by a grand chandelier donated by the last tsar of Russia, Nicholas II. According to tradition, the Emperor also donated a richly decorated icon of his patron saint, Nicholas of Myra and Lycia, to the Cathedral.
Holy Trinity Cathedral is the keeper of the episcopal vestments of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Russia and Confessor. The Saint's Prayer Book, Commemoration booklet, Hierarchical Liturgicon, and monastic belt (embroidered with Californian Golden Poppies and presented to the beloved hierarch by the Sisterhood when he was leaving San Francisco in 1905) are carefully preserved in the Cathedral safe.
There are many gorgeous old icons on the Cathedral's walls. In 1993-94, its iconostasis icons were painted in old Russian style by iconographer Dimitry Shkolnik.
Today, as at the very beginning of its history, Holy Trinity Cathedral is a multinational, or, more accurately, an American Orthodox community, the only Orthodox church in San Francisco where the services are conducted in English (with some Slavonic). Our community is wholeheartedly open to all and any Orthodox Christians. The majority of our parishioners today are "converts" -- Christians who have been consciously searching for the true faith and have found it in the Holy Orthodox Church.

_____________________________________________________________

Comment:  Well, this history is largely true,  at least the early history.

But the last canonical bishop here, was Bp. Apolonary, who rejected
 the Platonite (Rozdyesvensky) Schism, and stayed with the Church abroad.
He helped to form the ROCOR faithful nucleus here in north America.
After him in this church, were all schismatics, one after the other...till today.