The bells are not suspended in the cupola, but placed m a side building erected for the pm'pose — the Kolokolnik (the bell-bearer). In the country churches, where the land is rich in trees, the Kolokolnik is generally an old oak, on whose boughs the whole chime is suspended, as if the tree bore bells by way of fruit. In some places the bells are hung under a kind of triumphant arch, as in Novgorod, but bell-towers are more frequent. These towers are hung as full of bells as a palm-tree is full of cocoa-nuts : small, middle-sized, and of colossal dimensions, tinkhng, ringing, and bellowing. When such a Kolokolnik sets to work on a holiday, and gives its lungs full play, or when in a capital, twenty or thirty at a time begin their concert, heaven have mercy on the ears that are not dead to eveiy sense of harmony ! It is a curious sight to see a Russian ringer begin his work. He does not put the bells themselves in motion ; indeed, they have no clapper. To every bell a moveable hammer is attached, and, from the hammers, strings are passed to the ringer. If he have only two to ring he sets down and pulls on either side alternately. But when he has many, he holds some in his hands, fastens another to his back, and sets others in motion with his legs. The motions he is obliged to make have a most comic effect ; a former Czar found the business so diverting that he used generally to ring them himself in the court church. What renders this noise so disagreeable is, that the people never allow the sounds to succeed in measured time, but hammer away, right and left, like smiths upon an anvil ; however, the bells are not attuned to each other, but clash one against the other in fearful discord. The bell-founder's art is a very old one in Russia. Herodotus already speaks of great castings of metal as practised in the Scythian land.
In the north of Russia the severity of the climate has introduced the use of summer and winter churches. They are generally under one building, the summer church being placed above the winter one. The former is lofty, airy, and light in the upper or second story of the edifice : the latter is a low dark vault, in which light ar.d air are sparingly admitted. There are many of these double churches in St. Petersburg, and also in Moscow. In the new churches stoves are introduced instead, and the entrances provided with double doors. When in addition to the warm air and the stoves we have the tick of a house-clock, these churches have quite the effect of sitting-rooms.
The space within the church, destined for the congregation, is separated from the sanctuary by the Ikonostas (picture -wall), so called because the side next the church is covered from top to bottom with pictures of saints.
Here and there the hours ai-e struck by a watchman upon a Ml In some churches an ordinary house-clock is set up in the interior of the church.
Before this wall runs a low gallery cutting off a slightly-elevated space which is ascended by a few steps. This species of anteroom is destined for the choir, which is placed at the side. In the midst of the sanctuary stands the altar. The objects placed on it are a large Bible often adorned with gold and precious stones, a cross of silver on which the Saviour is rai'ely represented, the Greek church, in general, not tolerating sculptured images, but on which angel heads or other ornaments are simply traced.
This cross is also laid flat upon the table, standing crosses being never seen in the Greek churches. Between the Bible and the cross, the host is kept in a box, often of metal, in the form of a hill set thick with angels, and within a cave is a small silver coffin containing the host itself. In one corner of the sanctuary stands a table for the bread and wine, before it is canied in procession to the altar, for the transubstantiation ; and in the other a looking-glass, a comb, and other appendages of the toilet, for the use of the priests. Besides this looking-glass there is generally a room which, besides being appropriated to the priestly wardrobe, often contains many articles of great value ; splendid mitres, crosiers, bibles, and other things, presents from various princes, besides a number of loose jewels used for the adornment of new robes.