Grandfather Clocks

Movements

Tools

Materials

Bell Tower Clock :
The Kiev Bell tower clock is in the Great Bell Tower in the Pecherska Lavra Monastery (Monastery of the Far Caves) founded in 1051. It is once again a functioning Monastery. The tower was built in 1744 and had its second clock movement installed in it in 1903. Nothing is known of the first movement. The display of text and photos was done last year on the 100th anniversary of the clock's installation. The photos I took are of three of those posted in the center of the display on the wall. The clock is not open to the public but my wife and I were lucky to have met the manager of the tower and he explained some of the clock's history. It's not a tower clock but a chime clock (Kuranti). The movement tells the time by 8 bells. Before each quarter hour, the 7 bells are rung up and down the scale and on the hour, the eighth bell chimes the hours. The movement is said to weigh 4.5 tonnes and is on the 4th level. Note the winding crank toward center-right at the bottom and the small gear sticking out the front. Frame is cast iron and the gears are bronze. The clock is wound every 5 days by the Clock Master. If he's sick, the Manager winds it, if he too is sick, the woman who takes tickets does it but this has never happened. The Manager said the clock has a wooden pendulum rod and aluminum bob. Perhaps something was lost in translation as aluminum doesn't sound right. It has an anchor escapement. They were all very proud of the clock. The Manager said nothing in New York, London, Moscow or Greece is as good as this clock.
View Dispay
View Clock
The gear and ratchet is the way the time is adjusted. Apparently it is simply moved forward or backward to advance or retard the striking. The last line of the text was cut off but the Ukrainian roughly translated means that the Master has the possibility of making the exact time by turning the nut at the center.
View Gears
The eight bells that sound out the time. There is a huge bell on one of the lower levels and this is said to be one of the 13 originals.
View Bells
A drawing of the tower with heights of each level. It takes 239 steps to get up to the top and the view of Kiev, the River Dnipro and the tops of the Monastery's gold cupolas is worth the climb.
View Tower