Back, but Not to the U.S.S.R.

On the sweltering afternoon of July 8, more than 100 onlookers crowded Winthrop Street to watch the Lowell House bells descend...

[extra:Extra]

Hear a last ringing of Lowell House's old bells.

[video:https://harvardmagazine.com/sites/default/files/media/Bells.mp3 width:220 height:20]

On the sweltering afternoon of July 8, more than 100 onlookers (cell-phone cameras at the ready) crowded Winthrop Street to watch the Lowell House bells descend. After arriving at Harvard 78 years ago as refugees from Stalin’s anti-clerical campaign, the bells were returning to Moscow’s Danilov Monastery. While monks conducted a service, the crowd also got a peek at Lowell’s new Russian bells, resting on a nearby truck bed, waiting their turn to ring out over Cambridge.

Related topics

You might also like

Highlights from Harvard’s Past

The rise of Cambridge cyclists, a lettuce boycott, and Julia Child’s cookbooks

Wadsworth House Nears 300

The building is a microcosm of Harvard’s history—and the history of the United States.

In Sermon, Garber Urges Harvard Community to ‘Defend and Protect’ Institutions

Harvard’s president uses traditional Memorial Church address to encourage divergent views.

Most popular

Harvard Revamps Controversial Public Health School Center

The health and human rights center had drawn attention for its Palestine-related program.

Harvard Students, Alumna Named Rhodes and Marshall Scholars

Nine Rhodes and five Marshall scholars will study in the U.K. in 2026.

Explore More From Current Issue

A vibrant composition of flowers, a bird, and butterflies with a distant manor under a moody sky.

Rachel Ruysch’s Lush (Still) Life

Now on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, a Dutch painter’s art proved a treasure trove for scientists.

Six women interact in a theatrical setting, one seated and being comforted by others.

A (Truly) Naked Take on Second-Wave Feminism

Playwright Bess Wohl’s Liberation opens on Broadway.