[MSN] Harvard University returned the first of 18 pre-revolutionary Orthodox Church bells to Moscow with help from the Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg.

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Harvard Returns Russian Bell, Aided by Billionaire Vekselberg 

By John Varoli

Sept. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Harvard University returned the first of 18
pre-revolutionary Orthodox Church bells to Moscow with help from the Russian
billionaire Viktor Vekselberg. 

The bell was put on display today at St. Daniel's Monastery in Moscow, its
home before the communists closed the building in 1930. It was blessed in a
ceremony by Orthodox Patriarch Alexis II, as Cossack guards stood on patrol.


The repatriation comes amid calls from countries such as Egypt, Italy and
Greece, seeking to return artworks from overseas. The Orthodox Church has
enjoyed a rebirth since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. 

``This is an important symbolic act,'' Vekselberg said, after he rang the
bell for the first time. ``This is a small sign that Russia is returning to
its roots and is becoming great again.'' 

After four years of negotiations, it was agreed that Harvard returns the
original bells and gets newly made copies. 

Vekselberg, who made his money from oil and mining, owns Link of Times, a
nonprofit foundation that financed the making of replicas of Harvard's 17
Lowell House bells, and the one bell that hung in Harvard Business School's
Baker Library tower -- the one returned today. 

``The bells were an odd item in Harvard's collection,'' said Peter Riley,
director of project management at Harvard. ``There wasn't great
understanding and appreciation of the bells.'' 

Scrap Metal 

Alexis II expressed his deep gratitude to Harvard for saving the bells, and
he reminded the audience that the Soviets sold them as scrap metal. He said
there are only four such sets of pre-1917 bells in Russia today. 

``Our foundation's main goal is to return historical and cultural valuables
that left Russia during the 20th century,'' said Link of Times chairman
Vladimir Voronchenko. ``The bells are a priceless part of Russian history,
and count among the most important art works to have left Russia.'' 

In June 1918, as part of their anti-religion campaign, the Soviets banned
all bell ringing in Russia, and in 1922 they began to destroy all church
bells. Priests were executed and religious buildings demolished. 

The 18 bells were saved from destruction in 1929 when Charles Crane, a U.S.
philanthropist, bought them from the Soviet government. In 1930, he donated
the bells to Harvard, from which he received an honorary degree in 1921. 

Reagan, Gorbachev 

In 1988 U.S. President Ronald Reagan visited St. Daniel's Monastery during
his trip to Moscow to ease Cold War tensions. Soviet leader Mikhail
Gorbachev used this opportunity to inquire about the possible return of the
Harvard bells. 

In 2004, Link of Times responded to a public appeal by Alexis II for support
to return the bells. St. Daniel's Monastery is the Russian Patriarch's main
residence. 

Next summer, the remaining 17 Harvard bells will be taken out of their tower
in Lowell House and sent to St Daniel's in time for another Sept. 12
ceremony, said Voronchenko. Sept. 12 is the feast day of St. Daniel in the
Orthodox calendar. 

In May, Forbes ranked Vekselberg Russia's 10th-richest man, worth $10.7
billion. Link of Times owns the Forbes Faberge Collection of Imperial eggs
which it bought in February 2004. 

To contact the reporter on this story: John Varoli in Moscow at
jvaroli at gmail.com 

Last Updated: September 12, 2007 09:58 EDT