Record #00235Culture & Entertainment archive
World's Heaviest Cast Bell
The Tsar Bell at Moscow's Kremlin was cast in 1735, weighing approximately 202 tonnes, and is the heaviest bell ever cast. It was damaged in a 1737 fire and has never been rung.
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Current Record
about202tonnes
Current record value
- Holder
- Location
- , Moscow, ·
- Start date
- 1735-11
- Record status
- Verified · currentReport an issue
Overview
Archive NoteIvan Motorin and his son Mikhail directed the casting, with the bell finally completed in November 1735 after manufacturing difficulties. The Moscow Kremlin Museums report a diameter of 6.6 metres and a height of 6.14 metres.
During a fire in 1737, the bell underwent thermal stress and cracked; a fragment of approximately 11.5 tonnes broke away. Being the largest cast bell therefore does not make it the largest operational ringing bell.
The bell was raised from its casting pit and placed on a pedestal in 1836, with its broken fragment displayed nearby. Both the museum and Guinness use an approximate mass of 202 tonnes; the casting date is distinguished from its later exhibition date.
Record history
1 Milestones- about 202 tonnesTsar BellMoscow Kremlin, Moscow, RussiaCurrent Record
Sources
Evidence & ReferencesThe record value on this page is organized from the public sources above. Measurement methods may differ; JiLuDB follows the unified method described for each entry.
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