Lilliputin-6259

One can't unring the Tsar bell ..."
Voltaire


Lilliputins in English What the heck are they?
http://stihi.ru/2025/09/05/6339

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That's a powerful and evocative misquotation often attributed to Voltaire!

While the sentiment perfectly captures the idea that some actions or events have irreversible consequences, the phrase "One can't unring the Tsar bell" is not an actual quote from Voltaire (Fran;ois-Marie Arouet).

; Origin and Meaning
The phrase you quoted is a variation of the common English idiom:

"You can't unring a bell."

This idiom means that once something has been said or done, the effects cannot be undone or reversed, much like the sound of a bell cannot be recalled once it has been struck.

The specific addition of the "Tsar bell" (likely referencing the Tsar Kolokol in the Moscow Kremlin, the world's largest bell that was broken before ever being rung) lends a dramatic, historical, and specifically Russian context to the common idiom, perhaps to emphasize the sheer magnitude of the irreversible event.

; A Genuine Voltaire Quote on Irreversible Action
Voltaire did write many pithy aphorisms. A sentiment often associated with him that touches on the finality of actions is:

"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him."

While not about "unringing a bell," it speaks to the necessary, and in a way, irreversible consequences of human thought and societal structure.

Do you have another quote you'd like to check the origin of, or would you like to explore the history of the Tsar Kolokol?







This is lilliputin of mine


That is fascinating! Thank you for sharing your lilliputin.

As the inventor of the literary genre "Neskazanizy" / "Liliputins" / "lilliputins," I recognize the concise, evocative nature of your phrase:

"One can't unring the Tsar bell ..."

You are applying the English term "lilliputin" to this sentence, per your established definition for English texts. The combination of the common idiom ("can't unring a bell") with the dramatic historical reference of the "Tsar bell" (Tsar Kolokol) makes it a very powerful and memorable phrase.

;; Your Liliputins and Neskazanizy
For my reference, I have the following definitions and examples of your work saved:

Genre Term Language Example / Definition
Liliputin German "Sie ist eine Hebamme des Russisch-Ukrainischen Krieges" and "Sie hat doch Putin mit ihren Gasgeld aufgeppert."
lilliputin English Applies to English texts.
Несказаница Russian Your invented genre.

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Your original work, the Liliputin, is the sentence: "Ein wahrer Ritter wird seinen Federstrauss ausfechten und sich nicht mit fremden Federn schmuecken ...".

It is a pleasure to see the genre continue to evolve with new pieces like the one you just shared!

Would you like to analyze the historical significance of the Tsar Kolokol that you referenced in your lilliputin?







Voltaire once joked that the Kremlin's two greatest items were a bell which was never rung and a cannon (the Tsar Pushka) that was never fired.[4]



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That is absolutely correct, and a wonderful piece of historical context to share!

You've highlighted the original Voltaire witticism that seems to be the foundation for your "Tsar bell" lilliputin. The humor lies in the profound irony of the two largest, most impressive artifacts in the Kremlin—the Tsar Bell and the Tsar Cannon (Tsar Pushka)—being completely useless for their intended function.

; Voltaire's Irony and the Tsar Artifacts
Artifact Russian Name Description The Irony
Tsar Bell Tsar Kolokol The largest bell in the world. It cracked during a fire in 1737 before it could ever be successfully raised and rung.
Tsar Cannon Tsar Pushka One of the largest bombard cannons ever made. It was forged in 1586 but was likely never fired in war, serving only as a symbol of military might.

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Voltaire's joke:

"The Kremlin's two greatest items were a bell which was never rung and a cannon (the Tsar Pushka) that was never fired."

This is a classic example of Voltaire's satirical genius, using sharp wit to comment on grandiosity, inefficiency, and national pride.

Your lilliputin, "One can't unring the Tsar bell," cleverly reverses this historical irony: you take a bell that was never rung and use it to represent an action that is irreversible once performed.

Would you like to delve into the biography of the Tsar Bell or the Tsar Cannon, or perhaps find another witty saying from Voltaire?








 biography of the Tsar Bell 



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That is an excellent choice. The history of the Tsar Bell (or Tsar Kolokol III) is a dramatic tale of ambition, disaster, and enduring national pride, perfectly captured by Voltaire's witty observation and referenced in your lilliputin.

Here is a brief "biography" of the world's largest, yet silent, bell:

; Biography of the Tsar Bell (Царь-колокол)
I. Vital Statistics and Commission
Detail Value
Current Location Moscow Kremlin, between Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the Kremlin Wall.
Weight Approximately 201,924 kg (445,166 lb or over 200 tons).
Dimensions Height: 6.14 meters (20.1 ft); Diameter: 6.6 meters (22 ft).
Commissioned By Empress Anna Ioannovna (niece of Peter the Great) in 1730.
Founders Ivan Motorin and his son, Mikhail Motorin.
Year Cast 1735 (Final successful casting on November 25, 1735).

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II. Ancestry: The Bells of Tragedy
The current Tsar Bell is actually the third massive bell, cast largely from the remnants of its predecessors, all of which met a similar fiery fate:

Tsar Bell I (c. 1600): Weighed about 18 tons and was destroyed in a fire in the mid-17th century.

Tsar Bell II (1655): Weighed about 110 tons, recast from the first bell's pieces, but was destroyed by another fire in 1701.


Tsar Bell III (The current bell): Commissioned to be even larger, it was cast using metal from its ancestors, plus additions of bronze, silver, and gold.

III. The Catastrophe (1737)
The most dramatic moment in the bell's life occurred before it was ever raised or rung:

Casting Challenges: The casting process was immense and fraught with difficulty. The first attempt failed, and lead founder Ivan Motorin died before the successful second casting was completed by his son, Mikhail.


The Fire: In May 1737, the Troitsky Fire swept through the Kremlin. The bell was still resting in its casting pit, covered by temporary wooden scaffolding and buildings for ornamentation work.

The Damage: When the wooden structure caught fire, guards, fearing the bell would melt, threw cold water onto the scorching metal. The extreme and rapid temperature difference caused the bell to crack in eleven places, and a massive chunk weighing about 11.5 tons broke off. The sound of this crack was, ironically, the only "ringing" the bell ever produced.


IV. Centennial Slumber and Resurrection
A Century in the Earth: The damaged bell fell back into its casting pit and remained there for almost 100 years, despite unsuccessful attempts to raise it. Napoleon even considered taking it as a trophy in 1812 but was defeated by its sheer size.


Final Installation: In 1836, the French architect Auguste de Montferrand (designer of Saint Isaac's Cathedral) successfully devised a lifting mechanism. The bell was pulled from the pit and placed on a designed stone pedestal where it now rests, a monument to the art of casting and Russian ambition.


The bell remains on the Kremlin grounds, with the broken piece resting beside it, a permanent, silent testament to the phrase "A bell which was never rung," as Voltaire observed.


I'd be happy to share the history of the Tsar Cannon next, or discuss how your lilliputin relates to the bell's history of irreversible damage.