Crimson ringing is an incredibly euphonious phrase.
It means the incredibly beautiful playing of bells. There are several versions of the origin of this expression. but
none of them has anything to do with either the berry or the color.
Old Russian origin of the phrase
According to one of the assumptions, the phrase "crimson ringing" has an Old Russian meaning. According to this version, the crimson color is one that is pleasing to the eye and soul. In Russia, the peasants called a forest spring with raspberry water, which quenched their thirst, gave the body freshness, and the look - the serene contemplation of crystal clear water.
The word "ringing" also has an ancient meaning. It comes from the old Russian word "svonъ". The replacement in the spelling of the letter "s" with "z" occurred under the influence of the verb "call", which also has a long history.
The origin of the expression is from the city of Malechen
However, another version seems more plausible, according to which the word "crimson" comes from the name of the city of Melechen, which in French sounds like Malin.
In the 17th century, the small town of Malechen, located between Amsterdam and Antwerp, was the European capital of bell casting and bell music. The city is still a center for the manufacture of carillons - bell polyphonic musical instruments. The first carillon that appeared in the Russian Empire was made by Malekhen craftsmen by order of Peter I.
In 1717, the Russian Tsar Peter I visited Belgium. While in the Flemish city of Malechen, the king was shocked by the ringing of bells on one of the watchtowers. He ordered the local craftsmen to make a carillon, which was later installed in the Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress. After the inhabitants of Petrograd heard the sound of the carillon, the phrase "crimson ringing" began to be used everywhere. Later, this expression began to be called not only the melody of the carillon, but also any beautiful sound of bells.
The Peter and Paul carillon burned down during a fire in 1756. Later, the Great Empress Elizabeth Pavlovna ordered another instrument from Malechen, which was destroyed during the October Revolution in 1917. However, in 2003, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, the Belgian government presented a new carillon to the residents of the Northern capital. It consists of 51 bells, and you can hear its sound by visiting the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
It is quite possible that both versions of the origin of the phrase "crimson color" are genuine - a new European meaning was superimposed on the ancient Russian expression that had existed for centuries, and the phrase acquired a new meaning.
