Behind the story Humanity Rule of Law

Making music with former Ukrainian bullet casings

In The Hague a bell made from Ukrainian bullet casings spreads the message: "Make music, not war!"

1 min read 21 Mar 2025

A bell, cast from the bullet casings of a fallen Ukrainian soldier, is set to premiere on May 8 as part of Battles & Silences, a project by HIIIT in collaboration with sound artist Hans van Koolwijk.

The bell was produced at the Eijsbouts bell foundry in Asten and currently housed at HIIIT’s studio at LabS55 in The Hague. By transforming remainders of war into sound, the project aims to shift the process—from violence to creativity. Two composers from Brabant have been commissioned to write a piece for the bell, which will be performed by HIIIT’s percussion ensemble.

"I came across stories from the Second World War. During the war, bells were taken away on a large scale by the occupying forces at the time. And melted down into weaponry. With the increasing tensions on the European continent, we thought, what can we contribute to make the world a little more beautiful again?"

Artistic director Fedor Teunisse of HIIIT.

Symbolic

The story behind the bell

As part of the long-term project Battles & Silences, an initiative by HIIIT and sound artist Hans van Koolwijk, a unique bell was created using weapon remnants from the Ukrainian front. The group obtained bullet casings through a personal connection to a fallen Ukrainian soldier who had been a poet and artist before the war. After his death, the casings were melted down in Kyiv and transported to the Netherlands in solidified form, ready to be recast. 8 kg of former bullet casings were used to produce this bell of 45 kg. This origin gives the bell a powerful symbolic weight, linking its sound to a deeply human and personal story of war and memory.

HIIIT bell made from Ukrainian bullet casings to promote peace

Battles of Silences

Church bells were widely melted down into deadly weapons during the First and Second World Wars. The idea for Battles & Silences was inspired by the story and with this project, weapon waste from the battlefield forms the basis for a new series of instruments and music. HIIIT chose Ukraine to offer a hopeful future, in an artistic way with the hope that one day they can take it to Ukraine and carry out this project in peacetime. Dutch Ukrainian writer Lisa Weeda, known for Aleksandra and Dans Dans Revolution, has been commissioned by HIIIT to contribute a new text to Battles & Silences. She explores the origins of the bell, weaving together reflections on memory, personal history and the story behind its creation.

The making process

The bell is cast from a mixture of bronze and brass—a composition that directly influences its acoustic character. Unlike traditional bell bronze, which typically consists of 80% copper and 20% tin with minimal contamination, this bell contains added brass sourced from bullet casings. The inclusion of brass shortens the resonance time: instead of ringing for a full minute, the sound fades after approximately 45 seconds. For a percussion ensemble like HIIIT, this more controlled decay may actually enhance its musical potential. To refine the sound, the lower edge of the bell was trimmed in the workshop. Visually, the bell features bands of letters and ridges, designed to allow it to be struck, rubbed and rattled in multiple ways—expanding its sonic possibilities even further.

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Upcoming performances

The premiere is 8 May in Augsburg, the production will be showcased on July 5 at Wonderfeel in Baarn and on November 8 at November Music in Den Bosch. The production aims to convey their vital message that peace cannot be taken for granted.