Day of Slavic writing as a symbol of the unity of fraternal peoples

Day of Slavonic writing is a holiday that is celebrated by many Slavic peoples (Russians, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Bulgarians, etc.). It is dedicated to the memory of the creators of the famous Cyrillic script - Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Methodius and Cyril.

Cyril and Methodius, originally from Byzantium, from the city of Thessaloniki (Thessalonica). Their father Lev was a noble and rich officer. Michael (the future Methodius) was the oldest of the seven sons, and Constantine (the future Cyril) - the youngest. Since Thessaloniki was a bilingual city, brothers from childhood spoke well not only in Greek, but also in Slavic, in the so-called Solon dialect.

history of the holiday

Initially, the Day of Slavonic writing began to be celebrated in Bulgaria thanks to the profound veneration of the holy brothers in the Bulgarian church. This holiday was reminiscent of the then persecuted Turks representatives of the Bulgarian ethnos about their historical roots, exalted them over the harsh reality, expressing the people's desire for national self-determination and the continuation of cultural traditions. In connection with the close contact with Bulgarian culture (and, as is known, it was the Russian people who liberated the Bulgarians from the power of Turkey after the 1950s), this holiday also came to Russia. In 1863, in our country, a decree about the veneration of the memory of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Saints Cyril and Methodius brothers was promulgated, in which the date was also set on May 11 (that is, May 24 of the new style).

By the way, the memory of outstanding enlighteners of the Slavs lived in the hearts of those peoples who perceived the Cyrillic alphabet. For example, in Russia the memory of St. Cyril is dedicated on February 14, and St. Methodius on April 6. However, the appearance of a new holiday in honor of both saints and the glorification of the alphabet created by them, which contributed to the unification of the Slavs and the spread of the Christian faith among them in its Orthodox course, contributed to a deeper appreciation of the ascension of the Enlightenment.

In modern Russia, the Day of Slavonic writing is celebrated every year on May 24 in different cities - Moscow, Vladimir, Kostroma, Saratov, Orel, Ryazan, etc. Since 2010, the main celebrations are held in Moscow. The Orthodox Church organizes religious processions, pilgrimages and prayer services for the glory of the great brothers.

Every year in May, the Day of Slavonic Writing is celebrated at the philological and historical faculties of various universities and institutes. The script of the celebration includes theatrical productions on the subjects of The Tale of Bygone Years and The Lay of Igor's Campaign, competitive readings of passages from them in Old Slavonic, folklore ensembles and much more. In addition, festive events include meetings with famous writers, historians, composers, folk art exhibitions, and book festivals. The days of Slavonic writing call for the unification of fraternal peoples, for the preservation of the historical past, without which further development of the cultural and political life of the Slavic countries is inconceivable.