Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Day of Slavic Literature and Culture: a truly national holiday

Kirill(in the world Constantine, nickname - Philosopher, born in 827 - died in 869, Rome) and Methodius(Michael in the world; born in 815 - died in 885, Moravia) - brothers from the city of Thessaloniki (Thessalonica), creators of the Old Slavonic alphabet, preachers of Christianity.

Orthodox Church numbered them among the Equal-to-the-Apostles saints (“Slovenian teachers”), are revered both in the West and in the East. IN scientific papers are mentioned in this order: Cyril and Methodius. As for the church, here, at the level of liturgical use, a different order is adopted for the use of the names of the brothers. Most likely, this is due to the fact that Methodius in church hierarchy occupied a higher position (archbishop) compared to Cyril.

Origin

According to some sources, the city of Thessaloniki was the birthplace of Cyril and Methodius. They were born into a wealthy family. About their father, who bore the name Leo, it is known that he was on military service under the governor (theme strategist) of the city of Thessaloniki and came from a fairly wealthy family. There were 7 sons in his family, among whom Cyril was the eldest, and Methodius was the youngest.

The Greek origin of Cyril and Methodius is the most common version of the origin of the future creators of the Slavic alphabet. In particular, Slavic scholars of the 19th century Mikhail Pogodin and Germengild Irechek substantiated this version by the fact that both brothers were fluent in the Slavic language in its local dialect. Such a theory is completely denied by modern scientists.

There is a completely opposite version of the origin of the saints. It is believed that the brothers were Bulgarians, since the later edition of Cyril's Prologue Life speaks of Cyril's birth as a Bulgarian: "I come from the blessed hail from the sun". It was this mention that became a kind of stumbling block for Bulgarian scientists, who still zealously defend the Bulgarian version of the origin of famous Slavic preachers.

If stick Greek origin Cyril and Methodius, it is necessary to dwell on the description of the city of Thessaloniki in order to understand how the environment influenced their life choices.

The city was bilingual. On its territory lived both people who use the Greek language in everyday life, and those who spoke Proto-Slavic, which was distinguished by the Thessalonica dialect. The inhabitants of the city of Thessaloniki belonged to different tribes, including Draguvites, Sagudites and Smolensk. It was the latter who helped Cyril and Methodius create a variant of the language known today as Church Slavonic.

Methodius, before being tonsured a monk, did well in the military-administrative service. The help of the eunuch Theoktist, the great logothete and friend of Methodius, allowed the future preacher to take the post of strategist of Slavinia (Macedonia).

Cyril was recognized as the most an educated person of his time. Before his trip to Moravia, he was engaged in the translation of the Gospel into Slavic and finished work on compiling the Slavic alphabet.

Years of study and teaching

Cyril studied geometry, philosophy, astronomy and languages ​​in Constantinople. After graduating from the University of Magnavra, he took the priesthood and began to serve in the Cathedral of St. Sophia as a hartophylax, which in literal translation meant "keeper of the library", but in practice corresponded to the title of a modern academician.

He neglected the marriage with the goddaughter of the logothete, and soon left the post of hartophylax and preferred to move to one of the monasteries on the Black Sea coast. For some time he lived as a hermit, but then he was forced to return to Constantinople and take the place of a teacher of philosophy at the university where he studied himself.

It was from this time that the nickname Philosopher was assigned to Cyril. He gained fame in the capital after he was able to successfully hold a theological dispute and defeat his opponent, Patriarch Annius, the leader of the iconoclast movement.

Then Cyril decided to get acquainted with the basics of Christianity, together with Metropolitan George of Nicomedia visited the palace of the Emir of Militia. Finally, in 856, Constantine, along with some of his students, went to the monastery, where his brother Methodius was the abbot. It was there that the idea was born to create Slavic alphabet. Most likely, Cyril decided to go to his brother because of the murder of his former patron, the logothete Feoktist.

Khazar mission

In 860, Cyril, who at that time bore the name Constantine, went to the Khazar Khagan as a missionary. The main task of his mission is the adoption of Christianity by the Khaganate. Upon arrival in Korsun, Konstantin began to prepare for the controversy, and along the way he mastered the Hebrew language and the writing of the Samaritans. In addition, he received access to the so-called Russian letter. Some scientists erroneously believe that in this case we are talking specifically about Russian writing. This approach is erroneous, since it is reasonable to consider these writings as Syriac, that is, "Sura". Just at this time, the religious doctrine associated with the Church of the East became widespread in Khazaria, so the Slavs living here could well come across the Syriac script.

Constantine, at the request of the kagan himself, had to convince him of the correctness Christian religion. If Constantine's arguments were convincing, the kagan swore an oath that he would accept Christianity. There are two versions of the development of further events.

First, Constantine entered into an argument with the imam and rabbi in the presence of the kagan. It is not entirely clear to which faith the kagan belonged and at what level of power he was. It is possible that before Constantine there was a supreme kagan or a kagan-bek, but in this case a change of faith was practically impossible, and only a Russian kagan could take this step. According to one version, it follows that Constantine won the dispute, but the kagan refused to fulfill his promise.

The second is that it was not Constantine who won the dispute, but the rabbi, who was able to take control of the situation and set the imam on Constantine, which allowed him to prove the correctness of the Jewish faith with sufficient ease. This information was obtained thanks to Arabic sources and the collective work "Joseph's Letter".

Bulgarian mission

Today it is difficult to say that it was Cyril and Methodius who became the people with the help of which the spread of Christianity in Bulgaria began. Quite a few scholars oppose this version, proving that the brothers were in Moravia when Khan Boris was baptized.

Some Bulgarian researchers continue to adhere to a different point of view and justify their stubbornness with surviving traditions. It is known that at one time the sister of Khan Boris was a hostage in Constantinople. She was baptized with the name Theodora and brought up in accordance with the spirit of Christianity.

Around 860, she returned to her homeland and made every effort to ensure that her brother Boris converted to Christianity. As a result, Boris was baptized under the name Michael. The choice of this name is associated with Michael, the son of the Byzantine Empress Theodora, during whose reign the direct Christianization of the Bulgarian kingdom took place.

Just at that time, Methodius and his brother were on the territory of Bulgaria. They delivered sermons, which contributed to the rapid establishment of Christianity. The popularization of religion led to the establishment of Christianity in neighboring Serbia, and in 863 Cyril, with the help of his brother and students, was able to compile Old Slavonic alphabet. In addition, they took up the translation of church services into Bulgarian. The fact that the Slavic alphabet was created by Cyril and Methodius is confirmed by the legend "About Letters" Bulgarian monk Chernorizets the Brave, a contemporary of Tsar Simeon: “If you ask the Slavic literate, saying: “Who created the letters or translated the books for you,” then everyone knows and, answering, they say: Saint Constantine the Philosopher, named Cyril - he created the letters for us and translated the books, and Methodius, his brother. Because those who saw them are still alive. And if you ask what time, they know and say that during the time of Michael, the king of Greece, and Boris, the prince of Bulgaria, and Rostislav, the prince of Moravia, and Kotsel, the prince of Blaten, in the year from the creation of the whole world 6363.

The time of the appearance of the Slavic alphabet can be attributed to the year 863, if we start from the Alexandrian chronology, adopted at the time of the creation of the chronicler's work. Although scientists are still arguing about the authorship of Konstantin, since it is not entirely clear what exactly he invented - Glagolitic or Cyrillic.

Moravian mission

In 862, the Byzantine emperor received ambassadors from the Moravian prince Rostislav, who asked for help in maintaining the faith of Christ. In particular, he asked to send teachers of the Christian faith capable of carrying out divine services in the Slavic language. This request was not only heard, but also accepted with enthusiasm by both the emperor himself and the patriarch. As a result, the Solun brothers were selected for the trip to Moravia.

During their stay in Moravia, Constantine and Methodius were engaged not only in holding divine services in the Slavic language, but also taught the local population, which included the inhabitants of Carpathian Rus, to read and write. They continued to translate Greek church books into Slavonic. They stayed in Moravia for 3 years, and then they were urgently sent to Rome.

The brothers were summoned by the Pope, as Constantine and Methodius were accused of apostasy. They were accused of holding divine services in the Slavic language.

Until the events described, the following postulate of faith was recognized: an appeal to God can be made only in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. A similar interpretation has developed because of the inscription on the Cross of the Lord, which was performed only in the 3 languages ​​​​mentioned. Therefore, anyone who would like to change this state of affairs was immediately declared a heretic. However, the brothers managed to escape punishment.

This probably happened because Constantine handed over to the Church of Rome the relics of St. Clement, which he got during his Chersonese journey. Be that as it may, but Adrian, the head of the Catholic Church, approved the right for the Slavs to use their language for worship.

last years of life

On February 14, 869 (according to the old style), the preacher Cyril died in Rome, who had previously accepted the schema and a new name. Only from this date it is legitimate to call him Cyril, before that he bore the name Konstantin, given to him at birth. They buried him in the church of St. Clement.

Methodius was made Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia by the Pope. After that, he went with his students to Pannonia, a Slavic country that Cyril and Methodius visited during their journey to Rome. There they spent quite a lot of time teaching the Slavs worship in their native language and book business.

Soon Methodius returned to Moravia. During his absence, serious changes took place in the country associated with the rise of the Latin-German clergy. In 870, Prince Rostislav died in a Bavarian prison, overcome by Louis the German. As a result, the nephew of Prince Svyatopolk, who was under the influence of the Germans, ascended the throne.

In Moravia, services in the Slavic language were banned, and the intrigues of the German clergy even made it possible to exile Archbishop Methodius to the Reichenau Monastery for 3 years. The Pope found out about this and forbade the German bishops to celebrate the liturgy. Thanks to the participation of the Pope, Methodius was released. However, the ban affected the language of worship of the Slavs in the churches of Moravia: only sermons were allowed in the Slavic language.

Methodius, restored in 879 as an archbishop, ignored the decrees of the Pope and continued to hold services in the forbidden language. He baptized Prince Borivoi with his wife Lyudmila in Slavonic.

In the same year, the German churchmen were able to re-organize the process against Methodius. But this did not bring positive results, since the archbishop visited Rome and was able not only to justify himself, but also to receive a papal bull, which allowed worship in the Slavic language.

In 881, Methodius received an invitation to Constantinople from Emperor Basil I. Arriving in the capital of Byzantium, the archbishop, along with his students, stayed there for another 3 years. Then he returned to Moravia, where he completed the translation with 3 students Old Testament and patristic books into Slavonic.

In 885, Methodius died after a serious illness. His death fell on Palm Sunday i.e. April 19th. The archbishop's funeral was held in 3 languages: Slavonic, Greek and Latin.

Heritage

Scientists admit that Cyril and Methodius developed an alphabet based on the Slavic language, known as the Glagolitic alphabet. It is believed that the Cyrillic alphabet is the merit of Kliment Ohridsky, a student of the brothers. When creating the alphabet, Clement relied on the Greek alphabet.

However, it should be noted that Clement mainly used the work of Cyril and Methodius, in which the sounds of the Slavic language were isolated. Nobody disputes this version. At the same time, this work is the cornerstone of the creation of a new script, and this makes it fundamental for the creation of the Slavic alphabet. Thanks to the unique linguistic abilities of Cyril, Slavic sounds were able to be distinguished quite scientifically.

At the same time, the existence of Slavic writing long before Cyril and Methodius. As an argument, in this case, they use a fragment from the life of Cyril, which mentions books written in Russian. But in the life of Cyril there are no hints that these books belong to Slavic writing.

“And the Philosopher found here (in Korsun) the Gospel and the Psalter, written in Russian letters, and found a man, talking toy speech. And he talked with him and understood the meaning of the language, correlating the differences between vowels and consonants with his own language. And offering up a prayer to God, he soon began to read and speak. And many were amazed at this, glorifying God.

As an example, the diligence with which Cyril tried to comprehend new language, which confirms the non-Slavic roots of the language being studied. During the life of Cyril and Methodius, the Proto-Slavic language was a single whole and it was perfectly understood by everyone who considered it their own. It was only in the 12th century that the division of the language into dialects began.

Researchers for the most part tend to 2 versions of the interpretation of the fragment from the life of Cyril. First, the passage in question may have been written in Gothic. Secondly, the manuscript could well contain a mistake when it should be read not in “Rus”, but in “Sur”, which is equivalent to “Syrian”.

If we take into account Cyril's study of the Hebrew language and writing in Samaritan at that time, then the second option is more likely. Metropolitan Macarius has repeatedly emphasized that in the life itself, Cyril was repeatedly spoken of as the creator of Slavic writing.

veneration

Russian Orthodoxy has established 2 dates for the memory of the saints, associated with the days of their presentation. So, Cyril is revered on February 27 ( old style- February 14), and Methodius - April 19 (old style - April 6).

The Catholic Church introduced a single day of remembrance of the brothers - February 14th. Prior to this, the date of the celebration fell on July 5th. In 1863, the Church of Rome celebrated the "Year of the Slavic Jubilee", and Pope John Paul dedicated his epistle (encyclical) "Apostles of the Slavs" to Cyril and Methodius.

In 1863, the Holy Governing Synod of Russia decided to celebrate the day of Saints Cyril and Methodius on May 11 (after julian calendar). It is not clear why this particular date was chosen.

May 11, 1858 for the first time celebrated the day of memory of Cyril and Methodius in Plovdiv in the framework of the Bulgarian Church. Perhaps there is some reason for choosing May 11th. In addition, in 1862, Ivan Dmitrievich Belyaev, a professor at Moscow University, wrote an article that spoke about the existence of a certain church document dated May 11 and defining the principles for writing the icons of Cyril and Methodius.

On May 11, 1872, despite the prohibition of the Patriarch, Exarch Anfim I performed a liturgy that took place in the Bulgarian church of Constantinople, at which the act of independence of the Bulgarian Church was proclaimed, that is, it became autocephalous. On this occasion, the Holy Synod expressed sincere regret, as there was a separation of the Greeks and Bulgarians, which caused the Greek Church to refuse to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of Cyril and Methodius for political reasons.

The decree of the Holy Synod of 1855 established that May 11 should be considered an average holiday with a vigil. Since 1901, the Synod has determined the celebration of May 11 on an annual basis in all churches and educational institutions belonging to the spiritual department. An all-night vigil and a liturgy with a prayer service were envisaged. Students of spiritual institutions were exempted from classes, and on May 11, a graduation ceremony was held in church schools.

In 1991, the holiday in honor of Cyril and Methodius became a state holiday in the following countries: Czech Republic, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Slovakia. In Russia and Bulgaria, the "Day of Slavic Culture and Writing" is celebrated on May 24. Macedonia also celebrates this holiday on May 24, but here it is already called “The Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius”. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, it is customary to honor Cyril and Methodius on July 5th.

The Slovak poet Jan Golla created a poem called "Cyrillo-Methodiad", and the biography of the saints was included in the "Khazar Dictionary" by Milorad Pavic. Bulgaria established the Order of Cyril and Methodius.

Disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius

Konstantin Preslavsky

Gorazd Ohrid

Clement of Ohrid

Savva Ohridsky

Nahum Ohridsky

Angelarius of Ohrid

Lawrence

Day of Slavic culture and writing- a holiday dedicated to the day of remembrance of the saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, the Slovenian educators, May 24. It is celebrated both in Russia and in some other Slavic countries. In Russia festive events pass within a few days.

Commemoration of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius

Saints Cyril and Methodius

The holy brothers Cyril and Methodius are Christian preachers and missionaries, enlighteners of the Slavic peoples. In 863, the Byzantine emperor sent brothers to Moravia to preach to the Slavs. The brothers compiled the first Slavic alphabet and translated liturgical books into Slavonic. Thus, the foundations of Slavic writing and culture were laid.

The memory of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius was celebrated among the Slavic peoples in antiquity. Then the celebration was forgotten and restored in the Russian Church only in 1863, when a decision was made to remember the Slovene enlighteners on May 11 (24).

modern celebration

In 1985, the Slavic world celebrated the 1100th anniversary of the death of St. equal to ap. Methodius. For the first time in the USSR, May 24 was declared the day of Slavic culture and writing.

On January 30, 1991, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR adopted a Resolution on annual Days of Slavic writing and culture. Since 1991, state and public organizations began to hold the Days of Slavic Literature and Culture in conjunction with the Russian Orthodox Church.

During the celebration, various church events are held: services dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin and other churches in Russia, religious processions, children's pilgrimage missions to the monasteries of Russia, scientific and practical conferences, exhibitions, concerts.

Since 1991, as part of the celebration of the days of Slavic culture and writing, the annual spiritual and cultural expedition "Slavic Way" has been taking place in the cities of Russia.

This is interesting

In Bulgarian schools, on the eve of the day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, "days of letters" are held - quizzes and educational games.

In the Czech Republic, the day of memory of the brothers Cyril and Methodius and the holiday of Slavic writing are celebrated on July 5th.

Centers for celebrating the days of Slavic culture and writing

Until 2010, every year the center of the celebration was transferred to one of the Russian cities. In 1986 it was Murmansk, in 1987 - Vologda, in 1992 and 1993 - Moscow.

Monument to Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius. Slavyanskaya Square, Moscow

Since 2010, Moscow has become the capital of the days of Slavic writing.

In history, there are several varieties of writing among the Slavs. Slavic writing was used to conclude contracts, transfer notes, and for other purposes. For example, you can find information about this from Archimandrite Leonid Kavelin in his Collection: “On the homeland and origin of the Glagolitic alphabet and its relationship to the Cyrillic alphabet” (1891). There is a special day dedicated to Slavic writing. Today it is celebrated by Russians as the day of veneration of Cyril and Methodius, although it is known that neither Cyril nor Methodius invented the Russian alphabet. They just transformed it - shortened it and adapted it in order to make it easier to translate Christian manuscripts from Greek. For example, the historian Dobner (Czech Republic) can find a whole study on the topic: “Is the so-called now Cyrillic alphabet really an invention of the Slavic Ap. Cyril? (1786 edition).

Writing, as a derivative of the famous Christian saints Cyril and Methodius, appeared in Rus' in the period from 900 to the early 1000s. Until that time, the Slavs used a different script. We meet the data of the chroniclers about the conclusion of treaties of the book. Igor and Prince. Oleg with the Byzantine kingdom (907-911) even before the arrival of the Cyrillic alphabet in Rus'.

Some historians called it "Khazar writing" (Persian, Fakhr ad-Din, 700), speaking of the southwestern Slavs of a particular historical period. Others called it “an independent Russian letter”, referring to the “Thessalonica legend”, in which there is a mention of Jerome (lived until 420) and his connection with Slavic letters. Some scholars consider Cyril and Jerome from this legend to be the same person, but the dates of the activities of these characters do not match.

Two directions are now divided in which Slavic writing developed:

1. Pictorial views. Creators volumetric image and perception.
2. Descriptive views. Creating planar perception by inscriptions on the plane.

Previously, our ancestors, when talking about objectivity and functions, called their writing:

• word;
• by letter;
• a book;
• diploma.

Types of writing in the entire history of the Slavs, built in chronological order their time of appearance and use:

• Glagolitic- middle of the tenth century;
• initial letter(Old Slovenian) - presumably the end of the 10th century;
• ABC- a variant of pre-revolutionary tsarist Russia;
• Alphabet- 1918 (Lunacharsky's reform).

Some scholars present the Glagolitic as one of the ways to pronounce and write the capital letter. But this issue is still being investigated. Here is what the Russian philologist Sreznevsky I.I. tells us. (1848):

Turning to the Glagol alphabet, we note first of all how it is similar and how it differs from the Cyrillic alphabet. Most of its form differs not only from Cyrillic letters, but also from other well-known ones. Similar to Kirillov's d, x, m, p, f, w ... The choice of letters is the same. The order of the letters is also the same ... The peculiarity of many Glagolitic letters has long led to the conclusion that the Glagolitic is ancient alphabet pagan Slavs and, therefore, older than Cyrillic; this was believed by Count Grubishich, Dr. Anton; This is also believed by the well-known German philologist J. Grimm. It is hardly possible to refute this, assuming that the ancient simple features were replaced by curly and complex ones in the now known Glagolitic alphabet later, due to special, unknown reasons; however, it is also difficult to refute the fact that the letters of the Glagolitic alphabet of unknown origin were never simpler, but were invented by an idle literate person as they are, without any deviation from the ancient Slavic scripts. It is true that the features of the Glagolitic alphabet are generally rude and some are open to the left side, as if they were used for writing with right hand to the left, but the rudeness of the pattern of the letters is not a sign of antiquity, and the openness of some to the left side could also be an accidental expression of the inventor's taste ...

The Slavic letter was used in 4 variations: 2 main and 2 auxiliary. Separately, one should dwell on such varieties of writing that historians modern science still can't ignore it. These are the following types of writing among the Slavs of different nationalities:

Features and Reza. By their names, one can judge their origin - they drew letters and cut them. This is a type of lettering.

Da'Aryan Thrags - used to convey the multidimensionality and imagery of runes.

Kh'Aryan Karuna (runic, runic, runic) - used by priests, consisted of 256 runes, which formed the basis of the Devanagari, Sanskrit languages.

Rasen Molitsy - a letter from the Etruscans.

There is now enough evidence that Slavic tribes and peoples long before Christianity settled on the Earth. Therefore, anthropologists often find blue-eyed Hindus in India, Kalash in Pakistan, or mummies of European appearance among archaeological sites in China. Therefore, Aryan writing can also be remotely called Slavic, or Slavic-Aryan, as it is more convenient for anyone to understand. Slavs modern Russia and neighboring countries with ethnic identity the closest are the Glagolitic and the Initial letter, as well as Runes, Traits and Reza.

What is special about Slavic writing and culture

The Glagolitic was most often used for bonding business relations in trade matters. She executed contracts, other papers, which are confirmation of the concluded transaction. In confirmation of this, today there is enough a large number of ancient treaties written in the Slavic Glagolitic alphabet. The following words are associated with this name:

• to speak - to speak;
• verbasha - speaking, pronouncing;
• verb - we speak;
• verb is action.

The initial letter as the capital part of the words had different styles writing. Several examples can be given artistic image ancient letters:

Ostromir initial letters - taken from the Ostromir Gospel (1056-1057)

teratological (or animal) style - features of animals and birds were included in the image of the letter

initials - colored letters, where, in addition to fantastic animals, human characters were also depicted (about 800)

Ottonian style of the Western Slavs - large letters, with gilding and patterned weaves

illustrated initial letter - each capital letter was illustrated with different fairy tale characters and topics

filigree beeches (from old name- “beeches”, and not “letters” from the All-Light Diploma of Shubin-Abramov Anania Fedorovich) - the letters were decorated with the finest pattern

Guslitsky style - comes from the Old Believer settlement Guslitsy

Vetka style in Belarus

Picture Options Slavic letters a lot of. Our ancestors were Slavs famous masters arts and arts. Therefore, letters could be depicted by scribes with a creative approach. The main feature of the initial letter is that it formed the basis of such languages ​​\u200b\u200bknown to us as Latin (Latin) and English.

The worldview of the Slavs was changed even by modifying the written language. If earlier letters and words were perceived volumetrically with a semantic and figurative-symbolic load, now they are perceived on a plane, faceless, carrying only sounds that add up to words.

Researchers of Slavic mythology believe that such a transfer of perception from volumetric "holographic" to flat writing began approximately from the time of the Germanization of Rus'. Apparently, the influence of the West has always been fatal for the Russians and Slavs in general, which is why the leading Russian minds of the times of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy mentioned it so often.

When is the day of Slavic writing celebrated?

Slavic culture in historical data has undergone various changes. This suggests that scientists have not yet stopped their research - new artifacts found are being studied. The date when the writing of the Slavs and their culture was honored also changed. herself Slavic mythology and history does not confirm the fact that the ancient Slavs celebrated some special day dedicated to their writing. Nevertheless, it is worth considering the appearance of such events at a later time, approximately when Christianity came to Rus'.

Most often, this date was associated with Cyril and Methodius. It was at that time that they began to allocate a certain day on which they remembered the merits of these two reverend fathers. Only the date has changed:

• May 11 - Christian enlighteners were remembered by the "Thessalonica brothers";
• May 24 - Bulgarians today, along with these two saints, also remember their culture;
• July 5 - in the Czech Republic;
• January 30 - the inhabitants of Russia recalled Slavic writing and culture at the suggestion of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR (1991).

May 24- a generally accepted holiday in Slavic culture and writing. It was declared the "Day of Slavic Culture and Literature" in 1985, when the 1100th anniversary of the death of Methodius was celebrated in the USSR. Therefore, today this holiday is entirely served from the point of view of the Orthodox Church. However, those who remember and honor the legacy of the more ancient ancestors of the Slavs, and now honor the ancient Slovenian Letter. On this day, ancient letters are painted on asphalt, in underground passages, in squares, everywhere in the cities of the country.

In scientific circles, some believe that the Slavs once had one language, but there were many ways to display it on any medium. Writing could be written on metal (coins, jewelry), birch bark, leather, stone. The peculiarity of Slavic writing lies in the fact that, first of all, it carried Svetorussky (in some reading - "Holy Russian") images. Simply put, we understand that it was a figurative letter, and not flat, carrying a deeper meaning than just sound.

Late ninth century new era the Slavs finally had their own alphabet. Michael the Third, emperor of Byzantium, gave the order to create an orderly script for the Old Church Slavonic language. The brothers Cyril and Methodius took up this business. Therefore, the alphabet began to be called Cyrillic. And in honor of such an important event, a special holiday was proposed for all Slavic states. Unfortunately, many people don't know anything about it. It is even sadder that people often do not understand its purpose, its meaning.

But before we talk about the holiday, let's turn to writing. Today, we do not even think about what we can write using the letters of a standardized and generally accepted alphabet. Moreover, our records will be understood in all corners of the country. Writing, which appeared more than a thousand years ago, undoubtedly became the engine of such areas of art as literature, theater, music and some others. In addition, it allowed people far from each other to transmit information. But what can I say: written sources are a huge help for historians, for ethnographers.

With the advent of writing, a person got the opportunity to record the necessary information, which means to receive and master new knowledge. And how rapidly culture began to develop! And the contribution of Cyril and Methodius to the whole life of people is difficult to overestimate. In general, we modern life it is very difficult to imagine how people used to live when they did not have a letter.

And now about the holiday itself. Every year on May 24, the "Day of Slavic Literature and Culture" is celebrated in Russian Federation. In other states, the population of which is from the Slavic community, there are also similar holidays. It's just that they have different names, as well as dates (although in Bulgaria, as in Russia, this is May 24). In general, it was originally invented in Bulgaria in the nineteenth century, and then took root in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. In any case, regardless of the country, the holiday is dedicated to the great cause of the holy brothers, thanks to whom the Slavs had their own alphabet. It should also be noted that Slavic writing is a collective concept that includes writing in numerous Slavic languages ​​​​(Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and others).

How it all began?

The history of the holiday "Day of Slavic Writing and Culture" goes back to the distant tenth (according to some sources - the eleventh) century AD. In general, this day was then called the Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, who became the authors of the alphabet. They gave people writing.

In Rus', the "Day of Slavic Culture and Writing", or rather the Day of Cyril and Methodius, was forgotten for some time, but it was remembered again in 1863. The proposed date was May 11 (now, according to the new style, it is May 24). But a little more than a hundred years later, a large-scale resumption of the celebration of the Day of Remembrance of these saints began. This was due to a round date - 1100 years have passed since the death of Methodius. In 1986, the Writing Festival was held for the first time in the city of Murmansk. Five years later, a special Decree was issued by the authorities in force at that time. It said that now every year a holiday called "The Day of Slavic Writing and Culture" will be held. Moreover, it was noted that the Russian Orthodox Church would take a direct part in it. And this is not surprising, because Cyril and Methodius are canonized as saints.

Then every year a city was chosen, which became the center of the holiday. The main cultural events took place there. This state of affairs persists to this day.

How is everything going today?

The Days of Slavic Culture and Literature are not held according to one standardized plan, they are always different, always interesting and lively. Is in them a place and discussion pressing issues in which cultural figures - poets, writers and others take part.

When the "Day of Slavic Literature and Culture" is celebrated, scientific meetings and forums, festivals and exhibitions, as well as fairs and concerts are held in Russia. Such a cultural explosion awakens in the hearts of people true love to their people, their language, pride in them. Of course, they do not forget to remember the brothers who gave people writing. In itself, the "Day of Slavic Culture" is intended to unite and preserve that cultural heritage which we have inherited from our ancestors. And this is certainly very important. The holiday reminds all Slavic countries of the unity of their origin, of their ancestors.

But the meaning and significance of this day exists not only for each individual country, but also for each person individually. After all, we all speak and write in the Slavic language! Our ancestors, our parents, our teachers spoke and wrote in it! But language and writing are the basis, the basis for culture and art. That is why we must not only protect our Slavic culture but also to nurture it in your children. Agree that we have something to be proud of! After all, it is not for nothing that the works of Slavic writers and poets are famous for such penetration, such bewitching and incredibly beautiful speech turns! Reading their books is a pleasure. Therefore, let's love and respect our writing, our Slavic culture. She gave and continues to give us a lot!

The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture was widely celebrated in Russia.

In the history of every nation there are epochal milestones that separate times with a red line, personifying change and renewal. First of all, this is due to the nationality, which for many centuries was above politics and prosperity. Of course, for a long time, spirituality and science went hand in hand, engaging in education, the preservation of values ​​and historical information. That is why many prominent figures in the Middle Ages turned out to be clerics. They had a broad outlook, were familiar with all sciences, knew languages ​​and geography, saw the highest moral and educational goals in front of them. Such personalities, who changed the course of history and made an unprecedented contribution, are worth their weight in gold. That is why celebrations are still organized in their honor, and good example this is the holiday “Day of Slavic Literature and Culture”.

background

This holiday arose in memory of two brothers, who are called Thessalonica. Cyril and Methodius were Byzantines, the full name of the city - the place of their birth - Thessaloniki. They came from a noble family and were fluent in Greek. Some chronicles indicate that a local dialect was also widespread in this area, which belonged to Slavic, however, documentary evidence of the presence of a second mother tongue brothers not found. Many historians attribute Bulgarian origins to them, citing a number of sources, but it is quite possible that they were Greek by birth. Before taking the vows, Kirill bore the name Konstantin. Methodius was the eldest among the brothers in the family and was the first to retire to the monastery. Konstantin received an excellent education, earned honor and respect in the scientific community. After a series of events, he retired to his brother in the monastery, along with his students and associates. It was there that the extensive work that glorified them began.

brothers legacy

The history of the holiday dates back to the events of the 9th century AD. e. Starting with the tonsure of Cyril, work began on the development of the Cyrillic alphabet within the walls of the monastery. So now one of the first alphabets of the Old Slavonic language is called. Its primary name is "glagolitic". It is believed that the idea of ​​its creation originated in 856. The incentive for their invention was missionary activity and the preaching of Christianity. Many rulers and clergy in those days turned to Constantinople, asking for prayers and chants in their native language. The Glagolitic system allowed Cyril and Methodius to translate a number of church books into Slavonic and thereby open the way for Christianity to the east.

Religious canons

But within the framework of history, the holiday of Slavic writing and culture is associated not only with the alphabet, but also with the life of the brothers, Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius. They are canonized as saints and revered in the East and in the West. It is noteworthy that in church usage the order of their names is Methodius, and then Cyril. This probably indicates the higher rank of the older brother, which is celebrated separately, despite the more important research contribution of his brother. On the icons they are always depicted together, but they were recognized as saints at the end of the 9th century.

The origin of the holiday

Having appreciated the work of the brothers, the Bulgarians, who were the closest Slavs, decided to mark this event. Already since the 11th century, according to some sources, an official church date for the celebration appeared. The date was set for May 11th. For many centuries it was the day of remembrance of the saints, later, in the era of the heyday of science and enlightenment, the event turned into a holiday of Slavic writing. It was the Bulgarian people who initiated the celebrations and kept this tradition. The people were proud of Cyril and Methodius as enlighteners who gave the Slavic world the opportunity for self-determination and national independence, including along the church line. This date has become central in the cultural and spiritual life of the Balkan peoples.

19th century

Much has changed in the late 18th - early 19th century: the revision of values, attitudes, the beginning of progress. It was during this period that the holiday of Slavic writing received new life. The beginning was laid again in Bulgaria, where mass celebrations took place in 1857. Not wanting to lag behind the Slav brothers and remembering what an impetus for the development of linguistics, literature and science was given by the development of the alphabet, the Russian state also organized celebrations, but in 1863. Alexander was on the throne at that time ||, and the issue on the agenda was the Polish uprising. Nevertheless, it was in this year that a decree was issued to celebrate the day of memory of Cyril and Methodius on May 11 (according to the old style), the date was chosen by the Holy Synod. In 1863, celebrations took place on the occasion of the millennial anniversary of the supposed date of the creation of the Old Slavonic alphabet.

oblivion period

Despite respect for the Equal-to-the-Apostles saints and appreciation of their contribution in the form of translations of church books, memorable date, entered in the state calendar, for a long time was as if forgotten. Perhaps this was due to the development revolutionary movement, a coup d'état that denies church canons, and wars that thundered across Eurasia. Again, the holiday of Slavic writing was revived in Russia in 1985. This event took place in Murmansk, thanks to a writer who has been repeatedly awarded State Prizes- Maslov Vitaly Semenovich. It was he who became an activist in the revival of interest in this holiday, and on his initiative a monument to Cyril and Methodius was erected in Murmansk. Interest, fueled by the public, grew into a tradition that was soon legitimized.

Public Holiday

The official approval of Cyril and Methodius falls on January 30, 1991. The decision was made by the President of the Russian Federation. This is the first and only one of its kind. The date was chosen on May 24, an analogue of May 11 in the new style. Since then, celebrations have been held in one of the cities, so, for the period from 1991 to 2000, Moscow, Vladimir, Belgorod, Kostroma, Orel, Yaroslavl, Pskov, Ryazan were the epicenter of events. Later, cities more distant from the capital - Novosibirsk, Khanty-Mansiysk - were also involved. Since 2010, by decree of President D. A. Medvedev, Moscow has been appointed the center of cultural and church events.

Church celebrations

The history of the holiday of Slavic writing and culture involves church events, dedicated to memory Equal-to-the-Apostles Saints Methodius and Cyril. As a rule, the most important place at moments of important spiritual events is the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' conducts services. Traditional celebrations involve the morning Divine Liturgy. Later, the patriarch delivers a speech addressing the parishioners, spiritual and government officials. Within the walls of the temple, the brothers are called “Slovenian teachers”. First of all, the enlightening orientation of the saints is noted, that they carried the word, culture, language to the people, guided by divine laws and moral standards. The concept of enlightenment is interpreted in the church as the radiance of light, showing a person the way to the light, and therefore to God. On this moment the church actively participates in the life of the country, responding to the political problems and hardships of the life of parishioners. This allows not only to renounce earthly things by attending the liturgy, but also to learn the position of the church on the main issues of being and statehood. After the official part in the walls cathedral a procession to the monument to Cyril and Methodius is made. It is located in the center of Moscow, a prayer service is performed there, and then wreaths are laid.

Mass celebrations

Along with the church, the scenario of the holiday “Day of Slavic Literature and Culture” in mass manifestation is no less important. Since this is a state date, public organizations hold concerts, exhibitions, presentations, readings, competitions and other events. Red Square becomes the center of events, it is there that a large-scale concert is held, which opens in the afternoon with official speeches, and continues for a long time. Soloists and groups change on the stage, creating a festive atmosphere on the streets of the city. The scope of the event emphasizes the composition of the performers - these are the largest choirs, Symphony Orchestra, orchestras folk instruments. Actors and TV presenters consider it an honor to be able to perform on such a stage. The concert is broadcast on state channels. Celebrations are also held outside the capital, focused on central squares, near monuments, in parks, and in libraries. There is a single script for the holiday of Slavic writing, which regulates the main parameters of the celebrations.

Cultural Development

The Day of Cyril and Methodius plays a big role in the cultural life of the country. It stirs up the interest of the younger generation in linguistics, literature, history, introduces the older generation to historical milestones. The very history of the holiday “Day of Slavonic Literature” speaks of its important mission - enlightenment. Open lectures, seminars, readings - those events that acquaint visitors with new discoveries, main versions historical truth, with new literary and journalistic works.

Geography of the holiday

The Day of Literature and Culture is the prerogative of not only Russia. This holiday is famous for its vast geography, which includes countries Slavic world. Of course, it is celebrated in Bulgaria, which is interesting, it is also a state holiday in the Czech Republic and Macedonia. In the post-Soviet space, he remains one of the most beloved. Celebrations in city squares, churches, libraries, schools are held in the cities of Moldova, Transnistria, Ukraine, Belarus. Traditionally, forums, meetings, open readings, publications of monographs or historical essays. In order to diversify the content of events, anniversaries of writers, anniversaries of the death of clerics or historical marks are connected to the dates of the celebration.

How to spend a writing day?

Many establishments preschool education, and public organizations celebrate the holiday of Slavic writing and culture in their own way. The scenario may vary. Someone chooses to hold charity events, someone focuses on the literary and linguistic heritage, someone chooses to hold concerts and exhibitions. Of course the topic national unity, spiritual growth, wealth and values ​​of the native language takes leading place. When a holiday of Slavic writing and culture is being prepared, the script takes a leading place, since it requires a clear schedule with an hourly schedule.

There is a monument to Cyril and Methodius in many cities of Russia and abroad. The contribution of the saints who gave Slavic people the key to the development of science and linguistics is difficult to overestimate. The holiday of Slavic writing is one of the major events in the life of the country and the Slavic people.