Day of Slavonic writing - a holiday thatis noted by many peoples of Slavic origin (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 cityThessaloniki (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 Soloon dialect.
history of the holiday
Originally, the Day of Slavonic Writing becameto 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 the 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 came to Russia. In 1863, in our country, a decree was promulgated on the veneration of the memory of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Saints Cyril and Methodius, in which the date was also set for this - May 11 (that is, May 24 of the new style).
By the way, the memory of outstandingenlighteners 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 current, contributed to a deeper appreciation of the ascension of the enlighteners.
In modern day, the Day of Slavonic Writingcelebrated annually 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.
At the philological and historical facultiesvarious universities and institutes every year in May, the Day of Slavic Writing is also celebrated. The script of the celebration includes theatrical productions on the stories of "The Tale of Bygone Years" and "The Lay of Igor's Campaign," the competitive reading of excerpts from them in the Old Slavonic language, the performance of folklore ensembles and much more. In addition, festive events include meetings with famous writers, historians, composers, folk art exhibitions, and book festivals. Days of Slavic 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.
