All educational institutions and educated people celebrate the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture, let's talk in more detail about this holiday.
When is the date of the day of memory of Cyril and Methodius
The holiday of Slavic writing and culture is celebrated annually by Slavic states. It falls on May 24, is cultural and religious, dedicated, in part, to Cyril and Methodius, who became the founders of Slavic writing.
History of the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture
Constantine, who was given the name Cyril at baptism, and his brother Methodius belonged to the noble Slavic family. They lived in the 9th century, were born in the city of Thessaloniki, and were Orthodox. In the middle of the 9th century, the Byzantine monarch sent the brothers to the Khazar Khaganate to convert people to Christianity, which they succeeded in doing. Later (862) the Moravian monarch invited them to Moravia, where the Slavic alphabet was developed. Cyril and Methodius translated the most important religious books into Slavic - the Gospel and the Psalter. The church canonized the brothers in the 9th century, and in Russia they began to celebrate the day of their memory only in 1863, setting it on May 11 (according to the new style - May 24). Holiday Slavic culture and writing in the USSR acquired its name in 1985, but its date remained unchanged. Bulgaria was the first to introduce the tradition of celebrating this holiday, which even today honors it more than other countries.
The basis of Greek writing was the Phoenician alphabet, which, in turn, was taken as the basis for the Latin alphabet. Greek writing became the basis of Slavic writing. A special contribution to its creation was made by Konstantin (Kirill). Methodius was a devoted assistant for him.
It is known that the brothers invented two types of alphabet - Cyrillic and Glagolitic. The second one was created earlier, but due to its complexity and ornateness, it did not take root, unlike the Cyrillic alphabet, created a little later.
The Slavic language quickly spread among the southern Slavs - Serbs, Bulgarians, Croats; Eastern Slavs– Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians; Western Slavs- Slovaks, Czechs. He became the progenitor of all modern languages of the Slavic group.
With the invention of writing, Cyril and Methodius made the greatest contribution to the development of culture and literature of the Slavic peoples.
In Russia, a city was chosen annually for the celebration, which is the symbolic capital of the celebration. This continued until 2009, when the Moscow Patriarch made a proposal to celebrate the holiday on a larger scale. Since 2010, Moscow has become the capital of the holiday of Slavic literature and culture.
Traditions of celebrating Memorial Day in memory of Cyril and Methodius
The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is usually celebrated with cultural and scientific events - festivals, scientific forums, exhibitions, poetry evenings, book fairs, concerts, etc.
The celebration does not bypass educational institutions where quizzes, competitions, literary readings. Seminars and forums dedicated to the history of Slavic peoples are dedicated to this day.
On this holiday, pupils, students, and adults honor the memory of Cyril and Methodius by laying flowers at their monuments. A mandatory event on this day is listening and singing the anthem in honor of the enlighteners.
The memory of Cyril and Methodius is also honored in churches, where services dedicated to them are held on May 24. On this day, restored churches and monuments to educators are opened.
In those years when a split occurred between the Western Church and its Eastern Orthodox sister, the process of Christianization of peoples began to increase with redoubled force in the Slavic lands. Looking back into the past, we see that the Lord called them to fill the ranks of his church, sending wise mentors to them from the educated and advanced - at that time - Byzantium. Thanks to them, the light of Orthodoxy shone fully for all Slavs.
Brothers from the city of Thessalonica
Celebrated annually on May 24, Culture Day has been a holiday since ancient times. And although it had a different name, it had the same meaning - honoring the memory of two great enlighteners, who through their labors acquired the crowns of holiness. These teachers of the Slavic peoples were born in the 9th century, in one of largest cities Byzantium - Thessalonica (otherwise - Thessaloniki), but they accomplished the main work of their lives in the Slavic lands, to which the Lord vouchsafed them to go.
Cyril (baptized Constantine) and Methodius were siblings and grew up in a wealthy and educated family. Their father, a professional military man, served the emperor and held high positions at court. WITH early childhood The brothers, in addition to their native Greek, also heard the Slavic language, which was spoken by many representatives of the tribes living around. Over time, the young men mastered it perfectly. The elder brother Methodius, having decided to follow in his father’s footsteps, became a military man and even made significant progress in this area, but over time he abandoned military career and became a simple monk.
Future educators of the Slavs
His younger brother Konstantin, having received an excellent education, in his homeland became the creator of the Glagolitic alphabet - the Slavic alphabet - and began translating the Gospel into this language. It is known that while in Constantinople, he studied philosophy, dialectics, mathematics and a number of other sciences from the best teachers of his time. Soon, having become a priest, he received a position as a library superintendent at the famous one, and a year later - as a teacher at Magnavra University, which he had recently graduated from. He greatly expanded his education during his stay in Korsun, where he spent considerable time together with Byzantine diplomats.
Brothers' Mission in Bulgaria
But the main thing awaited the brothers ahead. In 862, a delegation from a local ruler arrived in Constantinople from Moravia, asking to send him mentors who could convey to the people the teachings of Christ on their native language. In response, the emperor and patriarch sent brothers to carry out this great mission. A year later, Constantine, together with Methodius and his disciples, became the creators of the alphabet, which was based on the Old Church Slavonic language, and translated a number of books from the Holy Scriptures into Bulgarian.
While in Moravia, the brothers conducted a wide educational activities among the local population. They not only taught literacy, but also helped organize religious services for their mission. Their mission lasted about three years, during which they created the necessary basis for the baptism of Bulgaria, which took place in 864. In 867, while already in Rome, Constantine fell ill with serious illness, and shortly before his death he became a monk under the name Cyril.
Feast in honor of the holy brothers
In memory of the deeds of these great educators, May 24 and culture was established. Its roots go back to the 10th-11th centuries, when their annual commemoration, held on May 24, became a custom in Bulgaria. Days of remembrance for each of them were also established separately. All this speaks of recognition of the brothers’ invaluable services to national culture Slavic peoples. Starting from the 18th - 19th centuries - a period that went down in history as the Bulgarian revival - Slavic writing began to be celebrated.
In Rus', the celebration of this day became a custom quite late. Only in 1863 it was introduced into use by a special decree. And in the recent past, in 1985, in connection with the 1100th anniversary of the repose of St. Methodius, it was decided to consider this day not only religious holiday, but also national. That is why the Day of Slavic Writing is celebrated on May 24.
Government and Church Initiatives
In 1991, the celebrations were given official status. At a government meeting held on January 30, a resolution was adopted, according to which the whole country began to celebrate new holiday― May 24, Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. It is interesting that every year a new settlement is chosen as its capital.
It is symbolic that on the night preceding the Holy Resurrection of Christ this year, the Patriarch lit a candle for the Slavic Movement, aimed at popularizing and preserving cultural values Slavic peoples. This good action is a kind of expedition along the main transport arteries, connecting along the way the most important historical centers of the country.
Celebration in Moscow
Initially, it was decided not to bind May 24 - and culture - within the framework of any specific scenario, but to give complete creative freedom to its organizers in each specific case.
This opened up wide scope for holding various conferences, folklore concerts, meetings with writers, festivals and other events aimed at further development national Slavic culture.
In Moscow, the holiday of May 24 (Day of Slavic Literature) began this year with a solemn address to all Russians by the head of the church, and then followed by a concert under open air, which, in terms of the scale of the event and the number of participants of the artists who performed in it, became an event of an all-Russian scale. This was covered by representatives of leading media mass media from all over the world. Such events are an excellent way to strengthen mutual understanding between representatives of different nations.
Celebrations in the city on the Neva
May 24, 2015, the Day of Slavic Literature, was celebrated brightly and interestingly in St. Petersburg. Here, on the steps of St. Isaac's Cathedral, which is one of the symbols of the city on the Neva, a choir of three thousand people performed, which, along with professional musicians, also included members of amateur groups. It is interesting that two years ago, on these same steps, St. Petersburg residents and guests of the city heard the singing of a choir consisting of 4,335 people.
This year, a huge group performed seventeen well-known and beloved songs. However, the events for the Day of Slavic Literature (May 24) this year were not limited to this. Also, already traditional meetings were held with writers whose works were loved by St. Petersburg residents, and folklore groups also performed in many parks of the city. This day will be remembered for a long time by everyone who took part in the celebrations.
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. Certainly, for a long time spirituality and science went hand in hand, engaging in education, preservation of values and historical information. That is why many prominent figures in the Middle Ages turned out to be clergy. They had a broad outlook, were familiar with all sciences, knew languages and geography, and saw the highest moral and educational goals before them. Such individuals, 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 a clear example of this is the “Day of Slavic Literature and Culture” holiday.
Background
This holiday arose in memory of two brothers who are called Solunsky. Cyril and Methodius were Byzantines, the full name of the city - the place of their birth - Thessalonica. 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 was classified as Slavic, however, documentary evidence The presence of a second native language among the brothers was not found. Many historians attribute them to Bulgarian origin, citing a number of sources, but it is quite possible that they were Greek by birth. Before his tonsure, Cyril bore the name Konstantin. Methodius was the eldest among the brothers in the family and the first to retire to the monastery. Konstantin received an excellent education and earned honor and respect in the scientific community. After a series of events, he retired to his brother’s monastery along with his students and associates. It was there that the extensive work that made them famous began.
Brothers' legacy
The history of the holiday dates back to the events of the 9th century AD. e. Starting from Kirill's tonsure, work began on the development of the Cyrillic alphabet within the walls of the monastery. This is what one of the first alphabets is now called. Slavic language. Its primary name is "Glagolic". It is believed that the idea of its creation arose back in 856. The impetus for their invention was missionary activity and preaching Christianity. Many rulers and clergy turned to Constantinople in those days, asking for prayers and chants in their native language. The Glagolitic system allowed Cyril and Methodius to translate a number of church books into the Slavic language 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 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, who is noted separately, despite his brother's more important research contributions. They are always depicted together on icons; 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 from the 11th century, as some sources report, an official church date celebrations. The date was set as May 11. For many centuries it was a day of remembrance of 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 educators who gave the Slavic world the opportunity for self-determination and national independence, including through the church. This date became central in the cultural and spiritual life of the Balkan peoples.
19th century
Much changed at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century: a revision of values, views, the beginning of progress. It was during this period that the holiday of Slavic writing received new life. The beginning was again made in Bulgaria, where mass celebrations took place in 1857. Not wanting to lag behind the Slavic brothers and remembering the impetus for the development of linguistics, literature and science 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 Polish uprising was on the agenda. Nevertheless, it was this year that a decree was issued to celebrate the day of memory of Cyril and Methodius on May 11 (old style), the date was chosen by the Holy Synod. In 1863, celebrations took place to mark the thousandth anniversary of the supposed date of creation of the Old Church Slavonic alphabet.
Period of oblivion
Despite respect for the saints equal to the apostles and appreciation of their contribution in the form of translations of church books, memorable date, entered into the state calendar, seemed to be forgotten for a long time. Perhaps this was due to the development of the revolutionary movement, a coup d'etat, denying church canons, and wars that thundered across Eurasia. Once again, the holiday of Slavic writing was revived in Russia in 1985. This event took place in Murmansk, thanks to the writer, who was repeatedly awarded State awards- Vitaly Semenovich Maslov. It was he who became an activist in reviving interest in this holiday; it was also on his initiative that a monument to Cyril and Methodius was erected in Murmansk. Interest, fueled by the public, grew into a tradition that was soon legalized.
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 chosen was May 24, analogous to May 11 in the new style. From then on, celebrations were held in one of the cities, so, for the period from 1991 to 2000, the epicenter of events were Moscow, Vladimir, Belgorod, Kostroma, Orel, Yaroslavl, Pskov, Ryazan. Later, cities more distant from the capital were also involved - Novosibirsk, Khanty-Mansiysk. Since 2010, by decree of President D. A. Medvedev, the center for cultural and church events Moscow is assigned.
Church celebrations
The history of the holiday of Slavic literature 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, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior becomes, where the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' holds services. Traditional celebrations involve morning Divine Liturgy. Later, the patriarch gives a speech, addressing parishioners, spiritual and government officials. Within the walls of the temple the brothers are called “Slovenian teachers.” First of all, the educational orientation of the saints is noted, the fact that they brought the word, culture, language to the people, guided by divine laws and moral norms. The concept of enlightenment is interpreted in the church as the emission of light, showing a person the path to light, and therefore to God. On this moment the church actively participates in the life of the country, responding to political problems and the hardships of life of parishioners. This allows you not only to renounce earthly things by attending the liturgy, but also to find out the position of the church on the main issues of existence and statehood. After the official part, a procession to the monument to Cyril and Methodius takes place within the walls of the cathedral. It is located in the center of Moscow, a prayer service is held 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 national date, public organizations conduct concerts, exhibitions, presentations, readings, competitions and other events. The center of events becomes Red Square, where it is held large-scale concert, which opens in the afternoon with official speeches and continues for quite a long time. Soloists and groups change on stage, creating festive atmosphere on the streets of the city. The scope of the event is emphasized by the lineup of performers - these are the largest choirs, Symphony Orchestra, orchestras folk instruments. Actors and TV presenters consider it an honor to have the opportunity to perform on such a stage. The concert is broadcast on state channels. Celebrations also take place outside the capital, concentrated in central squares, at monuments, in parks, and in libraries. A unified scenario for the holiday of Slavic writing is provided, which regulates the main parameters of the celebrations.
Development of culture
Cyril and Methodius Day plays big role V cultural life countries. It fuels the interest of the younger generation in linguistics, literature, history, and introduces the older generation to historical milestones. The very history of the holiday “Day of Slavic Literature” speaks of its important mission - education. Open lectures, seminars, readings - those events that introduce visitors to new discoveries, main versions historical truth, with new literary and journalistic works.
Geography of the holiday
The Day of Literature and Culture is not only the prerogative of 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, it remains one of the favorites. Celebrations in city squares, churches, libraries, and schools are held in the cities of Moldova, Transnistria, Ukraine, and Belarus. Traditionally, forums, meetings, open readings, publication of monographs or historical essays. In order to diversify the content of events, anniversaries of writers, anniversaries of the death of clergy or historical markers are included in the celebration dates.
How to spend a writing day?
Many establishments preschool education, and public organizations celebrate the holiday of Slavic literature and culture in their own way. The scenario may vary. Some choose to hold charity events, others focus on literary and linguistic heritage, others choose to hold concerts and exhibitions. Of course the topic national unity, spiritual growth, wealth and value of the native language takes leading place. When a holiday of Slavic literature and culture is being prepared, the script takes a leading place, since it requires a clear schedule with an hourly schedule.
There are monuments to Cyril and Methodius in many cities in Russia and abroad. The contribution of the saints who gave to the Slavic people the key to the development of science and linguistics is difficult to overestimate. The holiday of Slavic writing is one of major events in the life of the country and the Slavic people.
Every year on May 24, Slavic countries celebrate the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. This holiday is associated with the names of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius - Slavic educators, creators of the Slavic alphabet, preachers of Christianity, the first translators of liturgical books from Greek into Slavic.
Slavic writing arose on May 24, 863 in the city of Pliska, the then capital of Bulgaria, where the Solun brothers Cyril and Methodius announced the invention of the Slavic alphabet. It was they, the Bulgarian enlighteners Cyril and Methodius, who created the first Slavic alphabet, which we use to this day. The alphabet got its name from the name of the youngest of the brothers - the Cyrillic alphabet.
The history of the Cyrillic alphabet is connected with Orthodoxy. Using the created alphabet, the brothers translated the Holy Scriptures and a number of liturgical books from Greek.It is no coincidence that the life feat of Cyril and Methodius is equated with the apostolic one, calling them the “first teachers” of the Slavs. Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius were canonized in ancient times. The solemn celebration of the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius was established in the Russian Church in 1863. Memorial Day of Cyril and Methodius - May 24, according to the new style, is now celebrated in Russia as a public holiday. The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is the only church and state holiday in our country.
Saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius
The siblings Cyril and Methodius came from a pious family that lived in the Greek city of Thessaloniki (in Macedonia). They were the children of the same governor, a Bulgarian Slav. Saint Methodius was the eldest of seven brothers, Saint Constantine (Cyril was his monastic name) the youngest.
Saint Methodius first served, like his father, in a military rank. The Tsar, having learned about him as a good warrior, appointed him as a governor in one Slavic principality of Slavinia, which was under the Greek power. Having served in the rank of governor for about 10 years and having experienced the vanity of life, Methodius began to renounce everything earthly and direct his thoughts to the heavenly. Leaving the province and all the pleasures of the world, he became a monk on Mount Olympus.
And his brother Saint Constantine, from his youth, showed brilliant success in both secular and religious-moral education. He studied with the young Emperor Michael from the best teachers Constantinople, including Photius, the future Patriarch of Constantinople. Having received an excellent education, he perfectly comprehended all the sciences of his time and many languages; he especially diligently studied the works of St. Gregory the Theologian, for which he received the nickname Philosopher (wise). At the end of his studies, Saint Constantine accepted the rank of priest and was appointed keeper of the patriarchal library at the Church of Saint Sophia. But, neglecting all the benefits of his position, he retired to one of the monasteries near the Black Sea. Almost by force, he was returned to Constantinople and appointed a teacher of philosophy at the highest school of Constantinople. Then Cyril retired to his brother Methodius and for several years shared monastic exploits with him in a monastery on Olympus, where he first began to study the Slavic language. Soon the emperor summoned both holy brothers from the monastery and sent them to the Khazars to preach the gospel. On the way, they stopped for some time in the city of Korsun (the ancient Russian name for the city of Chersonesos), where Constantine learned the Hebrew and Samaritan languages. Here the holy brothers learned that the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome, were in the sea, and they miraculously found them. There, in Korsun, Saint Constantine found the Gospel and the Psalter, written in “Russian letters,” and a man speaking Russian, and began to learn from this man to read and speak his language. After this, the holy brothers went to the Khazars, where they won the debate with Jews and Muslims, preaching the Gospel teaching.
Soon, ambassadors from the Moravian prince Rostislav, oppressed by the German bishops, came to the emperor with a request to send teachers to Moravia who could preach in the native language of the Slavs. The emperor called Saint Constantine and told him: “You need to go there, because no one will do this better than you.” Saint Constantine, with fasting and prayer, began a new feat. With the help of his brother Saint Methodius and his disciples Gorazd, Clement, Savva, Naum and Angelar, he compiled the Slavic alphabet and translated into Slavic the books without which the Divine service could not be performed: the Gospel, the Psalter and selected services. Some chroniclers report that the first words written in the Slavic language were the words of the Apostle Evangelist John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was to God, and God was the Word”. This was in 863.
After completing the translation, the holy brothers went to Moravia, where they were received with great honor and began to teach Divine services in the Slavic language. This aroused the anger of the German bishops, who performed divine services in the Moravian churches on Latin, and they rebelled against the holy brothers and filed a complaint to Rome. In 867 St. Methodius and Constantine were summoned by Pope Nicholas I to Rome for trial to resolve this issue. Taking with them the relics of Saint Clement, Pope of Rome, Saints Constantine and Methodius went to Rome. When they arrived in Rome, Nicholas I was no longer alive; his successor Adrian II, having learned that they were carrying with them the relics of St. Clement, met them solemnly outside the city. The Pope approved the Divine Service in the Slavic language, and ordered the books translated by the brothers to be placed in Roman churches and the Liturgy to be celebrated in the Slavic language.
While in Rome, Saint Constantine, informed by the Lord in a miraculous vision of his approaching death, took the schema with the name Cyril. 50 days after accepting the schema, on February 14, 869, Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril died at the age of 42. Before his death, he told his brother: “You and I, like a friendly pair of oxen, drove the same furrow; I’m exhausted, but don’t think about leaving the work of teaching and retiring to your mountain again.” The Pope ordered the relics of St. Cyril to be placed in the Church of St. Clement, where miracles began to be performed from them.
After the death of Saint Cyril, the pope, following the request of the Slavic prince Kocel, sent Saint Methodius to Pannonia, ordaining him archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, to the ancient throne of the holy Apostle Antrodin. At the same time, Methodius had to endure a lot of troubles from the missionaries, but he continued the Gospel preaching among the Slavs and baptized the Czech prince Borivoj and his wife Lyudmila (September 16), as well as one of the Polish princes.
IN last years During his life, Saint Methodius, with the help of two disciple-priests, translated the entire Old Testament into the Slavic language, except for the Maccabean books, as well as the Nomocanon (Rules of the Holy Fathers) and the patristic books (Paterikon).
The saint predicted the day of his death and died on April 6, 885 at the age of about 60 years. The funeral service for the saint was performed in three languages - Slavic, Greek and Latin; he was buried in the cathedral church of Velehrad, the capital of Moravia.
Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius were canonized in ancient times. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the memory of the Equal-to-the-Apostles enlighteners of the Slavs has been honored since the 11th century. The oldest services to saints that have survived to our time date back to the 13th century. The solemn celebration of the memory of the holy high priests Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius was established in the Russian Church in 1863.
After the death of the great brothers, their disciples suffered persecution. The Pope banned the study of the Slavic language. The cause of Cyril and Methodius, despite a persistent and lengthy struggle for many years, failed among the Western Slavs, but was firmly established in Bulgaria, and from there it was transferred to Serbia, Romania and Rus'. The students of Cyril and Methodius opened their own schools, and by the end of the 9th century, thousands of people were already reading and writing in Old Church Slavonic.
The Slavic alphabet existed in Rus' unchanged for more than seven centuries. Its creators tried to make each letter of the first alphabet simple and clear, easy to write. They understood that the letters must be beautiful so that a person, as soon as he sees them, immediately wants to master writing. The alphabet of Cyril and Methodius amazes us with its simplicity and convenience. In 1708, at the direction of Peter I, the alphabet was reformed for publications in the civil press; it was this version that formed the basis of the modern Russian font.
In the second half of the 18th century, the Russian alphabet was replenished with new letters that were not in the Slavic alphabet. At the beginning of the 20th century in Russia there was a need to simplify the alphabet and spelling. Such a reform was carried out in 1918.
Now our alphabet, compiled by Cyril and Methodius, is the simplest and most convenient. It contains optimal quantity letters - 33.
The spiritual feat of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles, is attested in extensive hagiographic literature, in words of praise and religious hymns, in ancient church services and chants, on icons and in church paintings, in artistic prose, in poetry and in numerous scientific works.
Cyril and Methodius accomplished a great work; the Slavic alphabet can rightfully be called a world masterpiece of linguistic culture. The power of the deed of Cyril and Methodius is great and immortal, like a native language!
Kirill(in the world Constantine, nickname - Philosopher, born in 827 - died in 869, Rome) and Methodius(in the world Michael; born in 815 - died in 885, Moravia) - brothers from the city of Thessaloniki (Soluni), creators of the Old Church Slavonic alphabet, preachers of Christianity.
The Orthodox Church canonized them as saints equal to the apostles (“Slovenian teachers”), and they are revered both in the West and in the East. IN scientific works are mentioned in exactly this order: Cyril and Methodius. As for the church, here at the level of liturgical use a different order of using the names of brothers has been adopted. Most likely, this is due to the fact that Methodius occupied a higher position in the church hierarchy (archbishop) compared to Cyril.
Origin
According to some sources, the birthplace of Cyril and Methodius was the city of Thessalonica. They were born into a wealthy family. It is known about their father, who bore the name Leo, that he was on military service under the governor (strategus of the theme) of the city of Thessalonica and came from a fairly wealthy family. There were 7 sons in his family, among whom Cyril was the eldest, and Methodius 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, the 19th century Slavic scholars Mikhail Pogodin and Hermengild Irechek substantiated this version by the fact that both brothers were fluent in the Slavic language in its local dialect. This 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 states that Cyril was born a Bulgarian: "I come from the salt city". 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 you stick to Greek origin Cyril and Methodius, then it is necessary to dwell on the description of the city of Thessalonica in order to understand how the environment influenced their life choices.
The city was bilingual. On its territory lived both people who used 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 Thessalonica belonged to different tribes, including the Draguvites, Sagudites and Smolyans. It was the latter who helped Cyril and Methodius create the version of the language known today as Church Slavonic.
Before becoming a monk, Methodius succeeded well in the military-administrative service. The help of the eunuch Theoctistus, the great logothete and friend of Methodius, allowed the future preacher to take the post of strategist of Slavinia (Macedonia).
Kirill was recognized as the most educated person of its time. Before his trip to Moravia, he was translating the Gospel into the Slavic language and completed the work of compiling the Slavic alphabet.
Years of study and teaching
Cyril studied geometry, philosophy, astronomy and languages in Constantinople. After graduating from Magnavra University, he was ordained a priest and began serving in the Cathedral of St. Sophia as a chartophylax, which literally meant “library keeper,” but in practice corresponded to the title of a modern academician.
He neglected his marriage to the goddaughter of the logothete, and soon left the post of hartophylax and preferred to move to the Black Sea coast to one of the monasteries. He lived as a hermit for some time, but then was forced to return to Constantinople and take a position as a philosophy teacher at the university where he himself studied.
It was from this time that the nickname Philosopher stuck to Kirill. He gained fame in the capital after he was able to successfully conduct a theological debate 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, he visited the palace of the Emir of Militene. Finally, in 856, Constantine, along with some of his students, went to the monastery where his brother Methodius was the abbot. There the idea was born - to create a Slavic alphabet. Most likely, Cyril decided to go to his brother because of the murder of his former patron, the logothete Theoktistus.
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 Kaganate. Upon arrival in Korsun, Constantine began to prepare for polemics, and along the way he mastered the Hebrew language and the Samaritan script. In addition, he gained access to the so-called Russian letter. Some scientists mistakenly believe that in this case we're talking about specifically about Russian writing. This approach is erroneous, since it is reasonable to consider these writings to be Syriac, that is, “Sura”. It was precisely at this time that the religious teaching associated with the Church of the East became widespread in Khazaria, so the Slavs living here could well have encountered Syriac writing.
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 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 what faith the Kagan belonged to and what level of power he was at. Perhaps there was a supreme kagan or kagan-bek before Constantine, but in this case a change of faith was practically impossible, and only the 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 argument, but the rabbi, who was able to take control of the situation and set the imam against Constantine, which allowed him to easily prove the correctness of the Jewish faith. This information was obtained thanks to Arabic sources and the collective work “The Letter of Joseph”.
Bulgarian mission
Today it is difficult to say that it was Cyril and Methodius who became the people with the help of whom the spread of Christianity began in Bulgaria. Quite a lot of scientists 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 persistence with surviving legends. 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 given an upbringing in accordance with the spirit of Christianity.
Around 860, she returned to her homeland and made every effort to ensure that her brother Boris accepted Christianity. As a result, Boris was baptized under the name Mikhail. 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 this time, Methodius and his brother were on the territory of Bulgaria. They gave 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 the Old Church Slavonic alphabet. In addition, they began translating church services into Bulgarian. The fact that the Slavic alphabet was created by Cyril and Methodius is confirmed by legend "About writings" Bulgarian monk Chernorizets Khrabra, a contemporary of Tsar Simeon: “If you ask the Slavic literati, saying: “Who created the letters for you or translated the books,” 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 at what time, they know and say that in the time of Michael, king of Greece, and Boris, prince of Bulgaria, and Rostislav, prince of Moravia, and Kocel, 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 863, if we proceed 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 Constantine, since it is not entirely clear what exactly he invented - the Glagolitic or Cyrillic alphabet.
Moravian Mission
The Emperor of Byzantium received envoys from the Moravian prince Rostislav in 862, who asked for help in maintaining the faith of Christ. In particular, he asked to send teachers Christian faith capable of conducting services in the Slavic language. This request was not only heard, but also accepted with delight by both the emperor himself and the patriarch. As a result, the Solun brothers were selected for a trip to Moravia.
While in Moravia, Constantine and Methodius were not only engaged in conducting divine services in the Slavic language, but also taught literacy to the local population, which included residents of Carpathian Rus. They continued to translate Greek church books into Slavic. They stayed in Moravia for 3 years, and then they were urgently sent to Rome.
The brothers were summoned by the Pope because Constantine and Methodius were accused of apostasy. They were accused of holding services in the Slavic language.
Up until the events described, the following postulate of faith was recognized: appeal to God can only be made in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. A similar interpretation arose due to the inscription on the Cross of the Lord, which was executed only in the 3 mentioned languages. 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 Roman Church the relics of St. Clement, which he received during his Chersonesos journey. Be that as it may, Adrian, the head catholic church, approved the right of the Slavs to use their language for worship.
last years of life
On February 14, 869 (old style), the preacher Cyril died in Rome, having previously adopted the schema and a new name. Only from this date is it legal to call him Kirill; before that he bore the name Konstantin, given to him at birth. He was buried in the Church of St. Clement.
The Pope made Methodius archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia. After this he went with his disciples to Pannonia - Slavic country, which Cyril and Methodius visited during their trip to Rome. There they spent quite a lot of time teaching the Slavs how to worship in their native language and how to write books.
Soon Methodius returned to Moravia. During his absence, major 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 prince's nephew Svyatopolk, who was under the influence of the Germans, ascended the throne.
In Moravia, services in the Slavic language began to be prohibited, and the machinations 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 German bishops to conduct 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 as an archbishop in 879, ignored the imposed decrees of the Pope and continued to conduct services in the forbidden language. He baptized Prince Borivoy and his wife Lyudmila in Slavic.
In the same year, German churchmen were able to again organize a trial 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 services to be held in the Slavic language.
In 881, Methodius received an invitation to Constantinople from Emperor Basil I. Arriving in the capital of Byzantium, the archbishop and his students remained there for another 3 years. Then he returned to Moravia, where, with 3 disciples, he completed the translation of the Old Testament and patristic books into the Slavic language.
In 885, Methodius died after a serious illness. His death occurred on Palm Sunday, that is, on April 19. The archbishop's funeral service was held in 3 languages: Slavic, 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 Ohridski, 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. This version no one disputes. At the same time, this work is the cornerstone of the creation of a new writing system, and this makes it fundamental for the creation of the Slavic alphabet. Thanks to Kirill’s unique linguistic abilities, Slavic sounds were isolated quite scientifically.
At the same time, the possibility of the existence of Slavic writing long before Cyril and Methodius is controversial. 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 he found a man speaking that speech. And he talked with him and understood the meaning of the language, correlating the differences between vowels and consonants with his language. And offering up prayer to God, he soon began to read and speak. And many were amazed at this, praising God.”
As an example, the zeal with which Kirill 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 was perfectly understood by everyone who considered it their native language. And only in the 12th century did the division of the language into dialects begin.
Researchers for the most part are inclined to two versions of the interpretation of a 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 “Russian”, but in “Surian”, which is tantamount to “Syrian”.
If we take into account Cyril’s study of the Hebrew language and writing in Samaritan at this time, then the second option is more likely. Metropolitan Macarius more than once emphasized that in the life itself it was repeatedly said about Cyril as the creator of Slavic writing.
Reverence
Russian Orthodoxy has established 2 dates for the memory of saints, associated with the days of their presentation. So, Cyril is venerated on February 27 (old style - February 14), and Methodius - on April 19 (old style - April 6).
The Catholic Church has introduced a single day of remembrance for the brothers - February 14. Previously, the date of celebration was July 5th. In 1863, the Roman Church celebrated the “year of the Slavic jubilee,” and Pope John Paul dedicated his encyclical letter “Apostles of the Slavs” to Cyril and Methodius.
In 1863, the Holy Government Synod of Russia decided to celebrate the day of Saints Cyril and Methodius on May 11 (according to Julian calendar). It is unclear why this particular date was chosen.
On May 11, 1858, the day of remembrance for Cyril and Methodius was celebrated for the first time in Plovdiv within 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 of the existence of a certain church document dated May 11 and defining the principles of painting the icons of Cyril and Methodius.
On May 11, 1872, despite the prohibition of the Patriarch, Exarch Anfim I performed a liturgy held 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, since there was a separation between the Greeks and the Bulgarians, which was the reason for the refusal to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of Cyril and Methodius by the Greek Church for political reasons.
A decree of the Holy Synod of 1855 established that May 11 should be considered a medium 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 related to the spiritual department. Provided all-night vigil and liturgy with prayer service. Students of religious institutions were exempted from classes, and in church schools a graduation ceremony was held on May 11.
In 1991, the holiday in honor of Cyril and Methodius became a national holiday in the following countries: Czech Republic, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Slovakia. In Russia and Bulgaria, the “Day of Slavic Culture and Literature” is celebrated on May 24. Macedonia also celebrates this holiday on May 24, but here it is already called “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 Golly created a poem called “Cyril and Methodias”, and the lives of the saints were included in the “Khazar Dictionary” by Milorad Pavic. Bulgaria established the Order of Cyril and Methodius.
