Holiday “Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. Slavic writing and culture

On May 24, Russia celebrates “Day Slavic writing and culture." The history of the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. It should be said that this holiday of Christian enlightenment, the holiday of the native word, native book, native literature, native culture. Studying various sciences native language, we, in the words of the ancient Russian chronicler, are reaping what was sown by the most ancient enlighteners of Rus', who adopted writing from the first teachers of the Slavic peoples - Saints Cyril and Methodius.

For the first time, the day of Slavic writing began to be celebrated in Bulgaria in 1857. In Russia - in 1863. In our country, the holiday of Slavic writing and culture was revived in 1986 in Murmansk under the leadership of the writer Vitaly Semenovich Maslov. Since 1991, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the holiday was given state status.

All Slavs who preserve Orthodoxy and Orthodox culture sacredly honor Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius. For more than a thousand years in all Orthodox churches In Russia, at every festive church service, Saints Cyril and Methodius are remembered and glorified as the first “Slovenian teachers”. The veneration of the enlighteners of the Slavic peoples especially intensified in Russia in the 19th century. This was facilitated by a number of significant anniversaries, as well as the participation of the Russian people in liberation movement Balkan peoples.

For the first time, the Bulgarians came up with the initiative to hold a holiday of Slavic writing in 1857. On the initiative of the same Bulgaria, this holiday is celebrated in other “Cyrillic” countries: Serbia, Montenegro, even in the Catholic Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Now in Russia, as well as in many former Soviet republics, there are cultural events and celebrations on this occasion. But only in Bulgaria is this a national holiday: this day is a non-working day, everyone goes to festive services, demonstrations, religious processions, and concerts.

In Russia, the Day of Slavic Literature was first celebrated in 1863. Unfortunately, this tradition lasted only a few decades.

In 1869, it was 1000 years since the death of St. Constantine-Cyril. In all Slavic countries ah, solemn services were performed for the Slavic first teachers, poets dedicated poems to them, and composers composed songs of praise in their honor and memory.

In 1877, the war between Russia and Turkey began for the liberation of the Balkan countries. Russia took an active part in liberating the Bulgarian people of the same faith from Turkish rule, and the Russian army sacrificed the lives of many of its best warriors to the altar of victory. The unity of the two Orthodox peoples was sealed by Slavic blood shed at the Danube, on Shipka and near Plevna. On February 19 (March 3, Gregorian style), 1878, a peace treaty was signed under the walls of Constantinople, in San Stefano, which proclaimed “truth and freedom where previously lies and slavery reigned.”

The liberation of the Bulgarian people from the Ottoman yoke gave rise to the celebration of the “Day of Cyril and Methodius” (or, as this day is called in Bulgaria, the “Feast of Letters”) precisely because the national revival of the Bulgarians in the 19th century is directly related to the revival of national writing, school education and the Bulgarian culture in general. On May 24, on the day of remembrance of Saints Cyril and Methodius, it has become a tradition to hold demonstrations throughout Bulgaria every year, literary evenings, concerts.

1885 marked the 1000th anniversary of the death of Saint Methodius. On this date, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church sent out a special holiday Message throughout Russia, which spoke of the great feat of the first teachers of the Slavic peoples. P.I. Tchaikovsky wrote a hymn in honor of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Since 1901, by order of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, May 11 (24) has become a holiday for many educational institutions in Russia. By this day, many schools had finished training sessions, solemn prayers were served and holiday concerts and evenings.

After the revolution of 1917, the memory of Cyril and Methodius was preserved only by the Church and Russian Slavists who studied the scientific heritage of Cyril and Methodius.

Two significant anniversaries of the 20th century passed almost unnoticed by the general public: in 1969 - the 1100th anniversary of the death of St. Cyril, and in 1985 - the 1100th anniversary of the death of St. Methodius.

Only since 1963 in the Soviet Union (the year of the 1100th anniversary of the creation of the Slavic alphabet) scientific conferences dedicated to this holiday began to be held, and even then irregularly.

Murmansk writer Vitaly Semenovich Maslov (1935-2001) was one of the first who advocated for the revival of the tradition of holding holidays of Slavic writing already in 1980, but he managed to implement this only in 1986 in Murmansk. At the first holiday, it was decided to choose the center of the celebrations every year new town- a kind of capital of the holiday, in which this day is celebrated especially solemnly. In 1987 it was already Vologda, in 1988 - Novgorod, 1989 - Kyiv, 1990 - Minsk.

The significant year 1991 also became the year in the history of the holiday when, by Decree of the Presidium Supreme Council RSFSR on January 30, May 24 was declared a public holiday - the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. This year the holiday took place in Smolensk. In 1992, Moscow became the center of celebrations, in 1993 - Chersonese, 1994 - Thessaloniki, 1995 - Belgorod, 1996 - Orel, 1997 - Kostroma, 1998 - Pskov, 1999 - Yaroslavl, 2000 - Ryazan, 2001 - Kaluga, 2002 - Novosibirsk, 2003 – Voronezh, 2004 – Samara, in 2005 – Rostov-on-Don.

Day of Slavic Literature and Culture celebrated everywhere. In terms of its content, the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture has long been the only state-church holiday in Russia. By decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna has been co-chairman of the Organizing Committee of the holiday for several years.

With good reason we can talk about the uniqueness of this holiday of spirituality, held with the Russian Orthodox Church. Without a doubt, he represents a significant phenomenon in the cultural and political life of the entire Slavic world. Going back to the roots national cultures Slavic peoples, their close relationship emphasizes the organic unity and at the same time the diversity of Slavic cultural traditions.

In recent years, a structure has been formed and the main events of the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture have been determined. Every year, regardless of the day of the week, the administration of the region hosting the holiday declares May 24 a day off. In the morning, a service is held in the main temple of the city. Divine Liturgy in honor of Saints Cyril and Methodius, followed by a religious procession of the participants of the holiday. On one of the central squares, festively decorated and equipped for this occasion, addresses to an audience of thousands were heard from the main organizers of the holiday: the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, as well as the co-chairs of the Organizing Committee - a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church and the head of the regional administration. As part of the holiday there is public lesson for students of schools, secondary and higher educational institutions.

The International Scientific Conference “Slavic World: Community and Diversity” is traditionally held. On this day, grandiose folk festivals take place on the streets and squares of cities in museums wooden architecture, in protected architectural ensembles. As a rule, almost all nationalities take part in them. artistic groups cities and regions.

A unique artistic highlight of the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is the original evening ceremonial event, taking place in the open air in the most significant historical part of the city. The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is a holiday of Christian enlightenment, a holiday of native words, native books, native literature, native culture. By learning various sciences in our native language, we, in the words of the ancient Russian chronicler, are reaping what was sown by the most ancient enlighteners of Rus', who adopted writing from the first teachers of the Slavic peoples - Saints Cyril and Methodius.

At the end of the ninth century AD, the Slavs finally had their own alphabet. Michael the Third, Emperor of Byzantium, gave the order to create an orderly writing system for the Old Church Slavonic language. The brothers Cyril and Methodius took up this matter. That is why 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 know nothing about it. It’s even sadder that people often don’t understand its purpose, its meaning.

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

With the advent of writing, man was able to write down necessary information, which means gaining and mastering new knowledge. And how quickly the culture began to develop! And the contribution of Cyril and Methodius to the entire life of people can hardly be overestimated. In general, we modern life It is very difficult to imagine how people lived before when they did not have letters.

And now about the holiday itself. Every year on May 24, the “Day of Slavic Literature and Culture” is celebrated in the Russian Federation. In other states, whose population comes from the Slavic community, there are also similar holidays. They just have different names, as well as dates (although in Bulgaria, as in Russia, it 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 work of the holy brothers, thanks to whom the Slavs got 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 Literature and Culture” goes back to the distant tenth (according to some sources, the eleventh) century of the new era. 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' "Day" Slavic culture and writing,” or rather the Day of Cyril and Methodius, was forgotten for some time, but was remembered again in 1863. The date was proposed: 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 the round date - 1100 years have passed since the death of Methodius. In 1986, the Festival of Writing 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 stated that now every year a holiday called “Day of Slavic Literature and Culture” would be held. Moreover, it was noted that the Russian Orthodox Church will take direct part in it. And this is not surprising, because Cyril and Methodius are canonized.

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

How is everything going today?

Days of Slavic culture and literature are not held according to one standardized plan, they are always different, always interesting and lively. There is also a place in them for discussion of pressing problems, 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 your people, your language, pride in them. Of course, they do not forget to remember the brothers who gave people writing. The “Day of Slavic Culture” itself is intended to unite and preserve that cultural heritage, which we 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 Slavic! 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 educate it in our children. Agree that we have something to be proud of! It’s not for nothing that the works of Slavic writers and poets are famous for such insight, such bewitching and incredibly beautiful turns of speech! Reading their books is a pleasure. Therefore, let's love and respect our writing, our Slavic culture. She has given and continues to give us a lot!

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

From this article you will learn:

You have been able to read and write since school, thanks to which today you actively and quickly manage the keyboard and websites. Do you know who you owe these unique skills to? Of course, to my first teacher, but if you look much deeper... On May 24, Russia will celebrate the Day of Cyril and Methodius - the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Thessalonica brothers who created the Slavic alphabet.

So they are our first teachers.

Cyril and Methodius: the story of the Thessaloniki brothers

There is a lot of information about Cyril and Methodius on the Internet. In order not to let our thoughts wander, let’s put together all the facts and post a brief chronicle of their lives, decorated with interesting facts.

Names

The names of the Thessalonica brothers are their monastic names, but in fact Cyril was called Constantine from birth, and Methodius was Michael: such native Russian names... And Cyril-Constantine also had a nickname in the world: Philosopher. Now we can only guess at the reasons why he received it.

Origin Constantine (years 827–869) was younger than Michael (815–885), but died much earlier than him. And between them, their parents had five more sons. Father was a military officer. Some do not understand how the brothers, born in the Greek city of Thessalonica, could know perfectly Slavic language

. But Thessalonica was a unique city: they spoke both Greek and Slavic dialects.

Career Yes, yes, exactly a career. Before becoming a monk, Mikhail managed to become a strategist (Greek), and Constantine was known as the smartest and most educated person in the entire Greek state. Constantine even had a touching love story with one of the daughters of a Greek dignitary. If he got married, he would have a brilliant career. But the Greek decides to devote his life to God and people. The brothers become monks, gather like-minded people around them and begin to work hard on creating the alphabet.

Missions of Constantine

Constantine went to different countries with embassies, converted people to Christianity, taught them the alphabet. Over the centuries, we know of only three such missions: Khazar, Bulgarian and Moravian. One can only guess how many languages Konstantin actually knew.

After their death, the brothers left followers and students who contributed to the spread of the Slavic alphabet, on the basis of which our modern writing was created.

Quite informative biographies. It is difficult to imagine that so many centuries ago someone conceived such a global task - to teach the Slavs the alphabet. And they not only conceived, but also created...

History of the holiday of Slavic writing

How and why did May 24 become Cyril and Methodius Day? This is a unique case when a public holiday and an Orthodox holiday found common ground. On the one hand, Cyril and Methodius are saints revered by the church, and the state perfectly understands the importance of writing for the population. So there was a happy merger of two global understandings. However, the path to the formation of this holiday was not easy if you follow its stages:

The Russian Holy Synod in 1863 by decree determined that in connection with the celebration of the anniversary (millennium) of the Moravian mission of Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, from May 11 (and according to the new style - 24) to establish a celebration in honor of Methodius and Cyril annually.
In the USSR, in 1986, when the date of the 1100th anniversary of the death of Methodius was celebrated, May 24 was officially declared by the Government as the “Holiday of Slavic culture and writing.”
In 1991, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR adopted a resolution to hold “Days of Slavic Culture and Literature” every year.

Through the crucible of all these transformations and trials, the Day of Cyril and Methodius appears before us as it is now.

Cyril and Methodius Day: customs and traditions

Any celebration, especially if it goes back centuries, is always associated with certain traditions and customs, dictated by the life of peasants in Rus'. Some elements are reborn and adapt to modern conditions life, and something is irretrievably a thing of the past. How do you celebrate Cyril and Methodius Day? Maybe one of the holiday traditions will suit your taste?

Prayer services, Divine services, Religious processions

On May 24, in Orthodox churches, chants of praise are heard in honor of the Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers. These can be prayer services or entire services, but one way or another, any Orthodox person strives to go to church on this day to light a candle for Cyril and Methodius. In many parishes and dioceses, religious processions are held in honor of the brothers to show the significance of their deeds for the entire culture of Russia.

Scientific conferences

As a rule, on May 24, various scientific conferences and symposiums of various levels are held - from school to all-Russian ones. Most often, the topic of such scientific meetings is the fate and history of the Russian language. In parallel with this, various thematic exhibitions are organized and competitions are held.

This is what it is, Cyril and Methodius Day, in Russia, in the Russian Orthodox Church, in the heart of every Russian person. This is our history, which we must sacredly honor and respect and pass on to our children. I would like to wish that with the introduction of all computer technologies, people still do not forget the book as one of the main values left to us by the Solun brothers.

Day of Slavic Literature and Culture (Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius) is the Russian name of the holiday dedicated to the day of remembrance of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Methodius and Cyril (IX).

Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius, Slovenian teachers

The holy Equal-to-the-Apostles first teachers and Slavic educators, the brothers Cyril and Methodius, came from a noble and pious family that lived in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. Saint Methodius was the eldest of seven brothers, Saint Constantine (Cyril was his monastic name) the youngest. Saint Methodius was at first in a military rank and was a ruler in one of the Slavic principalities subordinate to the Byzantine Empire, apparently Bulgarian, which gave him the opportunity to learn the Slavic language. Having stayed there for about 10 years, Saint Methodius then became a monk in one of the monasteries on Mount Olympus. From an early age Saint Constantine was distinguished by great abilities and studied together with the young Emperor Michael from the best teachers Constantinople, including Photius, the future Patriarch of Constantinople. Saint Constantine perfectly comprehended all the sciences of his time and many languages; he especially diligently studied the works of Saint Gregory the Theologian. For his intelligence and outstanding knowledge, Saint Constantine received the nickname Philosopher (wise). At the end of his studies, Saint Constantine accepted the rank of priest and was appointed custodian of the patriarchal library at the Church of Saint Sophia, but soon left the capital and secretly entered a monastery. Found there and returned to Constantinople, he was appointed teacher of philosophy at the higher school of Constantinople. The wisdom and strength of faith of the still very young Constantine were so great that he managed to defeat the leader of the iconoclast heretics, Annius, in a debate. After this victory, Constantine was sent by the emperor to debate about the Holy Trinity with the Saracens (Muslims) and also won. Having returned, Saint Constantine retired to his brother Saint Methodius on Olympus, spending time in unceasing prayer and reading the works of the holy fathers.

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, preparing for the sermon. There the holy brothers miraculously found the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (November 25). 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. On the way home, the brothers again visited Korsun and, taking the relics of Saint Clement there, returned to Constantinople. Saint Constantine remained in the capital, and Saint Methodius received the abbess in the small monastery of Polychron, not far from Mount Olympus, where he had previously labored.

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 the 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 Apostle, the Psalter and selected services. 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 Latin in the Moravian churches, and they rebelled against the holy brothers, arguing that divine services could only be performed in one of three languages: Hebrew, Greek or Latin. Saint Constantine answered them: “You recognize only three languages worthy of glorifying God in them. But David cries: Sing to the Lord, all the earth, praise the Lord, all nations, let every breath praise the Lord! And in the Holy Gospel it is said: Go and learn all languages...” The German bishops were disgraced, but became even more embittered and filed a complaint to Rome. The holy brothers were called to Rome to resolve this issue. Taking with them the relics of Saint Clement, Pope of Rome, Saints Constantine and Methodius went to Rome. Having learned that the holy brothers were carrying holy relics with them, Pope Adrian and the clergy went out to meet them. The holy brothers were greeted with honor, the Pope approved worship in the Slavic language, and ordered the books translated by the brothers to be placed in Roman churches and the liturgy to be performed in the Slavic language.

While in Rome, Saint Constantine fell ill and, informed by the Lord in a miraculous vision of his approaching death, he 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. Going to God, Saint Cyril commanded his brother Saint Methodius to continue their common cause - the enlightenment of the Slavic peoples with the light of the true faith. Saint Methodius begged the Pope to allow his brother's body to be taken away for burial in native land, but 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 St. Cyril, the pope, following the request of the Slavic prince Kotzel, sent St. Methodius to Pannonia, ordaining him as Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, to the ancient throne of St. Andronicus the Apostle. In Pannonia, St. Methodius, together with his disciples, continued to spread worship, writing and books in the Slavic language . This again angered the German bishops. They achieved the arrest and trial of Saint Methodius, who was exiled to prison in Swabia, where he endured much suffering for two and a half years. Released by order of Pope John VIII and restored to his rights as an archbishop, Methodius continued preaching the gospel among the Slavs and baptized the Czech prince Borivoj and his wife Lyudmila (September 16), as well as one of the Polish princes. For the third time, German bishops initiated persecution against the saint for not accepting the Roman teaching about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and from the Son. Saint Methodius was summoned to Rome, but justified himself before the pope, preserving the purity of the Orthodox teaching, and was again returned to the capital of Moravia - Velehrad.

Here, in the last years of his life, Saint Methodius, with the help of two disciple-priests, translated the entire Old Testament into Slavic, except for the Maccabean books, as well as the Nomocanon (Rules of the Holy Fathers) and the patristic books (Paterikon).

Anticipating the approach of his death, Saint Methodius pointed to one of his disciples, Gorazd, as a worthy successor. 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.

http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life1038.htm

Slavic glorious day

The feat of Saints Cyril and Methodius - the creation of the Slavic alphabet in 863 - gave us not only writing, but also the opportunity to perform divine services and read the Holy Scriptures in our native language. The very formation of Russian statehood coincided with the birth of the Slavic alphabet. Cyril and Methodius celebrations in Russia and Moscow, second half of the 19th century century can be partly compared with Pushkin's celebrations - they were the same understanding of the origins of national identity and the Russian idea in the light of the feat of the Thessaloniki brothers.

The first celebration in honor of Cyril and Methodius coincided with the celebration of the millennium of Russia in 1862, since the following year, 1863, marked the millennium of the Slavic alphabet. Such a combination was very symbolic and testified to the unity of the Church, nation and language. It is quite natural that, as a sign of the national holiday, they remembered the “Slavic apostles”, since, according to M.N. Katkov, the language is the people. Their holiday was especially “promoted” by the Slavophiles. The eve of the honoring of the Thessaloniki brothers was marked by a kind of miracle - in 1855, the historian M.N. Pogodin donated a piece of the holy relics of Cyril, once given to him in Prague, to the house church of Moscow University - the first Cyril and Methodius celebrations in Russia took place there.

The initiative was made by the Church, and this first holiday was exclusively church. In the 17th century, due to the editing of Russian liturgical books according to Greek models, the ancient service to the first teachers was not included in the official printed Monthly Book. That is why, at the beginning of 1860, Bishop Anthony of Smolensk (Amphiteatrov) turned to the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod with a request that the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius, established by the Church on May 11, should be honored in a more appropriate manner, especially considering their ancient celebrations in Rus'. He proposed drawing up a new solemn service and timing its celebration in churches to coincide with the 1000th anniversary of Russia and the enlightenment of the Slavic peoples.

The service compiled by Bishop Anthony was approved and included in the liturgical books on May 11 and sent out to Russian churches.

“As the apostle of unanimity and the Slovenian countries, the teacher, Cyril and Methodius of God-wisdom, pray to the Lord of all, to establish all Slovenian languages in Orthodoxy and unanimity, to pacify the world and save our souls.”

This service was first performed in Russia on May 11, 1862. In Moscow, the first celebrations in honor of Cyril and Methodius took place in the house church of Moscow University - at the intersection of faith and science, for the word, worship and education are interconnected. At the festive liturgy, the ancient canon of St. Cyril and Methodius, and at its end a prayer service was performed. Then, at the suggestion of the professors, a fund was opened for the construction of an icon of Cyril and Methodius for the university’s home church.

The first celebrations were modest, but marked the beginning of the return of the memory of the Slavic apostles to modern society and the initiative to revive the Slavic idea under the auspices of Russia, and most importantly - the comprehension of national self-awareness in the bosom of the Orthodox Church, which was a kind of opposition to militant liberalism and nihilism. I.S. Aksakov called this holiday “the guarantee of the future spiritual reunification of all Slavs, and a link connecting scattered brothers.”

The rumor about the May 11 celebration in Moscow will spread throughout all Slavic countries with the joyful news of future liberation; because the spiritual revival of the Slavs is impossible without the participation of the multi-million Russian tribe in the common feat of Slavic self-awareness.” So let this holiday in the future spread from the Assumption Cathedral to a rural church in the most remote outback.

The clergy called in the future to turn the holiday of Cyril and Methodius into a holiday of public education, for the holy brothers were the people's teachers, and to glorify them as patrons of public education. In the meantime, they decided that the best memory of them in modern times is the continuation of their work both in education and in the development of Slavic speech. In the same 1862, Alexander II ordered the establishment of Cyril and Methodius scholarships - four personal scholarships for each Russian university. Sculptures of Cyril and Methodius were placed on the great monument “Millennium of Russia” in Novgorod.

In 1863, the 1000th anniversary of Slavic writing broke out, marked by a festive liturgy in the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral. Shortly before that, the Holy Synod adopted a decree by which May 11 was once again officially declared the day of the annual church celebration of the memory of the Thessaloniki brothers “in memory of the completion of the millennium from the initial illumination of our native language with the Gospel and the faith of Christ.”

The time itself was conducive to such celebrations and moved Russia, and the entire Slavic world, to rethink its own existence in the light of the mission of the Slavic apostles, for anniversary dates moved with amazing speed. Already in 1869, a new millennium was celebrated: from the day of the death of St. Kirill. The day before, a miracle happened: two years earlier, the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Leonid, during a trip to Athos, discovered the most ancient icon image of Cyril and Methodius there. They painted an image from it and brought it to Russia.

Now the holiday was celebrated not only in churches, but took on the character of a civil celebration. On that day, February 14, festive services were held in the Kremlin Miracle Monastery and many Moscow churches, followed by public ceremonies. An open meeting of the Slavic Charity Committee was held at Moscow University, at which the establishment of the Kirillov Prize for students was announced, “in order to encourage young people to engage in Slavic studies,” which was not particularly successful at that time. And then the director of the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev Museums V.A. Dashkov promised to build a temple of Cyril and Methodius at the university museum architectural style X century (at the time of the baptism of Rus') and with a chapel in the name of St. Prince Vladimir the Great.

The historical situation was truly amazing. On the one hand, there are great anniversaries, marked by a surge of Orthodox, national and social thought, events in the Balkans on the eve Russian-Turkish war prompted reflection on the true mission of the Thessaloniki brothers and their heritage. On the other hand, their memory never managed to outgrow the church and scientific level and remain a national topic. After the end of the anniversaries, the euphoria subsided, the memory subsided, all undertakings and plans fell into oblivion, and the Slavic mission, together with the legacy of Cyril and Methodius, still remained the lot of the church and narrowly scientific environment.

However, after the Russian-Turkish war, the liberation of Bulgaria and the murder of Alexander the Liberator, when the third great anniversary came on April 6, 1885 - the 1000th anniversary of the death of Methodius, the holiday was given the character of a state and pan-Slavic celebration, in which the mission of the Thessaloniki brothers was conceptualized as pan-Slavic and exclusively in the bosom Orthodoxy. The situation was partly dictated by the fact that the Catholic Church also celebrated the holiday at the Velegrad celebrations, for Slavic Catholics, where Cyril and Methodius preached before the schism. In Russia, many considered it blasphemy to honor the memory of St. Methodius with a Mass in Latin. In addition, in the Catholic environment there were also “dreams” about the unification of the Western and Eastern Slavs under their auspices, as opposed to a similar desire in Russia. The creation of Slavic Orthodox worship by the Thessalonica brothers was what they tried to emphasize at the celebrations in Russia. After all, before Cyril and Methodius, only ancient Greek, Latin and Hebrew were considered worthy languages for performing divine services. (As explained, in these languages, by order of Pontius Pilate, the inscription was made on the Cross of Calvary of the Lord.)

Now the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, K.P. Pobedonostsev, personally took charge of preparing the anniversary, considering it necessary to organize a grandiose Orthodox celebration. He wrote to Alexander III:

I think that this celebration will not remain without important consequences and will confirm popular consciousness(which is especially important on the outskirts) a sense of nationality and the concept of enlightenment associated with the Church.

Pobedonostsev asked the sovereign to honor the celebration with his presence precisely to give the holiday the proper official status - not only church, but also state, national, and popular.

As a result, the festivities of 1885 became the apogee in the history of honoring the memory of the Slavic apostles. The preparation was thorough and wise. First of all, the lives of the holy brothers were printed in accessible Russian, which were distributed to the people free of charge, scientific and popular biographies, even the ancient church services of St. Cyril and Methodius. Secondly, a broad educational campaign was carried out. “Moskovskie Vedomosti” was noted for the wisest article by M.N. Katkov, in which he, discussing the mission of the Slavic apostles and its significance for the world and Russia, called, among other things, to protect the language, to cleanse it of introduced “monstrous forms” and not to forget that The Slavic language is Russian, only in its most ancient state.

Hence, in order to translate the Holy Scripture from Old Church Slavonic into Russian for the people, it is necessary to preserve its “warehouse”, only replacing the “incomprehensible with the understandable”, and not translating “Our Father” as “Our Father” or instead of Lord - Master. That is, do not transmit “sacred objects in the form of everyday speech.” (Katkov rarely loses his sense of modernity). The merit of the Thessaloniki brothers is actually the birth of the Russian people.

They raised the new people who came into the world to historical life, they created a new force in the world, which is destined for its purpose in the economy of Providence, which, with the division of the Churches that arose, is destined to remain in the East... if Cyril and Methodius had not sanctified our primitive language, they would not have raised our word into the Divine Service Body, there would be no place left and there would be no vessel for the Eastern Orthodox Church, there would be no one to carry out the work of its destinies.

Celebrations in Russia took place with the participation of the imperial couple and foreign delegations from Slavic countries. On April 6, before the festive service in St. Isaac's Cathedral, the consecration of Archimandrite Mitrofan (Ban), who was appointed Metropolitan of Montenegro, took place. Pobedonostsev asked the sovereign to grant him the highest episcopal vestments, similar to those that Russian bishops wore for their coronation.

And then the liturgy took place in the presence of the sovereign, the chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, ministers and Slavic deputations, and the festive message of the Holy Synod was read out.

By the grace of God, through them the Gospel of Christ was sent down to us, through them we came to know the beauty of the Church and were brought from darkness to light and from death to eternal life

The next day, civil festivities took place. In the evening, a ceremonial meeting of the Slavic Charitable Society was held under the chairmanship of P.P. Durnovo. The same “Muscovite” ideas about unity were repeated Slavic tribe, “a solid foundation for which, a thousand years ago, was laid by Saints Cyril and Methodius.” There were also unexpected fresh thoughts. For example, V.I. Lamansky very much supported the idea of the Slavic Catholics about the restoration of an independent Moravian archbishopric (St. Methodius served as Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia) with Slavic dioceses and about the return of Latin Christianity to the apostolic traditions and customs of the ancient Roman Church. It was in this that he saw the beginning of real reconciliation and the resolution of many Slavic disputes.

Moscow celebrated in its own way, crowded with thousands of pilgrims surrounding the Kremlin, Red Square and the surrounding area. The liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was performed by Bishop Alexy of Tauride, where, by the way, several students from each school were present - that is, the idea of Cyril and Methodius’ patronage of public education began to gradually come true. From there the procession went to the Kremlin. There, in the Assumption Cathedral, after the end of the liturgy, a grand procession began to the ringing of all the Kremlin bells. The spectacle was majestic - hundreds of banners swayed, bells hummed, golden vestments sparkled, a thousand-spoken prayer was read out. The festive procession through the Spassky Gate entered Red Square, where the icon of St. Cyril and Methodius, walked to the Nikolsky Gate and through them returned to the Kremlin.

Then the civil festivities began. A solemn meeting was held at Moscow University, opening with the singing “Today the grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us together.” At the Katkovsky Lyceum of Tsarevich Nicholas, after the liturgy in the house church, V.V. Nazarevsky, an outstanding historian of Moscow, delivered an anniversary speech. At the Moscow Theological Seminary, hymns to the Slavic apostles were performed, to the music of P.I. Tchaikovsky and priest V.F. Starorussky. Metropolitan Ioannikiy proposed to honor the memory of the Slavic pioneer teachers by establishing a “Brotherhood for assistance to parochial schools.” The Brotherhood of Cyril and Methodius was created and existed until 1917, and should not be confused with the Kostomarov society of the same name. Everyone that day cared about the national holiday of education - lectures were organized for ordinary Muscovites in libraries and reading rooms.

And there was also a completely logical thought expressed in Katkov’s article and in the speech of the Irkutsk cathedral archpriest Afanasy Vinogradov, consonant with it, regarding the Catholic and Orthodox celebration. Can they be considered united and equal? Catholic Slavs, “Czechs, Moravians, Slovenians and Croats rightly celebrate because missionary activity brothers took place in their countries." However, the Western Slavs fell away from the Orthodox doctrine of the holy brothers (who preached before the schism of the Churches), the order of worship they introduced, and rejected the fruits of their educational activities. As a result, the service at the Velegrad celebrations is in Latin. As Katkov put it, the Russian people “put their cause at the forefront of their entire building - both church and state.” East Slavs preserved teaching and worship in their original form, and although the Slavic dialects have already moved significantly away from one another, “the language of the Church still remains common among them” - this is the guarantee of the spiritual unity of the Slavic world, “under the moral influence of the Russian people, as the senior member this family."

Thus, Pobedonostsev, according to the modern researcher A. Popovkin, took a kind of revenge for the Berlin Congress, at which the achievements of the Russian-Turkish war were diplomatically failed. Now Russia finds itself at the head of the Slavic celebrations, claiming “the status of the imperial center of Slavic civilization.” The Emperor was pleased.

And then everything went downhill again. The pre-revolutionary, semi-liberal, semi-revolutionary Russian society, torn apart by political strife, turned out to be incapable of deeply comprehending the Slavic mission, and historical events this was not favored. It turned out to be easier to hold and attend one-time celebrations than to join them spiritually. The anniversary “ideas” were carried out for a long time and with difficulty, or were not even fulfilled. According to historian V.F. Kozlov, on the site near the Senate Tower, where the Historical Museum had almost appeared before, they were going to build the Moscow Church of Cyril and Methodius, but in the end only a mausoleum was built. Encyclopedia Slavic philology saw the light a quarter of a century after the Methodius celebrations, but only in the form of the first volume. Only the idea of the patronage of the holy brothers for public education gained strength. In 1887, a house church in their name was consecrated in the Agricultural School on Smolensky Boulevard (later - the Military Veterinary Academy), and in 1911 - in a church-school near the Danilovsky Cemetery. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Synod ordered that on May 11 (24) a festive service be held in house churches in front of all educational institutions spiritual department with the release of students from classes.

The thread of history continues. In our time, the holiday to the creators of the Russian word has become a state holiday. In 1992, a wonderful monument to Cyril and Methodius with an unquenchable lamp was erected on Slavyanskaya Square, happily renamed from Nogin Square. The monument as a symbol of the revival of Russia and as the same guarantee of Slavic unity.

Let us recall the words from the Tale of Bygone Years: “Whoever blasphemes the Slovenian Charter must be excommunicated from the church.”

Elena Lebedeva

Every year in Russia they celebrate the most historical and national holiday - the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture, May 24. How did he appear? Who is it dedicated to? How is it usually celebrated? Answers to these and many others important questions can be found in this article.

History of origin

May 24 is the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. The date of its origin is unknown. People only know for sure that the creators of the holiday are the famous two brothers - Methodius and Cyril. They - preachers of Christianity - tried to translate Greek letters into an understandable Slavic language. The first alphabet appeared approximately 1150 years ago.

The holiday was established by church workers: they considered this literary feat worthy of special attention!

First, in 1980, Bulgarians began to celebrate this holiday. Gradually, Russian people, Ukrainians and Belarusians began to adhere to this tradition.

Interesting facts about the origin of the alphabet

Two brothers lived around the middle of the 9th century. All their lives they preached in the Greek city of Thessaloniki, devoting their existence to the study of Slavic writing. The real name of the younger brother is Konstantin. As a young man, he decided to become a monk, renaming himself Kirill. It was he who first thought about how to make the Greek language more understandable. Konstantin began to translate each letter into the Slavic language. In honor of his new name, he named the created alphabet “Cyrillic”. Konstantin's interest was fully supported by his older brother. Together they managed to create the very alphabet that every Russian learns in elementary school.

The morning begins with a discussion

The history of the day of Slavic writing and culture is known to almost every person. In Russia, this day begins with the fact that on all the news of the central channels they congratulate on a wonderful event and reveal the most Interesting Facts about the holiday.

Early in the morning, poets and writers unite in order to resolve pressing problems and take any measures to solve them. Every city hosts important forums with discussions.

Who is the holiday dedicated to?

Many people are concerned about the question of who is the holiday of Slavic writing and culture dedicated to? Absolutely all people living in the Russian Federation and other regions have the right to celebrate it. All inhabitants of planet Earth are related to the alphabet to one degree or another. They write letters, read, learn letters during their school years. Their distant ancestors did the same.

You should definitely thank the creators of the main national event on this day by visiting the church.

Activities for children

In each region, on May 24, before the last bell, an event is held dedicated to the day of Slavic literature and culture for children. Of course, the kids from kindergarten It is difficult to perceive such information, but schoolchildren master it in full. The ceremonial event is usually divided into several main parts:

First of all, class hours are organized. Teachers or guests from the local library come to schoolchildren to tell everyone about a short history about the occurrence of this memorable event. For clarity, they use pictures, videos or presentations. In some cases, the children themselves prepare for this holiday. They first prepare a report on this topic and take turns telling each other interesting facts.
Next, teachers tell their students about the best works in the field of world literature and recommend a list of books that should be read during the summer holidays.
The third part of the program is a formal event, which is usually held in the assembly hall. Children are preparing for it for a long time. They read poetry from the stage and act out scenes from famous works of art and sing songs.

If the holiday May 24, Day of Slavic Literature and Culture, falls on a weekend, then it is held on the last weekday before it.

Activities for adults

The celebration of the day of Slavic literature and culture in each region is also held for adults. It is also divided into several main components.

First of all, the award ceremony takes place in palaces, city squares or parks. The most outstanding teachers, philologists, librarians, poets, writers, poets and other literary workers receive gratitude for their services in this difficult work.
The second part of the ceremony is the concert. Local amateur groups perform there, modern poets read their own poems, and you can also see several interesting skits.
In some cities, quizzes are held for those who are well acquainted with the history of this holiday. By participating in the competition, you can win a valuable souvenir.

In every corner of the country on May 24, the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture, there is some special peaceful atmosphere.

Cultural and entertainment events

Every city organizes free exhibition on the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. It will be interesting to absolutely every person, even those who are distant from the literary field. On it you can see what the paintings of Cyril and Methodius looked like, the first Slavic letters and old books.

Almost everything is open on this day historical museums. For everyone, there are educational lessons here that allow you to become better acquainted with this national holiday. In the evening, poetry concerts are held in many halls, at which the most outstanding poets perform with their the best works. Basically, all events on this day are free of charge.

Services are held in churches. All believers can come to the temple and thank the two holy brothers for their great contribution to literary work.

Presents

What to give to the hero of the occasion on this day? There are several options. You can make your choice depending on your financial capabilities:

A souvenir or figurine to decorate the desk of a creative person.
Elite pen in gift packaging.
Printer ink or a pack of white paper.
Exclusive book.
Notebook.
Computer, laptop or any component for it (mouse, pad, keyboard, etc.).
Lamp for lighting.

It is not at all necessary that the gift be related to literary activity. You can also please a person with a bouquet of flowers, fragrant perfume or jewelry. It will be nice to receive any sweet souvenir that will have a positive effect on a person’s intellectual activity.

In verse

It is important to think in advance about holding the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture, but it is also necessary to take care in advance of preparing a congratulatory speech for the hero of the occasion. For example, you can use the following option for this purpose:

“Before your eyes there is always an empty piece of paper,

So today I want to write a small congratulations on it.

Let all your letters easily form words.

And colorful sentences are formed from them.”

Capacious, bright and a little congratulations Any person related to literature will be glad to hear.

In prose

It is very difficult to surprise a talented person whose work is related to literature with a beautiful verse. It is best to prepare a congratulation in prose, which will be filled with maximum sincerity, touching and tenderness. For example, the following message would be suitable for this purpose:

“Today is the day of glory of Slavic writing. I would like to congratulate you on your professional holiday. May your talent never leave you, may the muse always be present and good mood, which will allow you to create new legendary projects. We really want to thank you for your invaluable work. Thanks to you, we were able to learn to love, think correctly and enjoy life. We wish you good health, new ideas and the achievement of all your goals.”

This text is perfect for congratulating a poet, writer, librarian, or any person whose work is directly related to literature.

Every year on May 24, a legendary holiday dedicated to Slavic writing and culture takes place. No one can simply remain indifferent to him. In every city, pleasant words are heard addressed to outstanding specialists, thematic exhibitions and events are held. Unfortunately, this day has not yet been declared a holiday, so people are forced to go to work. In the evening they can also join this pleasant event. The main purpose of it is to learn to appreciate the importance of literature for every person.