The holiday May 24 is the day of Slavic writing. Day of Saints Methodius and Cyril, the day of Slavic writing and culture. History of the holiday of Slavic writing

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Day of Remembrance of the First Teachers of the Slavic Peoples - the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Brothers Cyril and Methodius

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History of the holiday 1986 - revival of the holiday 1991 - approved as a state holiday Every year some city in Russia becomes the host of the holiday. Festivals and concerts are held in all cities

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About the life of Cyril and Methodius Cyril (born in 827, before becoming a monk - Constantine) and Methodius (born in 815, worldly name unknown) were born in the family of a Byzantine military leader from Thessalonica (Greece) St. Methodius - a high-ranking warrior who ruled for about 10 years one of the Slavic principalities subordinate to Byzantium, which gave him the opportunity to learn the Slavic language. St. Cyril from an early age was distinguished by his mental abilities. While studying at the Thessaloniki school and not yet reaching the age of fifteen, he had already read the books of the most profound of the Fathers of the Church - Gregory the Theologian (IV century)

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About the life of Cyril and Methodius In 861, the emperor summoned Saints Constantine and Methodius from the monastery and sent them to the Khazars to preach the gospel. In 863, the embassy of the ruler of the Great Moravian Empire (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bohemia, part of Austria and Hungary) Prince Rostislav asked Emperor Michael to send I will gladly go to teachers for preaching in a country that has recently adopted Christianity if they have letters for their language... Teaching without the alphabet and without books is like writing a conversation on water. St. Cyril With the help of brother Methodius, Cyril compiled the Slavic alphabet (the so-called Glagolitic alphabet) in 6 months and translated it into Slavic language books without which Divine services could not be performed: Gospel Aprakos, Apostle, Psalter and selected services

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February 14, 869 at the age of 42, Cyril dies in Rome “You and I, brother, pulled one furrow, like the husband of oxen, and now, I fall on the ridge, ending my life. I know you love your native Olympus very much. Take care, do not leave our ministry even for his sake...” After the death of his brother, Methodius continues his evangelical preaching among the Slavs. “I was not silent out of fear and was always awake on guard.” Thanks to the activities of St. Methodius, both the Czechs and the Poles entered into a military alliance with Moravia, opposing the influence of the Germans. Methodius predicted the day of his death and died on April 6, 885.

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Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius were canonized in ancient times. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the memory of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles enlighteners of the Slavs has been honored since the 11th century. The memory of each of the saints. brothers are celebrated on the days of their death: St. Equal to the Apostles. Kirill – February 14 (Old style)/February 27 (according to the new art.). St. Equal to the Apostles Methodius - April 6/April 19. General church memory is celebrated on May 11/May 24

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Slavic alphabet: Cyrillic and Glagolitic Glagolitic Cyril and Methodius “transferred” the sounds of the Slavic language onto parchment using that Glagolitic alphabet. Letter styles have not been preserved Cyrillic In 893, the Cyrillic alphabet appeared, which eventually replaced the Glagolitic alphabet in all Slavic countries Church Slavic alphabet Russian alphabet Cyrillic letter The model for writing Cyrillic letters was the signs of the Greek statutory alphabet. The charter is a letter when the letters are written directly on at the same distance from each other, without tilting - they seem to be “stacked”

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 Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki, could know the Slavic language perfectly. But Thessalonica was a unique city: they spoke both Greek and Slavic dialects.

Career

Yes, yes, exactly a career. Before becoming a monk, Michael managed to become a strategist (Greek military rank), and Constantine was known as the smartest and most educated person in the entire Greek state. Konstantin even had touching story love with one of the daughters of a Greek dignitary. If he got married, he would do 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

Konstantin 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:

Russian Holy Synod in 1863, by decree, it was determined that in connection with the celebration anniversary date(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 a “Holiday 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.

Saints Cyril and Methodius compiled the Slavic alphabet, translated several liturgical books from Greek into the Slavic language, including selected readings from the Gospel, the Apostolic Epistles and the Psalter, which contributed to the introduction and spread of Slavic worship.

Who were the enlighteners of the Slavs

The brothers Cyril and Methodius came from a noble and pious family that lived in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. Saint Methodius is the eldest of seven brothers, Saint Constantine (monastic name Cyril) is the youngest.

The brothers received an excellent upbringing and education. Methodius initially devoted himself military career, but around 852 he took monastic vows and later became abbot of the Polychron monastery on Bithynian Olympus (Asia Minor).

Sculptural composition "Cyril and Methodius", author Vyacheslav Ulanov.

Kirill s youth He was distinguished by his passion for science and exceptional philological abilities. He was educated in Constantinople by the greatest scientists of his time - Leo Grammar and Photius (the future patriarch).

Having completed his studies, Constantine accepted the rank of priest and was appointed custodian of the patriarchal library at the Church of St. Sophia and taught philosophy at the highest school in 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, Aninius, in a debate.

Then Cyril retired to his brother Methodius in a monastery on Olympus, where he first began to study the Slavic language, having constant practice, since there were many Slavic monks from various neighboring countries in the monasteries.

In 857, the Byzantine emperor sent brothers to the Khazar Khaganate to preach the gospel. On the way they stopped in the city of Korsun, where miraculously found the relics of the Holy Martyr Clement, Pope of Rome. After this, the Saints went to the Khazars, where they successfully convinced the Khazar prince and his entourage to accept Christianity, and even took 200 Greek captives from captivity.

Slavic writing

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.

Great Moravia, which at that time included certain areas of the modern Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Poland, was already Christian. But the German clergy enlightened her, and all the services, holy books and theology were Latin, incomprehensible to the Slavs.

The emperor, confident that no one could cope with this mission better, called on Saint Constantine, who began a new feat with fasting and prayer.

Sculptural image of the founders of Slavic writing Cyril and Methodius on the monument "1000th anniversary of Russia"

With the help of his brother Methodius and his disciples Gorazd, Clement, Savva, Naum and Angelyar, 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, which is considered the year of birth of Slavic writing.

After completing the translation, Constantine and Methodius went to Moravia, where they were received with great honor and began to teach Divine services in the Slavic language.

Due to the constant intrigues of the German clergy, Constantine and Methodius twice had to justify themselves to the Roman high priest. In 869, unable to withstand the overexertion, Saint Cyril died at the age of 42.

While in Rome, Saint Constantine, informed by the Lord in a miraculous vision of his approaching death, accepted the schema (the highest level of Orthodox monasticism) with the name Cyril.

His work was continued by Methodius, who was soon ordained in Rome to the rank of bishop. Methodius died in 885, having survived exile, insults and imprisonment that lasted several years.

Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius were canonized as Saints in ancient times. In Russian Orthodox Church The memory of the Equal-to-the-Apostles enlighteners of the Slavs has been celebrated since the 11th century. The oldest services to the 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.

Despite the fact that Saint Methodius, the elder brother, held large positions, was the ruler of a separate region of the Byzantine Empire, the abbot of a monastery and ended his life as an archbishop, Cyril, the youngest both in age and in hierarchical ranks, traditionally occupies an honorable first place, and in his name The alphabet is named Cyrillic.

History of the holiday

The Day of Slavic Literature was first celebrated in Bulgaria in 1857, and then in other countries, including Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

In Russia, at the state level, the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture was first solemnly celebrated in 1863, in connection with the millennium of the creation of the Slavic alphabet by Saints Cyril and Methodius. In the same year, the Russian Holy Synod decided to celebrate the Day of Remembrance of Saints Cyril and Methodius on May 11 (24 New Style).

But in the years Soviet power The holiday fell into oblivion and was restored only in 1986. The idea of resuming the celebration of the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the Days of Slavic Literature and Culture in Russia was born in 1985, when Slavic peoples Together with the world community, we celebrated the 1100th anniversary of the death of St. Methodius, Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia.

On January 30, 1991, the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR, by its resolution, declared May 24 the Holiday of Slavic Literature and Culture, thereby giving it state status. Each year a different city became the capital of this holiday.

The twenty-year educational activity of Cyril and Methodius and their students had pan-Slavic significance - I consider them heavenly patrons.

By the way, for the contribution of Saints Cyril and Methodius to the culture of Europe, Pope John Paul II in 1980 declared them patrons of the Old Continent.

Holiday traditions

The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture in Russia, in its content, has long been a state-church holiday, which is state and public organizations held jointly with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Scientific forums are dedicated to the holiday, festivals, exhibitions, book fairs, poetry readings, amateur art shows, concerts and other various cultural events are held.

The memory of Cyril and Methodius is also honored in churches, where services dedicated to them are held on May 24.

Orthodox complex "In the Name of the Resurrection of Christ" (in the background) and the monument to the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius (in the foreground) in Khanty-Mansiysk

As part of the Days of Slavic Literature and Culture, an award ceremony takes place International Prize Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Brothers Cyril and Methodius, established by the Moscow Patriarchate and the Slavic Foundation of Russia.

This prize is awarded to government and public figures, literary and artistic figures for the preservation and development of the Cyril and Methodius heritage.

Prize winners are awarded a bronze sculpture of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Brothers Cyril and Methodius, a diploma and a commemorative medal.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

Cities and villages dressed in greenery, as if they were preparing for an important holiday for all of us - the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture, celebrated annually on May 24 in all Slavic countries as a sign of gratitude and honor to the two brothers - Cyril and Methodius, the creators of Slavic writing.

Initially, the holiday, which existed in Bulgaria back in the 10th-11th centuries, was celebrated only by the church. In Russia it was also a church holiday. The Church canonized Cyril and Methodius as saints, and on May 18, 1863, the Holy Synod adopted a decree proclaiming May 24 in the new style Church holiday Saloon brothers.

For the first time officially at the state level Day of Slavic Literature and Culture was solemnly celebrated in Russian Empire in 1863, in honor of the 1000th anniversary of the creation of the Slavic alphabet by Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Unfortunately, during the Soviet regime, the Day of Slavic Literature was canceled as a holiday uniting all Slavs, and was not celebrated for many decades. And only in 1986 the holiday was revived.
And in the Union, for the first time, the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture was celebrated in 1986 in the city of Murmansk, and then in Vologda, Novgorod, Kyiv and Minsk. Since 1987, the holiday has already become widespread in society, and the name “Day of Slavic Literature and Culture” has been assigned to it. On January 30, 1991, by resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, May 24 was declared the Holiday of Slavic Literature and Culture. And in 1992, a monument to Saints Cyril and Methodius was solemnly unveiled on Slavyanskaya Square in Moscow. The creator of the monument is sculptor V.M. Klykov.

In our time, the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is the only state-church holiday in Russia. The church on May 24 honors the memory of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius.

Slavic writing was created in the 9th century, around 862. First, two alphabets were created - Glagolitic and Cyrillic.

Now about the great teachers themselves. It is known that the brothers were Orthodox monks and created the Slavic alphabet in a Greek monastery. Among those that have survived to this day ancient monuments Slavic writing also preserved the biographies of the creators of Slavic literacy - Saints Cyril and Methodius. Of greatest interest are “The Life of Constantine the Philosopher”, “The Life of Methodius”, “ Word of praise Cyril and Methodius."

From the biographies of Saints Cyril and Methodius, we know that Cyril and Methodius are Greeks, brothers, born into the family of a Byzantine military leader in the Macedonian city of Thessaloniki. Now this city belongs modern Greece and is located on the shore. In addition to Cyril and Methodius, there were five more brothers in the family. Methodius was the eldest of seven brothers, and Constantine the youngest. Methodius was supposedly born around 815. His secular name, alas, is unknown. According to the assumption of many researchers, the brothers’ mother was Slavic, and it was for this reason that the brothers spoke the Slavic language as well as Greek from childhood. Most likely it was one of the dialects of the ancient Bulgarian language. Kirill was born around 827. And before he was tonsured as a monk, he bore the secular name of Constantine. He became Kirill almost before his death.

Both brothers received an excellent education and good upbringing. Methodius first followed in his father’s footsteps and decided to make a military career, but then around 852 he took monastic vows, and later became abbot of the Polychron monastery on Olympus in Bithynia (Asia Minor). Kirill, gifted with philological abilities from birth, gravitated toward the sciences from a young age. Already in the Thessaloniki school at the age of 14, he read the books of one of the Church Fathers of the 4th century, Gregory the Theologian. Constantine was then educated in Constantinople by the greatest scholars of his time, such as Leo the Grammar and Photius (the future patriarch), studying ancient literature, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, rhetoric and music. After completing his studies, Kirill was ordained a priest and began working as a librarian at the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

Neither wealth nor marriage with a beauty attracted the young man, who then still bore the name Konstantin. His favorite pastimes were reflection and prayer. But Constantine turned out to be a very popular person; in 851-52 he had to go to the court of the Arab caliph Muttawakil as part of the embassy of the asikret George, where the future enlightener conducted theological disputes with Muslim scholars. Returning to Constantinople, Constantine went to visit his brother in the monastery. But soon after their return, both brothers - Cyril and Methodius - at the request of the Moravian prince Rostislav (Rastitsa), were sent by the Byzantine emperor to Great Moravia (863-866).

From "Tales of Bygone Years" we learn that one day the Slavic princes Rostislav, Svyatopolk and Kocel sent ambassadors to the Byzantine Tsar Michael with a request to send a teacher “who would instruct and teach, and explain the holy books.” It is further reported: “...he sent them Constantine the Philosopher, named Cyril, a righteous and true man. And he created 38 letters for them - some according to the model of Greek letters, others according to Slavic speech. He started with the first one in Greek: they are from “alpha”, he is from “az”…”.

The brothers translated the Apostle, Gospel, Psalter, Octoechos and other church books. But in those days, Great Moravia was subordinated to the Bishopric of Passau in Bavaria, and the activities of the enlightenment brothers encountered fierce resistance from the German clergy, who were categorically against Slavic writing and Slavic liturgy, insisting that the liturgy be celebrated only in Latin. Despite the fact that Cyril and Methodius prepared disciples, none of them succeeded in becoming priests under such conditions, and the brothers left Moravia along with 867 disciples, going to Venice, hoping to ordain their students in Byzantium in Constantinople.

Having received an invitation from the Pope from Venice in 868, Constantine and Methodius went to Rome. In Rome, Pope Adrian II consecrated the Slavic books, and the disciples of Constantine and Methodius became priests and deacons. And then a misfortune happened: the not-so-old Constantine, who was only 42 years old, fell seriously ill and died in Rome on February 14, 869. Before his death, Kirill told his brother: “You and I, like two oxen, drove the same furrow. I am exhausted, but don’t think about leaving the work of teaching and retiring to your mountain again.”

The great Slavic teacher was buried in the Basilica of St. Clement. Methodius survived his brother by 16 years and fulfilled his order. At the end of the same 869, Methodius was installed as archbishop of Pannonia (Great Moravia). However, in 870, Great Moravia was occupied by the troops of the East Frankish kingdom, and Methodius was arrested and exiled to a monastery in Swabia. Only the uprising of the people of Moravia and the intervention of Pope John VIII helped the new Moravian prince Svyatopolk in 873 to achieve the release of Methodius. But Pope John VIII forbade Methodius to perform the liturgy in the Slavic language. Then Methodius went to Rome in 880, where he managed to achieve the abolition of the discriminatory ban.

Methodius died on April 8, 885, the location of his grave is unknown. He left as his successor the best of his students, Archbishop Gorazd, and about two hundred Slavs trained by him. But the disciples of Methodius, who defended the Slavic liturgy after his death, were expelled from Moravia and settled in Bulgaria. It was in this country that a new Slavic alphabet based on Greek was created; in order to convey the phonetic features of the Slavic language, the alphabet was supplemented with letters borrowed from the Glagolitic alphabet. This alphabet, having spread among the eastern and southern Slavs, subsequently received the name “Cyrillic” - in honor of Cyril (Constantine).

Although some scientists express doubts about the correctness of assigning a name to the alphabet, citing the fact that in the “Life of Methodius” there is the following phrase: “Cyril persuaded his brother to go with him, because he knew the Slavic language.” In addition, there is evidence that Methodius translated the works of Constantine from Greek into Slavic, so it is possible that it was the eldest of the brothers who became the creator of the new alphabet. However, there is no hard evidence of this yet.

With the adoption of Christianity, Ancient Rus' switched to the Slavic alphabet, inviting teachers who continued the work of Cyril and Methodius. And in Kyiv, and in Novgorod, and in other cities, schools were created to teach Slavic literacy.

Today there are approximately 60 peoples in the world whose writing was based on the Cyrillic alphabet. And many thanks to two great brothers for leaving us a legacy that will continue to unite the Slavic world.

F. I. Tyutchev

The great day of Kirill's death -
What a warm and simple greeting
Millennium Anniversary
Shall we honor the holy memory?
What words should I use to capture this day?
If not with the words spoken by him,
When I said goodbye to my brother and friends,
He reluctantly left his ashes to you, Rome...
Those involved in his work,
After a number of centuries, after so many generations,
And we, and we pulled the furrow
Among temptations and doubts.
And in turn, like him, without completing the work;
And we will get off it and, holy words
Remembering him, we will then exclaim:
“Do not betray yourself, great Russia!”
Don't trust, don't trust strangers, my native land,
Their false wisdom or their arrogant deceptions,
And, like Saint Cyril, don’t leave
Great service to the Slavs.

On May 24, the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is celebrated annually in all Slavic countries. The origins of this holiday are inextricably linked with the honoring of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius - the enlighteners of the Slavs, the creators of the Slavic alphabet.

Cyril (secular name Constantine; c. 827-869) and Methodius (secular name unknown; c. 815-885) - brothers, Greeks, natives of the city of Thessaloniki (Thessaloniki), came from the family of a Byzantine military leader.

Methodius initially devoted himself to a military career, but around 852 he took monastic vows and later became abbot of the Polychron monastery on Olympus in Bithynia (Asia Minor). From a young age, Kirill was distinguished by his passion for science and exceptional philological abilities. He was educated in Constantinople by the greatest scientists of his time - Leo Grammar and Photius (the future patriarch). After training, he was ordained a priest, acted as a librarian, according to another version, skephophylax (vessel guard) of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, and taught philosophy. In 851-852, as part of the embassy of the asikrit (court secretary), George arrived at the court of the Arab caliph Muttawakil, where he conducted theological disputes with Muslim scholars.

Cyril and Methodius compiled the Slavic alphabet, translated several liturgical books from Greek into the Slavic language (including selected readings from the Gospel, the Apostolic Epistles and the Psalter), which contributed to the introduction and spread of Slavic worship, and also, based on deep knowledge of Greek and eastern cultures and summarizing the existing experience of Slavic writing, they offered the Slavs their own alphabet.

The legacy of Cyril and Methodius had a huge impact on the culture of the Slavic states: Bulgaria (and through its mediation - Rus' and Serbia), the Czech Republic, Croatia (the latter maintained the Glagolitic written tradition until modern times). The writing developed by Cyril and Methodius had a huge influence on the development of Russian books and literature. In the minds of many generations of Slavs, Cyril and Methodius are symbols of Slavic writing and Slavic culture.

The cult of Cyril and Methodius became widespread in all Slavic countries, both Orthodox and Catholic (the brothers were canonized soon after their death). The day of remembrance of Cyril and Methodius (May 24), established by the church back in the 10th-11th centuries, was later turned into a holiday of national education and culture in Bulgaria.

In Russia, the celebration of the Day of Remembrance of the Holy Brothers is rooted in the distant past and it was celebrated mainly by the church. There was a period when, under the influence of political circumstances, the historical merits of Cyril and Methodius were forgotten, but already in the 19th century this tradition was revived.

Officially at the state level, the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture was first solemnly celebrated in 1863, in connection with the 1000th anniversary of the creation of the Slavic alphabet by Saints Cyril and Methodius, in the same year a decree was adopted on the celebration of the Day of Remembrance of Saints Cyril and Methodius on May 11 (24 according to the new style).

During the years of Soviet power, this holiday was unfairly forgotten and restored only in 1986. The idea of resuming a national, public celebration of the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the Days of Slavic Literature and Culture in Russia was born in 1985, when the Slavic peoples, together with the world community, celebrated the 1100th anniversary of the death of Saint Methodius, Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia.

In 1986, the first holiday was held in Murmansk, it was called the “Festival of Writing”; in subsequent years, the holiday was held in Vologda (1987), Veliky Novgorod (1988), Kyiv (1989) and Minsk (1990).

On January 30, 1991, the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR, by its resolution, declared May 24 the Holiday of Slavic Literature and Culture, thereby giving it state status.

During the celebration in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, Divine liturgies, religious processions, children's pilgrimage missions to Russian monasteries, scientific and practical conferences, exhibitions, and concerts are held in all Russian churches.

Traditionally, the International scientific conference"Slavic world: community and diversity."

As part of the Days of Slavic Literature and Culture, the award ceremony for the laureates of the International Prize of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Brothers Cyril and Methodius, established by the Moscow Patriarchate and the Slavic Foundation of Russia. It is awarded to state and public figures, literary and artistic figures for the preservation and development of the Cyril and Methodius heritage. Prize winners are awarded a bronze sculpture of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius, a diploma and a commemorative medal.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources