How many years of Slavic writing are there in a year? Red Square will become the center of celebration of the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture

The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in other Slavic states; in 2017, as in all previous years, it falls on May 24. The spiritual component, along with writing, is a unifying factor for many peoples. The holiday is celebrated in Ukraine, Belarus, and Bulgaria. In Russia, in addition to numerous medium and small events, a festive concert is also held in Moscow. The unification and restoration of spiritual ties and cultural values ​​is an important component of the community of Slavic peoples and the preservation of the memory of their ancestors. Orthodoxy makes a great contribution to the development of culture, therefore, in order not to forget about the heritage of our ancestors, the day of writing is celebrated.

Origin of the holiday

This holiday has its origins from the Orthodox brothers Cyril and Methodius, who brought writing to our land and gave the people the opportunity to develop and record information using a simple and convenient alphabet. This made it possible to teach literacy to even ordinary people. Thus, the Slavic peoples managed to get closer to world civilization and become more developed, including culturally. The brothers translated some holy books into Slavic, which made it possible to begin services in the people’s native language and make it easier for ordinary citizens to understand religion.

The emergence of Slavic writing is described in The Tale of Bygone Years. The Slavic princes turned to the Byzantine king with a request to provide a teacher who would explain the holy books, since the Greek and Latin languages ​​were unfamiliar to them. Tsar Michael sent two brothers to the Slavic land for these purposes - Cyril and Methodius. The brothers compiled the Slavic alphabet, which helped to master the sacred books and contributed to the development of culture and literacy in Rus'. This happened in 863. It is believed that Slavic writing began from this date.

Later, schools teaching Slavic literacy began to appear. The name “Cyrillic” came from the name of one of the brothers, but before becoming a monk his name was Konstantin. The Slavic alphabet was based on the Greek, but with some changes so that it could be adapted to the local sound system. After the alphabet was presented to the Pope, it was approved, and services began in the Slavic language.

Thus, the consequence of the visit of Cyril and Methodius was:

• The emergence of a new alphabet and writing.
• Development of culture.
• The emergence of the ability to understand the holy books.
• Organization of literacy schools.

How to celebrate the day of Slavic writing

The first time after the introduction of writing, the Slavic peoples celebrated this event in memory of the brothers who created the alphabet. However, over time, the tradition was forgotten. In the 19th century, the revival of the Slavic peoples began, and they remembered Cyril and Methodius, who brought writing and the alphabet. The resolution on the day of celebration in honor of the memory of the holy brothers was adopted in 1863, that is, 1000 years later. The new style holiday is celebrated on May 24, previously it fell on May 11. At first, the holiday was celebrated mainly by the church; it was given state status much later.

During the Soviet era, the holiday was forgotten and remembered only in the late 80s. The first events took place in 1986 in Murmansk. At that time it was given the name "Festival of Writing".

It became a public holiday in 1991 and is now celebrated throughout the country. It was given the name Day of Slavic Literature and Culture, and events are planned for 2017. They are carried out not only by various organizations, public, state and commercial, but also by the church, promoting culture and remembering the holy brothers through the prayers.

There is no specific scenario for holding events; various symposiums, quizzes, meetings with authors, concerts and exhibitions can be organized. The promotion of Slavic culture and memory of heritage is of great importance.

On the Day of Slavic Literature 2017, the Church, as usual, organizes liturgies, missions to monasteries and children's institutions. The laureates of the International Prize of Saints Cyril and Methodius will be awarded at various events. This prize was approved by the Moscow Patriarchate and the Slavic Foundation of Russia. It is awarded to artists, public figures and government figures. These people contributed to the development of culture. A sculpture of the holy brothers is used for the award; in addition, a special medal and diploma are awarded.

Thus, the Day of Slavic Writing is one of the important holidays in Slavic countries.

Moscow, May 15. On May 24, 2017, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' will lead the celebrations in honor of the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. Every year on May 24, the Church commemorates and glorifies the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius, the creators of Slavic writing. On this day, many Slavic countries host festive concerts and events dedicated to this event.

According to the tradition that has developed over the past few years, on May 24, 2017, at 13:00, in Moscow, on Red Square, an all-Russian festive concert dedicated to the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture will take place. The organizers of the festive events are the Russian Orthodox Church, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Moscow Government.

At 13:00 (Moscow time) concerts will simultaneously start in all regions of Russia from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad. The center of the celebrations will be Red Square; live broadcasts from Belgorod, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod will complement the program of performances in Moscow. The event will open with a welcoming speech from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.

The main idea of ​​the holiday this year will be the theme of spiritual unity, the unity of the Slavic peoples and the veneration of the great cultural heritage. At the beginning of the concert, entitled “I, you, he, she – together the whole country...”, spiritual works by Kastalsky and Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Sviridov will be performed. Then popular songs by Soviet authors will be performed, including V. Basner, M. Blanter, G. Struve, V. Shainsky, A. Pakhmutova, A. Gladkov, I. Dunaevsky, D. Tukhmanov and others. In the final, Russian singer Polina Gagarina Accompanied by the Great Moscow Combined Choir, which this year includes about 1,200 people, she will present the song “A Million Voices,” with which she took victorious second place at the 60th anniversary Eurovision Song Contest.

35 children's and youth academic choirs will perform at the festive concert. Participants in the program will be: the Big Children's Choir named after V. S. Popov of the Russian State Radio Company "Voice of Russia", the Academic Big Choir "Masters of Choral Singing" of the Russian State Musical Television and Radio Center, the State Academic Choir named after A. A. Yurlov, the State Academic Russian Choir named after A. V. Sveshnikova, Moscow Synodal Choir, Sretensky Monastery Choir, State Academic Symphony Chapel of Russia, as well as soloists of the Bolshoi Theater. The gala concert will end with the majestic patriotic anthem “Glory” to the music of M. Glinka from the opera “Ivan Susanin”.

Recently, the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture in our country is an official state celebration with major events on Red Square. For the third year in a row, the North-Western Vicariate and the Moscow Department of Education are organizing their own holiday for this holiday - a district festival for schools. And although the theme remains the same - Slavic culture, the alphabet, Saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius - amazingly, every year the festival gives more and more new discoveries.

Mysterious letters and goods in boxes

The festival takes place in several stages. The first - open lessons on the theme of the holiday - are traditionally held at gymnasium No. 1538 on Pyatnitskoye Highway in Mitino, which kindly opens its doors on this day. And every time these lessons become a fascinating journey into the history of Slavic writing, full of discoveries for inquisitive children.

Modern schoolchildren are always of particular, keen interest in... no, not the Internet and online games, but the opportunity to do something with their own hands, while solving mysteries at the same time. Therefore, the lesson-workshop “Glagolitic. Secret writing”, in which children, using real ink and a wooden stick, reproduced their names on paper in Glagolitic letters. And the news that the “mysterious cipher” - the Glagolitic alphabet - would be given to them at home, caused an admiring “hurray!” at the desks in the classroom.

Of course, at each lesson the main heroes of the holiday were mentioned - Saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius, who gave us the alphabet. And in the lesson-traveling in the footsteps of the Holy First Teachers of Slovenia, and in the unusual “archaeological expedition” with the creation of their own book, and in the lesson “The Word in Language and Speech”, where the children first deciphered the topic of the lesson using the Cyrillic alphabet, and then were surprised to learn about the related connection between the words “hut” and “heat”.

Such events also become a moral lesson. For example, when in the classes “In the Beginning There Was the Word” and “The Living Word of Spiritual Wisdom,” the children put kind words into special boxes that can be used to revive and give joy. Fortunately, our children know a lot of such words, although they do not remember quickly.

New this year were lessons that were held in high school - 6th and 7th grades. Moreover, they turned out to be a discovery for the guys themselves. Much of what they heard about the mystery of the birth of Church Slavonic writing became a real revelation for them.

When culture comes alive

The final day of the festival is a grand celebration where everything that our culture is rich comes to life and is generously shared with the world. On May 23, there was so much warmth and light in gymnasium No. 1517 on Zhivopisnaya Street that even local mothers with strollers came to ask: what was happening at school? And there was something to be interested in! An exhibition of children's drawings, songs, games and round dances in the fresh air, tea with treats, master classes on folk dolls, wool felting, quilling, paper letters and test plastic and a charity fair in favor of the "Tourmaline" center, which helps people with special needs find your favorite thing and your place in life.

An ensemble of guslar players in luxurious costumes vividly demonstrated to the audience how modern, bright and joyful an ancient Russian instrument can sound. Energetic Belarusian dances from the choreographic groups “Virtus” and “Luchinushka” suggested that in the near future these very movements and costumes could well replace hip-hop and breakdancing on dancers. And the incendiary performances of the folklore studio “Grushitsa” and the ensemble “Zabavushka” with folk songs made the audience in the hall not only applaud, but also sing along and even dance to the beat.

Performances by vocal and dance groups were interspersed with... poems. The festival was attended by the laureates of the competition of Russian spiritual poetry readers, the full-time round of which was held on May 16 at the school 1874. And how exciting were the words of Ephraim the Syrian’s prayer from Pushkin’s poem “The Desert Fathers...”, Blok’s “Christmas Eve” and “Candlemas” » Brodsky from the lips of schoolchildren who won the competition.

The concert was concluded with a luxurious round dance, the release of multi-colored balloons into the sky and the awarding of festival participants.

By the way, even the concert itself became an object lesson in the Church Slavonic language for the audience. Thanks to a “guest from the past” in an ancient Russian costume, who at the very beginning of the holiday lost the alphabet given by the Holy Brothers and tried to return it with the help of concert numbers. That is why, between the numbers, Cyrillic initial letters were shown on the screen with an explanation of their meaning, sound and features of the designation in the letter. So the alphabet, to which the festival was dedicated, came to life and turned into a real celebration of culture, writing and our native traditions.

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It is noted that the center of the festive events will be Red Square, where the concert will take place "I, you, he, she - together the whole country...". . . . . . The singer, accompanied by a large combined choir of 1 thousand 200 people, will perform a song "Million voices ". . . . . .

It is clarified that many different events will also be held in the capital's libraries, palaces of culture and creative centers on this day. Exhibitions, presentations and performances await guests.