The day of Slavic literature and culture is celebrated. Saints Cyril and Methodius Day

Kirill(in the world Constantine, nickname - Philosopher, born in 827 - died in 869, Rome) and Methodius(in the world Michael; born in 815 - died in 885, Moravia) - brothers from the city of Thessaloniki (Soluni), creators of the Old Church Slavonic alphabet, preachers of Christianity.

Orthodox Church ranked them among the saints equal to the apostles (“Slovenian teachers”), they are revered both in the West and in the East. IN scientific works are mentioned in exactly this order: Cyril and Methodius. As for the church, here at the level of liturgical use a different order of using the names of brothers has been adopted. Most likely, this is due to the fact that Methodius occupied a higher position in the church hierarchy (archbishop) compared to Cyril.

Origin

According to some sources, the birthplace of Cyril and Methodius was the city of Thessalonica. They were born into a wealthy family. It is known about their father, who bore the name Leo, that he was on military service under the governor (strategus of the theme) of the city of Thessalonica and came from a fairly wealthy family. There were 7 sons in his family, among whom Cyril was the eldest, and Methodius the youngest.

The Greek origin of Cyril and Methodius is the most common version of the origin of the future creators of the Slavic alphabet. In particular, the 19th century Slavic scholars Mikhail Pogodin and Hermengild Irechek substantiated this version by the fact that both brothers were fluent in the Slavic language in its local dialect. This theory is completely denied by modern scientists.

There is a completely opposite version of the origin of the saints. It is believed that the brothers were Bulgarians, since the later edition of Cyril’s Prologue Life states that Cyril was born a Bulgarian: "I come from the salt city". It was this mention that became a kind of stumbling block for Bulgarian scientists, who still zealously defend the Bulgarian version of the origin of famous Slavic preachers.

If you stick to Greek origin Cyril and Methodius, then it is necessary to dwell on the description of the city of Thessalonica in order to understand how the environment influenced their life choices.

The city was bilingual. On its territory lived both people using Greek language in everyday life, so did those who spoke Proto-Slavic, which was distinguished by the Solunsky dialect. The inhabitants of the city of Thessalonica belonged to different tribes, including the Draguvites, Sagudites and Smolyans. It was the latter who helped Cyril and Methodius create the version of the language known today as Church Slavonic.

Before becoming a monk, Methodius succeeded well in the military-administrative service. The help of the eunuch Theoctistus, the great logothete and friend of Methodius, allowed the future preacher to take the post of strategist of Slavinia (Macedonia).

Kirill was recognized as the most educated person of its time. Before his trip to Moravia, he was translating the Gospel into the Slavic language and completed the work of compiling the Slavic alphabet.

Years of study and teaching

Cyril studied geometry, philosophy, astronomy and languages in Constantinople. After graduating from Magnavra University, he was ordained a priest and began to serve in the Cathedral of St. Sophia as a chartophylax, which in literal translation meant “library keeper,” but in practice corresponded to the title of a modern academician.

He neglected his marriage to the goddaughter of the logothete, and soon left the post of hartophylax and preferred to move to the Black Sea coast to one of the monasteries. For some time he lived as a hermit, but then was forced to return to Constantinople and take a position as a teacher of philosophy at the university where he himself studied.

It was from this time that the nickname Philosopher stuck to Kirill. He gained fame in the capital after he was able to successfully conduct a theological debate and defeat his opponent, Patriarch Annius, the leader of the iconoclast movement.

Then Cyril decided to get acquainted with the basics of Christianity; together with Metropolitan George of Nicomedia, he visited the palace of the Emir of Militene. Finally, in 856, Constantine, along with some of his students, went to the monastery where his brother Methodius was the abbot. There the idea arose - to create Slavic alphabet. Most likely, Cyril decided to go to his brother because of the murder of his former patron, the logothete Theoktistus.

Khazar mission

In 860, Cyril, who at that time bore the name Constantine, went to the Khazar Khagan as a missionary. The main task of his mission is the adoption of Christianity by the Kaganate. Upon arrival in Korsun, Constantine began to prepare for polemics, and along the way he mastered the Hebrew language and the Samaritan script. In addition, he gained access to the so-called Russian letter. Some scientists mistakenly believe that in this case we're talking about specifically about Russian writing. This approach is erroneous, since it is reasonable to consider these writings to be Syriac, that is, “Sura”. It was precisely at this time that the religious teaching associated with the Church of the East became widespread in Khazaria, so the Slavs living here could well have encountered Syriac writing.

Constantine, at the request of the Kagan himself, had to convince him of the correctness of the Christian religion. If Constantine’s arguments were convincing, the Kagan swore that he would accept Christianity. There are two versions of the development of further events.

First, Constantine entered into an argument with the imam and rabbi in the presence of the kagan. It is not entirely clear what faith the Kagan belonged to and what level of power he was at. Perhaps there was a supreme kagan or kagan-bek before Constantine, but in this case a change of faith was practically impossible, and only the Russian kagan could take this step. According to one version, it follows that Constantine won the dispute, but the Kagan refused to fulfill his promise.

The second is that it was not Constantine who won the argument, but the rabbi, who was able to take control of the situation and set the imam against Constantine, which allowed him to easily prove the correctness of the Jewish faith. This information was obtained thanks to Arabic sources and the collective work “The Letter of Joseph”.

Bulgarian mission

Today it is difficult to say that it was Cyril and Methodius who became the people with the help of whom the spread of Christianity began in Bulgaria. Quite a lot of scientists oppose this version, proving that the brothers were in Moravia when Khan Boris was baptized.

Some Bulgarian researchers continue to adhere to a different point of view and justify their persistence with surviving legends. It is known that at one time the sister of Khan Boris was a hostage in Constantinople. She was baptized with the name Theodora and given an upbringing in accordance with the spirit of Christianity.

Around 860, she returned to her homeland and made every effort to ensure that her brother Boris accepted Christianity. As a result, Boris was baptized under the name Mikhail. The choice of this name is associated with Michael, the son of the Byzantine empress Theodora, during whose reign the direct Christianization of the Bulgarian kingdom took place.

Just at this time, Methodius and his brother were on the territory of Bulgaria. They gave sermons, which contributed to the rapid establishment of Christianity. The popularization of religion led to the establishment of Christianity in neighboring Serbia, and in 863 Cyril, with the help of his brother and students, was able to compile the Old Slavonic alphabet. In addition, they began to transfer church services to Bulgarian language. The fact that the Slavic alphabet was created by Cyril and Methodius is confirmed by legend "About writings" Bulgarian monk Chernorizets Khrabra, a contemporary of Tsar Simeon: “If you ask the Slavic literati, saying: “Who created the letters for you or translated the books,” then everyone knows and, answering, they say: Saint Constantine the Philosopher, named Cyril - he created the letters for us and translated the books, and Methodius, his brother. Because those who saw them are still alive. And if you ask at what time, they know and say that in the time of Michael, king of Greece, and Boris, prince of Bulgaria, and Rostislav, prince of Moravia, and Kocel, prince of Blaten, in the year from the creation of the whole world 6363.”

The time of the appearance of the Slavic alphabet can be attributed to 863, if we proceed from the Alexandrian chronology adopted at the time of the creation of the chronicler’s work. Although scientists are still arguing about the authorship of Constantine, since it is not entirely clear what exactly he invented - the Glagolitic or Cyrillic alphabet.

Moravian Mission

The Emperor of Byzantium received envoys from the Moravian prince Rostislav in 862, who asked for help in maintaining the faith of Christ. In particular, he asked to send teachers of the Christian faith who could conduct services in the Slavic language. This request was not only heard, but also accepted with delight by both the emperor himself and the patriarch. As a result, the Solun brothers were selected for a trip to Moravia.

While in Moravia, Constantine and Methodius were not only engaged in conducting divine services in the Slavic language, but also taught literacy to the local population, which included residents of Carpathian Rus. They continued to translate the Greek church books into Slavic language. They stayed in Moravia for 3 years, and then they were urgently sent to Rome.

The brothers were summoned by the Pope because Constantine and Methodius were accused of apostasy. They were accused of holding services in the Slavic language.

Up until the events described, the following postulate of faith was recognized: appeal to God can only be made in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. A similar interpretation arose due to the inscription on the Cross of the Lord, which was executed only in the 3 mentioned languages. Therefore, anyone who would like to change this state of affairs was immediately declared a heretic. However, the brothers managed to escape punishment.

This probably happened because Constantine handed over to the Roman Church the relics of St. Clement, which he received during his Chersonesos journey. Be that as it may, Adrian, the head catholic church, approved the right of the Slavs to use their language for worship.

last years of life

On February 14, 869 (old style), the preacher Cyril died in Rome, having previously adopted the schema and a new name. Only from this date is it legal to call him Kirill; before that he bore the name Konstantin, given to him at birth. He was buried in the Church of St. Clement.

The Pope made Methodius archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia. After this, he went with his disciples to Pannonia, a Slavic country that Cyril and Methodius visited during their trip to Rome. There they spent quite a lot of time teaching the Slavs how to worship in their native language and book business.

Soon Methodius returned to Moravia. During his absence, major changes took place in the country associated with the rise of the Latin-German clergy. In 870, Prince Rostislav died in a Bavarian prison, overcome by Louis the German. As a result, the prince's nephew Svyatopolk, who was under the influence of the Germans, ascended the throne.

In Moravia, services in the Slavic language began to be prohibited, and the machinations of the German clergy even made it possible to exile Archbishop Methodius to the Reichenau monastery for 3 years. The Pope found out about this and forbade the German bishops to conduct the liturgy. Thanks to the participation of the Pope, Methodius was released. However, the ban affected the language of worship of the Slavs in the churches of Moravia: only sermons were allowed in the Slavic language.

Methodius, restored as an archbishop in 879, ignored the imposed decrees of the Pope and continued to conduct services in the forbidden language. He baptized Prince Borivoy and his wife Lyudmila in Slavic.

In the same year, German churchmen were able to again organize a trial against Methodius. But it didn't bring positive results, since the archbishop visited Rome and was able not only to justify himself, but also to receive a papal bull, which allowed services to be held in the Slavic language.

In 881, Methodius received an invitation to Constantinople from Emperor Basil I. Arriving in the capital of Byzantium, the archbishop and his students remained there for another 3 years. Then he returned to Moravia, where, with 3 disciples, he completed the translation of the Old Testament and patristic books into the Slavic language.

In 885, Methodius died after a serious illness. His death occurred on Palm Sunday, that is, on April 19. The archbishop's funeral service was held in 3 languages: Slavic, Greek and Latin.

Heritage

Scientists admit that Cyril and Methodius developed an alphabet based on the Slavic language, known as the Glagolitic alphabet. It is believed that the Cyrillic alphabet is the merit of Kliment Ohridski, a student of the brothers. When creating the alphabet, Clement relied on the Greek alphabet.

However, it should be noted that Clement mainly used the work of Cyril and Methodius, in which the sounds of the Slavic language were isolated. This version no one disputes. At the same time, this work is the cornerstone of the creation of a new writing system, and this makes it fundamental for the creation of the Slavic alphabet. Thanks to Kirill’s unique linguistic abilities, Slavic sounds were isolated quite scientifically.

At the same time, the possibility of the existence of Slavic writing long before Cyril and Methodius. As an argument in this case, they use a fragment from the life of Cyril, which mentions books written in “Russian”. But in the life of Cyril there are no hints that these books belong to Slavic writing.

“And the Philosopher found here (in Korsun) the Gospel and the Psalter, written in Russian letters, and he found a man, the speaker speech. And he talked with him and understood the meaning of the language, correlating the differences between vowels and consonants with his language. And offering up prayer to God, he soon began to read and speak. And many were amazed at this, praising God.”

As an example, the zeal with which Kirill tried to comprehend new language, which confirms the non-Slavic roots of the language being studied. During the life of Cyril and Methodius, the Proto-Slavic language was a single whole and was perfectly understood by everyone who considered it their native language. And only in the 12th century did the division of the language into dialects begin.

Researchers for the most part are inclined to two versions of the interpretation of a fragment from the life of Cyril. First, the passage in question may have been written in Gothic. Secondly, the manuscript could well contain an error, when it should be read not in “Russian”, but in “Sursky”, which is tantamount to “Syrian”.

If we take into account Cyril’s study of the Hebrew language and writing in Samaritan at this time, then the second option is more likely. Metropolitan Macarius more than once emphasized that in the life itself it was repeatedly said about Cyril as the creator of Slavic writing.

Reverence

Russian Orthodoxy has established 2 dates for the memory of saints, associated with the days of their presentation. So, Kirill is revered on February 27 ( old style- February 14), and Methodius - April 19 (old style - April 6).

The Catholic Church has introduced a single day of remembrance for the brothers - February 14. Previously, the date of celebration was July 5th. In 1863, the Roman Church celebrated the “year of the Slavic jubilee,” and Pope John Paul dedicated his encyclical letter “Apostles of the Slavs” to Cyril and Methodius.

In 1863, the Holy Government Synod of Russia decided to celebrate the day of Saints Cyril and Methodius on May 11 (according to Julian calendar). It is unclear why this particular date was chosen.

On May 11, 1858, the day of remembrance for Cyril and Methodius was celebrated for the first time in Plovdiv within the framework of the Bulgarian Church. Perhaps there is some reason for choosing May 11th. In addition, in 1862, Ivan Dmitrievich Belyaev, a professor at Moscow University, wrote an article that spoke of the existence of a certain church document dated May 11 and defining the principles of painting the icons of Cyril and Methodius.

On May 11, 1872, despite the prohibition of the Patriarch, Exarch Anfim I performed a liturgy held in the Bulgarian church of Constantinople, at which the act of independence of the Bulgarian Church was proclaimed, that is, it became autocephalous. On this occasion, the Holy Synod expressed sincere regret, since there was a separation between the Greeks and the Bulgarians, which was the reason for the refusal to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of Cyril and Methodius by the Greek Church for political reasons.

A decree of the Holy Synod of 1855 established that May 11 should be considered a medium holiday with a vigil. Since 1901, the Synod has determined the celebration of May 11 on an annual basis in all churches and educational institutions related to the spiritual department. Provided all-night vigil and liturgy with prayer service. Students of religious institutions were exempted from classes, and in church schools On May 11, the graduation ceremony was held.

In 1991, the holiday in honor of Cyril and Methodius became a national holiday in the following countries: Czech Republic, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Slovakia. In Russia and Bulgaria, the “Day of Slavic Culture and Literature” is celebrated on May 24. Macedonia also celebrates this holiday on May 24, but here it is already called “Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius.” In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, it is customary to honor Cyril and Methodius on July 5th.

The Slovak poet Jan Golly created a poem called “Cyril and Methodias”, and the lives of the saints were included in the “Khazar Dictionary” by Milorad Pavic. Bulgaria established the Order of Cyril and Methodius.

Disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius

Konstantin Preslavsky

Gorazd Ohridski

Kliment Ohridski

Savva Ohridski

Naum Ohridski

Angelium of Ohrid

Lavrentiy

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.

Originally a holiday that existed in Bulgaria back in X-XI 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 in Moscow at Slavyanskaya Square The monument to Saints Cyril and Methodius was solemnly opened. 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. Most Interest present “The Life of Constantine the Philosopher”, “The Life of Methodius”, “A Eulogy to 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 a monk, he bore the secular name 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 do military career, but then around 852 he took monastic vows, and later became abbot of the Polychron monastery on Bithynian Olympus (Asia Minor). Kirill, gifted with philological abilities from birth, with youth gravitated toward science. 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 for them 38 letters - some according to the pattern greek letters, others in 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,
Through whole line 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.

Every year on May 24, Slavic countries celebrate the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. This holiday is associated with the names of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius - Slavic educators, creators of the Slavic alphabet, preachers of Christianity, the first translators of liturgical books from Greek into Slavic.

Slavic writing arose on May 24, 863 in the city of Pliska, the then capital of Bulgaria, where the Solun brothers Cyril and Methodius announced the invention of the Slavic alphabet. It was they, the Bulgarian enlighteners Cyril and Methodius, who created the first Slavic alphabet, which we use to this day. The alphabet got its name from the name of the youngest of the brothers - the Cyrillic alphabet.

The history of the Cyrillic alphabet is connected with Orthodoxy. Using the alphabet they created, the brothers translated from Greek Holy Scripture and a number of liturgical books.It is no coincidence that the life feat of Cyril and Methodius is equated with the apostolic one, calling them the “first teachers” of the Slavs. Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius were canonized in ancient times. The solemn celebration of the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius was established in the Russian Church in 1863. Memorial Day of Cyril and Methodius - May 24, according to the new style, is now celebrated in Russia as a public holiday. The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is the only church and state holiday in our country.

Saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius

Siblings Cyril and Methodius came from a pious family that lived in greek city Soluni (in Macedonia). They were the children of the same governor, a Bulgarian Slav. Saint Methodius was the eldest of seven brothers, Saint Constantine (Cyril was his monastic name) the youngest.

Saint Methodius first served, like his father, in a military rank. The Tsar, having learned about him as a good warrior, made him governor of one Slavic principality of Slavinia, which was under the Greek power. Having served in the rank of governor for about 10 years and having experienced the vanity of life, Methodius began to renounce everything earthly and direct his thoughts to the heavenly. Leaving the province and all the pleasures of the world, he became a monk on Mount Olympus.

And his brother Saint Constantine, from his youth, showed brilliant success in both secular and religious-moral education. He studied with the young Emperor Michael from the best teachers Constantinople, including Photius, the future Patriarch of Constantinople. Having received an excellent education, he perfectly comprehended all the sciences of his time and many languages; he especially diligently studied the works of St. Gregory the Theologian, for which he received the nickname Philosopher (wise). At the end of his studies, Saint Constantine accepted the rank of priest and was appointed keeper of the patriarchal library at the Church of Saint Sophia. But, neglecting all the benefits of his position, he retired to one of the monasteries near the Black Sea. Almost by force, he was returned to Constantinople and appointed a teacher of philosophy at the highest school of Constantinople. Then Cyril retired to his brother Methodius and for several years shared monastic exploits with him in a monastery on Olympus, where he first began to study the Slavic language. Soon the emperor summoned both holy brothers from the monastery and sent them to the Khazars to preach the gospel. On the way, they stopped for some time in the city of Korsun (the ancient Russian name for the city of Chersonesos), where Constantine learned the Hebrew and Samaritan languages. Here the holy brothers learned that the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome, were in the sea, and they miraculously found them. There, in Korsun, Saint Constantine found the Gospel and the Psalter, written in “Russian letters,” and a man speaking Russian, and began to learn from this man to read and speak his language. After this, the holy brothers went to the Khazars, where they won the debate with Jews and Muslims, preaching the Gospel teaching.

Soon, ambassadors from the Moravian prince Rostislav, oppressed by the German bishops, came to the emperor with a request to send teachers to Moravia who could preach in the native language of the Slavs. The emperor called Saint Constantine and told him: “You need to go there, because no one will do this better than you.” Saint Constantine, with fasting and prayer, began a new feat. With the help of his brother Saint Methodius and his disciples Gorazd, Clement, Savva, Naum and Angelar, he compiled the Slavic alphabet and translated into Slavic the books without which the Divine service could not be performed: the Gospel, the Psalter and selected services. Some chroniclers report that the first words written in the Slavic language were the words of the Apostle Evangelist John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was to God, and God was the Word”. This was in 863.

After completing the translation, the holy brothers went to Moravia, where they were received with great honor and began to teach Divine services in the Slavic language. This aroused the anger of the German bishops, who performed divine services in Latin in the Moravian churches, and they rebelled against the holy brothers and filed a complaint to Rome. In 867 St. Methodius and Constantine were summoned by Pope Nicholas I to Rome for trial to resolve this issue. Taking with them the relics of Saint Clement, Pope of Rome, Saints Constantine and Methodius went to Rome. When they arrived in Rome, Nicholas I was no longer alive; his successor Adrian II, having learned that they were carrying with them the relics of St. Clement, met them solemnly outside the city. The Pope approved the Divine Service in the Slavic language, and ordered the books translated by the brothers to be placed in Roman churches and the Liturgy to be celebrated in the Slavic language.

While in Rome, Saint Constantine, in wonderful vision Notified by the Lord about the approach of his death, he adopted the schema with the name Cyril. 50 days after accepting the schema, on February 14, 869, Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril died at the age of 42. Before his death, he told his brother: “You and I, like a friendly pair of oxen, drove the same furrow; I’m exhausted, but don’t think about leaving the work of teaching and retiring to your mountain again.” The Pope ordered the relics of St. Cyril to be placed in the Church of St. Clement, where miracles began to be performed from them.

After the death of Saint Cyril, the pope, following the request of the Slavic prince Kocel, sent Saint Methodius to Pannonia, ordaining him archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, to the ancient throne of the holy Apostle Antrodin. At the same time, Methodius had to endure a lot of troubles from the missionaries, but he continued the Gospel preaching among the Slavs and baptized the Czech prince Borivoj and his wife Lyudmila (September 16), as well as one of the Polish princes.

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

The saint predicted the day of his death and died on April 6, 885 at the age of about 60 years. The funeral service for the saint was performed in three languages - Slavic, Greek and Latin; he was buried in the cathedral church of Velehrad, the capital of Moravia.

Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius were canonized in ancient times. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the memory of the Equal-to-the-Apostles enlighteners of the Slavs has been honored since the 11th century. The oldest services to saints that have survived to our time date back to the 13th century. The solemn celebration of the memory of the holy high priests Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius was established in the Russian Church in 1863.

After the death of the great brothers, their disciples suffered persecution. The Pope banned the study of the Slavic language. The cause of Cyril and Methodius, despite a persistent and lengthy struggle for many years, failed Western Slavs, but it firmly established itself in Bulgaria, and from there it was transferred to Serbia, Romania and Rus'. The students of Cyril and Methodius opened their own schools, and by the end of the 9th century, thousands of people were already reading and writing in Old Church Slavonic.

The Slavic alphabet existed unchanged in Rus' for more than seven centuries. Its creators tried to make each letter of the first alphabet simple and clear, easy to write. They understood that the letters must be beautiful so that a person, as soon as he sees them, immediately wants to master writing. The alphabet of Cyril and Methodius amazes us with its simplicity and convenience. In 1708, at the direction of Peter I, the alphabet was reformed for publications in the civil press; it was this version that formed the basis of the modern Russian font.

In the second half of the 18th century, the Russian alphabet was replenished with new letters that were not in the Slavic alphabet. At the beginning of the 20th century in Russia there was a need to simplify the alphabet and spelling. Such a reform was carried out in 1918.

Now our alphabet, compiled by Cyril and Methodius, is the simplest and most convenient. It contains optimal quantity letters - 33.

The spiritual feat of Saints Cyril and Methodius, equal to the apostles, is attested in extensive hagiographic literature, in words of praise and religious hymns, in ancient church services and chants, on icons and in church paintings, in artistic prose, in poetry and in numerous scientific works.

Cyril and Methodius accomplished a great work; the Slavic alphabet can rightfully be called a world masterpiece of linguistic culture. The power of the deed of Cyril and Methodius is great and immortal, like a native language!

In states where the majority religion is Orthodoxy, May 24 (May 11 - according to the Julian calendar) is the day of remembrance of Saints Methodius and Cyril. IN Russian Federation it was given a different name - Day of Slavic Literature and Culture.

The origins of this holiday are inextricably linked with the honoring of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius - educators of the Slavs, Orthodox monks, creators of the Slavic alphabet.

Cyril and Methodius compiled the Slavic alphabet and translated several liturgical books from Greek into the Slavic language (including selected readings from the Gospel, the Apostolic Epistles and the Psalter). What 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.

Saints Cyril and Methodius Day: interesting facts, history of the holiday

During the Renaissance in Bulgaria, the united holiday of the brothers turned into a glorification of the Slavic alphabet;
Bulgarians celebrate the Day of Bulgarian Education, Culture and Slavic Literature on a larger scale than in other Slavic countries;
By special decision of the Russian Holy Synod Since 1863, May 24 has become the day of remembrance of Constantine and Methodius;
In 1985 Soviet authorities declared May 24 a holiday of Slavic culture and writing;
Murmansk was the first to assume responsibility in 1986 cultural center for the Festival of Writing;
For 24 years until 2010, the “capital” was elected every year;
Since 2010, one city has been chosen to host ceremonies - Moscow.

Celebrating the Day of Slavic Culture and Literature in Russia

More than 1000 years in Orthodox cathedrals and churches, services are held in honor of the brothers. But since the 19th century the event has become secular. By this time scientific progress did not stand still and the veneration of the enlighteners intensified.

Video: May 24 - Memorial Day of Equal-to-the-Apostles Methodius and Cyril

During the Soviet era, the holiday was not popular. It was revived only in 1985 after the 1100th anniversary of the repose of Methodius was celebrated.

On this moment The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture begins with church events. A solemn liturgy is held in the Assumption Cathedral. Further from the cathedral to Slavyanskaya Square moves Procession. According to tradition, flowers are laid at the monument in honor of Methodius and Cyril.

Then the relay of solemn celebration passes to cultural institutions. Libraries hold literary readings. Folk groups perform on stages. Museums open various exhibitions.

Concerts are also held in different genres: from folk art before classical music. Satisfied folk festivals in the squares. Schools have open lessons. In some cities, pilgrimages are held for children to monasteries.

In 2009, the Holy Synod established literary prize. As part of the holiday, laureates are awarded - writers who have made a significant contribution to the development of moral values, spirituality of society in general and family in particular. There is no such award in the history of the Orthodox Church.

Celebration of Cyril and Methodius Day in other countries

This event takes place most solemnly in Bulgaria. Since the 19th century, the holiday has grown from a church holiday into a secular one. This day symbolizes respect for culture, science and education in general.

The history of the origin of the Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, their contribution to the creation of the Slavic alphabet

Brothers Methodius and Cyril (known as Constantine) are from Thessaloniki. The family was wealthy and was able to provide a good education to my children.

The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is inextricably linked with the honoring of Saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius - educators of the Slavs, Orthodox monks, creators of the Slavic alphabet

Methodius initially built a military career, was a governor in Bulgaria, and there he learned the Slavic language. Later he took monastic vows and eventually became abbot. Konstantin studied languages and literature since childhood. After training, he held the position of librarian and took the priesthood.

At the end of the ninth century new era The Slavs finally have their own alphabet. Michael the Third, Emperor of Byzantium, gave the order to create an orderly written language for Old 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 this important event for all Slavic states was proposed special holiday. 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– this is a tremendous help for historians and ethnographers.

With the advent of writing, man had the opportunity to write down the necessary information, and therefore to receive and master 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', the “Day of Slavic Culture and Literature,” 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 events took place there cultural events. 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 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 everyone Slavic countries about the unity of their origin, about 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!