When is the day of Slavic culture celebrated. Day of Slavic Writing and Culture

In history, there are several varieties of writing among the Slavs. Slavic writing was used to conclude contracts, transfer notes, and for other purposes. For example, you can find information about this from Archimandrite Leonid Kavelin in his Collection: “On the homeland and origin of the Glagolitic alphabet and its relationship to the Cyrillic alphabet” (1891). There is a special day dedicated to Slavic writing. Today it is celebrated by Russians as the day of veneration of Cyril and Methodius, although it is known that neither Cyril nor Methodius invented the Russian alphabet. They just transformed it - shortened it and adapted it in order to make it easier to translate Christian manuscripts from Greek. For example, the historian Dobner (Czech Republic) can find a whole study on the topic: “Is the so-called now Cyrillic alphabet really an invention of the Slavic Ap. Cyril? (1786 edition).

Writing, as a derivative of the famous Christian saints Cyril and Methodius, appeared in Rus' in the period from 900 to the early 1000s. Until that time, the Slavs used a different script. We meet the data of the chroniclers about the conclusion of treaties of the book. Igor and Prince. Oleg with the Byzantine kingdom (907-911) even before the arrival of the Cyrillic alphabet in Rus'.

Some historians called it "Khazar writing" (Persian, Fakhr ad-Din, 700), speaking of the southwestern Slavs of a particular historical period. Others called it “an independent Russian letter”, referring to the “Thessalonica legend”, in which there is a mention of Jerome (lived until 420) and his connection with Slavic letters. Some scholars consider Cyril and Jerome from this legend to be the same person, but the dates of the activities of these characters do not match.

Two directions are now divided in which Slavic writing developed:

Pictorial views. Creating a three-dimensional image and perception.
Descriptive views. Creating planar perception by inscriptions on the plane.

Previously, our ancestors, when talking about objectivity and functions, called their writing:

word;
by letter;
a book;
diploma.

Types of writing throughout the history of the Slavs, arranged in chronological order of their time of appearance and use:

Glagolitic- middle of the tenth century;
initial letter(Old Slovenian) - presumably the end of the 10th century;
ABC- a variant of pre-revolutionary tsarist Russia;
Alphabet- 1918 (Lunacharsky's reform).

Some scholars present the Glagolitic as one of the ways to pronounce and write the capital letter. But this issue is still being investigated. Here is what the Russian philologist Sreznevsky I.I. tells us. (1848):

Turning to the Glagol alphabet, we note first of all how it is similar and how it differs from the Cyrillic alphabet. Most of its letters in their form differ not only from Cyrillic, but also from other well-known ones. Similar to Kirillov's d, x, m, p, f, w ... The choice of letters is the same. The order of the letters is also the same ... The peculiarity of many Glagolitic letters has long led to the conclusion that the Glagolitic alphabet is the ancient alphabet of the pagan Slavs and, therefore, is older than the Cyrillic alphabet; this was believed by Count Grubishich, Dr. Anton; This is also believed by the well-known German philologist J. Grimm. It is hardly possible to refute this, assuming that the ancient simple features were replaced by curly and complex ones in the now known Glagolitic alphabet later, due to special, unknown reasons; however, it is also difficult to refute the fact that the letters of the Glagolitic alphabet of unknown origin were never simpler, but were invented by an idle literate person as they are, without any deviation from the ancient Slavic scripts. It is true that the features of the Glagolitic alphabet are generally rude and some are open to the left side, as if they were used for writing with right hand to the left, but the rudeness of the pattern of the letters is not a sign of antiquity, and the openness of some to the left side could also be an accidental expression of the inventor's taste ...

The Slavic letter was used in 4 variations: 2 main and 2 auxiliary. Separately, one should dwell on such varieties of writing that historians modern science still can't ignore it. These are the following types of writing among the Slavs of different nationalities:

Features and Reza. By their names, one can judge their origin - they drew letters and cut them. This is a type of lettering.

Da'Aryan Thrags - used to convey the multidimensionality and imagery of runes.

Kh'Aryan Karuna (runic, runic, runic) - used by priests, consisted of 256 runes, which formed the basis of the Devanagari, Sanskrit languages.

Rasen Molitsy - a letter from the Etruscans.

Now there is enough evidence that the Slavic tribes and peoples settled on the Earth long before Christianity. Therefore, anthropologists often find blue-eyed Hindus in India, Kalash in Pakistan, or mummies of European appearance among archaeological sites in China. Therefore, Aryan writing can also be remotely called Slavic, or Slavic-Aryan, as it is more convenient for anyone to understand. Slavs modern Russia and the countries adjacent to it with ethnic identity are the closest - Glagolitic and Initial letters, as well as Runes, Traits and Reza.

What is special about Slavic writing and culture

The Glagolitic was most often used for bonding business relations in trade matters. She executed contracts, other papers, which are confirmation of the concluded transaction. In support of this, a fairly large number of ancient treaties have remained today, written down precisely in the Slavic Glagolitic alphabet. The following words are associated with this name:

to speak - to speak;
verbasha - speaking, pronouncing;
verb - we speak;
verb is action.

The initial letter as the capital part of the words had different styles writing. Several examples can be given artistic image ancient letters:

Ostromir initial letters - taken from the Ostromir Gospel (1056-1057)

teratological (or animal) style - features of animals and birds were included in the image of the letter

initials - colored letters, where, in addition to fantastic animals, human characters were also depicted (about 800)

Ottonian style of the Western Slavs - large letters, with gilding and patterned weaves

illustrated initial letter - each capital letter was illustrated with different fairy tale characters and themes

filigree beeches (from the old name - "beeches", and not "letters" from the All-Light Diploma of Shubin-Abramov Anania Fedorovich) - the letters were decorated with the finest pattern

Guslitsky style - comes from the Old Believer settlement Guslitsy

Vetka style in Belarus

There are many variants of the image of Slavic letters. Our ancestors the Slavs were famous masters of arts and arts. Therefore, letters could be depicted by scribes with a creative approach. The main feature of the initial letter is that it formed the basis of such languages \u200b\u200bknown to us as Latin (Latin) and English.

The worldview of the Slavs was changed even by modifying the written language. If earlier letters and words were perceived volumetrically with a semantic and figurative-symbolic load, now they are perceived on a plane, faceless, carrying only sounds that add up to words.

Researchers of Slavic mythology believe that such a transfer of perception from volumetric "holographic" to flat writing began approximately from the time of the Germanization of Rus'. Apparently, the influence of the West has always been fatal for the Russians and Slavs in general, which is why the leading Russian minds of the times of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy mentioned it so often.

When is the day of Slavic writing celebrated?

Slavic culture in historical data has undergone various changes. This suggests that scientists have not yet stopped their research - new artifacts found are being studied. The date when the writing of the Slavs and their culture was honored also changed. The very same Slavic mythology and history does not confirm the fact that the ancient Slavs celebrated some special day dedicated to their writing. Nevertheless, it is worth considering the appearance of such events at a later time, approximately when Christianity came to Rus'.

Most often, this date was associated with Cyril and Methodius. It was at that time that they began to allocate a certain day on which they remembered the merits of these two reverend fathers. Only the date has changed:

May 11 - Christian enlighteners were remembered by the "Thessalonica brothers";
May 24 - Bulgarians today, along with these two saints, also remember their culture;
July 5 - in the Czech Republic;
January 30 - the inhabitants of Russia recalled Slavic writing and culture at the suggestion of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR (1991).

May 24- a generally accepted holiday in Slavic culture and writing. It was declared the "Day of Slavic Culture and Literature" in 1985, when the 1100th anniversary of the death of Methodius was celebrated in the USSR. Therefore, today this holiday is entirely served from the point of view of the Orthodox Church. However, those who remember and honor the heritage of the more ancient ancestors of the Slavs, and now honor the ancient Slovenian Letter. On this day, ancient letters are painted on asphalt, in underground passages, in squares, everywhere in the cities of the country.

In scientific circles, some believe that the Slavs once had one language, but there were many ways to display it on any medium. Writing could be written on metal (coins, jewelry), birch bark, leather, stone. The peculiarity of Slavic writing lies in the fact that, first of all, it carried Svetorussky (in some reading - "Holy Russian") images. Simply put, we understand that it was a figurative letter, and not a flat one, carrying more deep meaning than just sound.

Late ninth century new era the Slavs finally had their own alphabet. Michael the Third, emperor of Byzantium, gave the order to create an orderly script for the Old Church Slavonic language. The brothers Cyril and Methodius took up this business. Therefore, the alphabet began to be called Cyrillic. And in honor of such an important event for all Slavic states, it was proposed special holiday. Unfortunately, many people don't know anything about it. It is even sadder that people often do not understand its purpose, its meaning.

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

With the advent of writing, a person got the opportunity to record the necessary information, which means to receive and master new knowledge. And how rapidly culture began to develop! And the contribution of Cyril and Methodius to the whole life of people is difficult to overestimate. In general, we modern life it is very difficult to imagine how people used to live when they did not have a letter.

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

Then every year a city was chosen, which became the center of the holiday. There were the main cultural events. This state of affairs persists to this day.

How is everything going today?

The Days of Slavic Culture and Literature are not held according to one standardized plan, they are always different, always interesting and lively. There is also a place in them for discussion of pressing problems, in which cultural figures, poets, writers and others take part.

When the "Day of Slavic Literature and Culture" is celebrated, scientific meetings and forums, festivals and exhibitions, as well as fairs and concerts are held in Russia. Such a cultural explosion awakens in the hearts of people true love to their people, their language, pride in them. Of course, they do not forget to remember the brothers who gave people writing. In itself, the "Day of Slavic Culture" is intended to unite and preserve that cultural heritage which we have inherited from our ancestors. And this is certainly very important. The holiday reminds all Slavic countries of the unity of their origin, of their ancestors.

But the meaning and significance of this day exists not only for each individual country, but also for each person individually. After all, we all speak and write in the Slavic language! 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 preserve our Slavic culture, but also educate it in our children. Agree that we have something to be proud of! After all, it is not for nothing that the works of Slavic writers and poets are famous for such penetration, such bewitching and incredibly beautiful speech turns! Reading their books is a pleasure. Therefore, let's love and respect our writing, our Slavic culture. She gave and continues to give us a lot!

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

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

Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, Slovenian teachers

The holy Equal-to-the-Apostles primary teachers and Slavic enlighteners, the brothers Cyril and Methodius, came from a noble and pious family that lived in the Greek city of Thessalonica. Saint Methodius was the eldest of the seven brothers, Saint Constantine (Cyril is his monastic name) was the youngest. Saint Methodius was at first in a military rank and was the ruler in one of the Slavic principalities subordinate to the Byzantine Empire, apparently Bulgarian, which gave him the opportunity to learn the Slavic language. After staying there for about 10 years, Saint Methodius then accepted monasticism in one of the monasteries on Mount Olympus. Saint Constantine from an early age was distinguished by great abilities and studied together with the infant emperor Michael from the best teachers of Constantinople, including Photius, the future Patriarch of Constantinople. Saint Constantine perfectly comprehended all the sciences of his time and many languages, he especially diligently studied the works of St. Gregory the Theologian. For his mind and outstanding knowledge, Saint Constantine received the title of Philosopher (wise). At the end of his teaching, Saint Constantine accepted the rank of priest and was appointed curator of the patriarchal library at the church of Saint Sophia, but soon left the capital and secretly retired to a monastery. Searched there and returned to Constantinople, he was assigned as a teacher of philosophy in the higher school of Constantinople. The wisdom and power of faith is still quite young Constantine were so great that he managed to defeat the leader of the heretic iconoclasts Annius in the debate. After this victory, Constantine was sent by the emperor to debate the Holy Trinity with the Saracens (Muslims) and also won. Returning, Saint Constantine withdrew to his brother Saint Methodius on Olympus, spending time in unceasing prayer and reading the works of the holy fathers.

Soon the emperor summoned both holy brothers from the monastery and sent them to the Khazars for the gospel sermon. On the way, they stopped for some time in the city of Korsun, preparing for a sermon. There the holy brothers miraculously found the relics of Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (Comm. 25 November). In the same place in Korsun, Saint Constantine found a Gospel and a Psalter written in "Russian letters" and a man who spoke Russian, and began to learn from this man to read and speak his language. After that, the holy brothers went to the Khazars, where they won the debate with the Jews and Muslims, preaching the Gospel teaching. On the way home, the brothers again visited Korsun and, taking the relics of St. Clement there, returned to Constantinople. Saint Constantine remained in the capital, while Saint Methodius received hegumenship at the small monastery of Polychron, not far from Mount Olympus, where he had asceticised before.

Soon, ambassadors came to the emperor from the Moravian prince Rostislav, who was being oppressed by the German bishops, with a request to send teachers to Moravia who could preach in their native language for the Slavs. The emperor called Saint Constantine and said to him: "You must go there, for no one can do it better than you." Saint Constantine, with fasting and prayer, embarked on a new feat. With the help of his brother Saint Methodius and the disciples of Gorazd, Clement, Savva, Naum and Angelyar, he compiled the Slavic alphabet and translated into Slavonic the books without which Divine services could not be performed: the Gospel, the Apostle, the Psalter and selected services. This was in 863.

After the completion of the translation, the holy brothers went to Moravia, where they were received with great honor, and began to teach Divine Liturgy in the Slavic language. This aroused the anger of the German bishops, who celebrated divine services in the Moravian churches on Latin, and they rebelled against the holy brothers, arguing that Divine services could only be performed in one of three languages: Hebrew, Greek, or Latin. Saint Constantine answered them: “You recognize only three languages worthy of glorifying God in them. But David cries out: Sing to the Lord, all the earth; praise the Lord, all nations; let every breath praise the Lord! And in the Holy Gospel it is said: Go and teach all languages. The German bishops were put to shame, but became even more embittered and filed a complaint with Rome. The holy brothers were called to Rome to resolve this issue. Taking with them the relics of Saint Clement, Pope of Rome, Saints Constantine and Methodius set off for Rome. Having learned that the holy brothers were carrying holy relics with them, Pope Adrian went out with the clergy to meet them. The holy brothers were greeted with honor, the Pope of Rome approved worship in the Slavic language, and ordered the books translated by the brothers to be placed in Roman churches and to celebrate the liturgy in the Slavic language.

While in Rome, Saint Constantine fell ill and, in a miraculous vision, informed by the Lord that his death was approaching, he took the schema with the name Cyril. 50 days after the adoption of the schema, on February 14, 869, Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril died at the age of 42. Departing to God, Saint Cyril commanded his brother Saint Methodius to continue their common work—the enlightenment of the Slavic peoples with the light of the true faith. Saint Methodius begged the Pope of Rome to allow the body of his brother to be taken away for burial on native land, but the pope ordered the relics of St. Cyril to be placed in the church of St. Clement, where miracles began to happen 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 Andronicus. . This again angered the German bishops. They achieved the arrest and trial of Saint Methodius, who was exiled to captivity in Swabia, where he endured many sufferings for two and a half years. Released by order of Pope John VIII and restored to the rights of an archbishop, Methodius continued to preach the gospel among the Slavs and baptized the Czech prince Borivoi and his wife Lyudmila (Comm. 16 September), as well as one of the Polish princes. For the third time, the German bishops persecuted the saint for not accepting the Roman teaching about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and from the Son. Saint Methodius was summoned to Rome, but justified himself before the pope, keeping the Orthodox teaching pure, and was again returned to the capital of Moravia, Velehrad.

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

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

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

Slavic glorious day

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

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

The initiative was laid by the Church, and this first holiday was exclusively church. In the 17th century, in connection with the editing of Russian liturgical books according to Greek models, the most ancient service to the first teachers was not included in the official printed Monthly Book. Therefore, at the beginning of 1860, Bishop Anthony of Smolensk (Amfiteatrov) turned to the Chief Procurator of the Holy Synod with a request that the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius, set by the Church on May 11, should be honored in a more appropriate way, especially considering their ancient honoring in Rus'. He proposed to draw up a new solemn service and time it in churches for the 1000th anniversary of Russia and the enlightenment of the Slavic peoples.

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

“As an apostle of unity and the Slovenian countries, the teacher, Cyril and Methodius of God’s Wisdom, pray to the Lord of all, establish all the Slovenian languages in Orthodoxy and like-mindedness, pacify the world and save our souls.”

For the first time this service was performed in Russia on May 11, 1862. In Moscow, the first celebrations in honor of Cyril and Methodius took place in the house church of Moscow University - at the junction of faith and science, for the word, worship and enlightenment are interconnected. At the festive liturgy, the ancient canon of St. Cyril and Methodius, and at the end of it a prayer service was performed. Then, at the suggestion of the professorship, a collection was opened for the construction of the icon of Cyril and Methodius for the house university church.

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

Rumors about the celebration of May 11 in Moscow will spread throughout all Slavic countries with the joyful news of future liberation; because it's impossible spiritual rebirth Slavs without the participation of the multi-million Russian tribe in the common feat of Slavic self-consciousness. So let this holiday in the future spread from the Assumption Cathedral to a rural church in the most remote backwoods.

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

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

Time itself disposed to such celebrations and moved Russia, and indeed the entire Slavic world, to rethink their own existence in the light of the mission of the Slavic apostles, for anniversaries moving at amazing speed. Already in 1869, the new millennium was celebrated: from the day of the death of St. Kirill. On the eve, a miracle happened: two years earlier, the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Leonid, during a trip to Athos, discovered there the oldest icon image of Cyril and Methodius. An image was written from him, and brought to Russia.

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

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

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

Now the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, K.P. He wrote to Alexander III:

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

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

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

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

They raised the new people who came into the world to historical life, they created a new force in the world which is destined to be appointed in the dispensation of Providence, which, with the resulting division of the Churches, is destined to stay in the East ... if Cyril and Methodius had not sanctified our primitive language, they would not have raised our word in the liturgical organ, there would be no place and no vessel for the Eastern Orthodox Church, there would be no one to fulfill the work of her destinies.

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

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

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

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

Moscow celebrated in its own way, crowded with thousands of pilgrims who surrounded the Kremlin, Red Square and the surrounding environs. The liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was officiated by Bishop Alexy of Tauride, where, by the way, several students from each school were present - that is, the idea of the patronage of Cyril and Methodius to public education began to come true little by little. From there, the procession went to the Kremlin. There, in the Assumption Cathedral, after the end of the liturgy, a grand procession began to the sound of all the Kremlin bells. The spectacle was majestic - hundreds of banners swayed, bells buzzed, golden vestments sparkled, a thousand-mouthed prayer was announced. The festive procession through the Spassky Gates went to Red Square, where the icon of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, went to the Nikolsky Gate and returned to the Kremlin through them.

Then the civic festivities began. A solemn meeting was held at Moscow University, which opened with the singing of "Today the grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us." In the Katkov Lyceum of Tsarevich Nikolai, after the liturgy in the house church, V.V. Nazarevsky, an outstanding historian of Moscow, delivered a jubilee speech. In the Moscow Theological Seminary, hymns to the Slavic apostles were performed, to the music of P.I. Tchaikovsky and the priest V.F. Starorussky. Metropolitan Ioanniky proposed to honor the memory of the Slavic first teachers by establishing the "Brotherhood for Assistance to Parish Schools." The brotherhood of Cyril and Methodius was created and existed until 1917, and should not be confused with the Kostomarovo society of the same name. Everyone that day cared and folk holiday education - lectures were arranged for ordinary Muscovites in libraries and reading rooms.

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

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

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

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

Let us recall the words from the Tale of Bygone Years: "Yes, if anyone blasphemes the Slovenian letter, let him be excommunicated from the church."

Elena Lebedeva

In those years when there was a split between the Western Church and its Eastern Orthodox sister, the process of Christianization of peoples began to grow with a vengeance in the Slavic lands. Looking back into the past, we see that the Lord called them to replenish the ranks of their church, sending them wise mentors from the educated and advanced, at that time, Byzantium. Thanks to them, the light of Orthodoxy shone in full measure for all Slavs.

Brethren from Thessaloniki

Celebrated annually on May 24, the Day of Culture has been a holiday since ancient times. And although it had a different name, it had the same meaning - veneration of the memory of two great educators, who by their labors acquired the crowns of holiness. These teachers of the Slavic peoples were born in the 9th century, in one of the largest cities of Byzantium - Thessaloniki (otherwise - Thessalonica), but they completed the main work of their lives in the Slavic lands, to which the Lord vouchsafed them to go.

Cyril (baptized Konstantin) and Methodius were brothers and grew up in a wealthy and educated family. Their father, a professional military man, served the emperor and held high positions at court. WITH early childhood the brothers, in addition to their native Greek, also heard the Slavic language, which was spoken by many representatives of the tribes that lived around. Over time, the young men mastered it to perfection. The elder brother Methodius, having decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, became a military man and even made significant progress in this area, but eventually abandoned military career and became a simple monk.

Future enlighteners of the Slavs

His younger brother Constantine, having received brilliant education, while still at home, he became the creator of the Glagolitic alphabet - the Slavic alphabet - and began translating the Gospel into this language. It is known that while in Constantinople, he studied philosophy, dialectics, mathematics and a number of other sciences from the best teachers of his time. Soon, having become a priest, he received a position as a library keeper at the famous and a year later - a teacher at the University of Magnavra, which he graduated shortly before. He largely replenished his education during his stay in Korsun, where he spent a considerable time together with Byzantine diplomats.

Brothers Mission in Bulgaria

But the main thing was ahead of the brothers. In 862, a delegation from the local ruler arrived in Constantinople from Moravia, asking for mentors to be sent to him, capable of conveying the teachings of Christ to the people in their native language. In response to this, the emperor and patriarch sent brothers to carry out this great mission. A year later, Konstantin, together with Methodius and his students, became the creators of the alphabet, which was based on the Old Slavonic language, and translated into Bulgarian a number of books from the Holy Scriptures.

While in Moravia, the brothers led a wide educational activities among the local population. They not only taught literacy, but also helped to organize the holding of divine services. Their mission lasted about three years, during which they created the necessary basis for the baptism of Bulgaria, which took place in 864. In 867, while already in Rome, Constantine fell ill from a serious illness, and shortly before his death, he took the vows as a monk under the name Cyril.

Feast of the Holy Brothers

In memory of the deeds of these great enlighteners and was established on May 24 and culture. Its roots go back to the 10th-11th centuries, when in Bulgaria it became a custom to commemorate them every year on May 24th. The days of memory of each of them separately were also established. All this speaks of the recognition of the invaluable merits of the brothers before national culture Slavic peoples. Starting from the 18th - 19th centuries - a period that went down in history as the Bulgarian revival - Slavic writing began to be noted.

In Rus', the celebration of this day became a custom quite late. Only in 1863 it was introduced into use by a special decree. And in the recent past, in 1985, in connection with the 1100th anniversary of the repose of Saint Methodius, it was decided to consider this day not only a religious holiday, but also a national one. That is why the Day of Slavonic Literature is celebrated on May 24th.

Government and church initiatives

In 1991, the celebrations were given official status. At a government meeting held on January 30, a resolution was adopted, according to which the whole country began to celebrate new holiday― May 24, Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. It is interesting that every year some regular settlement is chosen as its capital.

It is symbolic that on the night preceding the Bright Resurrection of Christ this year, the Patriarch lit a candle of the Slavic procession aimed at popularizing and preserving cultural property Slavic peoples. This good action is a kind of expedition along the main transport arteries that connect the most important historical centers of the country on their way.

Celebration in Moscow

Initially, it was decided not to tie May 24 - and cultures - within the framework of any particular scenario, but to give full freedom of creativity to its organizers in each specific case.

This opened up a wide scope for holding various conferences, folklore concerts, meetings with writers, festivals and other events aimed at further development of the national Slavic culture.

In Moscow, the holiday of May 24 (Day of Slavic Literature) began this year with a solemn address to all Russians by the head of the church, and then an open-air concert followed, which became an all-Russian event in terms of the scale of the event and the number of participants who performed in it. This was covered by representatives of leading media mass media from all over the world. Such events are an excellent way to strengthen mutual understanding between representatives of different nations.

Celebrations in the city on the Neva

May 24, 2015, the Day of Slavonic Literature, was celebrated brightly and interestingly in St. Petersburg. Here, on the steps of St. Isaac's Cathedral, which is one of the symbols of the city on the Neva, a choir of three thousand people performed, which, along with professional musicians, the participants also entered amateur groups. Interestingly, two years ago, on the same steps, Petersburgers and guests of the city heard the singing of the choir, which consisted of 4335 people.

This year, a huge team performed seventeen well-known and beloved songs among the people. However, events for the Day of Slavonic Literature (May 24) in this year this was not limited. There were also traditional meetings with writers, whose works have managed to fall in love with the people of St. Petersburg, and folklore groups performed in many parks of the city. This day will be remembered for a long time by everyone who took part in the celebrations.

In the history of every nation there are epochal milestones that separate times with a red line, personifying change and renewal. First of all, this is due to the nationality, which for many centuries was above politics and prosperity. Certainly, for a long time spirituality and science went hand in hand, engaging in education, the preservation of values and historical information. That is why many prominent figures in the Middle Ages turned out to be clerics. They had a broad outlook, were familiar with all sciences, knew languages and geography, saw the highest moral and educational goals in front of them. Such personalities, who changed the course of history and made an unprecedented contribution, are worth their weight in gold. That is why celebrations are still organized in their honor, and good example this is the holiday “Day of Slavic Literature and Culture”.

background

This holiday arose in memory of two brothers, who are called Thessalonica. Cyril and Methodius were Byzantines, the full name of the city - the place of their birth - Thessaloniki. They came from a noble family and were fluent in Greek. Some chronicles indicate that a local dialect was also widespread in this area, which belonged to Slavic, however, documentary evidence of the presence of a second native language among the brothers was not found. Many historians attribute Bulgarian origins to them, citing a number of sources, but it is quite possible that they were Greek by birth. Before taking the vows, Kirill bore the name Konstantin. Methodius was the eldest among the brothers in the family and was the first to retire to the monastery. Konstantin received an excellent education, earned honor and respect in the scientific community. After a series of events, he retired to his brother in the monastery, along with his students and associates. It was there that the extensive work that glorified them began.

brothers legacy

The history of the holiday dates back to the events of the 9th century AD. e. Starting with the tonsure of Cyril, work began on the development of the Cyrillic alphabet within the walls of the monastery. So now one of the first alphabets of the Old Slavonic language is called. Its primary name is "glagolitic". It is believed that the idea of its creation originated in 856. The incentive for their invention was missionary activity and the preaching of Christianity. Many rulers and clergy in those days turned to Constantinople, asking for prayers and chants in their native language. The Glagolitic system allowed Cyril and Methodius to translate a number of church books into Slavonic and thereby open the way for Christianity to the east.

Religious canons

But within the framework of history, the holiday of Slavic writing and culture is associated not only with the alphabet, but also with the life of the brothers, Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius. They are canonized as saints and revered in the East and in the West. It is noteworthy that in church usage the order of their names is Methodius, and then Cyril. This probably indicates the higher rank of the elder brother, which is celebrated separately, despite the more important research contribution of his brother. On the icons they are always depicted together, but they were recognized as saints at the end of the 9th century.

The origin of the holiday

Having appreciated the work of the brothers, the Bulgarians, who were the closest Slavs, decided to mark this event. Already since the 11th century, according to some sources, an official church date for the celebration appeared. The date was set for May 11th. For many centuries it was the day of remembrance of the saints, later, in the era of the heyday of science and enlightenment, the event turned into a holiday of Slavic writing. It was the Bulgarian people who initiated the celebrations and kept this tradition. The people were proud of Cyril and Methodius as enlighteners who gave the Slavic world the opportunity for self-determination and national independence, including along the church line. This date has become central in the cultural and spiritual life of the Balkan peoples.

19th century

Much has changed in the late 18th - early 19th century: the revision of values, attitudes, the beginning of progress. It was during this period that the holiday of Slavic writing received new life. The beginning was laid again in Bulgaria, where mass celebrations took place in 1857. Not wanting to lag behind the Slav brothers and remembering what an impetus for the development of linguistics, literature and science was given by the development of the alphabet, the Russian state also organized celebrations, but in 1863. Alexander was on the throne at that time ||, and the issue on the agenda was the Polish uprising. Nevertheless, it was in this year that a decree was issued to celebrate the day of memory of Cyril and Methodius on May 11 (according to the old style), the date was chosen by the Holy Synod. In 1863, celebrations took place on the occasion of the millennial anniversary of the supposed date of the creation of the Old Slavonic alphabet.

oblivion period

Despite respect for the Equal-to-the-Apostles saints and appreciation of their contribution in the form of translations of church books, memorable date, entered in the state calendar, for a long time was as if forgotten. Perhaps this was due to the development revolutionary movement, a coup d'etat denying church canons, and wars that thundered across Eurasia. Again, the holiday of Slavic writing was revived in Russia in 1985. This event took place in Murmansk, thanks to the writer, repeatedly awarded the State Prize - Maslov Vitaly Semenovich. It was he who became an activist in the revival of interest in this holiday, and on his initiative a monument to Cyril and Methodius was erected in Murmansk. Interest, fueled by the public, grew into a tradition that was soon legitimized.

Public Holiday

The official approval of Cyril and Methodius falls on January 30, 1991. The decision was made by the President of the Russian Federation. This is the first and only one of its kind. The date was chosen on May 24, an analogue of May 11 in the new style. Since then, celebrations have been held in one of the cities, so, for the period from 1991 to 2000, Moscow, Vladimir, Belgorod, Kostroma, Orel, Yaroslavl, Pskov, Ryazan were the epicenter of events. Later, cities more distant from the capital - Novosibirsk, Khanty-Mansiysk - were also involved. Since 2010, by decree of President D. A. Medvedev, Moscow has been appointed the center of cultural and church events.

Church celebrations

The history of the holiday of Slavic writing and culture involves church events dedicated to the memory of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Saints Methodius and Cyril. Usually the most important place at moments of important spiritual events, it becomes the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' conducts services. Traditional celebrations involve the morning Divine Liturgy. Later, the patriarch delivers a speech addressing parishioners, clergy and government officials. Within the walls of the temple, the brothers are called “Slovenian teachers”. First of all, the enlightening orientation of the saints is noted, that they carried the word, culture, language to the people, guided by divine laws and moral standards. The concept of enlightenment is interpreted in the church as the radiance of light, showing a person the way to the light, and therefore to God. At the moment, the church is actively involved in the life of the country, responding to the political problems and hardships of the life of parishioners. This allows not only to renounce earthly things by attending the liturgy, but also to learn the position of the church on the main issues of being and statehood. After the official part in the walls cathedral a procession to the monument to Cyril and Methodius is made. It is located in the center of Moscow, a prayer service is performed there, and then wreaths are laid.

Mass celebrations

Along with the church, the scenario of the holiday “Day of Slavic Literature and Culture” in mass manifestation is no less important. Since this is a state date, public organizations hold concerts, exhibitions, presentations, readings, competitions and other events. Red Square becomes the center of events, it is there that a large-scale concert is held, which opens in the afternoon with official speeches, and continues for a long time. Soloists and groups change on the stage, creating a festive atmosphere on the streets of the city. The scope of the event emphasizes the composition of the performers - these are the largest choirs, symphony orchestra, orchestras folk instruments. Actors and TV presenters consider it an honor to be able to perform on such a stage. The concert is broadcast on state channels. Celebrations are also held outside the capital, focused on central squares, near monuments, in parks, and in libraries. There is a single script for the holiday of Slavic writing, which regulates the main parameters of the celebrations.

Cultural Development

Day of Cyril and Methodius plays big role V cultural life countries. It stirs up the interest of the younger generation in linguistics, literature, history, introduces more older generation with historical milestones. The very history of the holiday “Day of Slavonic Literature” speaks of its important mission - enlightenment. Open lectures, seminars, readings - those events that acquaint visitors with new discoveries, main versions historical truth, with new literary and journalistic works.

Geography of the holiday

The Day of Literature and Culture is the prerogative of not only Russia. This holiday is famous for its vast geography, which includes the countries of the Slavic world. Of course, it is celebrated in Bulgaria, which is interesting, it is also a state holiday in the Czech Republic and Macedonia. In the post-Soviet space, he remains one of the most beloved. Celebrations in city squares, churches, libraries, schools are held in the cities of Moldova, Transnistria, Ukraine, Belarus. Traditionally, forums, meetings, open readings, publications of monographs or historical essays. In order to diversify the content of events, anniversaries of writers, anniversaries of the death of clerics or historical marks are connected to the dates of the celebration.

How to spend a writing day?

Many institutions of preschool education and public organizations celebrate the holiday of Slavic writing and culture in their own way. The scenario may vary. Someone chooses to hold charity events, someone focuses on the literary and linguistic heritage, someone chooses to hold concerts and exhibitions. Of course, the theme of national unity, spiritual growth, wealth and value of the native language occupies a leading place. When a holiday of Slavic writing and culture is being prepared, the script takes a leading place, since it requires a clear schedule with an hourly schedule.

There is a monument to Cyril and Methodius in many cities of Russia and abroad. The contribution of the saints, who gave the Slavic people the key to the development of science and linguistics, is difficult to overestimate. The holiday of Slavic writing is one of the most important events in the life of the country and the Slavic people.