Day of Saints Methodius and Cyril, the day of Slavic writing and culture. Celebration of Slavic writing and culture: history Birthday of Slavic writing and culture
In the Slavic states, including Russia, the Day of Slavic writing and culture. The crisis experienced by the Slavic peoples of Europe requires an active unification of efforts to restore and develop cultural ties on a new basis. For most Slavic peoples, the unifying factor is the Orthodox religion and the spiritual and cultural sphere associated with it.
Therefore, we turn to the origins of our culture, paying tribute to the first teachers of the Slovenian Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Brothers Cyril and Methodius, who brought writing to the Slavic land and introduced the many millions of Slavic peoples to world civilization, world culture.
The celebration of the memory of the holy brothers even in old times took place among all Slavic peoples, but then, under the influence of various historical and political circumstances, it was forgotten. IN early XIX century, along with the revival of the Slavic peoples, the memory of the Slavic first teachers was also renewed. In 1863, a decree was adopted in Rus' to celebrate the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius on May 11 (May 24, new style).
The idea of resuming a national, public celebration of the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the Days of Slavic Literature and Culture in Russia was born in 1985, when the Slavic peoples, together with the world community, celebrated the 1100th anniversary of the death of Saint Methodius, Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia. The works of these great educators became the common property of all Slavs and laid the foundation for their moral and mental development. So great is the merit of the brothers Cyril and Methodius in the history of enlightenment and upliftment general culture Slavic peoples.
Year after year, our cultures enriched and complemented each other; the linguistic community of the Slavic peoples was joined by a spiritual and cultural community that gave the world outstanding scientists, literary and artistic figures. In 1986, the first holiday was held in Murmansk, it was called the “Festival of Writing”.
In accordance with the Resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR dated January 30, 1991 N 568-1 on the annual holding of Days of Slavic Literature and Culture, since 1991, state and public organizations, together with the Russian Orthodox Church, began to hold Days of Slavic Literature and Culture.
During the celebration in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, Divine liturgies, religious processions, children's pilgrimage missions to Russian monasteries, scientific and practical conferences, exhibitions, and concerts are held in all Russian churches.
On Easter night 1991, the candle of the Slavic Movement was lit from the candle of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus', the purpose of which was to unite the creative potential of the Slavic peoples to preserve the spiritual and cultural heritage.
This year Khanty-Mansiysk was chosen as the center of celebrations. The main events of the Festival of Slavic Literature and Culture planned in Moscow: On May 24, a Liturgy will take place in the Patriarchal Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. Then from the Kremlin to the monument to St. equal to A traditional religious procession will take place for Cyril and Methodius. A prayer service will be held in front of the monument. Then, in the Hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, a festive concert and award ceremony will take place International Prize St. equal to brothers Cyril and Methodius and a gala reception.
On May 30, the Moscow City Hall on Novy Arbat will host an international symposium “The Slavic World on the Threshold of the Third Millennium”, dedicated to the memory of the outstanding Slavic scholar V.K. Volkov, where questions about the prospects for the development of Slavic states in the fields of culture, education, science, economics and politics will be considered. The main goal of the symposium is to determine the contours of modern public and scientific circles’ understanding of the future of the Slavic world. Show politicians where they can lead countries, peoples and entire civilizations with their ill-considered actions.
On June 1, International Children's Day, child pilgrims from different cities will gather at the St. Daniel's Monastery for a joint meal and prayer at the Patriarchal Residence.
The plan of festive events is very extensive. It included festive events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of D.S. Likhachev, concerts and meetings with writers and poets in parks, gardens, libraries, Library Workers' Day, book festival, concerts of Slavic composers, exhibitions of children's and adult artists, competitions and festivals.
Celebrated: in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other Slavic countries
Church name: Equal to the Apostles Methodius and Cyril, Slovenian teachers
Established:
- Resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation No. 568-1 of January 30, 1991
- Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 1096/2004 dated September 17, 2004
- Celebrated in Belarus since 1986 as a state-church holiday.
Meaning: in honor of Saints Cyril and Methodius
Traditions:
- divine liturgies;
- scientific and practical conferences;
- religious processions;
- Exhibitions;
- cultural and leisure events;
- pilgrimage.
The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is celebrated in memory of two enlighteners - Cyril and Methodius. The brothers made a huge contribution to the development of Slavic society and its culture. The writing they created in the 9th century made it possible to capture the best pages Russian history, biographies of great people. The expanded knowledge accumulated over many centuries by the Slavic people contributed to the spread of literacy. Socialization in world civilization allowed it to take its corresponding place among other nations.
Who celebrates and when?
The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is celebrated annually on May 24. On January 30, 1991, by Resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation No. 568-1, it received the status of a state holiday in Russia.
The date is celebrated by linguists, representatives of the progressive public and religious organizations, Slavic scholars, and cultural workers.
history of the holiday
In Russia, the holiday of writing was first officially celebrated in 1863, when a resolution was adopted to honor the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius on May 24. Official status received in 1991. Today is the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture - the only holiday in the Russian Federation that combines secular and religious events.
Brothers Cyril and Methodius were born into a noble family of a Byzantine military leader. Both were literate and educated people of their time. The elder brother Methodius devoted himself to military affairs at the beginning of his life, but his humanitarian inclinations and thirst for knowledge led him to the monastery. The youngest of the brothers, Kirill, was distinguished by philological inclinations from childhood. He determined for himself the path of enlightenment and purposefully walked towards it. Having received the priesthood, he conducted library activities at the Hagia Sophia and taught philosophical sciences.
The brothers' merit lies in the fact that they created the Slavic alphabet and developed a methodology for Slavic phrases. They translated several holy books, which contributed to the conduct and dissemination of worship in a language understandable to the Slavs.
Cyril and Methodius had deep knowledge of Greek and Eastern cultures. Summarizing their experience in the field of writing, the brothers created the first Slavic alphabet based on Slavic writings. It became a great impetus for the development of culture and education in the Slavic states. Writing made it possible to develop Russian bookmaking and literature.
The significance of the contribution of the enlightenment brothers to the dissemination of writing, and with it religious knowledge, was highly appreciated by church ministers. The brothers received the status of saints after their death and their own holiday.
The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is celebrated in memory of two enlighteners - Cyril and Methodius. The brothers made a huge contribution to the development of Slavic society and its culture. The writing they created in the 9th century made it possible to capture the best pages of Russian history and the biographies of great people. The expanded knowledge accumulated over many centuries by the Slavic people contributed to the spread of literacy. Socialization in world civilization allowed it to take its corresponding place among other nations.
When is it celebrated?
The Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is celebrated annually on May 24, and 2020 is no exception. On January 30, 1991, by Resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation No. 568-1, it received the status of a state holiday in Russia.
Who's celebrating
The date is celebrated by linguists, representatives of the progressive public and religious organizations, Slavic scholars, and cultural workers.
history of the holiday
In Russia, the holiday of writing was first officially celebrated in 1863, when a resolution was adopted to honor the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius on May 24. Official status received in 1991. Today is the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture - the only holiday in the Russian Federation that combines secular and religious events.
Brothers Cyril and Methodius were born into a noble family of a Byzantine military leader. Both were literate and educated people of their time. The elder brother Methodius devoted himself to military affairs at the beginning of his life, but his humanitarian inclinations and thirst for knowledge led him to the monastery. The youngest of the brothers, Kirill, was distinguished by philological inclinations from childhood. He determined for himself the path of enlightenment and purposefully walked towards it. Having received the priesthood, he conducted library activities at the Hagia Sophia and taught philosophical sciences.
The brothers' merit lies in the fact that they created the Slavic alphabet and developed a methodology for Slavic phrases. They translated several holy books, which contributed to the conduct and dissemination of worship in a language understandable to the Slavs.
Cyril and Methodius had deep knowledge of Greek and Eastern cultures. Summarizing their experience in the field of writing, the brothers created the first Slavic alphabet based on Slavic writings. It became a great impetus for the development of culture and education in the Slavic states. Writing made it possible to develop Russian bookmaking and literature.
The significance of the contribution of the enlightenment brothers to the dissemination of writing, and with it religious knowledge, was highly appreciated by church ministers. The brothers received the status of saints after their death and their own holiday.
Day of Slavic Literature and Culture (Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius) is the Russian name of the holiday dedicated to the day of remembrance of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Methodius and Cyril (IX).
Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius, Slovenian teachers
The holy Equal-to-the-Apostles first teachers and Slavic educators, the brothers Cyril and Methodius, came from a noble and pious family that lived in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. Saint Methodius was the eldest of seven brothers, Saint Constantine (Cyril was his monastic name) the youngest. Saint Methodius was at first in a military rank and was a ruler in one of the Slavic principalities subordinate to the Byzantine Empire, apparently Bulgarian, which gave him the opportunity to learn the Slavic language. Having stayed there for about 10 years, Saint Methodius then became a monk in one of the monasteries on Mount Olympus. From an early age, Saint Constantine was distinguished by great abilities and studied together with the young Emperor Michael from the best teachers 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 Saint Gregory the Theologian. For his intelligence and outstanding knowledge, Saint Constantine received the nickname Philosopher (wise). At the end of his studies, Saint Constantine accepted the rank of priest and was appointed custodian of the patriarchal library at the Church of Saint Sophia, but soon left the capital and secretly entered a monastery. Found there and returned to Constantinople, he was appointed teacher of philosophy at the higher school of Constantinople. The wisdom and strength of faith of the still very young Constantine were so great that he managed to defeat the leader of the iconoclast heretics, Annius, in a debate. After this victory, Constantine was sent by the emperor to debate about the Holy Trinity with the Saracens (Muslims) and also won. Having returned, Saint Constantine retired to his brother Saint Methodius on Olympus, spending time in unceasing prayer and reading the works of the holy fathers.
Soon the emperor summoned both holy brothers from the monastery and sent them to the Khazars to preach the gospel. On the way, they stopped for some time in the city of Korsun, preparing for the sermon. There the holy brothers miraculously found the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (November 25). There, in Korsun, Saint Constantine found the Gospel and the Psalter, written in “Russian letters,” and a man speaking Russian, and began to learn from this man to read and speak his language. After this, the holy brothers went to the Khazars, where they won the debate with Jews and Muslims, preaching the Gospel teaching. On the way home, the brothers again visited Korsun and, taking the relics of Saint Clement there, returned to Constantinople. Saint Constantine remained in the capital, and Saint Methodius received the abbess in the small monastery of Polychron, not far from Mount Olympus, where he had previously labored.
Soon, ambassadors from the Moravian prince Rostislav, oppressed by the German bishops, came to the emperor with a request to send teachers to Moravia who could preach in the native language of the Slavs. The emperor called Saint Constantine and told him: “You need to go there, because no one will do this better than you.” Saint Constantine, with fasting and prayer, began a new feat. With the help of his brother Saint Methodius and the disciples Gorazd, Clement, Savva, Naum and Angelar, he compiled the Slavic alphabet and translated into Slavic the books without which the Divine service could not be performed: the Gospel, the Apostle, the Psalter and selected services. This was in 863.
After completing the translation, the holy brothers went to Moravia, where they were received with great honor, and began to teach Divine services in the Slavic language. This aroused the anger of the German bishops, who performed divine services in Latin in the Moravian churches, and they rebelled against the holy brothers, arguing that divine services could only be performed in one of three languages: Hebrew, Greek or Latin. Saint Constantine answered them: “You recognize only three languages worthy of glorifying God in them. But David cries: Sing to the Lord, all the earth, praise the Lord, all nations, let every breath praise the Lord! And in the Holy Gospel it is said: Go and learn all languages...” The German bishops were disgraced, but became even more embittered and filed a complaint to Rome. The holy brothers were called to Rome to resolve this issue. Taking with them the relics of Saint Clement, Pope of Rome, Saints Constantine and Methodius went to Rome. Having learned that the holy brothers were carrying holy relics with them, Pope Adrian and the clergy went out to meet them. The holy brothers were greeted with honor, the Pope approved worship in the Slavic language, and ordered the books translated by the brothers to be placed in Roman churches and the liturgy to be performed in the Slavic language.
While in Rome, Saint Constantine fell ill and, informed by the Lord in a miraculous vision of his approaching death, he took the schema with the name Cyril. 50 days after accepting the schema, on February 14, 869, Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril died at the age of 42. Going to God, Saint Cyril commanded his brother Saint Methodius to continue their common cause - the enlightenment of the Slavic peoples with the light of the true faith. Saint Methodius begged the Pope to allow his brother's body to be taken away for burial in native land, but the pope ordered the relics of St. Cyril to be placed in the church of St. Clement, where miracles began to be performed from them.
After the death of St. Cyril, the pope, following the request of the Slavic prince Kotzel, sent St. Methodius to Pannonia, ordaining him as Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, to the ancient throne of St. Andronicus the Apostle. In Pannonia, St. Methodius, together with his disciples, continued to spread worship, writing and books in the Slavic language . This again angered the German bishops. They achieved the arrest and trial of Saint Methodius, who was exiled to prison in Swabia, where he endured much suffering for two and a half years. Released by order of Pope John VIII and restored to his rights as an archbishop, Methodius continued preaching the gospel among the Slavs and baptized the Czech prince Borivoj and his wife Lyudmila (September 16), as well as one of the Polish princes. For the third time, German bishops initiated persecution against the saint for not accepting the Roman teaching about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and from the Son. Saint Methodius was summoned to Rome, but justified himself before the pope, preserving the purity of the Orthodox teaching, and was again returned to the capital of Moravia - Velehrad.
Here, in 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).
Anticipating the approach of his death, Saint Methodius pointed to one of his disciples, Gorazd, as a worthy successor. The saint predicted the day of his death and died on April 6, 885 at the age of about 60 years. The funeral service for the saint was performed in three languages - Slavic, Greek and Latin; he was buried in the cathedral church of Velehrad.
http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life1038.htm
Slavic glorious day
The feat of Saints Cyril and Methodius - the creation of the Slavic alphabet in 863 - gave us not only writing, but also the opportunity to perform divine services and read the Holy Scriptures in our native language. The very formation of Russian statehood coincided with the birth of the Slavic alphabet. Cyril and Methodius celebrations in Russia and Moscow, second half of the 19th century century can be partly compared with Pushkin's celebrations - they were the same understanding of the origins of national identity and the Russian idea in the light of the feat of the Thessaloniki brothers.
The first celebration in honor of Cyril and Methodius coincided with the celebration of the millennium of Russia in 1862, since the following year, 1863, marked the millennium of the Slavic alphabet. Such a combination was very symbolic and testified to the unity of the Church, nation and language. It is quite natural that, as a sign of the national holiday, they remembered the “Slavic apostles”, since, according to M.N. Katkov, the language is the people. Their holiday was especially “promoted” by the Slavophiles. The eve of the honoring of the Thessaloniki brothers was marked by a kind of miracle - in 1855, the historian M.N. Pogodin donated a piece of the holy relics of Cyril, once given to him in Prague, to the house church of Moscow University - the first Cyril and Methodius celebrations in Russia took place there.
The initiative was made by the Church, and this first holiday was exclusively church. In the 17th century, due to the editing of Russian liturgical books according to Greek models, the ancient service to the first teachers was not included in the official printed Monthly Book. That is why, at the beginning of 1860, Bishop Anthony of Smolensk (Amphiteatrov) turned to the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod with a request that the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius, established by the Church on May 11, should be honored in a more appropriate manner, especially considering their ancient celebrations in Rus'. He proposed drawing up a new solemn service and timing it in churches to coincide with the 1000th anniversary of Russia and the enlightenment of the Slavic peoples.
The service compiled by Bishop Anthony was approved and included in the liturgical books on May 11 and distributed to Russian churches.
“As the apostle of unanimity and the Slovenian countries, the teacher, Cyril and Methodius of God-wisdom, pray to the Lord of all, to establish all Slovenian languages in Orthodoxy and unanimity, to pacify the world and save our souls.”
This service was first performed in Russia on May 11, 1862. In Moscow, the first celebrations in honor of Cyril and Methodius took place in the house church of Moscow University - at the intersection of faith and science, for the word, worship and education are interconnected. At the festive liturgy, the ancient canon of St. Cyril and Methodius, and at its end a prayer service was performed. Then, at the suggestion of the professors, a fund was opened for the construction of an icon of Cyril and Methodius for the university’s home church.
The first celebrations were modest, but marked the beginning of the return of the memory of the Slavic apostles to modern society and the initiative to revive the Slavic idea under the auspices of Russia, and most importantly - the comprehension of national self-awareness in the bosom of the Orthodox Church, which was a kind of opposition to militant liberalism and nihilism. I.S. Aksakov called this holiday “the guarantee of the future spiritual reunification of all Slavs, and a link connecting scattered brothers.”
The rumor about the May 11 celebration in Moscow will spread throughout all Slavic countries with the joyful news of future liberation; because the spiritual revival of the Slavs is impossible without the participation of the multi-million Russian tribe in the common feat of Slavic self-awareness.” So let this holiday in the future spread from the Assumption Cathedral to a rural church in the most remote outback.
The clergy called in the future to turn the holiday of Cyril and Methodius into a holiday of public education, for the holy brothers were the people's teachers, and to glorify them as patrons of public education. In the meantime, we decided that best memory about them in modern times - the continuation of their work both in enlightenment and in the development of Slavic speech. In the same 1862, Alexander II ordered the establishment of Cyril and Methodius scholarships - four personal scholarships for each Russian university. Sculptures of Cyril and Methodius were placed on the great monument “Millennium of Russia” in Novgorod.
In 1863, the 1000th anniversary of Slavic writing broke out, marked by a festive liturgy in the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral. Shortly before that, the Holy Synod adopted a decree by which May 11 was once again officially declared the day of the annual church celebration of the memory of the Thessaloniki brothers “in memory of the completion of the millennium from the initial illumination of our native language with the Gospel and the faith of Christ.”
The time itself was conducive to such celebrations and moved Russia, and the entire Slavic world, to rethink its own existence in the light of the mission of the Slavic apostles, for anniversary dates moved with amazing speed. Already in 1869, a new millennium was celebrated: from the day of the death of St. Kirill. The day before, a miracle happened: two years earlier, the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Leonid, during a trip to Athos, discovered the most ancient icon image of Cyril and Methodius there. They painted an image from it and brought it to Russia.
Now the holiday was celebrated not only in churches, but took on the character of a civil celebration. On that day, February 14, festive services were held in the Kremlin Miracle Monastery and many Moscow churches, followed by public ceremonies. An open meeting of the Slavic Charity Committee was held at Moscow University, at which the establishment of the Kirillov Prize for students was announced, “in order to encourage young people to engage in Slavic studies,” which was not particularly successful at that time. And then the director of the Moscow Public and Rumyantsev Museums V.A. Dashkov promised to build a temple of Cyril and Methodius at the university museum architectural style X century (at the time of the baptism of Rus') and with a chapel in the name of St. Prince Vladimir the Great.
The historical situation was truly amazing. On the one hand, 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 church and scientific level and remain a national topic. After the end of the anniversaries, the euphoria subsided, the memory subsided, all undertakings and plans fell into oblivion, and the Slavic mission, together with the legacy of Cyril and Methodius, still remained the lot of the church and narrowly scientific environment.
However, after the Russian-Turkish war, the liberation of Bulgaria and the murder of Alexander the Liberator, when the third great anniversary came on April 6, 1885 - the 1000th anniversary of the death of Methodius, the holiday was given the character of a state and pan-Slavic celebration, in which the mission of the Thessaloniki brothers was conceptualized as pan-Slavic and exclusively in the bosom Orthodoxy. The situation was partly dictated by the fact that the holiday was held by Catholic Church at the Velegrad celebrations, for Slavic Catholics, where Cyril and Methodius preached before the schism. In Russia, many considered it blasphemy to honor the memory of St. Methodius with a Mass in Latin. In addition, in the Catholic environment there were also “dreams” about the unification of the Western and Eastern Slavs under their auspices, as opposed to a similar desire in Russia. The creation of Slavic Orthodox worship by the Thessalonica brothers was what they tried to emphasize at the celebrations in Russia. After all, before Cyril and Methodius, only ancient Greek, Latin and Hebrew were considered worthy languages for performing divine services. (As explained, in these languages, by order of Pontius Pilate, the inscription was made on the Cross of Calvary of the Lord.)
Now the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, K.P. Pobedonostsev, personally took charge of preparing the anniversary, considering it necessary to organize a grandiose Orthodox celebration. He wrote to Alexander III:
I think that this celebration will not remain without important consequences and will confirm in the popular consciousness (which is especially important in the outskirts) a sense of nationality and the concept of enlightenment associated with the Church.
Pobedonostsev asked the sovereign to honor the celebration with his presence precisely to give the holiday the proper official status - not only church, but also state, national, and popular.
As a result, the festivities of 1885 became the apogee in the history of honoring the memory of the Slavic apostles. The preparation was thorough and wise. First of all, the lives of the holy brothers were printed in accessible Russian, which were distributed free of charge to the people, scientific and popular biographies, even ancient church services of St. Cyril and Methodius. Secondly, a broad educational campaign was carried out. “Moskovskie Vedomosti” was noted for the wisest article by M.N. Katkov, in which he, discussing the mission of the Slavic apostles and its significance for the world and Russia, called, among other things, to protect the language, to cleanse it of introduced “monstrous forms” and not to forget that The Slavic language is Russian, only in its most ancient state.
Hence, in order to translate the Holy Scripture from Old Church Slavonic into Russian for the people, it is necessary to preserve its “warehouse”, only replacing the “incomprehensible with the understandable”, and not translating “Our Father” as “Our Father” or instead of Lord - Master. That is, do not transmit “sacred objects in the form of everyday speech.” (Katkov rarely loses his sense of modernity). The merit of the Thessaloniki brothers is actually the birth of the Russian people.
They raised the new people who came into the world to historical life, they created a new force in the world, which is destined to have its purpose in the economy of Providence, which, with the division of the Churches that has arisen, is destined to remain in the East... if Cyril and Methodius had not sanctified our primitive language, had not elevated our word to the Divine service body, there would have been no place left and there would be no vessel for the Eastern Orthodox Church, there would be no one to carry out the work of its destinies.
Celebrations in Russia took place with the participation of the imperial couple and foreign delegations from Slavic countries. On April 6, before the festive service in St. Isaac's Cathedral, the consecration of Archimandrite Mitrofan (Ban), who was appointed Metropolitan of Montenegro, took place. Pobedonostsev asked the sovereign to grant him the highest episcopal vestments, similar to those that Russian bishops wore for their coronation.
And then the liturgy took place in the presence of the sovereign, the chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, ministers and Slavic deputations, and the festive message of the Holy Synod was read out.
By the grace of God, through them the Gospel of Christ was sent down to us, through them we came to know the beauty of the Church and were brought from darkness to light and from death to eternal life
The next day, civil festivities took place. In the evening, a ceremonial meeting of the Slavic Charitable Society was held under the chairmanship of P.P. Durnovo. The same “Muscovite” ideas about the unity of the Slavic tribe were repeated, “the solid foundation of which, a thousand years ago, was laid by Saints Cyril and Methodius.” There were also unexpected fresh thoughts. For example, V.I. Lamansky very much supported the idea of the Catholic Slavs about the restoration of an independent Moravian archbishopric (St. Methodius served as Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia) with Slavic dioceses and about the return of Latin Christianity to the apostolic traditions and customs of the ancient Roman Church. It was in this that he saw the beginning of real reconciliation and the resolution of many Slavic disputes.
Moscow celebrated in its own way, crowded with thousands of pilgrims surrounding the Kremlin, Red Square and the surrounding area. The liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was performed by Bishop Alexy of Tauride, where, by the way, several students from each school were present - that is, the idea of Cyril and Methodius’ patronage of public education began to gradually come true. From there the procession went to the Kremlin. There, in the Assumption Cathedral, after the end of the liturgy, a grand procession began to the ringing of all the Kremlin bells. The spectacle was majestic - hundreds of banners swayed, bells hummed, golden vestments sparkled, a thousand-spoken prayer was read out. The festive procession through the Spassky Gate entered Red Square, where the icon of St. Cyril and Methodius, walked to the Nikolsky Gate and through them returned to the Kremlin.
Then the civil festivities began. A solemn meeting was held at Moscow University, opening with the singing “Today the grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us together.” At the Katkovsky Lyceum of Tsarevich Nicholas, after the liturgy in the house church, V.V. Nazarevsky, an outstanding historian of Moscow, delivered an anniversary speech. At the Moscow Theological Seminary, hymns to the Slavic apostles were performed, to the music of P.I. Tchaikovsky and priest V.F. Starorussky. Metropolitan Ioannikiy proposed to honor the memory of the Slavic pioneer teachers by establishing a “Brotherhood for assistance to parochial schools.” The Brotherhood of Cyril and Methodius was created and existed until 1917, and should not be confused with the Kostomarov society of the same name. Everyone cared that day and national holiday education - lectures were organized for ordinary Muscovites in libraries and reading rooms.
And there was also a completely logical thought expressed in Katkov’s article and in the speech of the Irkutsk cathedral archpriest Afanasy Vinogradov, consonant with it, regarding the Catholic and Orthodox celebration. Can they be considered united and equal? Catholic Slavs, “Czechs, Moravians, Slovenians and Croats rightly celebrate because missionary activity brothers took place in their countries." However, the Western Slavs fell away from the Orthodox doctrine of the holy brothers (who preached before the schism of the Churches), the order of worship they introduced, and rejected the fruits of their educational activities. As a result, the service at the Velegrad celebrations is in Latin. As Katkov put it, the Russian people “put their cause at the forefront of their entire building - both church and state.” The Eastern Slavs preserved their teaching and worship in their original form, and although the Slavic dialects have already moved significantly away from one another, “the language of the Church still remains common among them” - this is the guarantee of the spiritual unity of the Slavic world, “under the moral influence of the Russian people, as the eldest member of this family."
Thus, Pobedonostsev, according to the modern researcher A. Popovkin, took a kind of revenge for the Berlin Congress, at which the achievements of the Russian-Turkish war were diplomatically failed. Now Russia finds itself at the head of the Slavic celebrations, claiming “the status of the imperial center of Slavic civilization.” The Emperor was pleased.
And then everything went downhill again. The pre-revolutionary semi-liberal-semi-revolutionary Russian society, torn apart by political strife, turned out to be incapable of deeply comprehending the Slavic mission, and historical events were not favorable for this. It turned out to be easier to hold and attend one-time celebrations than to join them spiritually. The anniversary “ideas” were carried out for a long time and with difficulty, or were not even fulfilled. According to historian V.F. Kozlov, in the place near the Senate Tower, where he almost appeared before Historical Museum, they were going to build the Moscow Church of Cyril and Methodius, but in the end they only built a mausoleum. The Encyclopedia of Slavic Philology was published a quarter of a century after the Methodius celebrations, but only in the form of the first volume. Only the idea of the patronage of the holy brothers for public education gained strength. In 1887, a house church in their name was consecrated in the Agricultural School on Smolensky Boulevard (later - the Military Veterinary Academy), and in 1911 - in a church-school near the Danilovsky Cemetery. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Synod ordered that on May 11 (24) a festive service be held in house churches in front of all educational institutions spiritual department with the release of students from classes.
The thread of history continues. In our time, the holiday to the creators of the Russian word has become a state holiday. In 1992, a wonderful monument to Cyril and Methodius with an unquenchable lamp was erected on Slavyanskaya Square, happily renamed from Nogin Square. The monument as a symbol of the revival of Russia and as the same guarantee of Slavic unity.
Let us recall the words from the Tale of Bygone Years: “Whoever blasphemes the Slovenian Charter must be excommunicated from the church.”
Elena Lebedeva
Cities and villages dressed in greenery, as if they were preparing for an important holiday for all of us - the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture, celebrated annually on May 24 in all Slavic countries as a sign of gratitude and honor to the two brothers - Cyril and Methodius, the creators of Slavic writing.
Initially, the holiday, which existed in Bulgaria back in the 10th-11th centuries, was celebrated only by the church. In Russia it was also a church holiday. The Church canonized Cyril and Methodius as saints, and on May 18, 1863, the Holy Synod adopted a decree proclaiming May 24 in the new style as the Church holiday of the Salun brothers.
For the first time officially at the state level Day of Slavic Literature and Culture was solemnly celebrated in Russian Empire in 1863, in honor of the 1000th anniversary of the creation of the Slavic alphabet by Saints Cyril and Methodius.
Unfortunately, during the Soviet regime, the Day of Slavic Literature was canceled as a holiday uniting all Slavs, and was not celebrated for many decades. And only in 1986 the holiday was revived.
And in the Union, for the first time, the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture was celebrated in 1986 in the city of Murmansk, and then in Vologda, Novgorod, Kyiv and Minsk. Since 1987, the holiday has already become widespread in society, and the name “Day of Slavic Literature and Culture” has been assigned to it. On January 30, 1991, by resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, May 24 was declared the Holiday of Slavic Literature and Culture. And in 1992, a monument to Saints Cyril and Methodius was solemnly unveiled on Slavyanskaya Square in Moscow. The creator of the monument is sculptor V.M. Klykov.
In our time, the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is the only state-church holiday in Russia. The church on May 24 honors the memory of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius.
Slavic writing was created in the 9th century, around 862. First, two alphabets were created - Glagolitic and Cyrillic.
Now about the great teachers themselves. It is known that the brothers were Orthodox monks and created the Slavic alphabet in a Greek monastery. Among the most ancient monuments of Slavic writing that have survived to this day, the biographies of the creators of Slavic literacy have also been preserved - Saints Cyril and Methodius. Of greatest interest are “The Life of Constantine the Philosopher,” “The Life of Methodius,” and “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 to modern Greece and is located on the coast. 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 38 letters for them - some according to the model of Greek letters, others according to Slavic speech. He started with the first one in Greek: they are from “alpha”, he is from “az”…”.
The brothers translated the Apostle, Gospel, Psalter, Octoechos and other church books. But in those days, Great Moravia was subordinated to the Bishopric of Passau in Bavaria, and the activities of the enlightenment brothers encountered fierce resistance from the German clergy, who were categorically against Slavic writing and Slavic liturgy, insisting that the liturgy be celebrated only in Latin. Despite the fact that Cyril and Methodius prepared disciples, none of them succeeded in becoming priests under such conditions, and the brothers left Moravia along with 867 disciples, going to Venice, hoping to ordain their students in Byzantium in Constantinople.
Having received an invitation from the Pope from Venice in 868, Constantine and Methodius went to Rome. In Rome, Pope Adrian II consecrated the Slavic books, and the disciples of Constantine and Methodius became priests and deacons. And then a misfortune happened: the not-so-old Constantine, who was only 42 years old, fell seriously ill and died in Rome on February 14, 869. Before his death, Kirill told his brother: “You and I, like two oxen, drove the same furrow. I am exhausted, but don’t think about leaving the work of teaching and retiring to your mountain again.”
The great Slavic teacher was buried in the Basilica of St. Clement. Methodius survived his brother by 16 years and fulfilled his order. At the end of the same 869, Methodius was installed as archbishop of Pannonia (Great Moravia). However, in 870, Great Moravia was occupied by the troops of the East Frankish kingdom, and Methodius was arrested and exiled to a monastery in Swabia. Only the uprising of the people of Moravia and the intervention of Pope John VIII helped the new Moravian prince Svyatopolk in 873 to achieve the release of Methodius. But Pope John VIII forbade Methodius to perform the liturgy in the Slavic language. Then Methodius went to Rome in 880, where he managed to achieve the abolition of the discriminatory ban.
Methodius died on April 8, 885, the location of his grave is unknown. He left as his successor the best of his students, Archbishop Gorazd, and about two hundred Slavs trained by him. But the disciples of Methodius, who defended the Slavic liturgy after his death, were expelled from Moravia and settled in Bulgaria. It was in this country that a new Slavic alphabet based on Greek was created; in order to convey the phonetic features of the Slavic language, the alphabet was supplemented with letters borrowed from the Glagolitic alphabet. This alphabet, having spread among the eastern and southern Slavs, subsequently received the name “Cyrillic” - in honor of Cyril (Constantine).
Although some scientists express doubts about the correctness of assigning a name to the alphabet, citing the fact that in the “Life of Methodius” there is the following phrase: “Cyril persuaded his brother to go with him, because he knew the Slavic language.” In addition, there is evidence that Methodius translated the works of Constantine from Greek into Slavic, so it is possible that it was the eldest of the brothers who became the creator of the new alphabet. However, there is no hard evidence of this yet.
With the adoption of Christianity, Ancient Rus' switched to the Slavic alphabet, inviting teachers who continued the work of Cyril and Methodius. And in Kyiv, and in Novgorod, and in other cities, schools were created to teach Slavic literacy.
Today there are approximately 60 peoples in the world whose writing was based on the Cyrillic alphabet. And many thanks to two great brothers for leaving us a legacy that will continue to unite the Slavic world.
F. I. Tyutchev
The great day of Kirill's death -
What a warm and simple greeting
Millennium Anniversary
Shall we honor the holy memory?
What words should I use to capture this day?
If not with the words spoken by him,
When I said goodbye to my brother and friends,
He reluctantly left his ashes to you, Rome...
Those involved in his work,
After a number of centuries, after so many generations,
And we, and we pulled the furrow
Among temptations and doubts.
And in turn, like him, without completing the work;
And we will get off it and, holy words
Remembering him, we will then exclaim:
“Do not betray yourself, great Russia!”
Don't trust, don't trust strangers, my native land,
Their false wisdom or their arrogant deceptions,
And, like Saint Cyril, don’t leave
Great service to the Slavs.
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