Slavic Writing and Culture Day — 2025: what is celebrated on May 24
On May 24, Russia celebrates the Day of Slavic Writing and Culture. It is believed that the Slavic alphabet was created in 863, and in 2025 it will be 1062 years old. Two years ago, Russia celebrated its anniversary: 1060 years, and 2023 was declared the Year of the Russian Language as the Language of Interethnic Communication in the CIS. How the Day of Slavic Writing will be celebrated in Moscow and in Russia, as well as how Slavic writing originated — in the material of Izvestia.
Who are the Slovenian enlighteners Cyril and Methodius?
The creators of the Slavic alphabet are called Christian preachers and enlighteners of Slovene Cyril and Methodius (Konstantin and Mikhail). According to legend, the brothers were born in the city of Solun (now Thessaloniki), in the family of a military commander. And while the elder Methodius initially successfully built a military career, the younger Cyril excelled in the humanities — literature, philosophy and languages, including Slavic.
In the 9th century, there were two great Christian empires in European lands: the Byzantine Empire with its capital in Constantinople and the Frankish Empire. Great Moravia stretched between them, where mostly pagan Slavs lived. It included the territories of modern Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and part of Ukraine. In Byzantium, the main language was Greek, in the Frankish Empire — Latin. The inhabitants of Great Moravia spoke West Slavic dialects of a single common Slavic language, but they did not have their own writing system.
After Christianity became established in Moravia (today Czech lands) in the middle of the 9th century, teachers were needed who were ready to explain Christian teaching to the people in an accessible way and translate church books into Slavic. So Cyril and Methodius went to Moravia. They spent three years in the Slavic lands, creating the alphabet, translating books, and opening churches where services were conducted in the Slavic language. After some time, having buried his brother, Methodius, already in the status of metropolitan, continued to preach in Moravia and translate books into Slavic.
Why is Slavic Writing Day celebrated on May 24th?
The creation of writing is an epochal event, a new step in the civilization of any nation. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in many Slavic states, the Day of Remembrance of Saints Cyril and Methodius is celebrated not only as a church holiday, but also as a state holiday. The memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles, has been revered by the Slavic peoples and the church since the 11th century, but several centuries later the celebration was forgotten.
For the first time after a long break, celebrations in honor of Cyril and Methodius in Russia were held in 1863, on the millennium anniversary of the creation of the Slavic alphabet. At the same time, it was decided to remember the Slovenian enlighteners on May 11 (and according to the new style — on May 24). 120 years later, in the Soviet era, May 24 was declared the Day of Slavic Culture and Writing. A landmark event was the opening of the monument to Cyril and Methodius on Slavyanskaya Square in Moscow on May 24, 1992.
In other countries, it is also customary to commemorate holy preachers. For example, Bulgarian schools hold "letter days" with quizzes and educational games on the eve, and in the Czech Republic, educators are remembered on July 5, which is an official holiday in the country.
Not only Cyrillic
The Slavs had two writing systems — Cyrillic and Glagolitic. In recent years, experts are inclined to believe that Cyril and Methodius gave the Slavs the Glagolitic alphabet (its name is given from the fourth letter "verb" — "word"). And the Cyrillic alphabet appeared later, thanks, among other things, to one of the disciples of the holy brothers, Archbishop Goraz of Ohrid. He not only preserved the legacy of Cyril and Methodius, but also participated in the creation of the alphabet based on the Glagolitic alphabet, which we use today — Cyrillic alphabet.
The writing system developed by Cyril and Methodius significantly influenced the development of Russian book culture and literature. After the Baptism of Rus in 988, handwritten books imported from Byzantium and Bulgaria began to spread throughout the country, prompting the spread and study of the Cyrillic alphabet. After getting acquainted with the translations of Cyril, Methodius and their disciples, our ancestors began to write their own books. Ancient Russian literature appeared: "The Word of Law and Grace" by Metropolitan Hilarion, "The Teaching" by Vladimir Monomakh, "The Legend of Boris and Gleb" and others. The Russian language can rightfully be called the successor and guardian of the legacy of Cyril and Methodius.
The Old Russian and Old Slavic languages developed in parallel, they had a common alphabet, and the sound system was different. But Old Russian was a living and spoken language, and Old Slavonic was the language of books. It was continued by the Church Slavonic language, which is still heard in churches. Church Slavonic has gone through two reforms and is much closer to the Russian language today. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Old Russian language gradually divided into Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian dialects.
The bookish Slavic language has become common. It was used by southern Slavs (Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats), Western Slavs (Czechs, Slovaks), and Eastern Slavs (Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Russians). The names Cyril and Methodius are revered by the Orthodox peoples of Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are about 60 nations in the world whose writing is based on Cyrillic, and it is considered the official alphabet in 16 countries and republics. According to various estimates, from 10 to 18 languages belong to the Slavic group, they are spoken by over 400 million people in the world. Among them, over 270 million people know Russian.
How to celebrate the Day of Slavic Writing in Russia — 2025
Until 2010, in addition to Moscow, one of the regional centers was chosen as the "capital" of the holiday. So, in 1986 it was Murmansk, in 1987 it was Vologda, in 1994 it was Vladimir, and in 2009 it was Saratov. Since 2010, Moscow has retained the status of the capital of the Days of Slavic Writing and Culture.
In 2025, many events are planned for May 24. According to tradition, a liturgy will be held in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in the morning, followed by a festive concert on Red Square. At the same time, celebrations will start in most Russian regions. In St. Petersburg, the gala concert "The City Sings" will be held in the Mikhailovsky Park of the Russian Museum.
On the eve of the holiday, the Russian Orthodox Church presents a prestigious award — the Patriarchal Literary Prize.
Six years ago, the Slovo Center for Slavic Writing was opened at VDNH. Every year on May 24, fascinating events take place there: guides tell how the native language developed and what the first Old Russian books looked like. Workshops and meetings with writers are organized for children, as well as a reading club.
In addition, on May 20-21, the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences will hold an online scientific conference for young scientists "The Slavic World: Community and Diversity", on May 24, an interactive tour "Writing and Book in Ancient Russia" is planned at the Andrei Rublev Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art, and at the Pushkin State Institute of the Russian Language. The XXVI International scientific and practical conference "Cyril and Methodius Readings" will be held.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
