How it all began? The history of the Cyrillic Script

The talk will mark the Day of Cyril and Methodius celebrated on different dates in different Slavonic countries (In Bulgaria, 24 May is known as ‘Bulgarian Education and Culture, and Slavonic Literature Day’; In the Republic of Macedonia, May 24 is celebrated as ‘Saints Cyril and Methodius, Slavonic Enlighteners’; In the Czech Republic it is celebrated on 5 July as ‘Slavic Missionaries Cyril and Methodius Day’; In Slovakia, it is celebrated on 5 July as ‘St. Cyril and Metod Day’; In Russia, it is celebrated on 24 May and is known as the ‘Slavonic Literature and Culture Day’; The Eastern Orthodox Church recognises the day on 11th May; The Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches celebrate the day on 14th February.)

The talk will familiarise students and staff with the history of the oldest documented Slavonic language, Old Church Slavonic, and the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet. Dimiter will highlight the role of the two brothers Cyril and Methodius and their tremendous influence on the cultural development of all Slavs.