Cyril and Methodius creating the alphabet. Creation of the Slavic alphabet by Cyril and Methodius. Kirill's illness and care

Cyril and Methodius became famous throughout the world as champions of the Christian faith and authors of the Slavic alphabet. The biography of the couple is extensive; there is even a separate biography dedicated to Kirill, created immediately after the man’s death. However, today you can get acquainted with a brief history of the destinies of these preachers and founders of the alphabet in various manuals for children. The brothers have their own icon, where they are depicted together. People turn to her with prayers for good studies, luck for students, and increased intelligence.

Childhood and youth

Cyril and Methodius were born in the Greek city of Thessaloniki (present-day Thessaloniki) in the family of a military leader named Leo, whom the authors of the biography of the couple of saints characterize as “of good birth and rich.” The future monks grew up in the company of five other brothers.

Before tonsure, the men bore the names Mikhail and Konstantin, and the first was older - he was born in 815, and Konstantin in 827. Controversy still rages among historians about the ethnicity of the family. Some attribute him to the Slavs, because these people were fluent in the Slavic language. Others attribute Bulgarian and, of course, Greek roots.

The boys received an excellent education, and when they matured, their paths diverged. Methodius entered military service under the patronage of a faithful family friend and even rose to the rank of governor of a Byzantine province. During the “Slavic reign” he established himself as a wise and fair ruler.

From early childhood, Kirill was fond of reading books, amazed those around him with his excellent memory and abilities in science, and was known as a polyglot - in his linguistic arsenal, in addition to Greek and Slavic, there were Hebrew and Aramaic. At the age of 20, a young man, a graduate of Magnavra University, was already teaching the basics of philosophy at the court school at Constantinople.

Christian service

Kirill flatly refused a secular career, although such an opportunity was provided. Marriage to the goddaughter of an official of the royal chancellery in Byzantium opened up dizzying prospects - leadership of the region in Macedonia, and then the position of commander-in-chief of the army. However, the young theologian (Konstantin was only 15 years old) chose to take the church path.

When he was already teaching at the university, the man even managed to win a theological debate over the leader of the iconoclasts, the former Patriarch John the Grammar, also known as Ammius. However, this story is considered simply a beautiful legend.

The main task for the Byzantine government at that time was considered to be the strengthening and promotion of Orthodoxy. Missionaries traveled along with the diplomats who traveled to cities and villages where they negotiated with religious enemies. This is what Konstantin became at the age of 24, setting off on his first important task from the state - to instruct Muslims on the true path.

At the end of the 50s of the 9th century, the brothers, tired of the bustle of the world, retired to a monastery, where 37-year-old Methodius took monastic vows. However, Cyril was not allowed to rest for a long time: already in 860, the man was called to the throne of the emperor and instructed to join the ranks of the Khazar mission.

The fact is that the Khazar Kagan announced an interreligious dispute, where Christians were asked to prove the truth of their faith to Jews and Muslims. The Khazars were already ready to go over to the side of Orthodoxy, but they set a condition - only if the Byzantine polemicists won the disputes.

Kirill took his brother with him and brilliantly completed the task assigned to him, but still the mission was a complete failure. The Khazar state did not become Christian, although the Kagan allowed people to be baptized. On this trip, a serious historical event happened for believers. Along the way, the Byzantines looked into Crimea, where, in the vicinity of Chersonesos, Cyril found the relics of Clement, the fourth holy Pope, which were then transferred to Rome.

The brothers are involved in another important mission. One day, the ruler of the Moravian lands (Slavic state) Rostislav asked for help from Constantinople - they needed teacher-theologians to tell the people about the true faith in an accessible language. Thus, the prince was going to escape the influence of the German bishops. This trip became significant - the Slavic alphabet appeared.

In Moravia, the brothers worked tirelessly: they translated Greek books, taught the Slavs the basics of reading and writing, and at the same time taught them how to conduct divine services. The “business trip” took three years. The results of the labors played a big role in preparing for the baptism of Bulgaria.

In 867, the brothers had to go to Rome to answer for “blasphemy.” The Western Church called Cyril and Methodius heretics, accusing them of reading sermons in the Slavic language, while they can only talk about the Most High in Greek, Latin and Hebrew.

On the way to the Italian capital, they stopped in the Principality of Blaten, where they taught the people the book trade. Those who arrived in Rome with the relics of Clement were so happy that the new Pope Adrian II allowed services to be held in Slavonic and even allowed the translated books to be distributed in churches. During this meeting, Methodius received the episcopal rank.

Unlike his brother, Kirill only became a monk on the verge of death - it was necessary. After the death of the preacher, Methodius, surrounded by disciples, returned to Moravia, where he had to fight the German clergy. The deceased Rostislav was replaced by his nephew Svyatopolk, who supported the policy of the Germans, who did not allow the Byzantine priest to work in peace. Any attempts to spread the Slavic language as a church language were suppressed.

Methodius even spent three years in prison at the monastery. Pope John VIII helped to free him, who imposed a ban on liturgies while Methodius was in prison. However, in order not to escalate the situation, John also prohibited worship in the Slavic language. Only sermons were not punishable by law.

But the native of Thessaloniki, at his own peril and risk, continued to secretly conduct services in Slavic. At the same time, the archbishop baptized the Czech prince, for which he later appeared in court in Rome. However, luck favored Methodius - he not only escaped punishment, but also received a papal bull and the opportunity to again conduct services in the Slavic language. Shortly before his death he managed to translate the Old Testament.

Creation of the alphabet

The brothers from Thessaloniki went down in history as the creators of the Slavic alphabet. The time of the event is 862 or 863. The Life of Cyril and Methodius states that the idea was born back in 856, when the brothers, together with their disciples Angelarius, Naum and Clement, settled on Mount Lesser Olympus in the Polychron monastery. Here Methodius served as rector.

The authorship of the alphabet is attributed to Kirill, but which one exactly remains a mystery. Scientists are inclined towards the Glagolitic alphabet, this is indicated by the 38 characters that it contains. As for the Cyrillic alphabet, it was brought to life by Kliment Ohridski. However, even if this was the case, the student still used Kirill’s work - it was he who isolated the sounds of the language, which is the most important thing when creating writing.

The basis for the alphabet was the Greek cryptography; the letters are very similar, so the Glagolitic alphabet was confused with the eastern alphabets. But to designate specific Slavic sounds, they took Hebrew letters, for example, “sh”.

Death

Constantine-Cyril was struck down by a serious illness on a trip to Rome, and on February 14, 869 he died - this day is recognized in Catholicism as the day of remembrance of saints. The body was interred in the Roman Church of St. Clement. Cyril did not want his brother to return to the monastery in Moravia, and before his death he allegedly said:

“Here, brother, you and I were like two oxen in harness, plowing one furrow, and I fell by the forest, having finished my day. And although you love the mountain very much, you cannot leave your teaching for the sake of the mountain, for how else can you better achieve salvation?

Methodius outlived his wise relative by 16 years. Anticipating death, he ordered himself to be taken to church to read a sermon. The priest died on Palm Sunday, April 4, 885. Methodius' funeral service was held in three languages ​​- Greek, Latin and, of course, Slavic.

Methodius was replaced in his post by the disciple Gorazd, and then all the undertakings of the holy brothers began to collapse. In Moravia, liturgical translations were gradually banned again, and followers and students were hunted - persecuted, sold into slavery, and even killed. Some adherents fled to neighboring countries. And yet the Slavic culture survived, the center of book learning moved to Bulgaria, and from there to Russia.

The holy chief apostolic teachers are revered in the West and East. In Russia, a holiday has been established in memory of the brothers’ feat - May 24 is celebrated as the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture.

Memory

Settlements

• 1869 – foundation of the village of Mefodievka near Novorossiysk

Monuments

• Monument to Cyril and Methodius at the Stone Bridge in Skopje, Macedonia.
• Monument to Cyril and Methodius in Belgrade, Serbia.
• Monument to Cyril and Methodius in Khanty-Mansiysk.
• Monument in honor of Cyril and Methodius in Thessaloniki, Greece. The statue in the form of a gift was given to Greece by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
• Statue in honor of Cyril and Methodius in front of the building of the National Library of Saints Cyril and Methodius in the city of Sofia, Bulgaria.
• Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saints Cyril and Methodius in Velehrad, Czech Republic.
• Monument in honor of Cyril and Methodius, installed in front of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria.
• Monument to Cyril and Methodius in Prague, Czech Republic.
• Monument to Cyril and Methodius in Ohrid, Macedonia.
• Cyril and Methodius are depicted on the “1000th Anniversary of Russia” monument in Veliky Novgorod.

Books

• 1835 – poem “Cyril and Methodias”, Jan Golla
• 1865 - “Cyril and Methodius Collection” (edited by Mikhail Pogodin)
• 1984 - “Khazar Dictionary”, Milorad Pavic
• 1979 - “Thessaloniki Brothers”, Slav Karaslavov

Movies

• 1983 - “Constantine the Philosopher”
• 1989 - “Thessaloniki Brothers”
• 2013 - “Cyril and Methodius - Apostles of the Slavs”

It is not human nature to appreciate what he has long and habitually used. Only with the advent of old age or premature illnesses does the price of health become known. The homeland is especially dearly loved for a person living far away. Air, bread, loved ones reveal their true value only with loss or at least the threat of loss. It is difficult for us, who have been able to read and write since childhood, to understand the magnitude of this gift. Therefore, let’s use our will and strain our imagination - imagine ourselves as illiterate.

Our princes cannot communicate their will to distant cities, they cannot send them a decree or a letter. Therefore, our people are so small that the voice of the leader is heard both by those standing closest and by those farthest away. The surrounding peoples are completely alien to us. We don’t know their history, we don’t communicate with them. They are for us - "Germans", i.e. mute, because we do not understand their language. Our knowledge of the world around us, our memory of our history is so small that it is retained by collective memory. Everything that exceeds its volume is necessarily forgotten, is not immortalized and is carried away by the river of time. We have no poetry except folk poetry, and no science except witchcraft and priestly knowledge. We, of course, do not write love letters or promissory notes. Unique and original in our denseness, we do not need anyone and are not interesting to anyone.

Only if a strong and numerous enemy, an enemy at a higher level of development, becomes interested in our open spaces and riches, do we risk emerging from the historical shadow. But then we risk becoming the object of military expansion and someone else’s cultural mission. We risk dissolving like a trickle in a strange and aggressive sea.

Often the alphabet comes along with faith and a new way of life. All the peoples to whom the sword was brought Islam, began to write in Arabic script. Where you set your foot Catholic missionary, people eventually began to write in Latin letters. But with us everything was different. In the spirit of evangelical love, the Greek Church sought to evangelize, but did not strive at any cost to turn newly converted peoples into Greeks. For the sake of us, the Slavs, and for our salvation, the Church accomplished an intellectual feat and composed a new alphabet for us. If we knew the name of the one who first tamed a horse or invented a potter's wheel, then the name of this person would be worthy of greater glory than the names of mythical heroes. How much more glory do the creators of the Slavic alphabet - the brothers Cyril and Methodius - deserve?

Any alphabet is similar to periodic table. This is not a set of symbolic signs, but a harmonious unity that reflects the worldview of the people, their deep thoughts about this world and the future. Through the image of the alphabet, Scripture reveals to us the idea of ​​the infinite perfection of the Creator, of God as the fullness of being. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last (Rev. 22:13).

Life Kirill And Methodius described many times and in detail. Let's say a few words about their creation - about Slavic alphabet.

At first there were two of them - Cyrillic And Glagolitic. Moreover, scientists believe that the Glagolitic alphabet existed earlier. It did not catch on and is known today only to philologists. But the Cyrillic alphabet took root and grew into such a branchy tree that a lifetime would not be enough to list its leaves. "War and Peace" And "The Brothers Karamazov" blossomed on Cyrillic branches. Is it just them?

The alphabet bears the name of his younger brother - Kirill (before monasticism - Konstantin). Even in his early youth he earned the nickname Philosopher for his keen mind and extensive knowledge. Not being satisfied with ordinary teaching, he early began to memorize the works of Gregory the Theologian and pray to him. Pure and high-flying spirit "singer of the Holy Trinity" I also reported to Konstantin. Only thanks to his theological giftedness and depth of prayer was Constantine able to accomplish the work entrusted by God.

So in any sacred work, first of all it was necessary to humble yourself and humble yourself. It was necessary to fall in love with and learn the Slavic language, to literally dissolve in it, without forgetting your native Greek. To convey Slavic speech in writing the language of the Hellenes was taken as a basis. But in it 24 letters, and many Slavic sounds are missing from it. No sound "b", there is no corresponding letter, without which you cannot write the most important word “God”. No hissing, no sound "h". In a word, what was needed was not a tracing paper, not a copy, but creativity and the creation of something new that had never existed before. Some letters were taken from Jewish. So, "shin" And "tsade" turned into "sh" And "ts", preserving the style almost unchanged.

As a result of labors impossible without help from above, an alphabet appeared, consisting of 38 letters. Since then, a lot has changed in the phonetics of Slavic languages. Stopped sounding "er" And "Fuck it." They have not left the spelling, but they used to be pronounced, and now they have turned into solid And soft signs and modestly indicate the softness and hardness of consonants. Started to sound different "yat". Where the Russian reads in the Old Church Slavonic text “forest”, “demon”, “to you”, Ukrainian pronounces “lis”, “bis”, “tobi”. Much else has changed in the Slavic languages ​​and dialects, but the structure of the Slavic alphabet has been preserved. The skeleton is hard, and the proverb is true: “If there were bones, the meat would grow.”

It is interesting that Slavic writing was first in demand where it is used today Latin alphabet. Baptized in 830 Great Moravian Duchy wished to have the Holy Scriptures in her native language. Prince Rostislav turned his gaze to Byzantium, which, unlike Rome, knew how to listen to those who received Baptism from it. Emperor Michael I didn’t think long and sent Constantine (Kirill), with whom I was brought up together and whose talents I knew firsthand, to the Slavs.

It's not the residents' fault Moravia, Pannonia and other Slavic lands, that the cause of the Thessalonica brothers was suppressed by the aggressive mission of the German bishops. In history it often happens that what is done by some is understood and used in its entirety by others. It was the same with our alphabet. On the territory of modern Czech Republic for the first time the Easter chant written in Slavic letters was heard: From time immemorial beashe the word (John 1:1). Since then, this intelligent, written word has spread further than the creators of the alphabet dreamed of.

Praise to Cyril and Methodius is not only an annual prayer memorial or singing an akathist. This is, firstly, the desire to realize in life the great ideal of the Slavic Orthodox brotherhood, the brotherhood of those who read the Gospel written in Cyrillic.

This, of course, is a thoughtful and loving attitude towards the Slavic alphabet. Today, we, who know so much, we, whose speech is densely peppered with vocabulary borrowed from a variety of cultures, need the Church Slavonic language like a cool shower in the middle of a sultry summer. In this language, each letter has a name. If you pronounce them one after another, then often three adjacent letters form a sentence. Where in the Russian alphabet we mechanically pronounce: "ka", "el", "um", - in Slavic we say: “what”, “people”, “thinking”. That is, we ask ourselves the question: “People, what (how) are you thinking?”

Where in Russian they usually list: “er”, “es”, “te”,- Slavic commands: “rtsy”, “word”, “firmly”. That is: let your word be firm. And how many more such theological and philological discoveries await a book lover interested in the Slavic alphabet? This is not just the absorption of information indifferent to faith and morality. This is always good edification.

This language must be taught not only in Sunday schools and in the course of Slavic philology. It is worth getting acquainted with it in a regular school during history lessons, or the native language, or the foundations of Orthodox culture.

Every time we look lovingly at pages numbered with letters rather than numbers; on pages with Greek "izhitsa" or ornate "xi" And "psi", we will travel back in time. This will be a journey to those distant times when the Thessaloniki brothers forged a golden key for the Slavs to open the door to the spiritual treasury. I think that travel will be gratitude at the same time.

The brothers Cyril and Methodius, whose biography is at least briefly known to everyone who speaks Russian, were great educators. They developed an alphabet for many Slavic peoples, thereby immortalizing their name.

Greek origin

The two brothers were from the city of Thessaloniki. In Slavic sources, the old traditional name Solun was preserved. They were born into the family of a successful officer who served under the governor of the province. Cyril was born in 827, and Methodius in 815.

Due to the fact that these Greeks knew very well, some researchers tried to confirm the guess about their Slavic origin. However, no one managed to do this. At the same time, for example in Bulgaria, educators are considered Bulgarians (they also use the Cyrillic alphabet).

Slavic language experts

The linguistic knowledge of noble Greeks can be explained by the history of Thessaloniki. In their era, this city was bilingual. There was a local dialect of the Slavic language here. The migration of this tribe reached its southern border, burying itself in the Aegean Sea.

At first, the Slavs were pagans and lived under a tribal system, just like their Germanic neighbors. However, those strangers who settled on the borders of the Byzantine Empire fell into the orbit of its cultural influence. Many of them formed colonies in the Balkans, becoming mercenaries of the ruler of Constantinople. Their presence was also strong in Thessaloniki, where Cyril and Methodius were from. The brothers' biography initially took different paths.

The worldly career of the brothers

Methodius (his name in the world was Michael) became a military man and rose to the rank of strategist of one of the provinces in Macedonia. He succeeded in this thanks to his talents and abilities, as well as the patronage of the influential courtier Theoktistus. Kirill took up science from an early age and also studied the culture of neighboring peoples. Even before he went to Moravia, thanks to which he became world famous, Constantine (his name before becoming a monk) began translating chapters of the Gospel into

In addition to linguistics, Cyril studied geometry, dialectics, arithmetic, astronomy, rhetoric and philosophy from the best specialists in Constantinople. Thanks to his noble origins, he could count on an aristocratic marriage and public service in the highest echelons of power. However, the young man did not want such a fate and became the keeper of the library in the main temple of the country - the Hagia Sophia. But even there he did not stay long, and soon began teaching at the capital’s university. Thanks to his brilliant victories in philosophical debates, he received the nickname Philosopher, which is sometimes found in historiographical sources.

Cyril knew the emperor and even went on his errand to the Muslim caliph. In 856, he and a group of disciples arrived at the monastery on Lesser Olympus, where his brother was abbot. It was there that Cyril and Methodius, whose biography was now connected with the church, decided to create an alphabet for the Slavs.

Translation of Christian books into Slavic language

In 862, ambassadors from the Moravian prince Rostislav arrived in Constantinople. They conveyed a message from their ruler to the emperor. Rostislav asked the Greeks to give him learned people who could teach the Slavs the Christian faith in their own language. The baptism of this tribe took place even before this, but every service was held in a foreign dialect, which was extremely inconvenient. The patriarch and the emperor discussed this request among themselves and decided to ask the Thessalonica brothers to go to Moravia.

Cyril, Methodius and their disciples began a great deal of work. The first language into which the main Christian books were translated was Bulgarian. The biography of Cyril and Methodius, a brief summary of which is in every Slavic history textbook, is known for the colossal work of the brothers on the Psalter, Apostle and Gospel.

Travel to Moravia

The preachers went to Moravia, where they conducted services and taught people to read and write for three years. Their efforts also helped bring about the baptism of the Bulgarians, which took place in 864. They also visited Transcarpathian Rus' and Panonia, where they also glorified the Christian faith in Slavic languages. The brothers Cyril and Methodius, whose short biography includes many travels, found an attentive audience everywhere.

Even in Moravia they had a conflict with German priests who were there on a similar missionary mission. The key difference between them was the reluctance of Catholics to conduct worship in the Slavic language. This position was supported by the Roman Church. This organization believed that praising God could only be done in three languages: Latin, Greek and Hebrew. This tradition has existed for many centuries.

The Great Schism between Catholics and Orthodox had not yet occurred, so the Pope still had influence over the Greek priests. He called the brothers to Italy. They also wanted to come to Rome to defend their position and to reason with the Germans in Moravia.

Brothers in Rome

The brothers Cyril and Methodius, whose biography is also revered by Catholics, arrived to Adrian II in 868. He came to a compromise with the Greeks and gave his consent to allow the Slavs to conduct worship in their native languages. The Moravians (ancestors of the Czechs) were baptized by bishops from Rome, so were technically under the jurisdiction of the Pope.

While still in Italy, Konstantin became very ill. When he realized that he would soon die, the Greek accepted the schema and received the monastic name Cyril, with which he became known in historiography and popular memory. While on his deathbed, he asked his brother not to give up his general educational work, but to continue his service among the Slavs.

Continuation of Methodius' preaching activities

Cyril and Methodius, whose brief biography is inseparable, became revered in Moravia during their lifetime. When the younger brother returned there, it became much easier for him to continue fulfilling his duty than 8 years ago. However, the situation in the country soon changed. The former prince Rostislav was defeated by Svyatopolk. The new ruler was guided by German patrons. This led to a change in the composition of the priests. The Germans again began to lobby for the idea of ​​preaching in Latin. They even imprisoned Methodius in a monastery. When Pope John VIII found out about this, he forbade the Germans to conduct liturgies until they freed the preacher.

Cyril and Methodius had never encountered such resistance before. Biography, creation and everything connected with their life is full of dramatic events. In 874, Methodius was finally released and again became an archbishop. However, Rome has already revoked its permission to worship in the Moravian language. However, the preacher refused to bow to the changing course of the Catholic Church. He began to conduct secret sermons and rituals in the Slavic language.

Methodius's last troubles

His persistence was not in vain. When the Germans again tried to denigrate him in the eyes of the church, Methodius went to Rome and, thanks to his abilities as an orator, was able to defend his point of view before the Pope. He was given a special bull, which again allowed worship in national languages.

The Slavs appreciated the uncompromising struggle waged by Cyril and Methodius, whose brief biography was reflected even in ancient folklore. Shortly before his death, the younger brother returned to Byzantium and spent several years in Constantinople. His last great work was the translation of the Old Testament into Slavic, with which his faithful disciples helped him. He died in 885 in Moravia.

The significance of the brothers' activities

The alphabet created by the brothers eventually spread to Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Rus'. Today the Cyrillic alphabet is used by all Eastern Slavs. These are Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians. The biography of Cyril and Methodius is taught to children as part of the school curriculum in these countries.

It is interesting that the original alphabet created by the brothers eventually became Glagolitic in historiography. Another version of it, known as the Cyrillic alphabet, appeared a little later thanks to the works of the students of these educators. This scientific debate remains relevant. The problem is that no ancient sources have reached us that could certainly confirm any specific point of view. Theories are based only on secondary documents that appeared later.

Nevertheless, the brothers’ contribution is difficult to overestimate. Cyril and Methodius, whose brief biography should be known to every Slav, helped not only spread Christianity, but also strengthen it among these peoples. In addition, even if we assume that the Cyrillic alphabet was created by the brothers’ students, they still relied on their work. This is especially obvious in the case of phonetics. Modern Cyrillic alphabets have adopted the sound component from those written symbols that were proposed by preachers.

Both the Western and Eastern churches recognize the importance of the work carried out by Cyril and Methodius. A short biography for children of educators is available in many general education textbooks on history and the Russian language.

Since 1991, our country has celebrated an annual public holiday dedicated to the brothers from Thessaloniki. It is called the Day of Slavic Culture and Literature and is also celebrated in Belarus. An order named after them was established in Bulgaria. Cyril and Methodius, interesting facts from whose biography are published in various monographs, continue to attract the attention of new researchers of languages ​​and history.

In 862, in the state of the Western Slavs, Great Moravia, religious sermons were distributed in Latin. For the people this language was incomprehensible. Therefore, the prince of the state, Rostislav, turned to Michael, the emperor of Byzantium. He asked to send preachers to his state who would spread Christianity in the Slavic language. And Emperor Michael sent two Greeks - Constantine the Philosopher, who later received the name Cyril, and Methodius, his elder brother.

Cyril and Methodius were born and raised in the city of Thessaloniki in Byzantium. There were seven children in the family, Methodius was the eldest, and Konstantin (Kirill) the youngest. Their father was a military leader. From childhood they knew one of the Slavic languages, since in the vicinity of the city there lived a Slavic population that was quite large in number. Methodius was in military service, after service he ruled the Byzantine principality, which was inhabited by the Slavs. And soon, after 10 years of rule, he went to a monastery and became a monk. Cyril, since he showed great interest in linguistics, studied science at the court of the Byzantine emperor from the best scientists of that time. He knew several languages ​​- Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, Slavic, Greek, and also taught philosophy - hence his nickname Philosopher. And the name Cyril was received by Constantine when he became a monk in 869 after his severe and prolonged illness.

Already in 860, the brothers traveled twice for missionary purposes to the Khazars, then Emperor Michael III sent Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia. And the Moravian prince Rostislav called on the brothers for help, as he sought to limit the growing influence on the part of the German clergy. He wanted Christianity to be preached in the Slavic language, and not in Latin.

The Holy Scriptures had to be translated from Greek so that Christianity could be preached in the Slavic language. But there was one catch - there was no alphabet that could convey Slavic speech. And then the brothers began to create the alphabet. Methodius made a special contribution - he knew the Slavic language very well. And thus, in 863, the Slavic alphabet appeared. And Methodius soon translated many liturgical books, including the Gospel, Psalter and Apostle, into the Slavic language. The Slavs had their own alphabet and language, and now they could write and read freely. Thus, Cyril and Methodius, the creators of the Slavic alphabet, made a huge contribution to the culture of the Slavic people, because many words from the Slavic language still live in the Ukrainian, Russian and Bulgarian languages. Konstantin (Kirill) created the Glagolitic alphabet, which reflected the phonetic features of the language. But until now, scientists cannot agree on whether the Glagolitic alphabet or the Cyrillic alphabet were created by Methodius.

But among the Western Slavs - Poles and Czechs - the Slavic alphabet and literacy did not take root, and they still use the Latin alphabet. After the death of Cyril, Methodius continued their activities. And when he died, their students were expelled from Moravia in 886 and Slavic writing was banned there, but they continued to spread Slavic literacy in the countries of the eastern and southern Slavs. Bulgaria and Croatia became their refuge.

These events took place in the 9th century, and writing appeared in Rus' only in the 10th century. And there is an opinion that in Bulgaria, based on the “glagolitic” alphabet, the Cyrillic alphabet was created by the disciples of Methodius, in honor of Cyril.

In Russian Orthodoxy, Cyril and Methodius are called Saints. February 14 is the day of memory of Cyril, and April 6 is Methodius. The dates were not chosen by chance; Saints Cyril and Methodius died on these days.