site.btaInternational Forum on Cyrillic Alphabet Closes in Plovdiv

A two-day international forum on the Cyrillic alphabet, initiated by Vice President Iliana Iotova, continued in the southern city of Plovdiv on Friday Themed "Alphabet. Language. Identity", the conference is a follow-up to a forum organized in 2022 with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science.

Over 30 renowned Slavic studies specialists from 11 countries, together with Bulgarian colleagues,discussed the importance of letters, words, language, and culture for the Slavic heritage, its preservation and dissemination in today’s world, and the importance of language and identity in the processes of globalization. The key role of Bulgaria in the creation of the third Christian civilization, the Slavic one, was highlighted.

Dr Ivan Duminica from Moldova said that Bessarabian Bulgarians can be proud that one copy of Slavonic-Bulgarian History was made in Bessarabia. His presentation focused on a copy of Slavonic-Bulgarian History made by Vasil Manoilov in 1841.

Prof. Tsenka Ivanova discussed the heritage of the Cyrillic script in the context of contemporary communication. The report looked at how the Cyrillic alphabet has contributed to inter-language communication. 

Assoc. Prof. Lachezar Perchekliiski spoke about the historical evolution of the Cyrillic alphabet. He noted that in the 12th century the Cyrillic alphabet superseded the original Glagolitic script of Cyril and Methodius for complex reasons.

Prof. Dr. Elena Getova traced the relationship between language, nationality and journalistic mission in the first Bulgarian periodicals. According to her, bilingual publications were popular because they gave rise to the problem of the contact between cultures and how dialogue between them took place. 

Dr Miglena Mihaylova-Palanska of Slovakia discussed the significance of the Bulgarian language for Slovaks. "As a result of a Bulgarian deserted land settlement law, nearly 2,000 Slovaks moved to villages near Pleven like Gorna Mitropolia and Podem. Bulgaria started to influence their life in a number of ways. Generations of Slovaks were raised with Bulgarian as their dominant language, which had a distinct impact on the Slovak language at the phonetic, grammatical and lexical level.

At the international forum, Assoc. Prof. Dr Vasil Condov of Moldova contributed a report tracing the development and origin of some Bulgarian surnames in the Moldovan town of Taraclia.

Vice President Iliana Iotova thanked all scholars participating in the forum, highlighting their role in the serious study of Bulgarian Studies in more places around the world. She expressed hope that Bulgarian studies will regain the importance it had in the past.

"There are some 2.5 million Bulgarians abroad and our task is to preserve and develop the Bulgarian language," Iotova said.

Iotova suggested the third edition of the conference should be held in 2026.

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The International Cyrillic Forum "Alphabet. Language. Identity" is a two-day conference initiated by Vice President Iliana Iotova and supported by the Ministry of Education and Science. It is discussing the significance of letters, words, language, and culture for the Slavic heritage, its preservation and dissemination in today’s world, and the importance of language and identity in the processes of globalization, highlighting Bulgaria's key role in the creation and preservation of Slavic civilization. The event is taking place in Sofia on June 27 and Plovdiv on June 28.