site.btaPresident Welcomes Participants of International Forum on the Cyrillic Alphabet

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev welcomed the participants of the International Forum on the Cyrillic Alphabet, students and researchers “from near and far”, who responded to the invitation of Vice President Iliana Iotova, the organizer of the event. Themed "Alphabet. Language. Identity", the forum opened Thursday at the National Palace of Culture. On Friday, the forum will take place at Plovdiv’s Regional History Museum.

“Over the years, the power of the word teaches us good and evil, forms our personal and collective compass”, Radev said, adding that the forum is dedicated to important topics about the origin and development of the Cyrillic alphabet, its crucial historical role and contemporary significance.

In Radev’s words, Bulgarians have managed to preserve the feeling of nation’s identity, because they celebrate the Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture, and of Slavic Literature. The head of State also noted that a millennium ago, Bulgaria had become one of the cultural and spiritual centers of Europe. Bulgarian Alphabet, education and culture have led Bulgarian nation through the centuries of oppression. 

"Bulgarians, as direct heirs of the holy work of the brothers Cyril and Methodius, are obliged to preserve and develop this wealth, because the Cyrillic Аlphabet is not the domain of the Bulgarian people only," the President said.

Radev also mentioned the Bulgarians living abroad. Often the only link with the homeland remains the Bulgarian language, he believes. Without modern and working mechanisms, as well as an effective state policy, this link is doomed to thin out, Radev said. He thanked Vice President Iotova and her team for working to ensure that this link is not interrupted.

The two-day conference Alphabet. Language. Identity 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 their Bulgarian colleagues, will discuss 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 - will be highlighted.