site.btaNational Library Honours Glagolitic Alphabet, St Methodius with Exhibitions

Two exhibitions - "Alphabet and History" and "St Methodius Slavo-Bulgarian" - were unveiled at the St Cyril and St Methodius National Library in Sofia on Friday. The Director of the National Library, Assoc. Prof. Kalina Ivanova, said at the opening that Friday's event honours the work of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius and their disciples, and celebrates the 1170th anniversary of the creation of the Bulgarian alphabet and Slavic literature. She recalled that on April 6, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorates the assumption of St Methodius.

“All these dates and anniversaries remind us that the history of our letters is alive, that literature continues to guide us through the centuries, regardless of whether they are dark or golden. Because in the beginning was the Word,” Ivanova said. “Guided by the understanding that we need to pay due respect to the oldest Slavic alphabet and awaken in young people a desire to learn more about it and its unique graphemes, the National Library has started holding events under the title 'Year of the Glagolitic,'" she explained.

Speaking at the exhibitions' opening, Vice President Iliana Iotova said: "Today is a big day for all of us, because we officially declare 2025 the year of the Glagolitic, together with the National Library."  She expressed gratitude to the three national media – the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), which launched “a very big initiative” a few months ago. "I am extremely pleased that the supporters of this initiative are multiplying with each passing day. It is connected to the fact that Bulgaria celebrates its 14th century of existence. This year is dedicated to the Glagolitic alphabet and the Christianization of Bulgaria. The initiative is part of this huge series of events with which we will enter our new historical period," she pointed out.

The Vice President also said that the Ministry of Education and Science has accepted the idea of ​​holding a special class or a series of classes dedicated to the Glagolitic alphabet and the Christianization of Bulgaria in secondary schools.

"I cannot reconcile to the fact that, unfortunately, in some countries, especially in Central Europe, especially here, to the west of us, the work of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius ends with the death of St Methodius in Velehrad. In their educational system, in their textbooks, especially in secondary education, nothing is said about those who continued their work, about the people who practically preserved, conserved and promoted the work of the holy brothers. Not a word about their disciples, the Seven Apostles. Not a word about the great role of Prince Boris I as a statesman," the Vice President said.

The author of the "Alphabet and History" exhibition is Prof. Vasya Velinova and its consultants are Prof. Aksiniya Dzhurova and Prof. Kazimir Popkonstantinov. The exhibition is presented jointly with the State Institute for Culture with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Prof. Ivan Dujcev Centre for Slavic and Byzantine Studies at the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, and the Elena and Ivan Dujcev Foundation.

Within the framework of the exhibition "St Methodius Slavo-Bulgarian", documents related to the memory and importance of St Methodius for the Bulgarian people and the Slavic world can be seen at the National Library. "One document is a manuscript from the first half of the 13th century, which represents an Apostle [old manuscript] and contains readings, doxologies, parts of a service for St Methodius, written by Constantine of Preslav. The other document is 'Stematography' by Christopher Zhefarovich. The book is part of the political project of the Pec Patriarch, Arsenije IV Jovanovic, for the liberation of the Slavic peoples. There, Methodius is placed next to Archbishop Sava of Serbia. All the spiritual and secular figures presented in "Stematography" aim to unite the Slavs, to give them courage and strength to rise up against their enslavers,” the author of the exhibition, explained Dr Boyana Mincheva, head of the Preservation of Manuscript and Documentary Heritage Division at the National Library.

Among the attendees of the exhibitions' opening were Plamen Slavov, advisor to the President on Culture, Deputy Minister of Culture Kalin Velyov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science Emilia Lazarova, Prof. Georgi Valchev, Rector of Sofia University, and BTA Director General Kiril Valchev.