A story about Saints Cyril and Methodius. Cyril and Methodius - the first Slavic philologists

Origin of Thessaloniki x brothers.

The creators of Slavyanskoh alphabet, the brothers Cyril (before accepting monasticism Constantine) (827-869) and Methodius (815-885) came from the Byzantine city of Thessaloniki, which was home to a large Slavic population.Nowadays it is the city of Thessaloniki in Macedonia. The brothers' father wasrich and of “good family”, held a significant position in Thessalonicafalsehood - assistant to a military commander. By nationalityThe father of Constantine and Methodius was Bulgarian, and his mother was Greek, so from childhood the brothers’ native languages ​​were Greek and Slavic.

Constantine and Methodius before becoming a monk.

Konstantin began attending school at the age of eightage. He was distinguished by his abilities, modesty, and patience. He studied diligently, mastered the Greek language, counting, and mastered horse riding and military techniques. ButHis favorite pastime was reading books. We can say that knowledge and books became the meaning of his whole life for him.

To continue his education, Constantine went to Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. He was taken as a fellow student of the son of Emperor Michael III. Under the guidance of the best mentors - including Photius, the future famous Patriarch of Constantinople - Constantine studied ancient literature, rhetoric, grammar, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. He knew Hebrew, Slavic, Greek, Latin and Arabic languages. Interest in science, perseverance in learning, hard work - all this made him one of the most educated people of Byzantium. It is no coincidence that he was nicknamed the Philosopher for his great wisdom.

At the end of his studies, refusing a profitable marriage, as well as the administrative career offered by the emperor, Constantine became the patriarchal librarian at the Hagia Sophia. But, neglecting the benefits of his position, he soon retired to one of the monasteries on the Black Sea coast. He lived in solitude for some time, and upon his return began teaching philosophy at the university.

The wisdom and strength of faith of the still very young Constantine were so great that he managed to defeat the leader of the iconoclast heretics, Annius, in a debate. After this victory, Constantine was sent by the emperor to debate about the Holy Trinity with the Muslims and also won.

Around 850, Emperor Michael III and Patriarch Photius sent Constantine to Bulgaria, where he converted many Bulgarians to Christianity on the Bregalnitsa River.

After this, Constantine retired to his brother Methodius on Olympus, spending time in constant prayer and reading the works of the holy fathers.

Methodius was older than brother for 12 years. He entered military service early. For 10 years he was the manager of one of the regions inhabited by the Slavs. Around 852 he became a monk

It was in this monastery that a group of like-minded people formed around Constantine and Methodius and the idea of ​​creating Slavic alphabet.

Khazar mission.

D Constantine's dispute with a Muslim imam and a Jewish rabbi, which took place in the presence of the kagan, according to the Life, ended in the victory of Constantine. The Kagan did not change his faith, but at the request of Constantine, he released all the Greek captives - more than 200 people.

The brothers returned to Byzantium. Constantine remained in the capital, and Methodius went to the monastery where he served before.

Bulgarian mission.

Soon Constantine, who knew not only Greek, Arabic and Latin, but also the language of the Slavs, was sent to Bulgaria on an educational mission. But the enlightenment of the Slavs turned out to be impossible without books in their native language. Therefore, Constantine began to create the Slavic alphabet. Methodius began to help him. 24 May 863 year they announced the invention of the Slavic alphabet.

Having come up with the alphabet, the brothers began to translate the main liturgical books (Gospel, Apostle, Psalter, etc.) from Greek into Slavic.

With their educational activities, Constantine and Methodius contributed to the establishment Christian faith In Bulgaria. And from Bulgaria, the Christian faith and writing spread to neighboring Serbia.

Moravian Mission.

In the same year 863, the Moravian prince Rostislav, oppressed by the German bishops, turned to the Byzantine emperor Michael III with a request to help him introduce church service in Slavic language. Rostislav needed this because the Western Slavs were under the yoke of the Roman catholic church, and they were allowed to conduct services only in Latin, and in government affairs use exclusively German. These restrictions, of course, were an obstacle to the national self-identification of the Western Slavs.

Rostislav asked to send clergy to Moravia who could preach in the native language of the Slavs. “Our land is baptized, but we do not have a teacher who would instruct and teach us, and interpret the holy books... send us teachers who could tell us about the book words and their meaning.”

The emperor called Constantine and told him: “You need to go there, because no one will do this better than you.” Constantine, with fasting and prayer, began a new feat. Methodius, at his brother’s request, went with him.

In the same year 863, the brothers arrived in Moravia with the created alphabet.

They were accepted from great honor, and until the spring of 867 they taught Moravian residents to read, write and conduct worship in the Slavic language. The activities of Constantine and Methodius aroused the anger of the German bishops, who performed divine services in Latin in the Moravian churches, and they rebelled against the holy brothers, arguing that church services could only be conducted in one of three languages: Hebrew, Greek or Latin. The German bishops perceived Cyril and Methodius as heretics and filed a complaint to Rome. The Solunsky brothers had to go to the Pope. They hoped to find support in the fight against the German clergy, who were preventing the spread of Slavic writing.

Travel to Rome.

On the way to Rome, Constantine and Methodius visited another Slavic country- Pannonia, where Blatenskoe was located

After Constantine handed over to Pope Adrian II the relics of St. Clement he had found on his Chersonesos journey, he approved the service in the Slavic language and ordered the translated books to be placed in Roman churches. At the behest of the pope, Formosus (Bishop of Porto) and Gauderic (Bishop of Velletri) ordained three brothers who traveled with Constantine and Methodius as priests, and Methodius was ordained to the episcopate.

As we see, the Solun brothers were able to obtain permission to conduct services in the Slavic language from the Pope himself.

Intense struggle, years of wandering, excessive work undermined vitality Konstantin.

In Rome he fell ill, and in a miraculous vision, informed by the Lord that his death was approaching, he took the schema with the name Cyril. 50 days after accepting the schema, on February 14, 869, Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril died at the age of 42 and was buried in Rome in the Church of St. Clement.

Going to God, Saint Cyril commanded his brother Methodius to continue their common cause - the enlightenment of the Slavic peoples with the light of the true faith. Before his death, he told Methodius: “You and I are like two oxen; one fell from a heavy burden, the other must continue on his way.”

Saint Methodius begged the Pope to allow his brother’s body to be taken away for burial in his native land, but the Pope ordered the relics of Saint Cyril to be placed in the Church of Saint Clement, where miracles began to be performed from them.

Methodius' educational activities after the death of Cyril.

After the death of Cyril, the Pope, following the request of the Slavic prince Kocel, sent Methodius to Pannonia, ordaining him to the rank of Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia. In Pannonia, Saint Methodius, together with his disciples, continued to spread worship, writing and books in the Slavic language.

Methodius steadfastly endured the attacks of the Latin Church: according to the slander of the Latin bishops, he was imprisoned for two and a half years and dragged through the snow in the bitter cold. But the enlightener did not renounce serving the Slavs, and in 874 he was released by John VIII and restored to his episcopate rights. Pope John VIII forbade Methodius to perform the liturgy in the Slavic language, but Methodius, visiting Rome in 880, achieved the lifting of the ban and continued his ministry.

In 882-884 Methodius lived in Byzantium. In mid-884 he returned to Moravia and worked on translating the Bible into Slavic.

Anticipating the approach of his death, Saint Methodius pointed to one of his disciples, Gorazd, as a worthy successor. The saint predicted the day of his death and died on April 6 (19), 885 at the age of about 70 years. He was buried in the cathedral church of Velehrad.

The Solunsky brothers devoted their entire lives to teaching, knowledge, and serving the Slavs. They did not attach much importance to wealth, honors, fame, or career.

Regional state government educational institution, implementing adapted programs “Boarding School No. 10”

Prepared by N.V. Nesterova

2016

Explanatory note

Children about Saints Cyril and Methodius and the Slavic alphabet

Flowers, trees, animals, and people are God's creations. But people differ from all living beings in that they can speak. Everything in the world has a name: the cloud, the river, the carnation, the birch tree, the wind and lightning. All signs of objects and phenomena: red, fast, warm, cold - everything is named. In conversation we say: “Grandma, I missed you.” But it’s good to say this when grandma is nearby. What if she is in a village, in another city? You need to somehow tell her that you miss her and are waiting for her to visit. You can call? What if grandma’s phone breaks down? Write! Write a letter. A letter is more valuable than any call, a letter can be re-read, shown to neighbors: “Look, my granddaughter is writing to me, inviting me to visit.”

To write a letter, you need to know the words. And words are made up of letters. The letters are connected by the alphabet. Our alphabet is now almost in the form in which the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius brought it to Rus'. They translated many books, mostly religious, from Greek into Slavic, and introduced worship in the Slavic language. For this they suffered a lot of persecution from the Roman Catholics: they did not want the Slavs to have their own written language. To this the brothers answered: “Doesn’t the sun shine for everyone, doesn’t it rain for everyone, doesn’t the Word of God’s truth come to everyone, and in the language that man speaks?”

There was an alphabet prayer based on the Slavic alphabet. “Az buki lead” in translation: I know (know) the letters. “The verb, good, is, live” in translation: it’s good to live kindly. “What are you thinking, people?” there is no need to translate this. Just like “rtsy, word, firmly,” that is: speak the word confidently, firmly.

Of course, it is immediately noticeable that the initial letters of words precisely make up our “Abevegedeshka”, the alphabet. We used to learn the alphabet out loud, all together. There was even such a proverb: “They teach the alphabet, they shout at the top of their voices.”

The day of the holy Thessalonica brothers Cyril and Methodius is celebrated on the very day when in our schools last call, May 24. This day is a holiday of Slavic writing and culture.

Children about Saints Cyril and Methodius and the Slavic alphabet.

Goals and objectives.

To acquaint children with the history of the emergence of Slavic writing, with the work of Cyril and Methodius - Slavic teachers.
- First acquaintance with the Slavic alphabet.
- Identify and expand children’s knowledge about the history of the Russian language.
- Show the similarities and features of Church Slavonic and Russian languages.
- Form the concept of “sacred language”. Develop a sense of love and respect for native language and Russian culture.
- Develop speech, memory, thinking.

Preparation and equipment.
Place an icon of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius on the board.

Prepare for each student a photocopy of the Church Slavonic alphabet, which would indicate the spelling, name and pronunciation of all letters.

Prepare photocopies of the ABC prayer in the “arrangement” of V.Ya. Deryagin.

For visual aids and props, you can use “ancient” scrolls, letters of the Slavic alphabet, made of cardboard. To decorate the classroom, large stylized “antique” scrolls with ancient Slavic letters (for example, the words of their ABC prayer), posters depicting the letters of the Slavic alphabet can be prepared.

Select illustrative material: modern editions of liturgical books (Psalms, Book of Hours, etc.), as well as photographs and illustrations of ancient books, manuscripts, scrolls.

Move.
- You and I all read, write and speak Russian. What is language?
Children try to explain the meaning of the word “language”, the teacher leads them to the correct answer.
- Now we have found out that language is a means of communication. How can we communicate with each other?
Students' answers.
- That is, orally. And if we are far from each other and there is no way to call, how can we break the news or find out how we are doing?
Students' answers.
- This means that language can be oral and...
Students' answers.
- Is written language only needed to communicate?
Students' answers.
- Why else do you need to be able to read and write?
Students' answers. - Guys, what do you think, have the Slavs always been able to speak?
Students' answers. - But there was a time when the Slavs did not have writing, and this is how it appeared.
It was more than a thousand years ago, when Slavic tribes from the darkness of paganism they turned to the light of Christian teaching. But the converted Christians understood neither the Word of God nor the services, since the services were conducted in Latin. Then, in 862, an embassy from the Moravian prince Rostislav arrived to the Byzantine Emperor Michael with a request to send missionaries who would lead christian worship in a language understandable to the Slavic people and which could clearly explain Christian teaching. The emperor entrusted this task to the brothers Cyril and Methodius, and they set off on a long journey. To complete the task assigned to them, they had to translate the Holy Scriptures and liturgical books into the Slavic language. But the Slavs did not have an alphabet. The Slavs could neither read nor write. The task turned out to be more difficult than it seemed at first glance: first it was necessary to create the Slavic alphabet, then translate the books and even teach the Slavs how to write and read. After all, everything cannot be conveyed orally. Such teaching is both insufficient and unreliable. Do you think it is possible to retain in memory everything that is conveyed in words?
Students' answers. Teacher : The Greek alphabet was taken as the basis for the Slavic alphabet. The first step was to create an alphabet. Guys, what is the alphabet?Students' answers. Teacher : Yes, this is a specific sequence of letters. The alphabet conveys all the sounds that are present in speech. What are the letters for?
Students' answers. - Right. In 863 the alphabet was ready, the saints worked for more than a year. Cyril and Methodius are above her. The alphabet began to be called the Cyrillic alphabet in honor of its creator. The holy brothers did not create colloquial, not everyday, everyday language, but sacred liturgical language. The language in which they address God in the temple of God - the church. That’s what it’s called – Church Slavonic language. Now you know that Church Slavonic is the language of communication with God. It was very important for Christians to receive necessary knowledge in the Church Slavonic language in order to be able to participate in divine services and understand their meaning. Without this, the life of a Christian is impossible. Do you agree?
Students' answers. Yes.
- The Slavs understood this, which is why they took on the difficult task of teaching. Today, of course, it is much easier to learn Church Slavonic, because the Slavic language is the predecessor of Russian. Look at the alphabet!(Children take a printout with the alphabet.) Many of the letters are already familiar to you. What alphabet do you think? more letters, in Russian or in Slavic?
Students' answers.
In Slavic.

- Right. Over time, during the development of the language, some letters were lost, but new ones were not added. Thus, the alphabet was transformed into modern Russian. Az, beeches, lead... It is with these letters that we will begin our first acquaintance with Church Slavonic alphabet. Every letter Church Slavonic language not only conveys the sound corresponding to it, but also has its own special name.
shows cards with letters:
The letter A is called Az, which means “I” in Russian. This is how God, Az, calls Himself in the sacred book of the Bible.
The letter B is called Buki, that is, “letter”.
The name of the letter B is Vedi, translated as “know.”
The letter G has the name Verb, that is, “speak.”
The letter D is called Dobro, which means “good” in Russian.
Pronounce these first Church Slavonic letters by their names.
Students read in unison : Az, beeches, lead, verb, good.

Do you know what we did? Know your ABCs and speak well.

This is the wish the alphabet itself expresses to everyone who undertakes to study it. In addition, Saint Cyril wrote an elementary prayer. Each letter of the alphabet corresponds to a new line of prayer starting with that letter. Listen to this prayer and you will understand how much meaning each letter of the Church Slavonic language carries.ABC prayer A Az - I pray to God with this word:
B God, to the Creator of all creatures
IN Visible and invisible!
G Lord, the living Spirit henceforth,
D May the Word breathe into my heart!
E His Word will be the salvation of all,
AND Living in Your commandments.
S The lamp of life shone,
3 Your law is the light of my path.
AND And he’s already looking for the gospel word
I And the Slavic tribe asks you to accept your gifts.
TO After all, we all turned to baptism,
L We want to be called Your people,
M We wish Your mercy, O God!
N But now give me a lengthy Word,
ABOUT Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit!
P Asking for your help,
R Stretch out Your hands, give forever
WITH I accept Your strength and wisdom.
T You give strength to the worthy,
Q You heal the poor
F You take away Pharaoh's anger from me,
X Cherubim's thought and mind you give to me.
ABOUT , honest and Most Holy Trinity,
turn my sadness into joy!
C I will write chastely
H Your miracles are marvelous,
Sh Taking on the image of the six-winged,
I will ascend in the footsteps of my Teacher,
following His name and His work.
E I will reveal the word of the Gospel,
giving praise to the Trinity in one Godhead.
YU Young and old, all wise men sing Your praise.
I The new language gives praise
Father and Son and Holy Spirit.
To Him be honor and glory from every creature
and every breath forever and ever.
Amen.

For such educational work, the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius began to be called equal to the apostles. After all, they, like the apostles, enlightened the Slavic peoples, bringing them the Word of God. In ancient times, Church Slavonic literacy was studied with reverence. They memorized the rules, the texts of prayers, and practiced penmanship. The latter was given special meaning. Writing in any way was not allowed; it was considered an expression of disrespect for the sacred language in which we address God. In ancient books, the already beautiful capital letters of Church Slavonic were often decorated with intricate designs or designs. Look here! The teacher shows illustrations of ancient books. All the books were handwritten, and writing was not easy before. Therefore, the profession of a scribe was held in high esteem; a literate person was called a scientist. They treated books with great care. They were covered with leather covers and decorated precious stones... They were very much valued, and not only because they were expensive, but also because most of them were used in worship: the Holy Scriptures, the Gospel, the Psalter. By the way, did you know that the main textbook then was the Psalter? Yes, yes, exactly this liturgical book! In the church, this attitude towards books continues today. You may have seen the Gospel in church - how beautiful it is! How solemnly the priest carries it out and reads it! Let us also try to adopt this reverent attitude towards the Church Slavonic language and its study.
- Let's remember what we learned new and interesting today, then tell me who and when the Church Slavonic alphabet was created?
Students' answers.
In the ninth century Sts. Cyril and Methodius.
- Now let's write this down in a notebook: In the ninth century, Sts. The Slavic alphabet was created by the brothers Cyril and Methodius. Why was there a need to create it?
Students' answers.
It was necessary to translate the service into a language that people could understand.
- Because it was necessary to translate liturgical books into Slavic. What alphabet was taken as the basis for the Slavic alphabet?
Students' answers.
Greek.

- The Greek alphabet was taken as a basis.
How do the letters of Church Slavonic differ from the letters of the Russian language?
Students' answers.
The letters of the Slavic language have names.
Summarizing:
Today we learned the history of the creation of Slavic writing, became acquainted with Slavic letters, and made a whole journey into the history of the Russian language.

Invite the children to draw any letter they like, decorating it with a beautiful ornament or making beautiful cover, similar to ancient covers.

Bibliography

1) Istrin V.A. 1100 years of the Slavic alphabet. M., 1988.

2) Remneva M.L. Az Buki Vedi, M., 1980.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Brothers Cyril and Methodius

In the friendly and happy family of the noble military leader Leo, who lived in greek city Thessaloniki, there were seven children. All of them were distinguished by hard work and diligence in their studies. All of them except my native Greek language They spoke Slavic perfectly, communicating with their Slavic peers. At that time, many Slavs lived in Thessaloniki, former prisoners and slaves captured by the Greeks in constant wars.

When the youngest of Leo's children, Constantine, had just learned to read, the eldest, Methodius, had already left Father's house, going into public service. He was appointed by the emperor as governor of Macedonia, thanks to his knowledge of the Slavic language.

The younger Konstantin was distinguished from other children by both poor health and extraordinary mental abilities. By the age of fifteen, he was fluent in reading philosophical and theological treatises not only in Greek, but also in Latin. The talented boy was taken to court. Together with the emperor's children, he began to study at the highest imperial school. Here Constantine studied literature, dialectics, astronomy, Hebrew and Arabic, music and other sciences. His mentors were the best teachers of the empire, including the famous Photius, the future Patriarch of Constantinople. For his love of philosophy, Konstantin received the nickname “philosopher,” which remained with him throughout his life.

Constantine's elder brother Methodius, having served as a governor for about ten years, leaves his service and enters a monastery. Soon he comes to him younger brother, abandoning a brilliant career at court and an advantageous marriage.

Knowing the education of the brothers, their devotion to the Church and the Fatherland, the emperor sends them to Khazaria to establish diplomatic ties with the neighboring state. It included many nationalities, including the Slavs. For their sake, Constantine and Methodius created their famous Slavic alphabet in order to translate the sacred books into the Slavic language. After all, preaching only orally, according to Constantine, is like “writing with your finger on water.” The chronicler reports that the first words written by the brothers in the Slavic language were from the Gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

The trip turned out to be successful. The brothers managed to establish friendly relations with the Khazars, obtain permission for Christians to have their own churches, and converted about two hundred families to Christianity. After this, several more trips took place to the southern Slavs, including the recently baptized Bulgarians. During these travels, Konstantin strained his already poor health.

In 862, ambassadors from the Moravian prince Rostislav came to Constantinople with a request to send Slavic Christian teachers to them. Emperor Michael had no better candidates than Constantine and Methodius. Knowing Konstantin’s poor health, he addressed him not as an emperor, but as a former school friend: “Konstantin, my philosopher, I know you are sick, you are tired, but your work is so needed! Prince Rostislav of Moravia asks us to send him Christian missionaries. How can I refuse him? No one can do this job the way you can do it!” To this request of his comrade, the sick and weak Konstantin answered with selflessness: “I will gladly go there!”

In 863 the brothers went to Moravia. There they preached Christianity with great success, performing services in the Slavic language. Missionaries also came to Moravia from Germany, who were unusual in hearing Slavic worship. Liturgy in the Slavic language seemed blasphemous to them. In the West, the custom has been established to read the Bible and perform worship in only three languages ​​- Hebrew, Greek and Latin. German preachers complained about the two brothers to Pope Nicholas. The Pope wished to see the Slavic evangelists. Hoping to find protection and understanding from him, the brothers went to Rome. Arriving there, they did not find Pope Nicholas alive. His successor, Pope Adrian, received the brothers with great honor. He went out to meet them outside the city, accompanied by the clergy and a multitude of people. He consecrated the Slavic books brought to him and approved the brothers’ work in translating divine services and Holy Scripture into the Slavic language. Pope Adrian even allowed the liturgy to be celebrated in several Roman churches in the Slavic language.

Soon after arriving in Rome, Constantine, in poor health, fell ill and, having taken monastic vows with the name Cyril, died on February 14, 869. His brother Methodius was ordained Archbishop of Moravia by Pope Adrian, with permission to serve in the diocese in the Slavic language. For another fifteen years before his death, Methodius worked on enlightening the Slavs. From Moravia, Christianity penetrated into the Czech Republic and then into Poland during Methodius’s lifetime.

The activities of the Thessaloniki brothers were further developed by the southern Slavs - Serbs and Bulgarians, where their students also went.From there the Slavic alphabet came to Kievan Rus. Today at modern world more than 70 national languages built on the Cyrillic alphabet.

The main characters of which are the Slavic first teachers, the Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius. Today everyone knows about them. And if you ask “Why do we remember them after eleven and a half centuries?”, you will most likely hear: “They came up with our alphabet.” True, of course, but the alphabet is an infinitesimal part of what the brothers accomplished.

First great work Cyril and Methodius was that they passed through their ears, honed by the knowledge of many languages ​​and many scripts (Greek, Latin, Hebrew, maybe Arabic...), the sound matter of the Slavic language in order to determine which sounds can be designated by letters Greek alphabet, and for which special signs need to be invented. Their own linguistic experience helped them complete this work: Slavic speech was not unfamiliar to them: in their hometown Thessalonica it sounded on par with the Greek one. But this was an exclusively oral element; the Slavs did not know writing. And it was impossible to simply take the Greek letter with its huge tradition: in the Greek language, for example, there were no sibilants, so the letters Ts, Ch, Sh, Zh, Shch had to be invented.

The result of this work was the Slavic alphabet, which we call the Cyrillic alphabet and which is now written in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, and Montenegro.

We must not forget that not only the Slavs write in Cyrillic: writing systems based on the Cyrillic alphabet were created already in the 20th century for all peoples Soviet Union- Moldovans, Tatars, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Azerbaijanis... True, after the collapse of the Union, some abandoned the Cyrillic alphabet - Moldova, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan. And now Kazakhstan is thinking about this.

The second incredibly important and extremely difficult work that Cyril and Methodius took upon themselves was the translation Holy Scripture and other church texts from Greek into Slavic. They are the first Slavic translators to record the fruits of their labors in writing. It is simply impossible to imagine now the enormity of this work. In the book “Cyril and Methodius” by Yuri Loschits, which was published in the series “Life of Remarkable People” in 2013, when we celebrated 1150 years of the feat of the Thessaloniki brothers, you can read about the translations of Cyril and Methodius.

When the brothers worked together, they managed to translate the Psalter, the Gospel with the Apostle, the Rules of the Law and the Books of the Fathers. And it took almost six years - from 863 to 869, when Cyril dies. Methodius ends up in dungeons. Released in 873, he could return to translation work only in 882. This is how it is described in his life, created by his students: “from your disciples, plant two priests of cursive writing, put all the books on board”. Translated into modern Russian, it could look like this: “Having chosen two priests from among his students who learned to write very quickly, he soon translated all the books” (their listing follows). That is, the picture that appears before us is this: Methodius holds a Greek book in his hands, reads it and pronounces the Slavic text, which his students record simultaneously in two copies. Today, translators into and from Slavic languages, of course, work completely differently, but they are all followers of Cyril and Methodius.

Cyril and Methodius not only translated, but also created the first written texts in the Slavic language. They composed prayers, for example, canon in memory of Dmitry Solunsky, whose life we ​​grew up reading in childhood. Methodius composed hagiography his brother, and his disciples compiled the life of Methodius. This was the beginning of Slavic hagiographic literature, which for many centuries formed the basis of reading for an educated person.

But in order to translate and create new texts with completely new content for the Slavs, it was necessary to have the appropriate vocabulary - and Cyril and Methodius became the creators of Slavic sacred lexicon. When creating it, the task was to select everything possible from the Slavic language (and then the Slavic languages ​​were still so close that they could be spoken of as one language), so that the texts of a completely new content would be understandable to the parishioners of the first Slavic churches. And at the same time, there was a need to introduce some Greek words, to bring them closer to Slavic grammar.

Let's take just two examples - two realities of church life - censer And stole(part of the priest's vestment, ribbon around the neck). In the first case, a Slavic word was taken, a verbal noun from the verb cense- How soap from wash, A awl from sew. In the second case, it is a Greek word, the internal form of which is quite transparent: epi means “around” trachil- “neck” (remember the medical terms trachea, trachyitis). If you translate this word in parts (this translation is called tracing paper), you will get something like an o-collar: o - around, shey - neck, nik - object. It is difficult to say whether the Slavs had a collar as a dog accessory, but you must admit that the word does not sound sacred. That's probably why the Greek word was chosen.

Thus, sifting through a mass of words - Slavic and Greek, Cyril and Methodius created the vocabulary of Slavic translations of liturgical books. They took some ready-made - word holiness the Slavs already had it, they just had to rethink it. Others had to be taken from Greek, like the word angel, what does “messenger” mean - who would now believe that this is not Russian word? The third words had to be “produced” - Annunciation(this is a copy of the word gospel, thanksgiving, beneficence).

Today this dictionary has been studied to the smallest detail. It contains 10,000 words, and half of them are not related to the Slavic speech, then alive; these are Greekisms or what was done by Cyril and Methodius.

Finally, it must be said that Cyril and Methodius are the first Slavic teachers of literature. Their students were not only able to absorb Greek learning, instilled in the Slavic mind, but also preserve the tradition of writing in a very difficult, tragic situation, when the mission of the Slavic first teachers in the Great Moravian Principality was defeated, and their students were sold into slavery.

So, Byzantine scientists and theologians presented the Slavs with the most valuable fruits of their labors, which later began to be called philological. This means that we can say that they are the first Slavic philologists, and at the same time take a look at the philological field of activity, without which no culture is possible. Of course, their studies are not theoretical philology, but applied - one that ensures verbal communication in society, creating texts and organizing their circulation. Applied philology is primary - it is aimed at creating texts and organizing their circulation; theoretical philology studies texts and the patterns of their circulation. If we use the modern terminology of philological disciplines, we can say that Cyril and Methodius are phoneticians, graphic artists and even font designers, translators, lexicologists and grammarians, writers and creators of genres new to the Slavs. In general, all this means that they are the creators the first Slavic literary language, which has already been heard under the arches since the twelfth century Orthodox churches, penetrating the consciousness of the Slavs of many generations and forming the Orthodox perception of the world and the Slavic word. Of course this one literary language which we call Old Slavonic, could not help but change in time and space, its national varieties were formed - Russian, Serbian, but they are based on the language created by the genius of the Slavic first teachers Cyril and Methodius.

The coming May days are dedicated to their memory - we call them Days of Slavic Literature and Culture. Everyone can choose how to celebrate these days. And I invite everyone to the Regional Library (in the Kremlin) to write an open dictation - that is, to celebrate the holiday of Slavic writing - with a letter, with my own hand in the society of Novgorod literati. The dictation will be dedicated to the homeland of Cyril and Methodius - the city of Thessaloniki, and we will write it on Sunday, May 28.

We all know how to read and write, but we never think about who created the letters and words, that is, the alphabet. Who were these two brothers? Which life path did they pass? Through what vicissitudes did Cyril and Methodius carry their creation? Why were they elevated to the rank of saints? What monumental books did they translate into Slavic, thereby giving us knowledge? A long, thorny path from an ordinary Greek family to the icons of all Slavic churches.

The Byzantine Empire gave Rus' not only the Christian religion, but also writing, the importance of which is difficult to overestimate. The people who stood at the origins of the creation of Slavic writing are destined to forever remain on the list of the most famous people in our history. Their names, Cyril and Methodius, are revered by the Russian Church as the names of saints.

Cyril and Methodius were brothers. They were born in the city of Thessalonica (Byzantium). In Russian sound, this name is known in sources as “Solun” (“Profits from Solun”). Also, some sources call the brothers not Cyril and Methodius, but Constantine and Michael. As for their origin, many scientists put forward the opinion that their family went back to Greek roots.

In Slavic Orthodoxy, Cyril and Methodius are revered as holy equal-to-the-apostles “Slovenian teachers”; The order officially adopted by the church is “Methodius and Cyril.”

Their family was reputed to be quite wealthy and noble. My father had the rank of officer and carried out military service at the court of the governor (strategist) of Thessalonica. In addition to Cyril and Methodius, there were seven more sons in the family. All of them, starting from the elder Michael (Methodius) and ending with Constantine (Cyril), also had, according to established tradition, to follow in the footsteps of their father, that is, to take the path of military service. Under the patronage of his father, Mikhail made a very good career in this field. He managed to rise to the rank of strategos (military and civil governor) of the province of Slavinia, located in Macedonia, which was part of the Byzantine Empire.

The ten years he spent in this post were not in vain for Michael (Methodius). Over the years, he perfectly mastered the Slavic language, which later became a priority for the decision to create the Slavic alphabet. What caused Mikhail to quit his successful job overnight? military career, exactly unknown. Many historians see this as an expression of personal search, the desire to find one’s true purpose. Be that as it may, after ten years military service, Mikhail makes a firm decision to become a monk. He implements this decision almost immediately, in one of the Slavic monasteries located on Mount Olympus.

In 860, Constantine was sent as a missionary to the Khazar Khagan. There a debate between Constantine and the imam and rabbi took place. According to some sources, Constantine won it, but the Kagan did not change his faith. According to others, the rabbi pitted Constantine against the imam and proved to the kagan the advantages of the Jewish faith.

Konstantin, the youngest of the brothers in the family, impressed with the breadth of his interests and remarkable abilities in science from childhood. The father, as if by inspiration from above, refused to make plans about the military future of his youngest son. Constantine was apprenticed to one of the best teachers in the city of Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium, to the teachers who taught the young Emperor Michael. Among these teachers was the future Patriarch of Constantinople, Phocius. Konstantin was fluent in many languages, had enormous knowledge of the most various industries Sciences. He was especially interested in theology and philosophy. He enthusiastically studied the works of church apologists. His own views were in tune with the thoughts of the famous Saint Gregory the Theologian.

Konstantin, being at a very young age, clearly determined for himself that he would devote his life to serving the Lord. Having barely completed his studies, he was ordained a priest and took the honorary position of custodian of the patriarchal library, located in the Church of St. Sophia in Constantinople. Constantine remained in this position for only a short time, leaving behind dusty tomes and manuscripts for the life of a wandering monk. It is noteworthy that Constantine left the library secretly, practically escaping to one of the many monasteries. What motivated him? Youth? Ardent impulses? Fortunately, the fugitive was found and returned to Constantinople. He was offered to become a teacher of philosophical sciences at the Higher School of Constantinople.

Western theologians believed that praising God could only be done in Greek, Hebrew and Latin. Constantine and Methodius, who preached in Moravia, were considered heretics and summoned to Rome. But the pope approved worship in the Slavic language, and ordered the translated books to be placed in Roman churches.

Here his talent as a theologian and philosophizing thinker was fully demonstrated. Vivid oratorical abilities and the ability to convince any audience that he was right allowed Constantine (Kirill) to win his first significant victory in the theological field: in the debate he defeated the views of the iconoclasts - one of the heretical movements that openly opposed Orthodox Christianity.

The Emperor of Byzantium and the fathers of the Byzantine church appreciated Constantine's talent, instructing him to lead a dispute with the Saracens, where Constantine was to defend the immutability of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. And here Konstantin also became the winner.

In the mid-50s of the 9th century AD. he was destined to lead a missionary trip to Arab lands. Later, with the same educational goal, he, together with his brother Michael (Methodius), goes to the Khazars. Their goal is to convey to other nations the true values ​​of Christianity. And everywhere there were people ready to listen to the words of Constantine. He knew well not only the theory of Christian theology, but also studied the Koran perfectly, finding in it a lot of confirmation of his words. Years of missionary service brought him fame and respect among many Slavic peoples. Constantine was often called the Philosopher, honoring his wisdom.

The main merit of Constantine is the compilation of the foundations of the Slavic alphabet. In this matter, his brother Mikhail (Methodius) helped him in everything. They not only laid the foundation for Slavic writing, but also translated the Gospel into the Slavic language.

According to the Life of Constantine, the letters of the new alphabet were given to Cyril by divine revelation: “The Philosopher went and began to pray... And God revealed to him that he listened to the prayers of His servants, and then he folded the letters and began to write the words of the Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Constantine spent the last years of his life in Rome, seriously ill, but working tirelessly to compile theological works. In 869 AD, sensing the approach of death, he accepted the schema (torn as a monk) and a new name - Cyril, and was also elevated to the rank of Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia.

Mikhail, who was not only his brother, but also his closest comrade-in-arms and associate, was by his side until his last breath. It was to him that Konstantin addressed his last words: “You and I are like two oxen. When one falls from a heavy burden, the other will continue on his way.”

Cyril was buried in the Church of St. Clement in Rome. Once upon a time, on one of his missionary trips, Constantine discovered the relics of this Roman emperor, canonized for his great martyrdom, and reverently delivered them to his homeland.

After the death of his brother, Methodius returned to Moravia. In 870 he was imprisoned, accused of heresy. He spent about three years in captivity. He was released only after the personal intervention of the Pope. In order to finally protect his life’s work from attacks from the German clergy, who had extended their influence to Moravia, Methodius insisted on a personal audience with the Pope. Having met with him, he asked to approve the liturgical works translated by him and Cyril into the Slavic language. The Pope and the Roman Curia did not find anything in them that in any way contradicted the canons and dogmas of Christianity.

Methodius devoted the rest of his days to translating the Bible, the Patericon, and the collection of church laws of the Byzantine Church (Nomocanon) into Slavic. He died on April 19, 885, on the day of the bright church holiday - Palm Sunday. It is noteworthy that despite the approaching breath of death, he found the strength to serve a festive church service, bequeathing people to follow the laws Christian religion. In commemoration of his merits, the funeral service for the deceased was carried out in 3 languages ​​at once: Latin, Greek and Slavic. The Church canonized Methodius and his brother Cyril as saints.

“The Tale of Bygone Years” says that all the Greek church books were translated into the Slavic language in six months with the help of only two people: “Methodius appointed two priests ... cursive writers, and translated all the books from Greek into Slavic in six months, starting in March and finishing October 26..."

The death of Cyril and Methodius prompted their opponents to ensure that Slavic writing, as well as worship in the Slavic language in the territory of Moravia, were placed under the strictest ban. The followers of the saints were persecuted and persecuted. Many of them settled in Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, in cities Kievan Rus. This is what contributed to the widespread dissemination of Slavic writing.

The Slavic alphabet, compiled by the brothers Cyril and Methodius, was called the Glagolitic alphabet. Church Slavonic writing, based on the Glagolitic alphabet, should not be confused with the Cyrillic alphabet. This is a more adapted alphabet, developed somewhat later, by the disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius. The Cyrillic alphabet is used by such peoples as Macedonians, Serbs, Bulgarians, as well as Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Russians.

The merits of Saints Cyril and Methodius are appreciated by many peoples inhabiting the East and West. The Day of Slavic Culture and Literature is an official public holiday in our country, as well as in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. According to tradition, it is celebrated on May 24 (in Slovakia and the Czech Republic - July 5). In addition, in Bulgaria there is even a special Order of Cyril and Methodius, which recognizes special merits in the field of culture.

The origins of Slavic writing go back to the Saints brothers equal to the apostles Cyril and Methodius, who brought writing to the Slavic land. This event dates back to the 9th century, around 862.

Cyril and Methodius were born into a wealthy and noble family in the city of Thessaloniki (Greece). Methodius was the eldest brother in the family and was the ruler of the Bulgarian principality, which at that time was part of the Byzantine Empire. Kirill (born Konstantin) is the younger brother who demonstrated high mental abilities from infancy. While still at Thessaloniki school, he began reading the books of the Church Fathers. Gregory the Theologian made a special impression on young Constantine. The gifted young man was noticed, and he was invited to Constantinople, where he studied along with the emperor’s son from the best scientists of his time. Among Constantine's teachers was the famous scientist Photius, the future Patriarch of Constantinople. A brilliant career at the imperial court awaited Constantine, but he chose a monastery cell.

After completing his studies, he retired to a monastery on Mount Olympus to Methodius to “continually pray and engage in pious meditation,” as his biography says. However, Constantine's seclusion was rarely long. As a preacher and propagandist, he was often sent to neighboring states to participate in disputes. Travel weakened Constantine's strength. In 42 he became very ill. Before his death, he became a monk with the name Cyril and died in 869. Death overtook Cyril in Rome, where the brothers sought the Pope's support in spreading Slavic writing. The biography tells that before his death, Cyril said to his brother: “You and I, like two oxen, drove the same furrow. I am exhausted, but don’t think about leaving the work of teaching and retiring to your mountain again.”

Methodius outlived his brother by 16 years. He translated the Holy Books into Slavic, preached Orthodox faith, baptized Slavic people. He trained about two hundred Slavic priests.

“The Tale of Bygone Years” tells about the beginning of writing in Rus': one day the Slavic princes Rostislav, Svyatopolk and Kotsel sent ambassadors to the Byzantine Tsar Michael with the words: “Our land is baptized, but we have no teacher who would instruct and teach us, and explained the holy books. After all, we do not know either Greek or Latin; Some teach us this way, and others teach us differently, so we don’t know either the shape of the letters or their meaning. And send us teachers who could tell us about book words and their meaning.” Then Tsar Michael summoned two learned brothers - Constantine and Methodius, and “the king persuaded them and sent them to the Slavic land... When these brothers arrived, they began to compile the Slavic alphabet and translated the Apostle and the Gospel.”

These events date back to 863. The spread of writing in Rus' is associated with this date.

The Slavic alphabet also appeared. In Kyiv, Novgorod, and other cities, schools began to be created to teach Slavic literacy. An alphabet appeared, which was called “Cyrillic” after the monastic name of Constantine. It was composed based on Greek, but modified to convey a Slavic sound system. Two alphabets were created - Glagolitic and Cyrillic.

Cyril and Methodius also managed to overcome the prejudice that only Hebrew, Greek and Latin languages suitable for worship and writing church books. After the brothers presented the new alphabet, the Pope approved worship in the Slavic language, and ordered the books translated by the brothers to be placed in Roman churches and the liturgy to be performed in the Slavic language.

In Russia, the holiday has been celebrated since 1863, when a decree was adopted to celebrate the memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius on May 11 (May 24, new style). IN modern Russia The Days of Remembrance of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the Days of Slavic Literature and Culture have been celebrated since 1985.