Cyril and Methodius were brothers born in Thessaloniki who created the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet for the Slavic languages. In the 9th century, they were sent on a mission to Great Moravia to spread Christianity and translate liturgical texts into Old Church Slavonic. Cyril died in 869 after their mission was successful. Methodius continued their work and faced opposition from German clergy for using Slavic languages in worship, but was later canonized. Their creation of the Glagolitic alphabet and promotion of Slavic languages had a lasting impact on Slavic culture and European history.

1. Cyril and Methodius
copatrons of Europe

2. Малко известен факт е, че с апостолическо послание
“За безпримерно достойнство”(Egregiae Virtutis) от
30.12.1980г. папа Йоан-Павел ІІ обявява светите братя Кирил и
Методий за съпокровители на Eвропа. За папата двамата
славянски апостоли са мост между Изтока и Запада,
допринесли значително както за културното израстване на
Стария континент, така и за образованието на поколения
европейци.
Cyril and Methodius- patrons of
Europe
A little known fact is that with the apostolic message "For
Unparalleled Dignity" (Egregiae Virtutis) of 30.12.1980. Pope John
Paul II declares the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius as co-
patrons of Europe. For the Pope, the two Slavic apostles are a
bridge between the East and the West, contributing significantly to
both the cultural growth of the Old Continent and the education of
generations of Europeans.

3. Sources of Life and Work of Cyril andSources of Life and Work of Cyril and
MethodiusMethodius
•. The biographical facts about the brothers Kiril I Methodius were
recovered from historians and linguists from around the world based on
sources created at different times by different authors with national
affiliation and in different languages. All this makes them insecure and
fragmented, because the Age of the Middle Ages has not left accurate
records of historical events. The contradictions are so great that,
according to various sources Cyril is presented as young, sometimes
as an old man, and the activity of both educators flows through the
whole two centuries. Most often, sources are divided into linguistic
principles in the following groups: Slavic, Latin and Greek

4. 
The brothers were born in Thessaloniki as theThe brothers were born in Thessaloniki as the
children of a superior Byzantine warlord -children of a superior Byzantine warlord -
the legionary Leon (Leo), the assistantthe legionary Leon (Leo), the assistant
governor of Thessaloniki and the province,governor of Thessaloniki and the province,
and his wife Maria.and his wife Maria.
It is assumed that the parents of Leo andIt is assumed that the parents of Leo and
Mary as Byzantine aristocrats are Romans,Mary as Byzantine aristocrats are Romans,
and the Slavic language spoken by brothersand the Slavic language spoken by brothers
who are polyglots, learn the market inwho are polyglots, learn the market in
Thessaloniki.Thessaloniki.
There is also a hypothesis of Slavic originThere is also a hypothesis of Slavic origin
of the mother of the two brothers.of the mother of the two brothers.
 The father died early and the childrenThe father died early and the children
passed under the custody of his uncle, thepassed under the custody of his uncle, the
Theoxite logos, an influential person in theTheoxite logos, an influential person in the
Empire, Chief Minister and regent ofEmpire, Chief Minister and regent of
Michael III, the founder of the famousMichael III, the founder of the famous
Magnaur School.Magnaur School.
Cyril and Methodius-
background

5. Biographical data for Methodius

His real name is not known to historians.
Methodius is the monk's name of the
older of the two brothers.
 Methodius was born in Thessaloniki in
815 and is one of the seven children in
the family. For 10 years Methodius is
the governor of a Slavic region, located
to the north of Thessaloniki. Long stays
in a compact Slavic environment prepare
him for future enlightenment.
 For unknown reasons, he retired from
administrative office and settled in the
Polychron Monastery, located on Mount
Olympus, Asia Minor (in the vicinity of
today's town of Bursa, Turkey), where he
is a monk and later an abbot
 . Historians suggest that the Polychron
Monastery is the most likely place where
the two brothers create the Slavic
alphabet.

6. Biographical data for Methodius
 From 860 to 867 St. Methodius
participated in various missions with his
brother Cyril - in the Hazar, in Moravia,
in Rome and in Venice.
 After Cyril's death in 869, Methodius
settled in Pannonia (today's Croatia) as
a papal messenger. He leads worship in
Slavic language. In 870, he was accused
by the German clergy that he preached
illegally in their religious area, faced a
church court and spent three years in
exile.
 In 880, he was again brought to trial and
forbidden to perform a church service in
Slavic language.
 Methodius returned to Great Moravia,
where he founded a literary school.
 St. Methodius dies on April 6, 885 and is
buried in Velehrad, the capital of Great
Moravia.

7. Biographical data for Cyril
Konstantin is the secular name of the great
historical person, and Cyril is the name he
takes 50 days before his death, along with
the monk's monk.
Most likely, he was born at the end of 826 or
early 827 as the seventh child in the family.
In Thessaloniki he is well educated and has
outstanding intellectual skills. Konstantin is
14 years old when his father Leo dies.
Then he went to Constantinople and continued
his education at the Magnaur School where
he educated much of the elite of society.
The Philosopher title was given to the
Magnaur School for its outstanding
intellectual skills.

8. Biographical data for Cyril
Glory does not seduce young
Constantine the Philosopher. He
refuses to marry a maiden of great
origin and agrees to become a librarian
of the patriarch. For some time he
heads the Department of Magnaur
School and teaches philosophy.
 In 855 St. Constantine-Cyril the
Philosopher was sent to his first
diplomatic mission in Baghdad by the
caliph Mutawakil (847-867). Upon his
return, he retired to the Monastery of
St. Polyhron in the Malazan Olympus,
whose abbot was his brother St.
Methodius
From 860 to 867, he served various
diplomatic and religious missions in the
Khazars, Moravia, Rome and Venice.
For the purpose of his mission in
Moravia, where he went to help Prince
Rostislav to promote Christianity,

9.  In December 867 Constantine, hisIn December 867 Constantine, his
brother Metodius and their studentsbrother Metodius and their students
arrived in Rome, where they werearrived in Rome, where they were
solemnly accepted by Pope Adrian II,solemnly accepted by Pope Adrian II,
who solemnly consecrates the Slavonicwho solemnly consecrates the Slavonic
books.books.
 That same year was one of his mostThat same year was one of his most
significant public appearances - thesignificant public appearances - the
Venice dispute with the proponents ofVenice dispute with the proponents of
"trilingualism" that the word of God could"trilingualism" that the word of God could
be preached only in Hebrew, Greek, andbe preached only in Hebrew, Greek, and
Latin. On the accusations of heresy St.Latin. On the accusations of heresy St.
Constantine-Cyril Philosopher respondsConstantine-Cyril Philosopher responds
with his famous defense of Slavicwith his famous defense of Slavic
language:language:
"Do not we all breathe the same air?" And"Do not we all breathe the same air?" And
how are you not ashamed to recognizehow are you not ashamed to recognize
only three languages, and to make allonly three languages, and to make all
other nations deaf and deaf? blind?other nations deaf and deaf? blind? ""
Biographical data for CyrilBiographical data for Cyril

10. Exhausted by intense
work and long journeys
Constantine-Cyril the
Philosopher died on
February 14, 869, in Rome.
He was recognized as the
great funeral in the Roman
Church of San Clemente
and his canonization as a
saint of the Christian church
right after his death.

11. CREATION OF THE SLAVIC ALPHABET
Already during their joint stay in 855
at the Polychron Cyril and Methodius
Monastery, they are thinking of
creating a graphical system that
accurately reflects the Slavic language
they know well.
 Most likely, the work on the creation
of the Glagolitic has begun long before
the moray mission and is the result of
the two brothers' belief that every
nation has the right to its own culture
and native language
 The Glagolitic is an original
graphical system consisting of 38
letters. It reflects very well the sound
characteristics of the Old Bulgarian
language. The characters G, S, W, U
and the two noses that are missing in
the Latin and Greek alphabets indicate
that it adheres to the peculiarities of
the Slavic language.

12. Creation of Slavic alphabet
The Cyrillic alphabet was
founded at the end of the 9th
century and is associated with
the writers of the Preslav
Literary School.
It is supposed to have occurred
historically. There is no evidence
that it is the work of Constantine
- Cyril the Philosopher or
Kliment Ohridski
It includes 24 letters from the
Greek alphabet, to which are
added some additional signs
specific to the Old Bulgarian
language.
 Within a few centuries, the
two alphabets have been used in
parallel, but gradually the Cyrillic
alphabet has replaced the

13. Three elements of symbolic
significance - the cross, circle /
symbol of the universe / and the
triangle / symbol of the Trinity world
- are placed on the basis of the
Glagolitic.
The Glagolitic is used in Pannonia,
Moravia, Croatia, Russia, Serbia
and of course in Bulgaria
 The sacred Glagolitic letters are
the books that Prince Boris receives
from the disciples of the Slavic
enlighteners.
 A large number of liturgical books
have been written on it, of which the
Zographist Gospel, the Sinai Trail,
the Mariinian Gospel, the
Ashemanian Gospel and others have
survived to this day.

14. Dissemination of Cyrilic alphabet
The name "Cyrillic" was recorded in
1563 in the translation of the New
Testament into Croatian.
At the beginning of the 20th century
a standard Ukrainian and Belarusian
spelling was created, based on the
then Russian alphabet.
The modern Bulgarian and Russian
Cyrillic alphabets gained their final
form when, after the Communist
Revolution in Russia, the letters "big
air" and "yoto" were discarded.
Since 1 January 2007, with the
accession of Bulgaria to the European
Union, along with Latin and Greek,
Cyrillic is one of the three official
alphabets of the community.

15. Today there are the followingToday there are the following
national variants of the Cyrillicnational variants of the Cyrillic
alphabet:alphabet:
Bulgarian Cyrillic,Bulgarian Cyrillic,
Bosanchitsa,Bosanchitsa,
Belorussian CyrillicBelorussian Cyrillic
Romanian CyrillicRomanian Cyrillic
Serbian CyrillicSerbian Cyrillic
Macedonian Cyrillic alphabet,Macedonian Cyrillic alphabet,
Russian CyrillicRussian Cyrillic
Ukrainian CyrillicUkrainian Cyrillic
Kazakhstan CyrillicKazakhstan Cyrillic
Kyrgyz Cyrillic alphabetKyrgyz Cyrillic alphabet
Moldavian CyrillicMoldavian Cyrillic
Mongolian CyrillicMongolian Cyrillic
Tajik CyrillicTajik Cyrillic
Or, for more than 300 millionOr, for more than 300 million
people, the letters of Klimentpeople, the letters of Kliment
Dissemination of Cyrilic alphabet