Cyril and Methodius are the creators of Slavic writing. Cyril and Methodius
Holy Slavic Equal-to-the-Apostles First Teachers and Enlighteners, Brothers Cyril and Methodius came from a noble and pious family that lived in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. Saint Methodius was the eldest of seven brothers, Saint Constantine (Cyril was his monastic name) the youngest.
Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius
Saint Methodius was at first in a military rank and was a ruler in one of the Slavic principalities subordinate to the Byzantine Empire, apparently Bulgarian, which gave him the opportunity to learn the Slavic language. Having stayed there for about 10 years, Saint Methodius then became a monk in one of the monasteries on Mount Olympus (Asia Minor). From an early age Saint Constantine was distinguished by great abilities and studied together with the young Emperor Michael from the best teachers Constantinople, including Photius, the future Patriarch of Constantinople. Saint Constantine perfectly comprehended all the sciences of his time and many languages; he especially diligently studied the works of Saint Gregory the Theologian. For his intelligence and outstanding knowledge, Saint Constantine received the nickname Philosopher (wise). At the end of his studies, Saint Constantine accepted the rank of priest and was appointed custodian of the patriarchal library at the Church of Saint Sophia, but soon left the capital and secretly entered a monastery. Found there and returned to Constantinople, he was appointed teacher of philosophy at the higher school of Constantinople. 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 Saracens (Muslims) and also won. Having returned, Saint Constantine retired to his brother Saint Methodius on Olympus, spending time in unceasing prayer and reading the works of the holy fathers.
Soon the emperor summoned both holy brothers from the monastery and sent them to the Khazars to preach the gospel. On the way, they stopped for some time in the city of Korsun, preparing for the sermon. There the holy brothers miraculously found the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (November 25). There, in Korsun, Saint Constantine found the Gospel and the Psalter, written in “Russian letters,” and a man speaking Russian, and began to learn from this man to read and speak his language. After this, the holy brothers went to the Khazars, where they won the debate with Jews and Muslims, preaching the Gospel teaching. On the way home, the brothers again visited Korsun and, taking the relics of Saint Clement there, returned to Constantinople. Saint Constantine remained in the capital, and Saint Methodius received the abbess in the small monastery of Polychron, not far from Mount Olympus, where he had previously labored. Soon, ambassadors from the Moravian prince Rostislav, oppressed by the German bishops, came to the emperor with a request to send teachers to Moravia who could preach in the native language of the Slavs. The emperor called Saint Constantine and told him: “You need to go there, because no one will do this better than you.” Saint Constantine, with fasting and prayer, began a new feat. With the help of his brother Saint Methodius and the disciples Gorazd, Clement, Sava, Naum and Angelar, he compiled Slavic alphabet and translated to Slavic language books without which Divine services could not be performed: the Gospel, the Apostle, the Psalter and selected services. This was in 863.
After completing the translation, the holy brothers went to Moravia, where they were received with great honor, and began to teach Divine services in the Slavic language. This aroused the anger of the German bishops, who performed divine services in the Moravian churches on Latin, and they rebelled against the holy brothers, arguing that Divine services could only be performed in one of three languages: Hebrew, Greek or Latin. Saint Constantine answered them: “You recognize only three languages worthy of glorifying God in them. But David cries: Sing to the Lord, all the earth, praise the Lord, all nations, let every breath praise the Lord! And in the Holy Gospel it is said: Go and learn all languages...” The German bishops were disgraced, but became even more embittered and filed a complaint to Rome. The holy brothers were called to Rome to resolve this issue. Taking with them the relics of Saint Clement, Pope of Rome, Saints Constantine and Methodius went to Rome. Having learned that the holy brothers were carrying holy relics with them, Pope Adrian and the clergy went out to meet them. The holy brothers were greeted with honor, 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.
While in Rome, Saint Constantine fell ill and, informed by the Lord in a miraculous vision of his approaching death, 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. Going to God, Saint Cyril commanded his brother Saint Methodius to continue their common cause - the enlightenment of the Slavic peoples with the light of the true faith. Saint Methodius begged the Pope to allow his brother's body to be taken away for burial in native land, but the pope ordered the relics of St. Cyril to be placed in the church of St. Clement, where miracles began to be performed from them.
After the death of Saint Cyril, the pope, following the request of the Slavic prince Kocel, sent Saint Methodius to Pannonia, ordaining him archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, to the ancient throne of Saint Andronicus the Apostle. In Pannonia, Saint Methodius, together with his disciples, continued to spread divine services, writing and books in the Slavic language. This again angered the German bishops. They achieved the arrest and trial of Saint Methodius, who was exiled to prison in Swabia, where he endured much suffering for two and a half years. Released by order of Pope John VIII and restored to his rights as an archbishop, Methodius continued preaching the gospel among the Slavs and baptized the Czech prince Borivoj and his wife Lyudmila (September 16), as well as one of the Polish princes. For the third time, German bishops initiated persecution against the saint for not accepting the Roman teaching about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and from the Son. Saint Methodius was summoned to Rome, but justified himself before the pope, maintaining his purity Orthodox teaching, and was again returned to the capital of Moravia - Velehrad.
May 24 - day of remembrance of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, educators of the Slavs.
This is the only church and state holiday that is declared the Day Slavic writing and culture.
WHAT DO YOU PRAY FOR TO THE SAINTS EQUAL OF THE Apostles CYRILL AND METHODIUS
Byzantine monks Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equal to the Apostles, are the creators of the Slavic alphabet. They help in teaching, they pray to them for the preservation of the Slavic peoples in true faith and piety, for protection from false teachings and other faiths.
It must be remembered that icons or saints do not “specialize” in any specific areas. It will be right when a person turns with faith in the power of God, and not in the power of this icon, this saint or prayer.
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THE LIFE OF SAINTS CYRILL AND METHODIUS
Saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius were brothers. Methodius was the eldest of the children in the family (born in 820), and Constantine (Cyril in monasticism) was the youngest (born in 827). They were born in Macedonia, in the city of Thessaloniki (now Thessaloniki) and were raised in a wealthy family, their father was a military leader in the Greek army.
Saint Methodius, like his father, began military service. With his diligence in business, he achieved the respect of the king and was appointed governor of Slavinia, one of the Slavic principalities subordinate to Greece. Here he became acquainted with the Slavic language and studied it, which later helped him become a spiritual teacher and shepherd of the Slavs. After 10 years successful career, Methodius decided to renounce earthly vanity, left the voivodeship and became a monk.
His brother, Konstantin, showed his diligence in science from childhood. He, together with Tsarevich Mikhail, studied in Constantinople and received a good education. They studied literature, philosophy, rhetoric, mathematics, astronomy, and music together. But the youth showed the greatest zeal for theology. One of his religious teachers was the future Patriarch Photius of Constantinople. Even as a youth, the saint learned by heart the works of Gregory the Theologian. Constantine begged Saint Gregory to be his mentor.
After completing his studies, Saint Constantine (Cyril) received the rank of priest and was appointed librarian to the patriarchal library, which was located at the Church of Saint Sophia. But, despite this appointment, he went to one of the monasteries, from which he was practically forcibly returned to Constantinople and appointed as a philosophy teacher at school.
Despite his age, Constantine managed to defeat the mature Greek Patriarch Annius (Iannes), who was an iconoclast and did not recognize icons of saints, in the debate. Subsequently, he was removed from the patriarchal throne.
Then Cyril went to his brother Methodius and for several years was a monk in a monastery on Olympus. There were many Slavic monks in this monastery, and here, with their help, he studied the Slavic language.
After spending some time in the monastery, both holy brothers, by order of the emperor, went to preach the Gospel to the Khazars. During this trip, they stopped in Korsun, where, according to the conviction of St. Cyril, the relics of St. Clement, Pope of Rome, who was exiled to Korsun for confessing Christ and, by order of Emperor Trajan in 102, was thrown into the sea, were found and raised from the seabed, where stayed for more than 700 years.
In addition, while in Korsun, Saint Constantine found the Gospel and Psalter, which were written in “Russian letters.” And from a man who spoke Russian, I began to learn this language.
Preaching the Gospel teaching to the Khazars, the holy brothers faced “competition” from Jews and Muslims, who also tried to attract the Khazars to their faith. But thanks to their sermons, they won.
Returning back from Korsun, the Lord helped them work miracles:
— while in the hot desert, Saint Methodius collected water from a bitter lake, and it suddenly became sweet and cold. The brothers, together with their companions, quenched their thirst and thanked the Lord for creating this miracle;
— Saint Cyril s God's help predicted the death of the Korsun archbishop;
- in the city of Philla there grew a large oak tree, fused with cherry trees, which, according to the pagans, brought rain after their requests. But Saint Cyril convinced them to recognize God and accept the Gospel. Then the tree was cut down, and after that, by the will of God, it began to rain at night.
At that time, ambassadors from Moravia came to the Greek emperor and asked for help and protection from the German bishops. The emperor decided to send Saint Constantine because the saint knew the Slavic language:
“You need to go there, because no one will do it better than you.”
With prayer and fasting, Saints Constantine, Methodius and their disciples began this great work in 863. They created the Slavic alphabet and translated the Gospel and Psalter from Greek into Slavic.
After this blessed work was completed, the holy brothers went to Moravia, where they began teaching Divine services in the Slavic language. The German bishops were greatly angered by this circumstance; they argued that God should be glorified only in Hebrew, Greek or Latin. For this, Cyril and Methodius began to call them Pilateniks, so on the Lord’s cross Pilate made a tablet in three languages: Hebrew, Greek, Latin.
They sent a complaint to Rome against the holy brothers, and in 867, Pope Nicholas I summoned the “culprits” to trial.
Saints Constantine and Methodius, taking the relics of Pope Saint Clement on their journey, set off for Rome. Upon arrival in the capital, they learned that Nicholas I had died by that time, and Adrian II became his successor. The Pope, having learned that they had brought the relics of St. Clement, solemnly received the brothers and approved the Divine service in the Slavic language. And he consecrated the books that were translated and ordered them to be placed in Roman churches and the Liturgy to be celebrated in the Slavic language.
In Rome, Saint Constantine had a miraculous vision of his approaching death. He accepted the schema with the name Cyril and on February 14, 869, 50 days later, at the age of 42, the earthly life of Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril ended.
Before he died, he told his brother:
“You and I, like a friendly pair of oxen, plowed the same furrow; I’m exhausted, but don’t think about leaving the work of teaching and retiring to your mountain again.”
The Pope ordered the relics of St. Cyril to be placed in the church of St. Clement, where miraculous healings of people began to occur from them.
And the Pope ordained Saint Methodius as Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, to the ancient throne of the Holy Apostle Antrodinus, where the saint preached the Gospel among the Slavs and baptized the Czech prince Borivoj and his wife.
After the death of his brother, Saint Methodius did not stop his educational work. With the help of student priests, he translated the entire Old Testament, except for the Maccabean books, as well as the Nomocanon (Rules of the Holy Fathers) and the patristic books (Paterikon).
Saint Methodius died on April 6, 885, he was about 60 years old. His funeral service was performed in Slavic, Greek and Latin. The saint was buried in the cathedral church of Velehrad, the capital of Moravia.
Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius were canonized as saints in ancient times. According to the decree of the Holy Synod (1885), the celebration of the memory of saints is classified as medium church holidays. The same decree determined that, according to the Gospel, at Matins before the canon, at dismissals and in all prayers in which the ecumenical hierarchs of the Russian Church are remembered, the archbishop should be commemorated after the name of St. Nicholas Myra miracle worker, names: like our holy fathers Methodius and Cyril, Slovenian teachers.
The activities of the enlighteners also influenced the development of the Old Russian language in Rus', therefore in Moscow, on Slavyanskaya Square, in 1992, a monument was unveiled to the Slavic first teachers and apostles, Cyril and Methodius, and not only saints Orthodox Church, but also Catholic.
GREATNESS
We magnify you, Saints Cyril and Methodius, who enlightened the entire Slovenian country with your teachings and brought them to Christ.
VIDEO
“Take care of our language, our beautiful Russian language, this treasure, this property passed on to us by our predecessors!.. Treat this powerful weapon with respect; in skillful hands it is capable of performing miracles.”
I.O. Turgenev
Slavic writing and culture are among the most ancient in Europe. The Slavs owe the appearance of writing to the holy apostles Cyril and Methodius. History has put their names in a row greatest sons humanity. It is to them that the Slavs owe the appearance of writing.
In 863, by order of Emperor Michael, the brothers were instructed to go to Slavic Moravia to teach local residents to worship in the Slavic language.
Cyril and Methodius.Kyrill und Method auf einer russischen Ikone des 18./19. Jh.
Methodius (approx. 815 or 820 - 885) and Cyril (approx. 826 or 827 - 869), were born and raised in Macedonia. The brothers' father, according to legend, was Bulgarian, and their mother was Greek. Perhaps this to some extent explains the interest and that ascetic devotion to the cause of Slavic enlightenment, which are so characteristic of both brothers.
Methodius was first on military service, but then retired to a monastery.
Constantine (Cyril in monasticism) discovered extraordinary mental gifts from childhood. Already at school he achieved considerable success, in particular in the study of theology. Constantine's abilities became known in the capital of the empire, and Emperor Michael III invited him to be a companion to his son. Studying at the emperor's court, under the guidance of experienced teachers and mentors, he quickly mastered all the sciences, as well as many languages.
In Byzantium, Constantine had at his disposal not only the best teachers of the empire, but also the book treasures of the patriarchal library. He decided to become a patriarchal librarian. Then he taught at the same Constantinople higher school, from which he himself graduated and where he received the respectful name of Philosopher, which remained with him in history. He actively participated in various religious disputes with Muslims, Jews, and Persians. His oratory skills grew stronger. In a dispute he defeated the patriarch in defense of the icons. In Syria he defended Christianity, the idea of the only God. The brothers carried out a mission-trip to the Khazars, visited Chersonesos, where Cyril found the “Gospel” and “Psalter” in Russian writing.
Before starting his missionary activities, Kirill developed and streamlined the Slavic alphabet. It consisted of 43 letters. Most of the letters were taken from the Greek alphabet, which is why they look like them. To designate sounds characteristic only of the Slavic language, 19 signs were invented. However, there was one significant flaw in it: it contained six Greek letters, which were superfluous when transmitting the Slavic language.
Josef Mathauser.Konstantin a Metoděj přišli na Velehrad
In Moravia, Cyril and Methodius began active work. The brothers and their students opened schools in which they began to teach young people Slavic writing. Thanks to the efforts of the brothers in Moravia, the written translation of the entire annual cycle of worship, as well as the books necessary for it, was completed. Also during this time, several temples were built in which services were conducted in the Slavic language.
Slavs in their Original Homeland: Between the Turanian Whip and the sword of the Goths.1912.Galerie hlavního města PrahyLink to museum template
The secret of the success of the mission of Cyril and Methodius was that the services were held in the native language of the people. Cyril and Methodius translated texts from many Greek books, thereby laying the foundation for the formation of Old Church Slavonic bookmaking. The educational work of the Slavs contributed to the spread of literacy among these peoples. The brothers overcame a difficult path of struggle. Kirill's whole life was filled with frequent difficult trips. Deprivation and hard work affected his health. Kirill's health worsened. He died before reaching the age of 42.
Methodius continues his activities. And now not only in Moravia, but also in neighboring Czech Republic and Poland. Methodius, exhausted by the continuous struggle with the German feudal lords and churchmen in 885, dies.
The brothers left behind more than two hundred students, who contributed to the fact that the Cyrillic alphabet spread to the Balkans, crossed the Danube and reached the borders Ancient Rus'. Cyril and Methodius were canonized by the church. The church equated their work with the apostolic feat. The day of their canonization, May 24, has been proclaimed the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture in our today's calendars. This is one of the most important holidays of the fraternal Slavic peoples, in which the past and present, spirituality and culture are organically combined.
The memory of Cyril and Methodius is immortalized in monuments in all corners of the Slavic land. The Slavic alphabet serves 10% of the world's population. She wrote “The Tale of Past Years”, “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, and other works Kievan Rus. The names of Cyril and Methodius are forever recorded in the history of the Slavic peoples.
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 had 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 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 Black Sea coast. He lived in seclusion 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 a debate to debate 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 unceasing prayer and reading the works of the holy fathers.
Methodius was 12 years older than his brother. 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 a Slavic alphabet was born.
Khazar mission.
In 860, the emperor summoned Constantine and Methodius from the monastery and sent them to the Khazars to preach the gospel.
According to the life, the embassy was sent in response to a request from the Kagan, who promised, if he was convinced, to convert to Christianity. During his stay in Korsun, Konstantin, preparing for polemics, studied Hebrew language and the Samaritan Letter.
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 on 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 public affairs to 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 received with great honor, and until the spring of 867 they taught the Moravian inhabitants 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 Solun brothers devoted their entire lives to teaching, knowledge, and serving the Slavs. They did not attach much importance to wealth, honors, fame, or career.
Cyril and Methodius, Slavic educators, creators of the Slavic alphabet, preachers of Christianity, the first translators of liturgical books from Greek into Slavic. Cyril (before taking monasticism at the beginning of 869 - Constantine) (about 827-14.2.869) and his older brother Methodius (about 815-6.4.885) were born in Thessaloniki (Thessaloniki) in the family of a military leader. Cyril was educated at the court of the Byzantine Emperor Michael III in Constantinople, where Photius was one of his teachers. He knew Slavic, Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Arabic well. Refusing the admiral career offered to him by the emperor, Kirill became the patriarch's librarian, then taught philosophy (received the nickname "Philosopher"). In the 40s successfully participated in disputes with iconoclasts; in the 50s was in Syria, where he won a victory in theological disputes with Muslims. Around 860 he made a diplomatic trip to the Khazars.
Monument to Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius in Kolomna.
Methodius entered military service early. For 10 years he was the manager of one of the regions inhabited by the Slavs. Then he retired to a monastery. In the 60s, having renounced the rank of archbishop, he became abbot of the Polychron monastery on the Asian shore of the Sea of Marmara.
Monument to Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius in Kolomna.
In 863 Cyril and Methodius were sent byzantine emperor to Moravia in order to preach Christianity in the Slavic language and assist the Moravian prince Rostislav in the fight against the German feudal lords. Before leaving, Cyril created the Slavic alphabet and, with the help of Methodius, translated several liturgical books from Greek into Slavic (selected readings from the Gospel, apostolic epistles, psalms, etc.). There is no consensus in science on the question of which alphabet Kirill created - Glagolitic or Cyrillic (most scientists believe that Glagolitic). The preaching of the brothers in a Slavic language understandable to the Moravian population laid the foundation of the national church, but caused discontent among the German Catholic clergy.
Temple of Equal Apostles Cyril and Methodius at Kursk State University.
Cyril and Methodius were accused of heresy. In 866 (or 867), Cyril and Methodius, at the call of Pope Nicholas I, headed to Rome, and along the way they visited the Principality of Blaten (Pannonia), where they also distributed Slavic literacy and Slavic liturgical rites. Pope Adrian II, in a special message, allowed them to distribute Slavic books and Slavic worship. After arriving in Rome, Kirill became seriously ill and died. Methodius was ordained archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia and in 870 returned from Rome to Pannonia. The German clergy, who sought to deal with Methodius, through intrigue, achieved his imprisonment; After his release from prison, Methodius continued his activities in Moravia. In 882-884 he lived in Byzantium. In mid-884, Methodius returned to Moravia and worked on translating the Bible into Slavic.
Monument to Cyril and Methodius in Dmitrov.
With their activities, Cyril and Methodius laid the foundation for Slavic writing and literature. This activity was continued in the South Slavic countries by the students of K. and M., expelled from Moravia in 886.
Life of Saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius.
The holy Equal-to-the-Apostles first teachers and Slavic educators, the brothers Cyril and Methodius, came from a noble and pious family that lived in the Greek city of Thessaloniki.
Saint Methodius was the eldest of seven brothers, Saint Constantine (Cyril was his monastic name) the youngest. While in military service, Saint Methodius ruled in one of the Slavic principalities subordinate to the Byzantine Empire, apparently in Bulgarian, which gave him the opportunity to learn the Slavic language. Having lived there for about 10 years, Saint Methodius then became a monk in one of the monasteries on Mount Olympus.
From an early age, Saint Constantine was distinguished by great abilities and studied together with the young Emperor Michael from the best teachers of Constantinople, including Photius, the future Patriarch of Constantinople. Saint Constantine perfectly comprehended all the sciences of his time and many languages; he especially diligently studied the works of Saint Gregory the Theologian, and for his intelligence and outstanding knowledge Saint Constantine received the nickname Philosopher (wise). At the end of his studies, Saint Constantine accepted the rank of priest and was appointed custodian of the Patriarchal Library at the Church of Saint Sophia, but soon left the capital and secretly entered a monastery. Found there and returned to Constantinople, he was appointed teacher of philosophy at the higher school of Constantinople. 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 Saracens (Muslims) and also won. Having returned, Saint Constantine retired to his brother, Saint Methodius on Olympus, spending time in unceasing prayer and reading the works of the holy fathers.
Soon the emperor summoned both holy brothers from the monastery and sent them to the Khazars to preach the gospel. On the way, they stopped for some time in the city of Korsun, preparing for the sermon. There the holy brothers miraculously found the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome (November 25). There, in Korsun, Saint Constantine found the Gospel and the Psalter, written in “Russian letters,” and a man speaking Russian, and began to learn from this man to read and speak his language. After this, the holy brothers went to the Khazars, where they won the debate with Jews and Muslims, preaching the Gospel teaching. On the way home, the brothers again visited Korsun and, taking the relics of Saint Clement there, returned to Constantinople. Saint Constantine remained in the capital, and Saint Methodius received the abbess in the small monastery of Polychron, not far from Mount Olympus, where he had previously labored.
Soon, ambassadors from the Moravian prince Rostislav, oppressed by the German bishops, came to the emperor with a request to send teachers to Moravia who could preach in the native language of the Slavs. The emperor called Saint Constantine and told him: “You need to go there, because no one will do this better than you.” Saint Constantine, with fasting and prayer, began a new feat. With the help of his brother Saint Methodius and the disciples Gorazd, Clement, Savva, Naum and Angelar, he compiled the Slavic alphabet and translated into Slavic the books without which the Divine service could not be performed: the Gospel, the Apostle, the Psalter and selected services. This was in 863.
After completing the translation, the holy brothers went to Moravia, where they were received with great honor, and began to teach Divine services in the Slavic language. This 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 divine services could only be performed in one of three languages: Hebrew, Greek or Latin. Saint Constantine answered them: “You recognize only three languages, worthy of glorifying God in them. But David cries: Sing to the Lord, all the earth, praise the Lord, all nations, let every breath praise the Lord! And in the Holy Gospel it is said: Go and teach all languages..". The German bishops were disgraced, but became even more embittered and filed a complaint to Rome. The holy brothers were called to Rome to resolve this issue. Taking with them the relics of Saint Clement, Pope of Rome, Saints Constantine and Methodius went to Rome. Having learned that the holy brothers were carrying special holy relics, Pope Adrian and the clergy went out to meet them. The holy brothers were greeted with honor, 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.
While in Rome, Saint Constantine fell ill and, informed by the Lord in a miraculous vision of his approaching death, 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. Going to God, Saint Cyril commanded his brother Saint Methodius to continue their common cause - the enlightenment of the Slavic peoples with the light of the true faith. 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.
After the death of Saint Cyril, the pope, following the request of the Slavic prince Kocel, sent Saint Methodius to Pannonia, ordaining him archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, to the ancient throne of Saint Andronicus the Apostle. In Pannonia, Saint Methodius, together with his disciples, continued to spread divine services, writing and books in the Slavic language. This again angered the German bishops. They achieved the arrest and trial of Saint Methodius, who was exiled to prison in Swabia, where he endured much suffering for two and a half years. Released by order of Pope John VIII and restored to his rights as an archbishop, Methodius continued preaching the gospel among the Slavs and baptized the Czech prince Borivoj and his wife Lyudmila (September 16), as well as one of the Polish princes. For the third time, German bishops launched a persecution against the saint for not accepting the Roman teaching about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and from the Son. Saint Methodius was summoned to Rome, but justified himself before the pope, preserving the purity of the Orthodox teaching, and was again returned to the capital of Moravia - Velehrad.
Here in recent years During his life, Saint Methodius, with the help of two disciple-priests, translated the entire Old Testament into the Slavic language, except for the Maccabean books, as well as the Nomocanon (Rules of the Holy Fathers) and the patristic books (Paterikon).
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, 885 at the age of about 60 years. The funeral service for the saint was performed in three languages - Slavic, Greek and Latin; he was buried in the cathedral church of Velehrad.
