To the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture

United by letter, word and dance

Eight countries celebrate the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture: Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Moldova. From 10 to 18 languages, according to various estimates, are part of the Slavic group, they are spoken by more than 400 million people.

The celebration of the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture is directly related to the names of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius that are considered the patrons of "book people" - teachers and students. The history of the holiday started in Bulgaria and today, it has the status of a state holiday and has been celebrated since the beginning of the 19th century. In modern Russia, it is also a state holiday and falls on 24 May, moreover, today, it is the only state and church holiday in Russia that plays a huge role both in the unity of Russian society and in strengthening its relationships with the Slavic peoples on the basis of common historical and cultural traditions.

Slavic alphabet is a real treasure that a person has mastered. Each letter in the ancient Slavic alphabet was special. The names of the letters were supposed to remind people of the words that should not be forgotten: "good", "live", "land", "people", "peace". There is a hypothesis - if you read the entire alphabet in order, giving each letter its original meaning, you can find the encrypted message. In modern language, it sounds something like this: "I Know God. I speak and do good. Good is Life. Live by the Earth, it is our breadwinner. And as we People Think, so is Our world."

For a whole month, the thematic exhibition "Bulgaria's contribution to the cultural heritage of the Slavs" has been exposed in the exhibition hall of the Cultural Centre "Mir", at which photographs of ancient manuscripts, icons and ancient texts from the large photo collection "The Balkans - a common heritage" have been presented. The collection has been developed for many years by leading Bulgarian scientists Professor Ivan Marazov and Professor Aksiniya Dzhurova, together with the photographer Ivo Khadzhimishev.

At the end of May, a festive concert was held in the Cultural Centre as part of the events dedicated to the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture.

JINR Vice-Director Lachezar Kostov addressed the audience and participants of the concert with a welcoming speech.

The concert brought together the creative teams of Dubna and the invited artists from Bulgaria and Serbia on the same stage. That evening, the Bulgarian folklore ensemble "Bulgarian Rose", the Bulgarian opera singer Maria Zhekova, the Serbian ensemble "Tamo Daleko", the singer Irina Ognenovska, the accordionist Andrey Yakovlevich, the exemplary choreographic group "Merry Academy", the choreographic group of the Children's School of Art "Rhapsody" "Fantasy", the vocal group "Amarita", the accordion player Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation Stanislav Chistyakov, the graduate of the Children's Music School Ivan Yelin, the student of the Children's Music School Yura Pivovarov, the students of the Children's Art School "Rhapsody" Natalya Shabashova and Anna Zaitseva showed their performing skills.

At the end of the concert, the artists invited the audience to join the big round dance that symbolically unites all the Slavs in the pursuit of goodness and justice, in a respectful attitude towards language and traditions. The host of the concert Pavel Kasterov wished everyone to remember their history, culture, literature, to maintain continuity and to create something new.

Eleonora YAMALEEVA, member of the Union of Theater Workers of the Russian Federation,
photo by Igor LAPENKO