site.btaNational Library Joins European Cyril and Methodius Cultural Route

The Sts Cyril and Methodius National Library will become full member of the Association of the European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the National Library reported on Thursday. The Association’s General Assembly unanimously approved the Library’s application for membership on Thursday during a meeting in Brno, Czech Republic.

The Cyril and Methodius European Cultural Route was certified in 2021 and is now one of the 48 cultural routes of the Council of Europe. It highlights the importance of the Cyrillo-Methodian literary, religious and cultural tradition in the history of the continent. The certification enables this heritage to be studied and promoted in various fields, including academic research, educational initiatives, cultural events, sustainable development of local communities, as well as cultural and pilgrimage tourism.

The Association currently brings together universities and research centres, museums and tourism organizations, municipalities and NGOs from eight countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland, North Macedonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia. Its potential for expansion is considerable, with plans for the route eventually to cover 21 countries.

Other Bulgarian members of the international network include the Cyrillo-Methodian Research Centre at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (since 2020), Archaeological  Museum Veliki Preslav (since 2023), St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia (since 2025), The Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Bratislava, Slovakia (since 2025), Konstantin-Kiril Philosopher National High School for Ancient Languages and Cultures (since 2025), the Glagolitika Foundation (since 2025).

The admission of a landmark institution such as the Sts Cyril and Methodius National Library will significantly strengthen the Association’s educational, research and cultural capacity, reaffirming Bulgaria’s role in preserving and developing the Cyrillo-Methodian tradition through the centuries. The Library safeguards Bulgaria’s written and documentary heritage, and its collection of Slavic manuscripts numbers around 1,500 items and fragments dating from the 11th to the 19th century.

After the session, delegates visited the historical complex near the village of Mikulcice in South Moravia, where they viewed the remains of early medieval churches, fortifications and necropolises from the Great Moravia period, as well as the commemorative plaque placed by Bulgarian cultural societies in the Czech Republic in 1982 and the notable monument to the Holy Brothers created by Bulgarian sculptor Emil Venkov, who lived and worked in Slovakia, the statement said.