site.btaNational Scholarly Conference Held in Sofia as Year of the Glagolitic Draws to End
The Year of the Glagolitic ended with a national scholarly conference with international participation titled "Alphabets, Memory, Continuity" and taking place Monday at the Sts Cyril and Methodius National Library. To honor the 1,170th anniversary of the creation of the first Bulgarian alphabet, the National Library designated 2025 the Year of the Glagolitic under the patronage of Vice President Iliana Iotova.
In her opening remarks, the Vice President said that the Glagolitic is "a priceless spiritual legacy for Bulgarians, the Slavic world, and Europe". She reviewed the many events held during Bulgaria’s Year of the Glagolitic - workshops teaching children the script, national competitions, major conferences, and exhibitions showcasing rare Glagolitic symbols and amulets dating from the 9th to 11th centuries. The anniversaries of both the creation of the Glagolitic alphabet and the Christianization of Bulgaria sparked strong public interest, including debates on writing city names in Glagolitic. Iotova praised the National Library’s key cultural and educational role despite the digital age, calling it a living spiritual institution. She emphasized that letters, language, and faith remain core values underpinning Bulgarian and European identity. The Vice President announced that initiatives will continue in 2026, including the third International Forum on Cyrillic, dedicated to spiritual heritage and culture in the digital era.
National Library Director Dr Kalina Ivanova said the initiative is "dedicated to the deepest roots of our literary tradition and spirituality".
In January, the National Library put on display two of the most valuable documents in its collection containing Glagolitic writings: the Enina Apostolos (the oldest manuscript preserved on the territory of Bulgaria, from the 10th–11th century) and the Argirov Triodion from the 13th century.
Dr Ivanova recalled that during the year four creative workshops were held under the motto “I Write in Glagolitic,” designed for school students. The Year of the Glagolitic produced more than 25 scholarly reports by distinguished Bulgarian and foreign specialists, including researchers from Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Armenia, and Bulgaria.
She noted that specially crafted unique copies of the Rila Glagolitic folios will be presented, which will remain in the library until the end of the year. Part of the celebration of the Glagolitic is also the exhibition Stories from Glagolitic Times, which will open on December 10.
The National Library Director expressed gratitude to Vice President Iliana Iotova, who is the patron of the Year of the Glagolitic, to the BTA Director General, Kiril Vălchev, and to the participants in the two-day national forum.
/VL/
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