site.btaExhibition and International Conference Mark 1160 Years Since Creation of Glagolitic Alphabet

The Institute for Bulgarian Language at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) will mark the 1160th anniversary since the creation of the Glagolitic alphabet by St. Cyril the Philosopher with an exhibition and an international conference on Monday. The exhibition "Stories from Glagolitic Times" will be on display in the Crystal Garden in Sofia between May 15 and 29, BAS said.

The Annual International Conference of the Institute for Bulgarian Language Prof. Lyubomir Andreychin will take place on Monday and Tuesday at BAS. It has established itself as a prestigious forum for the presentation of the latest achievements and trends in the field of Bulgarian language research - both in Bulgaria and worldwide. Traditionally, the scientific successes of the Institute's sections are presented at the conference, including the results of work on national and international projects and cooperation with Bulgarian and foreign research centres. Guests from abroad will also participate with their reports. The opening ceremony of the forum will be at 9:30 am. Peter Zenuch from the Jan Stanislav Institute of Slavonic Studies at the Slovak Academy of Sciences will give a plenary speech.

"We often hear that the Bulgarian alphabet is based only on the Cyrillic alphabet, which has contributed to the development of literature, language and culture of many modern countries and to the cultural diversity of Europe. But this is not the case, because Bulgaria also became home to the Glagolitic alphabet brought by the disciples of St. Cyril and St. Methodius. The older script was in active use in the lands that were part of the First Bulgarian Empire, and we find traces of its use during Byzantine rule and even up to the end of the 14th century. It is rarely mentioned in the public domain that it was in Glagolitic that many of the first translations in Bulgaria were made, and that it was used for transcribing books and in everyday life for centuries," the exhibition organisers said.

"The aim of the exhibition is to show little-known aspects of the Glagolitic writing tradition and Bulgaria's role in preserving and transmitting it. It features high-resolution images of Glagolitic manuscripts and epigraphic monuments, many of which have not been shown to the general public or to a scholarly audience. The photographic material has been selected in such a way as to illustrate aspects of the work of both scribes and ordinary people fluent in written expression that are unknown to the public. Another important highlight of the exhibition concept is the documentation of the simultaneous use of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets, which testifies to the presence of both writing systems in education," the organisers added.