Transcribing Slavic: The Origins of the Cyrillic Alphabet | Sophia Verai

The Cyrillic alphabet, now used by millions across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, has its origins in a cultural and religious mission that began over a millennium ago.

Saints Cyril and Methodius did not invent the Cyrillic script but rather the Glagolitic alphabet. They created it to translate the Bible and other sacred texts from Greek into Old Church Slavonic, as part of the Christianisation of the Slavic peoples. At the time, Christian services in Slavic regions were conducted in Greek or Latin, languages that ordinary people could not understand. Cyril and Methodius – brothers of Byzantine and possibly Slavic descent – were commissioned by the Moravian Prince Rastislav to record the Slavic language so that the liturgy could be conducted in a form accessible to the local population.

Glagolitic script

After creating the Glagolitic alphabet, the brothers traveled to Great Moravia (modern-day Czech Republic) to teach Christianity in Old Church Slavonic. In the 9th century, all Slavic peoples still spoke a single language, though with regional dialects. However, following the deaths of Cyril and Methodius, much of their work was destroyed. The German clergy reinstated Latin in religious services and the brothers’ disciples were exiled.

Saints Cyril and Methodius

At that time, Bulgaria was ruled by Tsar Boris I, the wise leader of a powerful state. In the 9th century, he converted Bulgaria to Orthodox Christianity and turned the country into a major cultural centre.

Boris I

The Preslav Literary School was founded during his reign and soon became one of the most respected institutions in the Balkans and among the Slavic peoples. Recognising the cultural and political benefits of a writing system tailored specifically to Slavic phonology, Boris I invited the late brothers' disciples to Bulgaria to continue their mission.

Rather than using Glagolitic, though, the need for a new alphabet arose. Many Glagolitic texts had been destroyed, so it was necessary to start from scratch. Since all books were handwritten, efficiency mattered, but the Glagolitic script was complex and unfamiliar. The scholars at Preslav were already accustomed to writing in Greek, so adapting the Greek alphabet and adding some characters to represent uniquely Slavic sounds proved a practical and elegant solution.

Thus, the Early Cyrillic alphabet was developed at the Preslav Literary School in the First Bulgarian Empire at the end of the 9th century, during the reign of Tsar Simeon I the Great, by the disciples of Cyril and Methodius – St. Kliment of Ohrid, Naum of Preslav and Angelarius. They devised the script almost as we know it today, naming it in honour of their teacher. It made writing simpler, faster and less prone to errors while also being easier to write and read. They then translated a vast number of books using the new alphabet and many original works were also subsequently written in Cyrillic at the Preslav School.

Early Cyrillic script

The Cyrillic script was first adopted officially in Bulgaria and later spread to other countries.

Modern Cyrillic script

In 988, the Russian Prince Vladimir the Great chose Orthodox Christianity as the official religion of his realm. The availability of ecclesiastical texts already translated into Old Church Slavonic – closely related to the Russian spoken at the time – made the transition smoother. Through the church, the Cyrillic alphabet gained widespread acceptance and was soon used in administration and state affairs.

The Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, 24th of May, is a national holiday in Bulgaria and Russia, and observed in some other countries, celebrating the Slavic alphabet, as well as Slavic literature and culture.