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Let us bring you information from the European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius (ECRSCM) since the end of September 2024 and wish you a pleasant reading.

On 25-27 September, the 13th Annual Advisory Forum on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe was held in Visegrad, Hungary, organised by the Council of Europe's Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes (EPA) and the European Institute of Cultural Routes, in cooperation with the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and Innovation and the Szentendre Hungarian Open Air Museum. Central to this year's discussions were the concepts of transfer and innovation to encourage youth participation in the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, while ensuring the protection of Europe's vast cultural heritage. The Forum was attended by over 300 representatives of the 41 member states of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and 48 certified Cultural Routes, as well as representatives of international organisations, EPA observers such as UNWTO, UNESCO, ERA, academics from the University Network of Cultural Routes and tourism professionals.

The 13th Advisory Forum presented Hungarian cultural heritage. Photo European Institute of Cultural Routes.

The Cyril and Methodius Route was represented by members - Ms. Tatiana Mikusova (Slovak House of Centrope), Ms. Terezia Zaujecova (Destination Management Organization Nitra Region) and Ms. Elka Zlateva (Cyril and Methodius Research Centre at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia). During the panel discussion focused on intergenerational transfer of traditional practices and know-how, Ms. Martina Janochova from the Permanent Secretariat of the ECRSCM Association presented good practices of the Association in the field of youth involvement. For example, the activities of the cross-border project Cyril and Methodius Route - Culture and Education without Borders focused on creative work with the Glagolitic alphabet in schools, the international student conference in Thessaloniki or the world-wide student contest organised in Bulgarian schools abroad by the Cyril and Methodius Research Centre in Sofia.

Videos, photos and presentations

Representation of the Cyril and Methodius Route at the Forum. Photo by Terézia Zaujecova. 

On 3 October, the City of Nitra hosted the second annual meeting of Slovak members of the ECRSCM. This event serves as an important platform for exchanging views and planning activities that support and develop the Route. Highlights included an update from the National Coordinator (Ms. Terezia Zaujecova) on recent activities, an overview and improvement of points of interest along the Cyril and Methodius Route, and a presentation of analytical data collected in the Nitra Region.

Members also shared insights from summer events such as the Historical Festival in Devin, the Nitra Festival, the Cyril and Methodius Days in Terchova and Bojna and the Gorazd's Mocenok Theatre Festival. These events have contributed significantly to cultural identity and local tourism.

During the meeting, members discussed the use of membership fees for 2024 and presented the planned activities for 2025. In addition, Iveta Ninajova, consultant and author of strategic documents for ECRSCM on the Slovak side, spoke at the meeting. This meeting underlines the importance of cooperation and knowledge sharing among members, which further strengthens the development of the Cyril and Methodius Route as an important cultural project.

Meeting of Slovak members of the ECRSCM in Nitra. Photo by Terezia Zaujecova.

Tour of the Basilica in Aquileia (UNESCO). Photo by Lucie Bednarova.

The main objective of the meeting in Aquileia on 8 October was to strengthen the cooperation between the local institutions associated in the ATS Aquileia and the ECRSCM. Present at the meeting were the Mayor - Mr. Emanuele Zorino, the President of the Aquileia Foundation - Mr.  Roberto Corciulo and the Director of the Basilica - Mr. Andrea Belavitte; then, on behalf of the ECRSCM Association, Ms. Zuzana Vojtova (Director), Ms. Dana Danova (Chairperson of the Managing Committee), Ms. Martina Dlabajova (Member of the European Parliament 2014-2024) and Mr. Miroslav Kovarik (Mayor of Modra). Together they discussed, for example, the activities within the Jubilee 2025, projects for GO! 2025, the Festival of Pilgrim Routes in Aquileia (4-6 April 2025), the marking of the Cyril and Methodius Route on the trails in Italy and Slovenia or participation and cooperation in other planned events. 

Meeting in Aquileia with representatives of the municipality, the foundation and the basilica. Photo by Lucie Bednarova.

At the conference in Skopje. Photo by Institute of Macedonian Literature in Skopje.

The Institute of Macedonian Literature at the University of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Skopje (North Macedonia) organized an international conference on the European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Skopje and the greater Skopje region on 8-9 October. Special guests among the speakers were the Vice Rector for International Cooperation of the University of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Skopje - Mr. Aleksandar Skeparovski, the Director of the Institute of Macedonian Literature - Ms. Natasha Avramovska, the Deputy Minister for European Affairs - Ms. Viktorija Trajkov or the Director of the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage - Ms. Vesela Chestoeva and the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic in North Macedonia - H. E. Henrik Markus. The conference was attended by 70 experts from North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. During the programme, an exhibition of photographs by Pavol Demes entitled In the Footsteps of Saints Cyril and Methodius was presented. On the second day, the participants visited the nearby Matka Monastery, which houses 15th century frescoes depicting St. Cyril and St. Clement of Ohrid, and the picturesque Matka Canyon. The event was widely promoted through online portals, television programmes and the daily press. The conference confirmed that the Cyril and Methodius cultural heritage has a long and deep tradition in North Macedonia, and the newly established perspectives in cultural tourism can contribute not only to education but also to the economic development of the region.

At the Matka Monastery near Skopje. Photo by Institute of Macedonian Literature Skopje. 

On 15 October, the members of the Managing Committee met in Devin near Bratislava to discuss proposals for materials for the General Assembly, such as the proposal to expand the Managing Committee to include additional members from outside the Czech and Slovak Republics. The Managing Committee also discussed the creation of a 2nd international expert committee (in addition to the Scientific Committee) - the Committee for the Route development in the Balkans, at its online meeting on 30 October. Its aim will be the development of the Cyril and Methodius Route in the area. The participants then toured the Devin Castle, which occupies almost the entire top of the castle rock above the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers. Together with the nearby Bratislava Castle, they form a pair of important representatives of Slovak history.

Managing Committee meeting in Devin. Foto: Martin Peterka.

As part of the ongoing recertification process of the Cyril and Methodius Route, Dr. Aleksandar Dajkovic from the University of Donja Gorica in Montenegro was a guest in Slovakia. Regular recertification, which is in line with the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe's  standards, ensures that the Route maintains its quality and cultural significance at an international level. The evaluation process will be completed in May 2025. During his visit to Nitra on 16-17 October, Dr. Dajkovic visited key sites of the Cyril and Methodius Route, including Nitra Castle, the Diocesan Museum and Library and the Zobor Monastery, where an augmented reality experience provides a glimpse into the life of a Benedictine monastery. The main topics of the subsequent online meeting included: improving communication and presentation of the Route to the public or improving international cooperation. The evaluator emphasised closer cooperation between members, the creation of a joint project or the creation of additional National Coordinators. 

Evaluator Dr. Dajkovic at the Diocesan Museum in Nitra. Foto: Martin Peterka.

Presentation of the book The Life of Saint Constantine-Cyril and the Veneration of his Relics, authored by the Director of the Institute for Research of Constantine and Methodius' Cultural Heritage of the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra (Slovakia), Prof. Peter Ivanic, PhDr. The event was under the auspices of the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Holy See and the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta, JUDr. Juraj Priputen. The co-organisers were the Pontifical Slovak Institute of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Rome and the Slovak Historical Institute in Rome. The presentation was attended by several ambassadors and staff of embassies accredited to the Holy See, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Nitra, Prof. Martin Hetenyi, a number of academic staff, representatives of historical institutes, church leaders working in the Vatican and in Rome.

This representative Slovak-English publication is the result of many years of research on the relics of Saint Constantine-Cyril in several European countries (Italy, Vatican, Greece, Slovakia, Czech Republic, etc.) and in Canada. It was published in collaboration with the Pontifical Slovak Institute of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Rome, the Slovak Historical Institute in Rome and the ECRSCM. Read more zde.

At the General Assembly of the international association ECRSCM in Zlín (Czechia) on 6 November, a new member was welcomed - the regional destination company Vysočina Tourism (Czech Republic). The organisation now has 37 official members from 10 countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Northern Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy).

"We are very pleased to have accepted another important member, which is Vysocina Tourism. There are marked Cyrillo-Methodian trails through the territory of Vysocina Region and there are monuments connected with the Cyril and Methodius tradition. At the same time, the Balkans remain a big challenge for us, where we still have relatively few partners, given how strong and fundamental the Cyrillo-Methodian cultural heritage is there. That is why the members agreed on the proposal to create a Committee for the Route development in the Balkans, which will deal with the steps for the development of the trail in this area. We also agreed that it is our common goal to successfully defend the Cultural Route of Council of Europe certificate, which awaits the association next year," said Mr. Lubomír Traub, Chairperson of the European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Members from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Northern Macedonia met in person in Zlín, while other members were connected online. Representatives of the Institute of Macedonian Literature at the University of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Skopje presented a proposal to hold another members' meeting and to organize joint activities next year in the territory of Northern Macedonia - the capital city of Skopje and the important cultural and tourist centre of Ohrid.

Meeting of the ECRSCM General Assembly in Zlín. Photo by Martin Peterka.

The meeting also announced the creation of the National Coordinator of the Cyril and Methodius Route in Bulgaria, Dr. Elka Zlateva from the Cyrillo-Methodian Research Centre at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia.

On the occasion of the General Assembly, an exhibition on Aquileia - a World Heritage Site was also presented at the Regional Office of the Zlin Region, which remained there until 22 November.

Exhibition Aquileia - a World Heritage Site in the headquarters of the Zlín Region. Photo by Martin Peterka.

On 13-14 November, the First International Conference on Universities and Cultural Routes was held in Santiago de Compostela (Spain), organised by the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR) in collaboration with the Compostela Group of Universities (CGU). A total of 231 participants from 46 countries and 71 academic institutions attended the event, which was also held online. Academics, researchers and experts explored the interplay between cultural heritage, education and sustainable tourism using the Cultural routes of the Council of Europe as an example. Papers on the Cyril and Methodius Route were presented by Prof. Peter Ivanic, and Dr. Hilda Kramareková. The conference was also attended by Prof. Maja Jakimovska-Toshikj, Prof. Sonja Stojmenska-Elzeser and Dr. Elka Zlateva. Read more zde.

International conference on universities and cultural routes. Photo by Compostela Group of Universities. 

26-27 November: National information seminar Bulgarian Cyril and Methodius Route - part of the "Saints Cyril and Methodius" Cultural Route of the Council of Europe - in Veliki Preslav, Bulgaria www.kmnc.bg

27 November: Conference Cultural Routes in Slovakia (Slovak House of Centrope)- in Marianka, Slovakia

5 December: Conference on the 26th anniversary of the inscription of Aquileia on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Aquileia, Italy www.fondazioneaquileia.it

Evropská kulturní cesta sv. Cyrila a Metoděje, I.A.L.E.

J. A. Bati 5520, 760 01 Zlín, Česká republika

Tel: +420 733 161 674

E-mail: info@cyril-methodius.eu

Web: www.cyril-methodius.eu

Evropská kulturní cesta svatých Cyrila a Metoděje is an interest association of legal entities based in the Czech Republic, founded in 2013. It promotes the living Cyrillo-Methodian legacy and values based on respect and dialogue between people of different cultures and faiths.  As a cultural tourism product, the Cyril and Methodius Route was awarded the title of a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe in 2021. The European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius is responsible for its management and marketing. 

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