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Let us bring you information about the European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius (ECRSCM) mostly from November and wish you a pleasant reading.

The meeting of ECRSCM members hosted in Brno by the South Moravian Region, photo by Martin Peterka. 

Members of the “European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius” international association convened at the seat of the South Moravian Regional Authority. The meeting was attended by representatives from four European countries – the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia, with others participating online. In Brno, a new member, the National Library of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Sofia, was admitted to the association, which now has 44 members from 10 countries of Europe. The ranks of the association’s scientific committee were expanded by Prof. Anna-Maria Totomanova from Sofia University, Bulgaria, and Dr. Angela Borzacconi, director of the Archaeological Museum in Cividale, Italy. The aim of expanding the network of the association of legal entities is to ensure international cooperation and sustain the development of the Cyril and Methodius Route, which is active in a number of European countries thanks to the legacy of the Slavic missionaries. The accompanying program of the meeting included an excursion to the Slavic fortified settlement in Mikulčice, the largest and best-preserved fortified settlement from the Great Moravian period.

Tour of the exhibition in Pavilion II at the Slavic Hillfort in Mikulčice, photo by Martin Peterka. 

At the beginning of November, representatives of the European Cultural Route of Sts. Cyril and Methodius discussed the Cyril and Methodius Route at two embassies in Rome.

"We were very warmly welcomed at both embassies. We discussed, for example, possibilities for cooperation in promoting the Cyril and Methodius Route through embassy activities. We received a very warm welcome from both the Deputy Ambassador to Italy, Jiří Jílek, and the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Holy See, Pavel Svoboda," said Ivan Láska, chairperson of the European Cultural Route of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, about the meeting with representatives of the Czech diplomacy.

The delegation then visited important Roman basilicas thematically linked to the Cyril and Methodius heritage – the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major and the Basilica of St. Praxedes, which is marked with the symbol of the Cyril and Methodius Route since 2022.

Meeting with Czech Ambassador at Holy See H. E. Pavel Svoboda, photo archive of Ivan Láska. 

On 6 October, Prof. Slavia Barlieva from the Cyrillo-Methodian Research Centre at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences took part in a live broadcast on the Bulgarian National Radio, Program “Hristo Botev”, Terra Kultura, where she introduced the audience to the European Cultural Routes Programme, established in 1987 under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

During the interview, she highlighted the aims and significance of the Programme in promoting shared European heritage through transnational cultural networks. Special attention was given to the Cultural Route dedicated to the Cyrillo-Methodian tradition, which connects countries across Europe through the legacy of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and their disciples. Prof. Barlieva outlined the historical foundations of the route, its educational and cultural mission, and the initiatives currently being developed within its framework. The full broadcast can be listened to at the following link.

Prof. Slavia Barlieva on Bulgarian National Radio, photo by BNR.

From 15 to 17 October this year, the First International Congress of Slavic Studies was held in Madrid, organized by the Faculty of Philology of the Complutense University. Prof. Dr. Habil Anna-Maria Totomanova from the University of Sofia St. Kliment Ohridski was invited to deliver a lecture, entitled "Cyrillo-Methodian Tradition in Bulgaria: Two Alphabets, Two Literary Norms". She briefly presented the history of Bulgarian writing and literature from the arrival of Cyril and Methodius disciples in 885 to the present day, emphasizing the role of Bulgaria and its writers in the preservation and dissemination of the Cyrillo-Methodian heritage in Southern and Eastern Europe. More about this first-of-its-kind scientific event, in which other Bulgarian scholars from Sofia and Plovdiv Universities also participated, can be found at the following link.

At the invitation of the Presidency of the Republic of Bulgaria on the Day of the National Revival Leaders, November 1, 2025, the Archaeological Museum Veliki Preslav displayed exhibits from its collections in the Rotunda of the Presidency as part of the exhibition "Codes of Identity: Faith, Language, People." The original exhibits presented by the museum, acquired from archaeological field research in the medieval capital Veliki Preslav and its surroundings, dating from the 9th-10th centuries, once again demonstrated our rich literary heritage with texts in Glagolitic and Cyrillic scripts, various writing tools, instruments for painting, and bookbinding.

On the day of the opening, the Director of the Archaeological Museum "Veliki Preslav," Dr. Alexander Gorchev, and the curator, Dr. Radostina Blagoeva, had the opportunity to present to the numerous visitors the flourishing and achievements of the Preslav literary school, the cultural and historical heritage of medieval Veliki Preslav, and the "Golden age" of Bulgarian culture, education, and architecture.

Exhibition in Archaeological Museum Veliki Preslav, photo by Alexander Gorchev. 

The concert “1170 Years since the Creation of the Glagolitic Alphabet and the feast of St. Clement of Ohrid” was performed in Klementinum by the Choirs of the Bulgarian National High School for Ancient Languages and Cultures “St. Constantine-Cyril the Philosopher” on 10 November 2025.

The program presented by the young performers offers a rich and diverse palette of works drawn from Old Bulgarian music and traditional folklore from various regions of Bulgaria. Some of the pieces are rare finds uncovered during a music-archaeographic expedition and represent invaluable elements of Bulgaria’s cultural heritage. As part of this expedition, conductor Daniel Ivanov and the choir members discovered, recorded and studied authentic songs, reviving their original sound and spirit.

The concert reaches its culmination with musical works dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius, St. Clement of Ohrid and St. John of Rila the Wonderworker. This event forms part of the activities associated with the School’s membership in the Evropská kulturní stezka sv. Cyrila a Metoděje.

Bulgarian school choirs shone at Prague's Klementinum, photo by Daniel Ivanov. 

On 25 November, Bulgaria celebrates the Day of St. Kliment of Ohrid – one of the most distinguished disciples of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and a central figure in the history of Slavic literacy and spirituality. St Kliment is honoured as the founder of the Ohrid Literary School and the first bishop to preach in Old Bulgarian.

This date is also the patron holiday of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, celebrated with academic ceremonies, lectures, distinctions and events that highlight his enduring legacy. In the university’s chapel “St Kliment of Ohrid” at the Faculty of Theology, a solemn Divine Liturgy was served, followed by a liturgical procession to the monument of St. Kliment in Sofia.

The Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Bratislava, Slovakia, marked the occasion with a musical greeting titled “Invocation”, created by Bulgarian artists Daniel Ivanov, Ivan Shopov, and Martin Lyutskanov at the initiative of Mrs. Vanya Radeva, Director of the Institute. The young musicians blend Old Bulgarian musical traditions with contemporary electronic sound in a distinctive and innovative way, drawing on their inspiration and extensive professional experience across different genres. The new composition was released simultaneously by all Bulgarian Cultural Institutes in Europe on their websites and social media channels. The Invocation is available to view zde.

Icon of St. Kliment with Saints Cyril and Methodius from the Zograf Monastery in Mount Athos.

We are delighted with the new milestones on the White Carpathian Trail from Skalka near Trenčín (Slovakia) to Velehrad (Czech Rep.)! They were created this year as part of Czech-Slovak cross-border cooperation. Thank you to everyone who contributed! Play VIDEO

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 sv. 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 Association European Cultural Route of Sts. Cyril and Methodius is responsible for its management and marketing.

The Cultural Routes programme, launched by the Council of Europe in 1987, demonstrates in a visible way, by means of a journey through space and time, how the heritage of the different countries and cultures of Europe represent a shared cultural heritage. The Cultural Routes support the mission of the Council of Europe in promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law across Europe and beyond. They promote awareness of Europe’s common heritage and put into practice cultural democracy and cultural diversity, dialogue, and mutual exchange across boundaries and centuries within Europe as well as with other countries and regions. As of 2025, there are 49 certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (www.coe.int/routes). 

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