Historical figure Saints Cyril and Methodius

Saints Cyril and Methodius were brothers and theologians born in ninth-century Thessaloniki who preached Christianity in Slavic lands. Known as the Apostles to the Slavs, they created Glagolitic, the first alphabet for Old Bulgarian. After their deaths, Cyrillic was developed at the Preslav Literary School.

The brothers were canonised for their mission to translate and spread the Bible in Old Bulgarian and bring Christianity to the Slavs. They bear the title Equal-to-the-Apostles and are honoured among the Seven Saints in the Orthodox Church.

In 855, Cyril was sent on a mission to the Saracens in Baghdad to defend Christianity against Muslim criticism. In 860, the brothers undertook another mission to the Khazars and the wider region of present-day Ukraine and southern Russia.

Between 863 and 867, they visited Prince Rastislav in Great Moravia to develop Christianity in the Slavic language. They opposed German and Latin ecclesiastical influence and established a Slavic Christian church and school.

Cyril died in Rome in 869. Methodius became Archbishop of Great Moravia and faced opposition and intrigues from German and Roman clergy. He died in Velehrad in 885, after which their disciples were expelled from Great Moravia.

Clement continued their work in Bulgarian lands, where two major literary centres developed and Cyrillic was created on the basis of Greek writing. Through its script and literature, the Bulgarian people secured a place in world history.