President of Russia: Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on setting Organizing Committee for holding Day of Slavic Written Language and Culture

24 March 2010
Source: Interfax

The President of Russia Dmirty Medvedev signed a decree on setting an organizing committee responsible for preparation and holding celebrations of the Day of Slavic Written Language and Culture.

The decreeе, released on the website of the President, highlights a special role of the holiday "in consolidation of Russian society and fortification of relations with kindred Slavic peoples on the basis of historical, spiritual, moral and cultural traditions".

Dmitry A. Medvedev ordered the government to approve membership of the organizing committee and determine sources of financing for preparatory works and holding of the Day of Slavic Written language and Culture in 2010 and future years.

The President also recommended that executive authorities of subjects of the Russian Federation and local governments render assistance in organization and holding the function.

In May 2009 the Minister of Culture Alexandr Avdeev offered the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to grant a status of the national holiday to the Day of Written Language and Culture.

"It is vital to move to a new stage and not “take” a holiday to the cities, but turn it into a national one with its heart in Moscow. Each region should celebrate it in its own way. It should become a key holiday of Russian culture", - Mr Avdeev announced at the meeting with Vladimir Putin.

The history of the holiday of written language dates back to the ecclesiastical tradition, observed in Bulgaria in 10th-11th cc. On May 11 (Old Style) the Saints Cyril and Methodius Day turned to the holiday of created by them Slavic Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets. All Slavic peoples observed the Saints Cyril and Methodius Day. Later due to historical and political circumstances the tradition sank into oblivion, however in the beginning of 19th c. it was revived.

In 1863 in commemoration of 1000th anniversary of Moravia mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius the Most Holy Synod decreed to establish an annual celebration in their honor. On January, 30 1991 Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialistic Republic) adopted a resolution on an annual holding of Days of Written Language and Culture.