Medieval Scripts and Slavic Literacy in Macedonia

 The beginnings of the medieval Slavic manuscripts creation in Macedonia are evident into the epochal work of the Salonica brothers SS. Cyril and Methodius. Since Cyril had written the first Slavic alphabet - Glagolitic, they translated the first liturgical books from Greek into Old Church Slavic before their departure for the Moravian mission.

The real efflorescence of the Slavic literacy and culture in Macedonia emerged at the end of the 9th century and the beginning of the 10th century when St. Clement and St. Naum, the disciples of the Salonica brothers, performed their activity in Ohrid. St. Clement founded the first Slavic University (Ohrid Literary School) and performed blooming enlightening and literacy activities including over 3.500 students.

Since then, an imposing cultural and historical heritage has been created in Macedonia significant not only for the Macedonian history, civilization and culture, but also for the Slavic and world ones.

The first preserved Slavic manuscripts were written in Glagolitic alphabet (9th-11th century) and after the 11th century Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabet were parallelly used.

The Slavic manuscripts, created on the territory of Macedonia during the 12th century, were with religious and educational contents and written in Church Slavic. According to the lingual features they were characterized by the use of the lingual peculiarities of Macedonia (Macedonian redaction). The manuscripts were rich in their contents, forms and ornaments.

The manuscripts were created and preserved through centuries in the Macedonian churches and monasteries, but they also were copied, researched and distributed. A great number of them had been preserved and nowadays found in many European archives and libraries (St. Petersburg, Bologna, Sofia, Belgrade, Sveta Gora etc.). Some of them are kept in the Republic of Macedonia. After the Second World War the Macedonian State and the established institutions (The Archives of Macedonia, The National and University Library "St. Clement of Ohrid", The Institute for Old Church Slavic Culture) have taken intensive measures for research, preservation and presentation of Old Church Slavic manuscripts.

The Slavic manuscripts were systematically examined, prepared and published by a great number of eminent scientists (Vladimir Moshin, Blazhe Koneski, Lidiya Slaveva, Vangeliya Despodova, Radmila Ugrinova-Skalovska, Vera Stoychevska - Antich, Mihaylo Georgievski etc).

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