Day of Slavic Writing at the Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy

May 23, 2009

On May 23 in the context of celebrations dedicated to the Days of Slavic Writing and Culture on the threshold of the SS. Cyril and Methodius Day the Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy is presenting a new exposition «Slavic writing. Origination, history and development».

Very few historic evidences concerning the pioneering period of origination and development of Slavic writing are left. Perhaps this is why its history is full of suppositions and myths. It was more than one thousand years ago that the Greek missionaries granted alphabet to Slavs. However, till now various hypothesis of writing origination are springing up. The thing is that in the 10th century the Slavs were using two alphabets instead of the common one. Meanwhile the place and time of writing origination is still unclear, and many generations of researchers have been working on the problem.

The visitors will be able to learn more about the history of Slavic writing and various types of handwritten Cyrillic: Uncial, Half-Uncial, Short Hand and Ligature and participate in calligraphers? master-classes.

Besides, MVK International Exhibition Company together with the Regional Public Charity Aid Fund to severely ill and wretched children are preparing a special culture and education programme for orphan children from orphan asylums of Moscow and children suffering cancer. The event is involving the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, music bands and artists interested in Slavic culture.

New exposition of the Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy is opening on May 23, 2009 at 3 pm. 

The museum is opened for all comers from 11 am till 6 pm. Admission is free.


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Slavic apostles Cyril and Methodius with disciples.
Fragment fresco from St. Naum?s Monastery, the Balkans

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Old Slavic alphabet

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A page from the so-called Izbornik of 1076 written in Old Russian font based on Cyrillic

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Glagolic Codex Zographensis, 10-11th centuries