Bulgarian politicians have reacted sharply to a claim of Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Slavonic alphabet had arrived in Russia from Macedonian land. Putin voiced this thesis while in a meeting with his Macedonian counterpart Gjorge Ivanov and his words were quoted on the Kremlin website.

In connection with the claim Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva comments on Facebook that the alphabet was created based on the will and with the participation of the medieval Bulgarian state, so it is not accidental that in all Old-Bulgarian books the Bulgarian sovereign Boris I is referred to as Tsar Boris-Mikhail the Baptist. Recalling that five years ago the Patriarch of Moscow and of all Russia Kiril said that book literacy in Russia had been delivered by the Bulgarians, Zaharieva adds that “thanks to Bulgaria the Cyrillic is already on the banknotes of the single European currency”.

Minister of Culture Boil Banov voiced surprise over the words of the Russian president and called for greater regard of history.

Last night, at a solemn reception in Sofia on the occasion of 24 May, the Day of the Bulgarian Education and Culture and of the Slavonic Alphabet, President Rumen Radev said that “the letters, language are our common home”.

Celebrations of 24 May included a prayer service by Patriarch Neophyte, and a parade in Sofia of teachers, students and citizens with attendance of the National Assembly president, cabinet ministers, the leadership of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the academic council of St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. The whole country paid homage to the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius whom Pope John Paul II proclaimed co-patrons of Europe in 1980.

Tomorrow a Bulgarian delegation led by President Rumen Radev will be received by Pope Francis in the Vatican. In Rome the Bulgarian head of state will visit the San Clemente basilica where is the grave of St. Cyril, the San Paolo alla Regola church that Rome has conceded to the Bulgarian community for church service, and Santa Maria Maggiore basilica where in 9 c. Pope Adrian II blessed the Bulgarian alphabet, the Bulgarian scriptures and the work of the great brothers St. Cyril and Methodius.