«March forward, revived people»

Here we can see the statue of Cyril and Methodius in front of the National Library, which is named after them. The prototype of the Cyrillic alphabet, the Glagolitic alphabet, was created by Cyril and Methodius during the First Bulgarian Kingdom. So, while in the West the Cyrillic alphabet is most often associated with Russia, it actually originated in Bulgaria.

«Slavic Alphabet Day» is a national holiday dedicated to education and culture throughout the country. On this day, Bulgaria celebrates the most significant, successful, and lasting achievement in its history. Today, 250 million people around the world use the Cyrillic alphabet as their official alphabet. The holiday is celebrated in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and other countries. On May 24, students, teachers, and scientists celebrate the holiday of Slavic literature and draw attention to the role of education and enlightenment in the revival of society. Even during the Renaissance, the holiday was celebrated with parades, school celebrations, and songs, such as the anthem «March forward, Revived People.» The words were written especially for this day by Stoyan Mihaylovski and the music was later composed by Panayot Pipkov.