Balgarianovinite.com The Third International Cyrillic Forum, titled “Cultural Heritage in the Digital Age” and organized by President Iliana Iotova, continued at Rila Monastery on Thursday, bringing together scholars, clergy and state representatives who emphasized the role of Bulgarian and Slavic literacy, the legacy of St. John of Rila, and the responsibility to preserve cultural identity across generations. The discussions focused on the significance of the Cyrillic script as both a historical achievement and a living cultural mission, as well as on the role of institutions in safeguarding this heritage.
Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil stressed that initiatives promoting Bulgarian and Slavic literacy have the blessing of the Church and are vital for preserving spiritual values and national identity. He underscored that the Cyrillic script is closely linked to the spiritual development of the Bulgarian people and remains a cornerstone of Orthodox Slavic culture.
Rila Monastery’s hegumen, Bishop Evlogii of Adrianople, highlighted the monastery’s role as a spiritual and cultural centre, pointing to its mission to safeguard the Bulgarian literary and religious tradition through the centuries. He said that the monastery continues to be a place where faith, education and cultural memory are preserved and passed on to future generations.
President Iliana Iotova emphasized that the Cyrillic script is a shared cultural achievement and a unifying element for Slavic nations, adding that its preservation is a responsibility of both institutions and society. She emphasized the importance of sustained efforts to promote the script internationally and to strengthen its role in contemporary cultural dialogue.
Prof. Kazimir Popkonstantinov presented research on St. John of Rila and the 10th century, emphasizing the saint’s contribution to Bulgarian spirituality and the historical context of the era. He pointed out the importance of studying early medieval sources in order to better understand the formation of Bulgarian cultural and religious identity.
Boyana Mincheva introduced copies of an early printed edition combining texts related to St. John of Rila, highlighting the importance of preserving early printed heritage as part of Bulgaria’s cultural legacy. She noted that such editions provide valuable insight into the dissemination of religious texts and the development of Bulgarian book culture.
Participants also noted that the monastery’s library collection reflects every period of Bulgarian history, preserving manuscripts and printed works that testify to the continuity of the nation’s spiritual and cultural development. The collection was highlighted as a key source of knowledge about Bulgaria’s historical and literary heritage.
Organized by President Iliana Iotova, the two-day forum on “Cultural Heritage in the Digital Age” brings together scholars from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Bulgarian universities, as well as distinguished speakers from Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Kazakhstan, and China. It is held under the auspices of the National Commission of the Republic of Bulgaria for UNESCO, with the assistance of the Ministry of Education and Science and the support of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The first part of the forum took place at the National Palace of Culture (NDK) congress centre in Sofia on Wednesday.
Attending the event are President Iliana Iotova, Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil, Hegumen of the Rila Monastery, Bishop Evlogii of Adrianople, Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop, and Bulgarian News Agency Director General Kiril Valchev. Day 2 of International Cyrillic Forum at Rila Monastery Highlights Cultural, Spiritual Legacy 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-03-26 19:02:13 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law