Cyrillo-Methodian studies is a branch of Slavic studies dealing with the life and works of

Cyril and Methodius Cyril (born Constantine, 826–869) and Methodius (815–885) were two brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians and missionaries. For their work evangelizing the Slavs, they are known as the "Apostles to the Slavs". They are credited wit ...

and their disciples. The first modern studies on Cyril and Methodius date from the late 18th century, with the discipline becoming somewhat classic in the 19th century. The main research topics of the discipline are the emergence and spread of

Glagolitic The Glagolitic script (, , ''glagolitsa'') is the oldest known Slavic alphabet. It is generally agreed to have been created in the 9th century by Saint Cyril, a monk from Thessalonica. He and his brother Saint Methodius were sent by the Byzan ...

and Cyrillic. In this connection the questions about their authorship (the life and work of Cyril and Methodius and the so-called five

Apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

s of the First Bulgarian Empire among their students and all of them canonized as Seven Saints), the exact time and place of creation, the schedule, the authenticity of the artistic sources, the nature of the liturgy during their missions. The historical sources of Cyril and Methodius are mainly Old Bulgarian and Latin. The historical period on which the excavations are concentrated is the middle of the 9th century - the end of the 12th century / the beginning of the 13th century. During this period, the so-called

Old Church Slavonic language Old Church Slavonic or Old Slavonic () was the first Slavic literary language. Historians credit the 9th-century Byzantine missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius with standardizing the language and using it in translating the Bible and other ...

or literary Old Bulgarian language was created and approved. In the following period, Croatian Glagolitic, Serbian Cyrillic and Ancient Russian Cyrillic - specific script and literacy were formed respectively, other than Old Bulgarian. The subsequent period in the development of the Bulgarian language is referred to as

Middle Bulgarian Middle Bulgarian language was the lingua franca and the most widely spoken language of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Being descended from Old Bulgarian, Middle Bulgarian eventually developed into modern Bulgarian language by the 16th century. ...

or Middle Bulgarian language. In the period 1985-2003 Petar Dinekov published four volumes of the Cyrillo-Methodian Encyclopedia.Кирило-методиевска енциклопедия
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Further reading