About us

The Opening

On 2 May 2015, the silence of the small town of Pliska, once the first capital of the Bulgarian state, was broken by the arrival of thousands of people. The occasion was momentous – the celebration of the 1,150th anniversary of the Christianisation of the Bulgarians into the Orthodox Christian faith.

The Great Basilica – the first Orthodox Christian church in the Slavic world – welcomed senior religious and secular dignitaries from across the Slavic community for a Divine Liturgy marking the anniversary.

Интересно е, че този дом на кирилските букви и тяхната история се създава не от държавна институция или организация, а от един арменец – Карен Алексанян – установил се в България и научил много за историята ни. С лични средства той закупува около 8000 кв.м земя, наема строители, архитекти, български и чуждестранни художници и те започват да осъществяват идеите му. С много усилия и вдъхновение празната поляна в покрайнините на Плиска се превръща в едно необикновено място, приканващо съвременните хора от всички народности, използвали и използващи кирилската писменост, да се преклонят пред нейните основатели и пред творците, които са я увековечили.

The founder

Karen Aleksanyan, an Armenian businessman living in Shumen, explains how he came up with the idea of creating the Courtyard of the Cyrillic Alphabet:

“The past has always fascinated me. By learning about it, I gain a better understanding of the world and the people around me. At home, we had a library of 3,000 books, all written in Cyrillic. Over time, I became increasingly fascinated by the history of the letters and wanted to understand how they became the writing system of so many people around the world. I have lived in Bulgaria for 20 years, I have friends of different nationalities, and I find it fascinating to see how our cultures intersect and what shapes our values…”

“When I first came to Pliska, I felt something almost magical. I imagined the grandeur of this ancient Christian capital, where events took place that influenced life throughout the European world. In the 9th century, the Basilica was the largest church in Europe – 99 metres long and more than 30 metres wide. Pliska covered an area of 23 square kilometres – at the time, Rome occupied 14 square kilometres and Constantinople 17.

Pliska was not only Bulgaria’s first capital, but also its longest-serving one – 212 years (681–893). Preslav was the centre of the state for only 78 years (893–971), Tarnovo for 206 years (1187–1393), while Sofia was chosen as the capital in 1879. It made me somewhat sad that the grand beginnings of the Bulgarian state and culture had been reduced to the small town we see today, and that far less is said and done about it than it deserves.

What moved me most, however, was that the Cyrillic alphabet was created here – an alphabet with an extraordinarily difficult and painful historical destiny. I know four alphabets, but no other script has endured such persecution and suffering, while those who defended it showed an unbreakable spirit in preserving it. The Armenian alphabet is much older than the Slavic one. It was created in 405, but the acting patriarch assisted the creator of our script, and there were no difficulties in establishing it.

Eight Bulgarian saints took part in the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet: Cyril and Methodius, Clement, Naum, Angelarius, Sava, Gorazd (the Holy Seven Saints) and Tsar Boris. In fact, few people give the first Bulgarian Tsar the recognition he deserves for the adoption and establishment of the Cyrillic alphabet. Theophylact of Ohrid describes him as a man of ‘a very sound mind and inclined towards goodness’. He says that Boris understood the importance of the alphabet as a means through which the newly converted people could receive ‘spiritual nourishment’, leading them away from ‘Scythian delusion’ so that they might discover ‘the true and most righteous path’.

Boris provided the disciples of Cyril and Methodius with the best possible conditions for their work, giving them homes and everything they needed so that they would suffer no physical hardship while carrying out their sacred mission. Even after becoming a monk, he continued to keep a close watch on what was happening in the state. When Christianity was threatened, he twice cast aside his monastic robes to defend it – first to remove his son Vladimir Rasate from the throne when he attempted to return the country to paganism, and a second time to lead the Bulgarians towards their important victory over the Magyars. In this way, Boris preserved both Christianity and the written word through which it was proclaimed.

That is why I wanted to bring to life the place from which the Cyrillic letters began their journey into the world, and to revive the memory of their greatness. The suffering involved in their creation and establishment is a historical source of pride and steadfast faith for all those who use the Cyrillic alphabet. Unfortunately, these are values that are increasingly fading today.

The Courtyard of the Cyrillic Alphabet was created to highlight the importance of Pliska not only to Bulgarian history, but to cultural history as a whole. Cyrillic emerged as a writing system for the Slavic Christian peoples, but today millions of Muslims, Buddhists and members of other religious communities also write using the alphabet created by the Bulgarians.

I dedicate this cultural ensemble to the memory of my mother, for everything she taught me.”

The letters

The first thing visitors see upon entering the Courtyard of the Cyrillic Alphabet is the impressive Cyrillic letters, standing more than two metres high.

Throughout its history, the Cyrillic alphabet has evolved, with the peoples who adopted it making their own additions and modifications. This is the only monument to the Cyrillic alphabet in the world that brings together all the nationalities that use it.

Six of the letters spell out the name of Bulgaria’s first capital – PLISKA. The others are arranged freely across the lawn rather than in alphabetical order, because each letter carries its own message through its images and ornamentation.

The first thing visitors see upon entering the Courtyard of the Cyrillic Alphabet is the impressive Cyrillic letters, standing more than two metres high. Throughout its history, the Cyrillic alphabet has evolved, with the peoples who adopted it making their own additions and modifications. This is the only monument to the Cyrillic alphabet in the world that brings together all the nationalities that use it.

The letters were created by 12 Armenian sculptors, led by the renowned Armenian master Ruben Nalbandyan, and were transported to Bulgaria in two trucks. The natural terracotta colour of the tuff sandstone from which the sculptures are made conveys the warmth and strength of the Armenian land. Six of the letters spell out the name of Bulgaria’s first capital – Pliska. The others are arranged freely across the lawn rather than in alphabetical order, because each letter carries its own message through its images and ornamentation.

The Chapel of St Boris I the Baptiser expresses reverence for the work of the ruler who converted and united the Bulgarians. The chapel is simple yet impressive, with its stone walls, carved altar and icon of the saintly ruler. Its ascetic atmosphere recalls Boris’s secret baptism and symbolises the unity of ruler and man of faith – the uncompromising champion of the Christianisation of the Bulgarians and the humble monk seeking spiritual peace after the difficult years of his reign.

The chapel was consecrated on 25 April 2015 by Metropolitan Yoan of Varna and Veliki Preslav. By the will of its founders, every candle lit in the saint’s chapel contributes to the maintenance of the church in Pliska.

The khachkar – the cross to the right of the chapel gate – is the simplest yet one of the most majestic symbols of Armenia, the world’s oldest Christian state. From ancient times to the present day, its land has been dotted with more than 100,000 such monuments. A craftsman travelling along his way would come across a block of stone and begin carving a cross into it. He would then continue his journey, leaving behind the Christian symbol as a sign that the land was sacred. This is why every khachkar is different and unique.

The khachkar in the Courtyard was donated by the Aleksanyan family, bringing Armenian and Bulgarian traditions together in one place. Beneath the cross is an inscription in Armenian: “This khachkar stone was erected in honour of the Bulgarian people on the occasion of the 1,150th anniversary of the Christianisation.”

The sculptures of Tsar Boris and Saints Cyril and Methodius were created by the renowned monumental sculptor Behchet Danadzhı.

Between the two areas of the Courtyard stands a gallery with a permanent exhibition tracing the history of the creation of the alphabet, the adoption of Cyrillic in Bulgaria, and the recognition of the Slavic liturgical books by the Christian world. Opposite the gallery is a recreation area, café and souvenir shop.

Респектът пред делото на царя покръстител и обединител на българите изразява параклисът “Св. Борис I Покръстител”. Параклисът е семпъл и в същото време внушителен с каменните си стени, резбования олтар и иконата на царя светец. Аскетичната атмосфера спомня тайното покръстване на Борис и внушава единяването на управника и духовника, непримиримия борец за християнизация на българите и смирения монах, търсещ душевно успоконие след трудните години на царуването си.

Параклисът е осветен на 25.04.2015 г. от Варненско-Преславския митрополит Йоан. По волята на създателите, всяка свещ, запалена в параклиса на светеца, е лепта за поддържане на църквата в Плиска.

Хачкар-ът – кръстът вдясно от портата на параклиса е най-простият, но и най-величественият символ на най-старата християнска държава – Армения. От началото на своето създаване до днес земята ѝ е осеяна с над 100 000 подобни паметници. Минавал някой майстор по пътя си, виждал каменен блок и започвал да дяла на него кръст. После си тръгвал и оставял християнския знак да се знае, че тази земя е свещена. Затова всички хачкари са различни и неповторими.

Поставеният в Двора хачкар е дар от семейство Алексанян, което събира в едно арменските и българските традиции. Под кръста е написано на арменски: “Този камък хачкар е поставен в прослава на българския народ послучай 1150 години от Покръстването”.

Скулптурите на цар Борис и на св. св. Кирил и Методий са изработени от известния майстор на монументалната пластика Бехчет Данаджъ.
Между двете пространства на Двора е галерията с постоянна експозиция, проследяваща историята на създаване на азбуката, приемането на кирилицата в България и признаването на църковните славянски книги от християнския свят. Срещу нея има кът за отдих, кафе и магазин за сувенири.

Working hourse

Mon – Sun: 09:00 – 18:00
Photography – Free
Tour guide – Free for groups

Contacts

created by HotelBox.bg

Courtyard of the Cyrillic Alphabet