23 May 2009

The Chairman of the National Assembly inaugurated the monument of St. Cyril and St. Methodius in the Czech town of Mikulchitse. The ceremony was held on May 23rd 2009 during the Third meeting of the Bulgarian diaspora living in Europe. Some 2000 Bulgarians living outside Bulgaria attended this year’s event.

The statue is made of bronze by the sculptor Emil Venkov, who currently lives and works in Slovakia. The dedication ceremony was led by the head of the Orthodox Church for the Czech lands and Slovakia, Metropolitan Krishtof, along with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Secretary General Bishop Naum.
The idea for the monument, which belongs to the Bulgarian cultural and literary society, is to make this place a site for worship, the second one in Europe after Rome, where people could pay respect to the deeds of the two brothers.

South Moravia, the place where the west wing of the Slavonic literary life was situated, traditionally celebrates the works of the two brothers at the eve of 24 May. It is presumed that the older brother Methodius life had ended here.

The Chairman of Bulgaria’s National Assembly welcomed the participants at the meeting in Mikulchitse. This is his second participation at the annual event.