On May 24, the Day of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Brothers and Enlighteners Cyril and Methodius was celebrated. In many countries of Eastern and Southern Europe, which are today divided by politics and even front lines, these “Teachers of the Slavs” were and remain a symbol of the spiritual and cultural brotherhood of the Slavic peoples. The sons of Slavs on American soil should not forget about this either.

Nearly 30 years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in the international “Slavic March” (Slavyansky Khod), which traversed the lands of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Bosnia, and the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which included Serbia and Montenegro. In all these countries, divided by old and new borders, customs, and bureaucratic barriers that politicians are so quick to erect, ordinary people (and this was immediately noticeable from the outside) still gravitated toward one another in search of a common cultural foundation provided by language, faith, and history. This manifested in many ways… For instance, in the shared slogan of our March, which was understandable in different languages: “Gather from All Lands, O Slavonic Peoples!”

What personally stuck with me was that wherever I found myself during this thousand-kilometer pilgrimage—whether at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the majestic Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, or a small Serbian chapel in Kosovo—I felt right at home everywhere. If only because the service everywhere was conducted in Church Slavonic, a language understandable to many of us. It is a language that, over a thousand years, has become a kind of verbal icon for us Slavs.

And such a miracle became possible thanks to the enlightening mission of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, the creators of the Old Church Slavonic alphabet and preachers of Christianity in Slavic lands. The brothers, who lived in the 9th century before the separation of the Eastern and Western Churches, are still venerated by both Orthodox and Catholics alike. Therefore, monuments to them can be found in Bulgaria and Serbia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Russia and Ukraine—and even in other, non-Slavic countries. There are such monuments in the New World as well.

Cyril and Methodius — Holy Protectors on American Soil

Back in 1900, the American Orthodox Messenger published an appeal by the then Bishop of the Aleutians and North America, Tikhon—the future Patriarch of All Russia—with the following call:

“A considerable number of Slavs reside in the United States, and the Lord has blessed some of them here with prosperity, from which they might perhaps allocate a portion for the benefit of their poor kinsmen living in the Old Country. Therefore, I propose to the Clergy of the churches located on the mainland (in the States) that on the Sunday closest to May 11 (the Feast Day of the Slavic First-Teachers, Sts. Cyril and Methodius), a special charity-box collection be taken up for the benefit of needy Slavs, and that it be submitted to the Alaskan Ecclesiastical Administration to be forwarded accordingly.”

This was likely not the only instance where Orthodox Christians here in the New World remembered their enlighteners. Unfortunately, however, we were able to find only one memorial to Sts. Cyril and Methodius in the United States. It is located in Shorewood, Illinois, at a Catholic cemetery, and was erected on November 11, 2002, by the Slovak community in memory of all American military veterans, regardless of their ethnic or denominational affiliation. Perhaps similar monuments exist in other states, and the editors will be very grateful to readers who inform us about them and send their photos.

A pleasant exception to our “Slavic forgetfulness” in this case is the fact that a Russian Orthodox high school (gymnasium) in San Francisco bears the name of the first-teachers, the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius. Three years ago (as reported by our newspaper), the Saints Cyril and Methodius High School at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” celebrated its 70th anniversary. Among its alumni are numerous clergymen and several bishops. In 1966, shortly before his blessed repose, Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco offered parting words to the school’s graduates, warning that a new young generation, if it fails to preserve the faith of their fathers and their cultural traditions, “will become a cosmopolitan mass of no use to anyone.”

Tellingly, in that same city of San Francisco, the Russian Center hosts an annual “Slavic Festival,” featuring not only Russian but also Serbian, Bulgarian, Polish, and other amateur performance groups. Here, immigrants from various Slavic countries showcase their folk crafts and culinary dishes. And most importantly—this is a place where they learn to communicate and build friendships.

Today, when Slavic nations are divided not just by hostility, but by actual war, it is difficult to talk about communication, let alone friendship. Alas, this is all true. But let us not forget that in the 9th century, during the lifetimes of the holy first-teachers Cyril and Methodius, wars, internal strife, feuds, and schisms were also raging across both the Balkans and Europe as a whole… Yet none of this stopped the brother-enlighteners—even despite bans and direct threats—from venturing into Slavic lands, preaching the Gospel, creating an alphabet, teaching, and bringing enlightenment. Therefore, even today, that ancient call for cultural and Christian unity remains vital for all of us: “Gather from All Lands, O Slavonic Peoples!”

IN THE TOP PHOTO: Monument to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Brothers Cyril and Methodius in Kyiv. Photo by Sergey Nikolaevich Polovko. 2021.