Development of the Cyrillic alphabet from the 9th to the 14th century in the South Slavonic lands: research and digital presentation

Research project No. КП-06-Н90/9, funded by the National Science Fund at the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria
Carried out by the Cyrillo-Methodian Research Centre and the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The project proposal aims to trace the development of the Cyrillic alphabet in the South Slavic lands in the period from the 9th to the 14th century. This period encompasses the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet in the Bulgarian lands and its subsequent dissemination during the Middle Ages. The epigraphic and manuscript written evidence preserved from this period is of great significance in tracing the history of Slavic culture, as well as in understanding the exchange and formation of intellectual circles of various types. From this perspective, it is of indisputable interest to undertake a comprehensive paleographic analysis of the Cyrillic script in its development, as a means of elucidating the transmission of memory and knowledge. To date, this type of systematic paleographic analysis has not been applied, and in general still relies on the achievements of Russian scholars from the early 20th century. In this regard, the project proposal aims to create a reliable online database of resources that will facilitate the preservation and comparison of the most significant South Slavic written documents of the period through the application of constantly developing digital technologies. The consolidation of these materials in a single repository will facilitate a new level of inquiry and analysis within the humanities. The objective is to provide open access to this material for the benefit of the wider academic community. The collected cultural and historical data will inform a range of analyses, including those examining the emergence, evolution and rethinking of the Cyrillic script within its South Slavic context.