Burgas Regional History Museum opened an exhibition today on the followers of Cyril and Methodius in the Bulgarian lands. It is called "In the Footsteps of the Disciples. The Cyril and Methodius Route in Bulgaria, Part of the Council of Europe's Cultural Route". It is on show in the History Exhibition building and marks National Revival Figures' Day. The museum announced the 2:00pm opening on Thursday.

The authors are Prof. Slaviya Barlieva and Dr Elka Zlateva of the Cyril and Methodius Scientific Centre at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The Ministry of Culture paid for the show. Dr Totka Grigorova, an art historian and researcher at the centre, presented it to the guests.

More on this story: Burgas exhibition shows sites linked to Cyril and Methodius and their disciples

This is the team's second exhibition, Grigorova explained. The first looked at the work of the two brothers themselves. This one looks at their disciples. The team chose the theme after seeing the Burgas museum's collection of National Revival art.

The date is no accident. 19 October is the feast day of St John of Rila the Wonderworker, and National Revival Figures' Day was first marked in 1909. "We decided that on this date we would stress the role of language, culture and knowledge in the history and social path of every nation," Grigorova said.

The exhibition shows places and sites across the Bulgarian lands that keep the memory of the brothers and their followers. It includes the earliest Cyrillic inscriptions, churches and monasteries, images of the two teachers in icons, their place in secular art and modern ways of honouring them. There is also an icon of the holy brothers.

The museum wants to make the Bulgarian part of the Cyril and Methodius Route better known. The Council of Europe certified the route in 2021.

Grigorova's lecture was titled "Letter – Word – Image: How Icons Tell of the Work of Saints Cyril and Methodius". She spoke about how art has kept alive over the centuries the memory of the creation of the Slavic alphabet and of the teachers' work.

In her words, letters carry messages in language, and the memory of them has passed down in medieval and National Revival monuments. "To this day it lives on through art and symbols that keep reminding us of the great work of the holy brothers," the art historian said.

Grigorova believes such events matter for young people, who should know their history and understand the power of words and knowledge. Guests included students from the Business School in Burgas and representatives of the State Archive in Burgas.