THE DAY OF WRITING: POLITICS OF COMMEMORATION OF THE HOLIDAY IN BULGARIA AND ARMENIA

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Category: Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature: Issue 24
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The work was supported by the Science Committee of RA, in the frames of the research project no. 21AG‐6C041.
Abstract:

This article examines the policies surrounding the celebration of the invention of writing, drawing on empirical materials from Armenia and Bulgaria. Applying comparative and typological approaches, it focuses on the semiotic aspects of modeling the “Day of Writing.” Synchronous and diachronic analyses of the celebrations are presented, highlighting similarities and differences between the two cultures. The study seeks to fill a significant gap in understanding the rich traditions associated with the celebration of writing in Armenia and Bulgaria. The diachronic examination reveals the involvement of political elites in these celebrations, illustrating how their participation influences the dynamics of both ecclesiastical and national commemorations. The study identifies key cultural intersections between Bulgaria and Armenia, such as the Park of Armenian Letters and the Cyrillic Court. It explores how these celebrations are experienced at the grassroots level. This analysis suggests complementary strategies for further research in this area. The findings indicate that initiating the celebration of writing follows different timelines in Bulgaria and Armenia. The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates the translators of the Holy Bible and saints who contributed to the invention of writing, namely Mesrop Mashtots and Sahak Partev, twice a year as part of its long-standing traditions. In contrast, public celebrations of the invention of writing in Bulgaria emerged in the 1850s–1880s, marking a shift from ecclesiastical observance to broader societal recognition (Gemeinschaft vs. Gesellschaft). Key points of cultural contact between Bulgaria and Armenia related to the Day of Writing are highlighted to develop mutually supportive strategies for continuing this research.
Keywords: Day of writing, politics of memory, politics of commemoration, Mesrop Mashtots, Sahak Partev, Cyril and Methodius, fetishization of the alphabet, secularization, khachkars (cross-stones), Park of Armenian Letters, Cyrillic Courtyard, Armenian-Bulgarian cultural contacts.
Author: Tigran S. Simyan
Information about the author:

Tigran S. Simyan, DSc in Philology, Professor, Yerevan State University, Alex Manoogian, 1, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9534-3505

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Author 2: Yordan Lyutskanov
Information about the author 2: Yordan Lyutskanov, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor, Institute for Literature at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Shipchenski prokhod, 52, bld. 17, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6363-1585 E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For citation:

Simyan, T.S., and Yo. Liutskanov. “The Day of Script: Politics of Memory in Bulgaria and Armenia.” Germenevtika drevnerusskoi literatury [Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature]. Issue 24. Ed.-in-chief O.A. Tufanova, sci. ed. M.V. Kaplun. Moscow, IWL RAS Publ., 2025, pp. 773–802. https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2025-24-773-802 (In Russian)
EDN:

https://elibrary.ru/JETACI
UDC: 80+821.162+811.19
Publication Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2025-24-773-802
Received: 18.01.2025
Approved after reviewing: 15.03.2025
Date of publication: 13.07.2025

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