Култът към св. Седмочисленици – експонати от колекциите на Националния исторически музей
Artefacts in the Collections of the National Museum of History Related to the Cult of the Seven Saints (Sedmochislenitsi)

Author(s): Nina Voutova, Tsveta Evlogieva-Katsarova
Subject(s): Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Visual Arts
Published by: Кирило-Методиевски научен център при Българска академия на науките
Summary/Abstract: Priceless cultural monuments are kept in the collections of the National Museum of History. They reflect various aspects of life across the Bulgarian lands from ancient times to the present. Although a relatively young cultural institution – only 43 years old – the national museum of Bulgaria works hard and regularly collects artefacts that are related to history, culture, art, literature, archaeology and ethnology of our lands. There are some unique exhibits among them that give direct evidence to the Bulgarian creativity and are related to the cult of SS Cyril and Methodius and their five disciples: icons, church plate, manuscripts and modern art. An attempt is made for the first time in this study, to gather all these exhibits in the museum collections and to present them organized together by their kind. Most numerous are the icons with the images of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, most of which are from the 19th century and are produced by icon-painters representing various art schools. The one and only monstrance that shows in its lower frieze portrait-images in three quarter height of SS Cyril and Methodius and their five disciples belongs also to the collections of the National Museum of History. The exhibit is unique not only due to these images but also by the rare situation that it is dated – 1833 – its provenance in known – the St. Naum Monastery near Ohrid – as well as the name of its master-craftsman – Georgius Statis Kalariotis. A remarkable manuscript collection is also worth noting. It has not been known until recently and is by its contents a menaion and triodion panegyric with words of St. Clement of Ohrid. The presentation includes paintings, orders, coins and ban¬ners that illustrate the distribution of the cult of the SS Cyril and Methodius and their five disciples in various spheres of culture and of the state system.

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