The Slavs are the largest linguistic and cultural community of the peoples of the world. The total number of Slavs in the world is 300-350 million people. There are Western (Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Kashubians and Lusatians), Southern (Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Bosnians, Macedonians, Slovenes, Montenegrins) and Eastern Slavs (Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians).

Slavs make up the bulk of the population of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, they also live in all post-Soviet countries, Hungary, Greece, Germany, Austria, Italy, in the countries of America and in Australia.

Most Slavs are Christians, with the exception of the Bosnians, who converted to Islam during the Ottoman rule over southern Europe. Bulgarians, Serbs, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Russians - mostly Orthodox; Croats, Slovenes, Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Lusatians are Catholics, there are many Orthodox among Ukrainians and Belarusians, but there are also Catholics and Uniates.

In the second half of the 19th century, the Slavic peoples were part of three empires: Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman. The only exceptions were Montenegrins and Lusatians. Montenegrins lived in a small independent state of Montenegro, and Lusatians lived in Germany. By the end of the 20th century, all Slavic peoples, except for Russians and Lusatians living in modern Germany, received state independence.

The idea of ​​the unity of the Slavic peoples, to the creation of a common script by Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, who are revered both in Russia and in a number of other Slavic states.

A great contribution to the unity of the Slavs is made by regional national-cultural associations. Thanks to their activities, original traditions, the centuries-old culture of the Slavic peoples, customs and rituals are transmitted from generation to generation, civil peace and harmony are strengthened.

On the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs, cultural events are held in different countries aimed at reviving the traditions and cultures of our ancestors.

On the border of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, the festival "Slavic unity" takes place. It was first held in 1969 and began as an informal celebration of the peoples of the three countries. In 1975, the Friendship Monument (also known under the symbolic name "Three Sisters") was erected, standing at the junction of three borders, and in recent decades, celebrations have unfolded on a large field near the monument, tens of thousands of people annually took part in the event.

Once every three years, one of the regions - Bryansk (Russia), Gomel (Belarus), Chernigov (Ukraine) became the host party responsible for holding the festival.

Since 2014, Ukraine has refused to participate in the festival, and the event was also moved from the border for security reasons. That year, the main celebrations were held in the Bryansk village of Klimovo, and in 2015 - in the Belarusian city of Loev, in 2016, when the festival was supposed to be hosted by Ukraine, due to the refusal of the Ukrainian side, the festival was replaced by celebrations in honor of the Day of partisans and underground fighters, which took place in Bryansk. In 2017, the festival took place in the city of Klintsy, Bryansk region.

In 2018, the festival "Slavic unity" is hosted by the city of Vetka, Gomel region of Belarus.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

On June 25, the Slavs of the whole world celebrate the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs. In total, there are about 270 million Slavs in the world. This holiday is celebrated by Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Serbs, Slovaks, Slovenes, Belarusians, Czechs and Bulgarians. This holiday was established in the 90s of the 20th century and was created so that different branches of the Slavic peoples remember their historical roots, strive to preserve their culture and centuries-old connection with each other. This date is most widely celebrated by three friendly countries - Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. This holiday is truly popular. It comes from common roots, cultural traditions and customs.

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Day of friendship and unity of the Slavs

Purpose of the holiday: the formation in children of a sense of tolerance, interest and respect for other national cultures. Raising a sense of community, friendship and unity with people of Slavic nationalities.

The course of the holiday

Sounds like song "Give a smile to the world."

Presenter:

Today's motto:Slavs of all countries unite! And this is no accident! Since, annually, on June 25, the Slavs of the whole world celebrate the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs. In total, there are about 270 million Slavs in the world. This holiday is celebrated by Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Serbs, Slovaks, Slovenes, Belarusians, Czechs and Bulgarians.

This holiday was established in the 90s of the 20th century and was created so that different branches of the Slavic peoples remember their historical roots, strive to preserve their culture and centuries-old connection with each other.

This date is most widely celebrated by three friendly countries - Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. This holiday is truly popular. It comes from common roots, cultural traditions and customs.

Brothers Slavs - one world for us,

Away from all sorrows, we keep friendship.

Are you Ukrainian, Slovak or Czech,

Russian, Pole? Yes, we are all Slavs!

Peaceful sky above your land,

The native sun and the dashing dance,

Laughter from the heart, blessings from the soul -

So that the unity motive does not go out.

So let's have fun, sing and dance songs,

And we will invite good friends to visit!

Let's all say together

The phonogram of Russian folk music "Polyanka" sounds, the girl Nastenka appears in a Russian folk costume.

Nastenka: Hello my friends!

I am very glad to meet you!

Presenter: Hello, Russian beauty Nastenka!

Children: Welcome to visit us.

Nastenka: Russia, Russia…

She has eyes like the sky, blue

Kind and clear eyes

She has my Russia,

Eyebrows, like forests over the Volga.

Her soul is expanse of the steppes,

Sensitive, like a song, hearing.

You will go out into the field at harvest time -

And it will take your breath away.

Overhead, such showers are noisy,

In flashes of blinding dreams,

That you become happy forever

From her bird cherry and birch trees.

She, dear, has such heights,

spring freshness water,

That she will exalt you like a mother

And will not offend anyone.

With Russian cordiality I meet you,

I invite you to play games with me!

I know a lot of fun games

many old,

Our grandmothers played

These games are amazing.

Hey guys get out!

"Brook" you start!

The Russian folk game "Brook" is held.

Children line up in pairs one after another, holding hands, raise their hands to make a “gate”, one child leading. To the music, the driver passes through the "gates" and chooses a friend for himself, calling him affectionately by name. The remaining child becomes the leader. The game is repeated again.

Presenter: Thank you, Nastenka! We liked your game. Stay with us!

Together: We will be friends with the Russian people,

Presenter: Again we will invite good friends to visit,

Together :

A phonogram of Belarusian folk music sounds, a girl Olesya appears in a Belarusian costume.

Olesya: Good day, Shanounynyya Syabry!

Good afternoon my friends!

I am very glad to meet you!

Presenter: Hello, Belarusian beauty Olesya!

Children : Hurry, dear lady, we kindly ask you and us!

Olesya: Belarus, Belarus - the cry of cranes in the sky.

Belarus, Belarus - the smell of bread from the fields!

Belarus, Belarus - you are native lands.

Belarus, Belarus - you are a native country!

The expanse of both rivers and lakes - there is no blue in the world.

And people, and people - there is no kinder in the world!

Belarus, Belarus - nightingales sing here,

They won't let us sleep until dawn!

I meet you with Belarusian cordiality,

presenter : We are happy to play with you

And we want to know soon

Like Belarusian guys

They play so as not to be bored!

Olesya: I know a lot of fun games

many old,

Our grandmothers played

These games are amazing.

Hey guys, don't be bored!

Play Pärscenak with me!

Presenter: And what does parscenak mean, Olesya?

Olesya : In Russian, pärstenak is a ring!

A round dance game "Pärscenak" - "Ring" is held.

The players stand in a circle, holding their hands in front of the boat. Olesya stands in the center of the circle, holding a ring in her hand. To the music, she sings the song:

Here I go in circles

I give you all a ring,

Hold your hands tight

Yes, take the ring.

Olesya imperceptibly puts a ring in her palms to one of the children, and then leaves the circle and says: “Ring, ring, go out on the porch!”. The child who has the ring runs out into the circle, and the children should try to detain him and not let him out of the circle. The game is repeated with a new driver.

Presenter: Thank you Olesya, very interesting game! Stay with us and have fun!

Together : We will be friends with the Belarusian people,

And cherish our strong friendship!

Presenter: We will again invite good friends to visit,

Let's play together, dance and sing together!

Together: One two Three! Good friend come to us!

A phonogram of Ukrainian folk music sounds, a girl Oksana appears in a Ukrainian costume.

Oksana: Good day my friends!

Good afternoon my friends!

I am very glad to meet you!

Presenter: Hello, Ukrainian beauty Oksana!

Children: Hello, dear guests, we kindly ask you to come to us.

Oksana: Oh, how beautiful is Ukraine!

Her Taurian fields,

Her meadows, forests, hillocks

And blessed land.

Here the acacia blossom will swirl,

The song of the nightingale intoxicates here,

And the smell of bread in every house,

I was born here, I grew up here.

There is no clearer sky in white light,

And in the springs the water is tastier,

I will give an unearthly bow,

Beloved Motherland.

I meet you with Ukrainian cordiality,

I invite you to have fun together!

Presenter: We are happy to play with you

And we want to know soon

Like Ukrainian guys

They play so as not to be bored!

Oksana: I know a lot of fun games

many old,

Our grandmothers played

These games are amazing.

Hey guys, don't be bored!

Play Lame Duck with me!

The Ukrainian game "Lame Duck" is being held

Game progress: indicate the boundaries of the site. A “lame duck” is selected, the rest of the players are randomly placed on the court, standing on one leg, and the other leg bent at the knee is held behind by the hand. After the words “The sun is flaring up, the game begins,” the “duck” jumps on one leg, holding the other leg with his hand, trying to taunt one of the players. The salted ones help her to salt others. The last non-peeled player becomes the lame duck.

Rule: A player who stands on both feet or jumps out of bounds is considered tagged.

Presenter: Thank you, Oksana, for a fun game! Stay with us!

Together: We will be friends with the Ukrainian people,

And cherish our strong friendship!

Presenter:

Together: One two Three! Good friend come to us!

The phonogram of Polish folk music sounds, the girl Jadwiga appears in a Polish costume.

Jadwiga: Dzien dobri!

Good afternoon my friends!

I am very glad to meet you!

Presenter: Hello, Polish beauty Jadwiga!

Children: Dzien dobri! Witam, Jadwiga!

Jadwiga: What words can express

About the beauty that is so sweet

For the gaze of the eyes, ale for the heart?

River flowing into the distance

Wooded shore then deserted

That quiet disposition, and then noisy.

Along the banks of that river

Birches are dormant and oaks.

When it flows through the fields

Vistula is not more modestly dressed.

In a flowering meadow, the beauty of the fields

And in the bird's joyful trill,

And look from the height of an eagle

Oh how sweet Wisla

Like a young maiden slender

Although you flow through the ages.

I meet you with Polish cordiality,

I invite you to have fun together!

Presenter: We are happy to play with you

And we want to know soon

Like the Polish guys

They play so as not to be bored!

Jadwiga: I know a lot of fun games

many old,

Our grandmothers played

These games are amazing.

Hey guys, don't be bored!

In "Birki" you play with me!

The Polish game "Birki" is being held.

The number of participants in this game is unlimited (from 2 people). Before the game, you need to prepare 10 tags - 8-10 centimeter boards, cut from wood.

Birks form pairs: emperor and empress, king and queen, prince and princess, peasant and peasant woman (2 pairs).

During the game, the first participant must take all the tags in his hands, throw them up and try to catch them in his palm with straightened fingers. Only matched pairs are considered to be caught. For the imperial, 12 points are given, for the royal - 7, for the prince and princess 4, for the peasants - 1 point. The winner is the one who scores the maximum number of points for a certain number of throws.

Presenter: Thank you, Jadwiga, for a fun game! Stay with us!

Together: We will be friends with the Polish people,

And cherish our strong friendship!

Presenter: We will again call our dear friends,

And we will play games with them!

Together : One two Three! Good friend come to us!

The soundtrack of Bulgarian folk music sounds, the girl Ivanka appears in a Bulgarian costume.

Ivanka: Hello!

Good afternoon my friends!

I am very glad to meet you!

presenter : Hello Bulgarian beauty Ivanka!

Children: Hello! Dobra has arrived, Ivanka!

Ivanka : Someone dreams of Bavaria,

And dreams about China

And I'm from Bulgaria -

Not a country, but a marvelous paradise.

The people here are simple, nice,

And they speak Russian

naughty and playful,

They strive to treat everyone.

Roasting lamb beside

And dolma is being prepared,

The Bulgarian peasant

Delicious dishes - well, just darkness.

The ancient bagpipe tears the soul,

Tapan beats the rhythm

The music sounds great

Glad contented music lover.

Dancing passionate, beautiful,

Attract and beckon

Rhythms are light, playful,

Inspire and invigorate.

Legs start dancing on their own

And the soul inside sings

The heart is filled with life

And love blossoms all around.

I meet you with Bulgarian hospitality,

I invite you to have fun together!

Presenter: We are happy to play with you

And we want to know soon

Like the Bulgarian guys

They play so as not to be bored!

Ivanka: I know a lot of fun games

many old,

Our grandmothers played

These games are amazing.

Hey guys, don't be bored!

Play Chanterelles and the Watchman with me!

The Bulgarian folk game "Chanterelles and Watchmen" is held.

This is a simple, fun game. Two children are chosen as watchmen, their eyes are tied with scarves. They stand opposite each other at a distance of a step to guard the chicken coop. Each of the chanterelles must sneak between the watchmen unnoticed. When a fox sneaks, other foxes distract the watchmen. The fox that was caught becomes the watchman.

Presenter: Thank you, Ivanka, for a fun game! Stay with us!

Together: We will be friends with the Bulgarian people,

And cherish our strong friendship!

Presenter: Our brothers, fair-haired and fair-skinned,

We have enough in common.

Our Slavic languages ​​are similar for everyone,

And we have one cultural heritage.

Well, since our languages ​​are similar, try to read and understand the proverbs and sayings of the Slavic peoples. Is there a Russian version of this proverb?

The guest, even if it’s not for a long time, she remembers everything. (Ukraine)

(At least the guest does not stay for a long time, but he notices everything.)

Like a tree, like a wedge, like a father, like a son. (Belarus)

(The apple does not fall far from the apple tree.)

Bez ochoty niespore roboty. (Poland)

(You can’t even pull a fish out of a pond without labor.)

Zabit dvě mouchy jednou ranou. (Czech)

(Seven with one blow.)

Koito is not risky - do not worry. (Bulgaria)

(He who does not take risks does not drink champagne.)

Presenter: We will live in peace

And cherish our friendship!

May friendship be strong and inseparable.

Problems, crises, she will survive.

There will be no wars, but only our friendship,

And in our countries, harmony, peace, income.

Let's take hands, stand in a circle,

Every person is a friend!

Children and teachers go out in a circle, perform a round dance song "Children of the whole Earth are friends."

Our friendship, our faith

Will be with us forever

Our strength, our will

Will never die!

And while it shines on white

The sun shines on us

We wish all the Slavs

Be united forever!

Every year, the Slavs of the whole world on June 25 celebrate the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs. In total, there are about 270 million Slavs in the world.

This date is most widely celebrated by three friendly countries - Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. This holiday is truly popular. It comes from common roots, cultural traditions and customs.

Slavs make up the bulk of the European population. This holiday is celebrated by Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Serbs, Slovaks, Slovenes, Belarusians, Czechs and Bulgarians. They celebrate it even if they currently live in other countries. Slavs make up the majority in such countries as: Russia, Slovakia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Macedonia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Montenegro, Croatia, Czech Republic. Russia is one of the largest states in which the Slavs make up the vast majority of its inhabitants. Regional national-cultural associations make a great contribution to the unity of the Slavs. The activity of these organizations allows to keep the connection of times. They help to pass on from generation to generation the original traditions, customs and rituals of the centuries-old culture of the Slavic peoples. At the same time, civil peace and harmony are strengthened.

The goals of creation and traditions for the holiday Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs

The Day of the Unity of the Slavs was established to unite the different branches of the Slavs and to strengthen the connection between generations. It is designed to preserve the centuries-old friendship and culture of the Slavs.

On June 25, the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs, the heads of state traditionally congratulate the citizens of not only their country, but also all the Slavic brothers on this significant date. The holiday makes the Slavs of the whole world remember their origin and roots. The Slavs are the largest linguistic and cultural community of the peoples of the world.

As part of the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs, various events are held that are aimed at developing friendly relations between the Slavic countries. According to written and archaeological sources, the Slavs already in the VI-VII centuries. lived in Central and Eastern Europe. Their lands stretched from the Elbe and Oder rivers in the west to the headwaters of the Dniester and the middle reaches of the Dnieper in the east.

Slavic peoples

At present, the Slavs live in the vast territory of Southern and Eastern Europe and further east - up to the Far East of Russia. There is also a Slavic minority in the states of Western Europe, America, Transcaucasia and Central Asia.

It is customary to distinguish three branches of the Slavic peoples. Western Slavs are: Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Kashubians and Lusatians. The South Slavs include: Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Bosnians, Herzegovinians, Macedonians, Slovenes and Montenegrins. Eastern Slavs: Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians.

The problem of the origin and ancient history of the Slavs is one of the most difficult. The joint efforts of archaeologists, linguists, anthropologists, ethnographers and historians are aimed at its solution. Modern Slavic peoples have a rather heterogeneous genetic origin. This can explain the complexity of ethnogenetic processes in Eastern Europe. These processes began tens of thousands of years ago, intensified during the Great Migration in the 5th century, and are still ongoing.

The Slavic languages ​​belong to a branch of the Indo-European family of languages. They belong to the Indo-European languages ​​of the satem group. The Baltic and Slavic languages, in terms of vocabulary, morphology and syntax, share many more similarities than any other group of Indo-European languages. The presence of a number of similar features in the Baltic and Slavic languages ​​may indicate that in ancient times there was a Balto-Slavic linguistic unity. For a long time there were no independent Slavic states.

In the second half of the 19th century, the Slavic peoples were part of three empires: Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman. The only exceptions were Montenegrins and Lusatians. Montenegrins lived in a small independent state of Montenegro, and Lusatians lived in Germany. By the end of the 20th century, all Slavic peoples had already received state independence. The Slavic peoples owe the appearance of writing to Constantine and Methodius. It was they who streamlined the Slavic letter and fully adapted it for recording Slavic speech. A lot of work was done to create a book-written Slavic language, which later became known as Old Slavonic.

The Slavs have a very rich and diverse culture. She should be proud and demonstrate it to other nations. However, for a long time it was not given much importance, everything western was planted. As part of this holiday, cultural events are held in different countries aimed at reviving the traditions and cultures of our ancestors.

Every second Russian has a relative in Ukraine, every third Ukrainian has relatives in Belarus, and every fourth Belarusian knows a Pole or Slovak. We are all Slavs, and we celebrate June 25 and the unity of the Slavs.

Who are the Slavs

Probably, few people do not know who the Slavs are. Let's broaden our horizons by talking about some of the features of this group of peoples.

There is no greater community in the world than the Slavs. We inhabit the entire European and partly Asian continent. Our compatriots live in all corners of the world. If you collect all who can be considered Slavs, then there will be about 370 million people in the world.

The Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs is celebrated by those who remember their roots, and who, at least indirectly, honor the people. Having once settled in Europe, the people of one community were divided into three groups: which include the inhabitants of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia; southern - territories of the countries of the Mediterranean coast of Europe, with the exception of the Greeks; eastern - congenial Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians.

History of the Russians

Now, wondering where the friendship and unity of the Slavs comes from, few people can unequivocally answer how it happened that so many different nationalities came out of one nation. Historians only suggest the true reasons for the settlement and division of one people, although there is still no reliable data.

Before the modern world, individual Slavic peoples lived very scattered and did not have their own territory. Until the 19th century, all were collected within the borders of the three largest empires. The only exceptions were the Montenegrins, who initially had an independent state, and the Lusatians, who occupy an autonomous region within Germany.

It was only after 1945 that many separate states were created that announced their intention to write their history within independent borders. Today, the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs is an opportunity to remember what unites different countries, different languages ​​and the belief that we have the same roots of a large family tree that will never sag under the onslaught of invaders.

history of the holiday

It is difficult to determine the period when all the Slavs lived on the same territory and had a common language, culture and traditions. Some historians believe that this time was partially captured by the period of the formation of Kievan Rus. Be that as it may, Cyril and Methodius are considered the founders, and their activities became the reason for the holiday, the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs. The history of Equal-to-the-Apostles people begins with the fact that these two holy martyrs streamlined all the church writing that existed at that time, as a result of which one language arose, called Old Church Slavonic.

Such different peoples with the same roots

For a long time, truly Slavic values ​​have changed under the influence of Western cultures. This could not but affect the traditions, beliefs and holidays. So, for example, almost all Slavs are Christians, but Bosnians stand out among all. They converted to Islam back in the days when they were captured by the Ottoman Empire.

The Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs was created in order to revive what was lost hundreds of centuries ago, to remember those things that our ancestors believed in, and finally begin to be proud of folk wisdom.

Where and how to celebrate

The tradition of celebrating the holiday originated not so long ago. It was customary to celebrate June 25 as the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs. Every year, the folk festival takes place in a place where the three borders of the most friendly Slavic states converge - Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

Our countries have always been closely linked. And this is reflected not only in the economic or political component. Borders separated large families, separated brothers and sisters, grandparents. And it is very unfortunate that recently there has been an increase in tension in relations between two almost fraternal states - Ukraine and Russia. The hope was expressed that the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs in 2015 would be able to reduce the kindling fire of enmity.

So, the Slavic Unity festival is celebrated every year. The place where the general holiday is held is the point where the borders of the three friendly states converge closest. Alternating, guests are received by one of them.

How it was in years past

In 2013 the festival celebrated its anniversary. The guests were going to celebrate the unity of souls for the 45th time. The holiday this year was dedicated to another significant date - 1025 years have passed since the baptism of Russia. The event was held in the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation.

In 2014, by coincidence, the holiday was again held outside the city of Klimov, in the Bryansk region.

But the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs in 2015 was held in the town of Loev, in the Gomel region of Belarus. Its holding just coincided with the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Festival 2016

It is not yet clear where Slavic Unity will be held this year. In theory, Ukraine should become the host in 2016, but due to the unstable situation on its territory, it is expected that Klimov in the Bryansk region will again host. It is important for us to know the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs. Photos illustrating how the holiday goes can be seen in our article.

Conclusion

We are all Slavs. And this is a very rich in culture and traditions nation. So let's not forget what flows in our blood, but be proud that our ancestors founded such powerful and strong states, created writing and opened the first schools. We are Slavs, and we are united!

Every year, the Slavs of the whole world on June 25 celebrate the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs. In total, there are about 270 million Slavs in the world.

This date is most widely celebrated by three friendly countries - Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. This holiday is truly popular. It comes from common roots, cultural traditions and customs.

Slavs make up the bulk of the European population. This holiday is celebrated by Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Serbs, Slovaks, Slovenes, Belarusians, Czechs and Bulgarians. They celebrate it even if they currently live in other countries.

Slavs make up the majority in such countries as: Russia, Slovakia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Macedonia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Montenegro, Croatia, Czech Republic. Russia is one of the largest states in which the Slavs make up the vast majority of its inhabitants.

Regional national-cultural associations make a great contribution to the unity of the Slavs. The activity of these organizations allows to keep the connection of times. They help to pass on from generation to generation the original traditions, customs and rituals of the centuries-old culture of the Slavic peoples. At the same time, civil peace and harmony are strengthened.

The goals of creation and traditions for the holiday Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs

The Day of the Unity of the Slavs was established to unite the different branches of the Slavs and to strengthen the connection between generations. It is designed to preserve the centuries-old friendship and culture of the Slavs.

On June 25, the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs, the heads of state traditionally congratulate the citizens of not only their country, but also all the Slavic brothers on this significant date.

The holiday makes the Slavs of the whole world remember their origin and roots. The Slavs are the largest linguistic and cultural community of the peoples of the world.

As part of the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs, various events are held that are aimed at developing friendly relations between the Slavic countries.

According to written and archaeological sources, the Slavs already in the VI-VII centuries. lived in Central and Eastern Europe. Their lands stretched from the Elbe and Oder rivers in the west to the headwaters of the Dniester and the middle reaches of the Dnieper in the east.

Slavic peoples

At present, the Slavs live in the vast territory of Southern and Eastern Europe and further east - up to the Far East of Russia. There is also a Slavic minority in the states of Western Europe, America, Transcaucasia and Central Asia.

It is customary to distinguish three branches of the Slavic peoples. Western Slavs are: Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Kashubians and Lusatians. The South Slavs include: Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Bosnians, Herzegovinians, Macedonians, Slovenes and Montenegrins. Eastern Slavs: Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians.

The problem of the origin and ancient history of the Slavs is one of the most difficult. The joint efforts of archaeologists, linguists, anthropologists, ethnographers and historians are aimed at its solution.

Modern Slavic peoples have a rather heterogeneous genetic origin. This can explain the complexity of ethnogenetic processes in Eastern Europe.

These processes began tens of thousands of years ago, intensified during the Great Migration in the 5th century, and are still ongoing.

The Slavic languages ​​belong to a branch of the Indo-European family of languages. They belong to the Indo-European languages ​​of the satem group.

The Baltic and Slavic languages, in terms of vocabulary, morphology and syntax, share many more similarities than any other group of Indo-European languages.

The presence of a number of similar features in the Baltic and Slavic languages ​​may indicate that in ancient times there was a Balto-Slavic linguistic unity.

For a long time there were no independent Slavic states. In the second half of the 19th century, the Slavic peoples were part of three empires: Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman.

The only exceptions were Montenegrins and Lusatians. Montenegrins lived in a small independent state of Montenegro, and Lusatians lived in Germany.

By the end of the 20th century, all Slavic peoples had already received state independence. The exceptions were Russians and Lusatians.

The Slavic peoples owe the appearance of writing to Constantine and Methodius. It was they who streamlined the Slavic writing and fully adapted it for recording Slavic speech.

Enormous work was done to create a book-written Slavic language, which later became known as Old Church Slavonic.

The Slavs have a very rich and diverse culture. She should be proud and demonstrate it to other nations. However, for a long time it was not given much importance, everything western was planted.

As part of this holiday, cultural events are held in different countries aimed at reviving the traditions and cultures of our ancestors.