Every year on May 24, all Slavic countries celebrate the Day of Slavic Writing and Culture, solemnly honoring the creators of the Slavic alphabet, Saints Cyril and Methodius — the teachers of the Slavs. As is known, the holy brothers equal to the apostles, Cyril and Methodius, came from a noble and pious family and lived in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. They were Orthodox monks and created the Slavic alphabet in the Greek monastery. Scientists believe that the Slavic script was created in the 9th century, around the year 863. The new alphabet was named "Cyrillic" after one of the brothers, Constantine, who, after becoming a monk, took the name Cyril. He was assisted in his holy work of educating the Slavic peoples by his elder brother Methodius. Cyril, who from a young age showed great abilities and mastered all the sciences of his time perfectly, as well as many languages, created the Slavic alphabet based on the Greek one. He significantly altered the Greek alphabet to more accurately convey the Slavic sound system. Two alphabets were created — Glagolitic and Cyrillic. In addition, the Greek brothers translated the Gospel, the Apostle, and the Psalter into the Slavic language. The writing developed by the brothers had a huge impact on the development of Russian bookishness and literature. In the minds of many generations of Slavs, these saints became symbols of Slavic writing and culture. Also traditionally, in honor of the holiday, the International Scientific Conference "Slavic World: Unity and Diversity" is held, and the ceremony of awarding the Patriarchal Literary Prize named after Saints Cyril and Methodius, established by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, takes place. It rewards state and public figures, writers, and artists for the preservation and development of the Cyril-Methodian heritage.