Early Cyrillic Script and Literacy in Ancient Rus

Discover how written language emerged and transformed communication in Ancient Rus. This comprehensive reading-based course offers a foundational entry into the early Cyrillic alphabet, its historical development, and the spread of written culture in early East Slavic history. You will learn to: • Understand key terminology, historical timelines, and the origins of Slavic writing systems • Explore the structure and phonetic logic of early Cyrillic and its relationship to Glagolitic • Read basic Old East Slavic letterforms and recognize classic manuscript scripts • Analyze everyday written artifacts, such as birch bark letters, to see how practical literacy functioned in daily life • Apply basic palaeographic concepts to understand spelling variations and language evolution over time. The course starts with essential historical definitions and core alphabet tables before walking you through written examples and guided reading exercises. Designed entirely for beginners, this course requires no prior experience with ancient scripts or historical linguistics. Begin exploring the written heritage of Ancient Rus today.