The 13th annual “Cyrillic Square” festival opened in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, bringing together a major spiritual and cultural program centered on the Serbian language, the Cyrillic script, history, and Orthodox heritage. The official opening took place on August 15, coinciding with the transfer of the relics of Saint Stephen the First Martyr and Archdeacon—patron of Herceg Novi. The event was opened by Metropolitan Ioannikius of Montenegro and the Littoral, the website of the Metropolis reports.

Speaking at the ceremony, the metropolitan said the festival began 13 years ago with the blessing of the late Metropolitan Amphilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral. Since then, he said, it has grown into a meeting place for people from different professions and generations—writers, scholars, theologians, artists, musicians, and young people.

Held in Herceg Novi since 2014, the festival combines cultural programming with church-related events. Its central theme is the preservation of Cyrillic and the Serbian language as part of a broader historical and spiritual tradition. Organizers, the statement said, treat culture not as something separate from faith, but as part of the centuries-old inheritance of the Orthodox Church.

Over two weeks, the city will host literary evenings, lectures, exhibitions, concerts, theater performances, and activities for children. The agenda also includes commemorations tied to church and national history.

“The significance of this large cultural event is great in our time. It renews memory, marks important anniversaries of our history, and above all these spiritual and cultural celebrations are intended to preserve the beauty of the Serbian language and the Cyrillic script,” Metropolitan Ioannikius said.

Minister of Culture and Media of Montenegro Tamara Vuović also highlighted the role of language, script, and the book as a foundation of collective memory. She noted that medieval Cyrillic books hold a special place in that heritage, reflecting the development of book culture and education in these regions.

The festival is organized by the Serbian Orthodox Church community Topla–Herceg Novi and is held under the auspices of the Metropolis of Montenegro and the Littoral.

This year, selected events are dedicated to the memory of Metropolitan Amphilohije and other church figures. The program also marks 120 years since the death of Bishop Gerasim Petranović of the Boka-Kotor diocese and 100 years since the death of Archpriest Sava Nakiečenović.

Additional events are planned for the 200th anniversary of Matica Srpska’s cultural and educational society, as well as anniversaries connected with composer Stevan Mokranjac and poet Milan Rakić, alongside major dates in Serbian and Montenegrin history.

The “Cyrillic Square” festival will conclude on August 28, on the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos— the patronal holiday of the nearby Savina Monastery, one of the key Orthodox centers of the Boka-Kotor Bay.