St. Methodius (born 826) and his brother St. Cyril (born 827) were the greatest religious figures of the thousand-year Byzantium. Born in Thessaloniki to Armenian military family (“drungarios” in Greek), their parents were Leon and Maria. The two brothers traveled to the Slav lands and converted them (including the Russians) to Christianity. The pair also invented the Slav alphabet, which is named Cyrillic, after St. Cyril. In 860 St. Cyril was sent by the Byzantium emperor east of the Caucasus to convert the Khazars. He died in Rome.

St. Methodius (born 826) and his brother St. Cyril (born 827) were the greatest religious figures of the thousand-year Byzantium. Born in Thessaloniki to Armenian military family (“drungarios” in Greek), their parents were Leon and Maria. The two brothers traveled to the Slav lands and converted them (including the Russians) to Christianity. The pair also invented the Slav alphabet, which is named Cyrillic, after St. Cyril. In 860 St. Cyril was sent by the Byzantium emperor east of the Caucasus to convert the Khazars. He died in Rome.