Kliment of Ohrid

(Kliment of Velitsa, Kliment Slovenskii). Born circa A.D. 840; died circa A.D. 916. Slavic enlightener; one of the founders of Old Bulgarian literature.

A disciple and close associate of Cyril and Methodius, Kliment took part in the Moravian Mission in A.D. 863. After being expelled from Moravia by the German clergy, Kliment found refuge in the kingdom of Bulgaria. He established the Ohrid literary school, which engaged in translation, trained educators from the clergy, and taught reading and writing to about 3,500 people. He was the first Slavic bishop of Velitsa. Kliment was the author of many sermons, encomiums (including one devoted to Cyril), church songs, and lives of saints. The contents of his works were often secular in nature, revealing a sense of civic pride, patriotism, and interest in philosophical problems. Kliment’s work played an important role in the development of Old Slavic literatures.