King Boris I (source), who introduced Cyrillian script to Bulgaria

The Origin Of Cyrillic Script

Wait, why are the N and R backwards?

• ты?

Hmm, strange combination of letters, but it’s definitely a T, B, and an I.

• и я?

Wait, why are the N and R backwards?

• это кириллица, глупо

Oh, I think I’ve seen that before... It’s Russian isn’t it?

Yes, it’s Russian, but Russian isn’t the only language to use this script. This script is called Cyrillic, and is used in many Slavic and Turkic languages.

The most widely spoken languages that use Cyrillic script are: Russian, Serbian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Belarusian, Czech, Kazakh, Kirghiz, and Macedonian.

Now, let’s find out why it’s so similar to the Roman alphabet we use, and where the differences came from.

It all started with Boris the First during the First Bulgarian Empire.

Bulgarian Empire and Byzantine (aka Eastern Roman) Empire circa 890 AD (source)

In the 850s, when Boris I first came to the throne, the religion of the Bulgarian Empire was Paganism. However, under the Pagan religion, the Bulgarian Empire was not taken seriously by other European powers. This is why Boris I made…