Characters
Bulgaria Moderna is an OpenType digital font inspired by the Early Cyrillic script developed during the 10th Century in the Preslav Literary School. In addition to all modern Cyrillic characters, the project covers the entire set of modern Latin and Greek alphabets with many additional special characters and a complete set of diacritics.
Language Support
Bulgaria Moderna V3 Font supports all European languages. Here are selected samples with some of them:
Icelandic
Greek
German
Catalan
Serbian
Lithuanian
Hungarian
Ukrainian
The Story
The origins of most alphabets are often shrouded in mystery, it’s almost impossible to know for sure how, by whom and when it was introduced. The Cyrillic alphabet is no exception. It carries the name of Saint Cyril, a Byzantine missionary send to Moravia by the Empreror with the task to consolidate Byzantine influence against the German clergy. His most frightening weapon was an alphabet, especially customized for the Slavic language – the Glagolitic, which he created himself. Even though The Cyrillic alphabet is named after Cyril, most scolars agree this is a sign of homage instead of acknowledgement of an authorship. The alphabet itself originated in the First Bulgarian Empire, which welcomed Cyril’s students after his mission to Moravia failed. From Bulgaria, the alphabet spread to Serbia and later to other Slavic states such as Kievan Rus, the predecessor of the Russian Empire. During the ages, the alphabet got simplified and reformed several times and Russia’s influence spread it as far as Mongolia.
Reinventing The Early Cyrillic Aesthetic
Bulgaria Moderna was one of my first typographic projects, born out of curiosity but also necessity. In the winter of 2010 I was working on a Bulgarian ethnographic design project and I needed a suitable font. I wasn’t satisfied with what I found on the market, so I started dreaming of making one on my own. Few months later, in July, during one of the hottest London summers ever, I felt I was brave enough to dive in the cold murky waters of typography. The real cause was probably heat-induced insanity but whatever pushed me, I think it worked. Now Bulgaria Moderna is in its third version and not only supports all Slavic Cyrillic-based alphabets, it also includes all Latin and Greek characters.
As usual, any feedback, positive or negative, is highly appreciated.
