Ethnic, linguistic and ritual blended area of Carpathian region which also includes Slovakia is a thankful research object of several disciplines. For a better knowledge and a deeper understanding of the complexity that characterizes the territory and its inhabitants, it cannot be limited only to the field of linguistics, cultural studies, ethnography and sociology. Although these science disciplines within their competence study one’s life and community, however, for thorough perspective it is necessary to pay attention to the history and the spiritual, religious site that distinctively shaped and deeply characterizes man in his individual and social dimension. Complementarity of scientific disciplines and interdisciplinary research of the spiritual culture is now widely acknowledged and applied working method.
Uncovering the aforementioned connections is obviously difficult and research on posed problems cannot be realized without basic research focused on archival and field research, gathering, register and interpretation of archival and so far unknown Cyrillic manuscripts. Jan Stanislav Institute of Slavistics of Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava, the “Michael Lacko” Center of Spirituality East-West and Pontifical Oriental Institute (Pontifico Istituto Orientale) in Rome cooperate on such research. The purpose of this cooperation is the systematic study of history, literature, culture and language of the Slovak Greek Catholics in Eastern Slovakia, research of Cyrillic manuscripts belonging to listed manuscript area. The history of cultural-religious and ethnic relations in a church of the Byzantine-Slavic rite constitute a significant part of research as well as ethno-religious research on the background of folk prose in Eastern Slovakia and in the area of Carpathian Ruthenia (Transcarpathian region of Ukraine) and also manuscript research in Latin that is associated with the history of the Byzantine-Slavic rite in the region.
Within the edition of Monumenta Byzantino-Slavica et Latina Slovaciae there are issued the Cyrillic and Latin manuscripts belonging to the context of earlier Slovak literature. As many monuments written in Cyrillic and Latin language originated in a Byzantine church, they represent an integral part of the Byzantine tradition in Slovakia. Database of such manuscripts presents a non-negligible part of cultural, historical, linguistic and religious heritage of the Byzantine-Slavic rite in Slovakia. Thus we contribute to the enrichment of European cultural heritage within the Cyril and Methodius legacy.
Research of Cyrillic and Latin manuscripts of Byzantine tradition in Slovakia opens new perspectives for cognitive development of national-cultural heritage and helps to answer interlingual, interethnic, interconfessional relations issues in the region of the Central Europe. This statement is not purposeless, but based on the study of the Cyrillic and Latin sources from archives and conducted field research; it is based on the fact that Slovakia due to its geographical location and cultural heritage constitutes a crossroads between East and West or North and South of the Slavic world. Vivid religious-cultural traditions of Latin and Byzantine cultures meet in this area. We are obliged, or even owed to our ancestors, teachers and followers to unearth our heritage. Particularly if such conditions for research are naturally formed.