New Font Work in Cyrillic Alphabet

Hüsnü Gerelegiz
Düzce University
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2378-6187
Sedat Kaya
Düzce University
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0953-9868
Ebubekir Altıok
Düzce University
Mira Khachemizova (ed)
Düzce University
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6127-6430
Fehmi Altın (ed)
Düzce University
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0795-884X

Synopsis

This study aims to develop an original font design by examining the historical and structural characteristics of the Cyrillic alphabet in line with contemporary typographic principles. The fact that Cyrillic functions not merely as a writing system but as a versatile medium of communication used across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts broadens the scope of the research. In this study, the historical depth of the Cyrillic alphabet is first examined through its use in languages such as Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian. Selected works from Russian literature are then analyzed, with reference to literary texts in the Adyghe language within the context of Slav-Caucasian cultural memory, in order to evaluate the writing system’s applications across diverse cultural domains. In this way, the typographic potential and cultural continuity of the Cyrillic writing system across various geographies are considered together. Drawing on the view that writing and typography are carriers of cultural memory, intellectual production, and communication, this research seeks to contribute to design-based academic studies. The study examines the historical development of the Cyrillic alphabet, its print and handwritten characteristics, and its typographic features; the letters developed and reinterpreted on the basis of the theoretical findings are evaluated in terms of legibility, aesthetic coherence, and technical adequacy. However, the project does not aim to produce a comprehensive or highly ambitious font system; rather, it proceeds through a simple, exploratory design approach based on literary works and discourses. The research process was supported by laboratory studies conducted at Düzce University and by a workshop held outside the university. These practical stages made it possible to test the font design not only at a conceptual level but also in terms of technical and production-oriented aspects. In addition, the rhythmic and fluid formal qualities of Turkish Ebru art were used to contribute aesthetically to the letterforms, establishing an original relationship between traditional art and modern typography. The study is intended to serve as a theoretical and practical starting point for future font designs based on the Cyrillic alphabet and to provide a basis for interdisciplinary typographic research.

How to cite this book

Gerelegiz, H. & Kaya, S. & Altıok, E. & Khachemizova, M. & Altın, F. (eds.) (2026). New Font Work in Cyrillic Alphabet. Özgür Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58830/ozgur.pub1326

License

Published

June 17, 2026

ISBN

PDF
978-625-8998-96-2

DOI

Statistics

Views
63
Downloads
24