Chitalishte Georgi Tarnev – 1900

Chitalishte Georgi Tarnev – 1900

About us:

Established in 1900 by a group of young members of the choir of the so-called “singing band” at St Ivan Rilski Church, this chitalishte was named after a famous local revolutionary. Until 2018, it was the single such community cultural center on the territory of Severen [Northern] district. Thanks to the efforts of the church board of trustees and the local school the center received donations of books; it had subscriptions to various periodicals; a theatre stage was built that hosted a range of performances and events. During the Balkan wars and WW1 the chitalishte discontinued its activities since most of its members were drafted for the war effort. Its activities resumed after 1921 and it became a hub for the cultural life in the residential district. In 1946 the joint communal efforts led to the setting up of a unified programme for cultural and educational activities which was based entirely within the premises of the center. A committee was elected, led by the president of the chitalishte, which included school directors and head teachers, who jointly organized and maintained a people’s university. Courses in accounting and administrative work training were set up; an additional building was built. Four club groups were created – a choir, a brass orchestra, a drama and a dance group. The first operational ensemble in town was founded. There followed many performances to which the different troupes contributed. The center conducted readings, meetings, lectures, performances and concerts. During the 1950s the center had over 2,500 members, while its book stock amounted to 27,960 volumes, with about 1,000 registered readers. A children’s music school was also set up, with 110 pupils and violin, accordion, piano and solfeggio classes. The community cultural center was awarded the Order of Cyril and Methodius for its overall contribution to culture on the occasion of the 75th anniversary since its establishment.  In 1975 the library branches in the district’s eastern and western areas were founded, while in 1980 it became a methodological center for 19 villages in the region. This chitalishte continued with its multifaceted activities throughout the 1990s as well, although their scope was not as ambitious. In 2007 it received the award of the Municipal Chitalishta Council “To the benefit of our kin” for its overall library activities.

Today, the center boasts of a rich library with over 55,000 volumes, children’s and adults’ departments, as well as reading rooms within them, two book storage facilities, an “Arts” department which contains library documents in fine arts, music, architecture, theatre and cinema. There are art schools, language courses, extracurricular education activities, three clubs and a ladies’ vocal group. They have taken part in numerous competitions and festivals and have won awards. A range of readings, meetings, lectures, exhibitions and celebrations of historical events and dates are conducted on its premises. The center has taken part in projects supported by Plovdiv 2019 Foundation and Glob@l libraries, among other projects and initiatives.

If you would like to find out more, see Information card of the chitalishte in the Regional Expert Consultation and Information Centers (RECIC).

Director: Nadka Vlaeva Ibusheva

Secretary:  Valentina Pencheva Hristeva – Tsoneva

Library: Ani Tomanova    

Address: 146 Bulgaria Blv.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Phone:   +359 32/957081

E-mail:     [email protected]

Facebook: https://facebook.com/g.tarnev

Spaces:

The chitalishte is housed in two buildings in which libraries with a rich book stock are located – Central Library on 146 Bulgaria Blvd. and a Library Branch on 1 Panteley Genov Str. for adults, a children’s department, two reading rooms and three storage facilities. The center has two large internal spaces with pianos, which are used for different cultural events: book presentations, concerts, exhibitions, children’s celebrations, etc., with a capacity of 50–80 people. There are two separate premises in which the activities of the chitalishte’s clubs and schools are carried out.

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