Chitalishte Aleko Konstantinov – 1954

Chitalishte Aleko Konstantinov – 1954

About us:

This chitalishte was initially established under the name of Vasil Kolarov in honour of the notable political leader and statesman who resided in Plovdiv for over 15 years. It was situated in the neighbourhood formerly known as Gul Bahce, between the two hills Sahat Tepe and Bunardzhik (officially known as Danov Hill and Liberators Hill). The first books were collected “from door to door” as donations by private citizens and the collection gradually increased. The chitalishte has hosted meetings with notable Plovdiv artists, actors from the Plovdiv theatre and opera and has been a venue for a number of recital and poetry readings. As early as 1965 the access to the books was free of charge, while the chitalishte won the title of a “Model Chitalishte”. It leads a vibrant cultural life with foreign language learning courses enjoying over 600 participants annually, an all-female choir for Rhodope style folklore singing, youth poetry and acting clubs, etc. After the changes in 1989 the chitalishte was moved to its current address and since 1995 it bears the name of the remarkable Bulgarian writer and satirist Aleko Konstantinov.

At present the chitalishte is growing and developing further. It has a rich library which offers books in Bulgarian and Italian and a cultural information centre that was set up in 2001 which offers free of charge services to citizens (Glob@l libraries). The chitalishte runs language courses (English and Italian), music groups and clubs (for women and children), the club for national embroidery and ornamentation, a children’s tourist club, among others. Its premises host book launches, exhibitions and other cultural events; the chitalishte possesses a unique art collection. Since 1995 the chitalishte holds “Aleko Days” and a drawing competition for school pupils from Plovdiv.

The chitalishte aims to preserve and enrich its current core activities but it is also striving to develop in accordance with the contemporary situation and welcomes partnerships in various project schemes, with NGOs, etc. as it has already done in a number of successful bids.

If you are curious to find out more, see the Information card of the chitalishte provided by the Regional centres for expert consultation and information (RCECI).

Director: Ivan Dimitrov Hristov

Secretary: Anahid Vahyan Parsehyan

Librarian: Adelina Bozhinova, Snezhana Staykova

Address: 160, 6th September Blvd.

Opening hours: Floating working hours for events

Phone: +359 32 266568; +359 898 597533

E-mail: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alekoplovdiv

Spaces:

The chitalishte is located in the city centre. It is housed in a one–storey building and includes a library, a book depository, a reading room, a children’s library, a library with books in Italian, a study hall. The chitalishte also has a large lobby, which hosts various cultural events and exhibitions with a capacity of up to 50 people. In good weather, the playground in front of the chitalishte – an open space with a capacity of up to 25 people – is used, mainly for children’s events.

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