A ''chitalishte'' (, . Derives from the verb "чета" - "to read" or "читател" - "reader") is a typical Bulgarian public institution and building that fulfills several functions at once, such as a community centre, library, and a theatre. It is also used as an educational institution, where people of all ages can enroll in foreign language, dance, music and other courses. In this function they could be compared to the
folk high school
Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;' ...
s of Northern Europe. Some larger urban ''chitalishta'' are comparable to
92nd Street Y in New York City.
The term ''chitalishte'' combines the Bulgarian Slavic root, ''chital-'' ("reading") and the suffix ''-ishte'' (a place where preceding verb happens). Thus ''chitalishte'' literally means "reading room," a place where books are kept for public use.
The ''chitalishta'' of the 19th and early 20th century had a crucial role in preserving and developing Bulgarian culture and thus played an important role during the
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival ( bg, Българско национално възраждане, ''Balgarsko natsionalno vazrazhdane'' or simply: Възраждане, ''Vazrazhdane'', and tr, Bulgar ulus canlanması) sometimes called the Bu ...
. The first institutions of this kind emerged towards the end of the
Ottoman era
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, in 1856 in the towns of
Shumen,
Lom and
Svishtov. Later, the ''chitalishte'' became an important multi-purpose institution in villages and smaller towns. Today, ''chitalishta'' are less widely spread and have decreasingly critical roles, mostly due to lack of funding. They are evolving and adapting by also hosting public events, and housing cinema halls and other modern organisations.
In December 2017 the Bulgarian Chitalishte was Selected on the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
.
References
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See also
* ''
Narodny dim'', the Ukrainian equivalent
Bulgarian culture
Social history of Bulgaria
Bulgarian National Revival
Libraries by subject
Cultural centers
Community centres