chitalishte

…the full meaning of the chitalishte, an institution that not only provided books and newspapers but also organized education for adults and staged plays, debates, and discussions. Nor was it by any means always the case that the new schools were culturally exclusive. In Bulgaria, at least in the early…

…schools were supplemented with the chitalishte, or “reading room,” an institution that first appeared in Svishtov in 1856 but soon spread throughout the country. More than just a small library, the chitalishte staged lectures, meetings, plays, concerts, debates, and social events. It was of immense importance for those who did…