Chitalishta and a new kind of station
Bulgaria's chitalishta, the misuse of their subsidies, and how Nomad Stations carry their mission into the present.
10/8/20253 min read
The demographic picture across Bulgaria is a subject that has been painfully familiar to us for years. Looking at it, we might conclude that, for one reason or another, our homeland has long ceased to be dear or precious to us.
Corruption, emigration and a protracted economic crisis are the greatest enemies keeping us from climbing out of the deep mire we have been rolling in for years. Culture stays in the background, although over the years it is precisely culture that has had the power to change things. Our country is the ugly duckling of Europe – a duckling that keeps putting off growing up.
Probably because we like ourselves the way we are – I'm no longer sure.
The chitalishta
The chitalishte ("reading house") is a Bulgarian public institution that has been a refuge for national culture since 1856. In the most remote corners of the country, the chitalishte is often the only cultural centre the population has access to. There, people of all ages can encounter folk literature, music, dance, the internet and computers.
Things that may not seem so exotic to the average city dweller, but which invariably impress the children of small villages. Today there are 3,700 registered chitalishta in Bulgaria, and in 2017 they were inscribed in UNESCO's Register of Good Safeguarding Practices of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Nice work, but…
Brazen.
International recognition does not stop the chitalishta from falling victim to tax fraud. After all, some ranking or other doesn't keep us warm, especially in winter. The reasons why they are such an attractive project for not-so-culturally-minded "entrepreneurs" are not officially known, but we can guess at least two.
The first is set out in the Chitalishta Act, Article 4c. Under its paragraph 3, the state undertakes to provide financial support to registered chitalishta through the budget of the Ministry of Culture. The second is probably linked to the tax relief for non-profit activity that these institutions also enjoy by law. Registered cases of abuse and improper distribution of these subsidies are certainly not lacking.
But madam, step out of the library – we're on air!!!
That is most likely the scene that played out in a chitalishte in Blagoevgrad in 2017, where it turned out that a cable television channel had obtained state funding because it was officially registered as a chitalishte.
Once again, we are neither surprised nor shocked.
Our station still has regular passengers
Every society develops through culture. Through it, people with different interests, views and professions can find common ground. The modern Bulgarian citizen who feels responsible for society is ready to give this idea the attention it needs – as shown by organisations such as the Narodni Chitalishta Foundation, the Trotoara Foundation, the Savremenni Chitalishta Association, the Agora platform and others. The people behind these organisations aim to give young people a wide range of opportunities in education and culture.
A new type of organisation devoted to culture and education is appearing on the horizon – the Nomad Station. Its aim is to transform cultural heritage through the lens of the present, and its work will be directly linked to that of the chitalishta. The first station will soon open its doors in the village of Karlukovo, Lovech Province. Young people from all over the world will be able to study languages there with state-of-the-art equipment. A station like this in a village of 700 inhabitants would undoubtedly change the ecology of the whole area, bringing new life to the village and its people.
Where there's a will, there's a way.
That is exactly why the organisation will make it possible to join the training remotely, to help those who, for whatever reason, cannot be at the station in person.
Nomad Stations plans to create more training centres in Bulgaria and abroad – new stations whose doors, virtual or real, will be wide open to anyone who wants to join.
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