Haskovo

Haskovo is a town in central southern Bulgaria. It is the administrative center of Haskovo municipality and Haskovo district. According to the latest NSI data, as of December 31, 2018, Haskovo has a population of 70,406 people and is the 12th largest city in the country.

Haskovo is the fastest and most direct road connecting Europe with Asia and the Middle East. Not far from the borders with Turkey and Greece, Haskovo has become a center of international, trade and cultural exchange. The presence of these indicators make Haskovo and the region an attractive destination for industrial development, in the field of construction and mechanical engineering for the food industry, chemical industry, wine production, production of food, beverages and tobacco, clothing and textile industry.

Culture and tourism occupy a significant place in Haskovo. Every year the city hosts international festivals "Pretty Thrace sings and dances", music days "Nedyalka Simeonova", festival for Bulgarian people and dances "Haidushka sofra", national competition for debut literature "Southern Spring" and many others.

On the territory of Haskovo municipality is one of the most impressive Thracian tombs - Alexander's Tomb. An integral part of the city is the world's tallest statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Infant.

 

Sights

Religions

Haskovo is a city of ethnic and religious tolerance. The most widespread religion is Orthodox Christianity, it is professed by about 78% of the city's population. About 12% profess Islam, and 10% of the population profess other religions. There is a congregational church community in the city, part of the Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches.

Temples on the territory of the city of Haskovo
The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the oldest and most respected church in the city. A lot of faith, efforts and courage are given by the people of Haskov - united and fighting to get permission to build their temple during the years of Ottoman rule.
Saint Haralampii Church in Bolyarovo district was built in 1922 and consecrated in 1926 on the initiative of the then Minister of Finance Petar Yanev (1886 - 1925) (raised in Bolyarovo).
The church "St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel" was built in 1861 by writhing Bulgarians. It is the second in order in the city and is known as the Greek church or the church of the rich. It is a three-nave basilica with a large, relatively low semicircular apse and a wide U-shaped narthex.
Saint Dimitar Church - on July 14, 1896, its foundations were laid. The construction continued for two years and in the fall of 1898, on Crossing Day (September 14), the temple was consecrated by Plovdiv Metropolitan Natanail. The temple "Saint Dimitar" was built with quarry stone and lime.
Saint George's Church in Ovcharski district (on Dragoman Street).
Surp Stepannos Armenian Church. In the first decades of the 20th century, the Haskovo Armenian community gradually developed and strengthened. Their main goal now is to create a place of worship. At a meeting, it was decided that the two rooms in a courtyard purchased by the community should be converted into a chapel.
The chapel "Sveta Petka Bulgarska" is located in the southern part of the park in Makedonski district, east along Dniper Street in the city of Haskovo.
Saint Tryphon Chapel in Kenana Park. In the month of March 1925, the Haskovo vintners gathered in the "Kenana" area and decided to build a chapel in honor of Saint Tryphon: the vintner saint of the Bulgarians.
The "Holy Ascension" chapel was erected on Yamacha Hill more than seventy years ago in honor of the Orthodox holiday of the same name.
Eski mosque claims to be one of the oldest built on our lands. According to the stone slab erected above its entrance with an Arabic inscription, it dates back to 1394.
Bazaar Mosque. The name of the building is related to its location - both past and present - in the center of the city's commercial core.
On September 8, 2003, the "Holy Virgin" Monument (Haskovo) was opened in Haskovo, with which the city entered the Guinness World Records for the tallest statue of the Virgin and Child (33 m). A Nativity of the Virgin chapel was built at the base of the monument.

 

Culture

Theaters
Drama Puppet Theater "Ivan Dimov"
The building of the "Ivan Dimov" theater was built in 1926. In 2004, a major renovation was done by the Municipality of Haskovo, which turned the theater into one of the most beautiful and modern ones in the country. The stage machinery, plumbing and electrical system have been completely replaced.

In 2000, the puppet and drama theaters in Haskovo were united into a common puppet-drama theater under the name "Ivan Dimov" Drama and Puppet Theater with the status of a production center with its own production, without actors on staff - troupes were formed under civil contracts relevant projects. The union of the two theaters has won numerous awards over the years from various festivals and competitions, including the Asker and Ikar awards.

Some of the most prominent artists in the field of puppetry and drama theater in the country work in the Haskovo theater. An integral part of the Theater's activity is connected with continuous tours in the Haskovo region and throughout the country. Partners of the theater are the National Theater "Ivan Vazov", the Satirical Theater "Aleko Konstantinov", the New Drama Theater "Tear and Laughter", etc., including non-governmental organizations and private companies.

Museums
Regional History Museum - Haskovo (ROME - Haskovo)
The Haskovo Historical Museum is one of the richest and most active museums in Bulgaria. The first museum in the city was founded in 1927 at the "Zarya" community center, and in 1935 the materials collected there were handed over to the local Archaeological Society. In 1952, a state museum was established. The scope of his activity includes not only the collection of individual materials, but also the registration and preservation of immovable cultural monuments in the region. The museum's holdings grew rapidly and it now holds over 120,000 artefacts related to the history and culture of the area.

Unique collections of prehistoric, antique and medieval materials from ceramics, stone, iron and glass form part of the museum's rich holdings. Among the most interesting exhibits are two of the rarely found in Bulgaria "Trojan type" cups, dated from the 1st century BC, one of which is also a symbol of the museum. An extremely valuable collection of ancient and medieval coins, numbering more than 22,000 pieces, can also be seen here.

In 2016, the Regional History Museum in Haskovo opened the renewed archaeological exposition. It is located in a new modern hall on two floors and stores material evidence of the history of the region from the Neolithic Age (VII - V millennium BC) to the Late Middle Ages.

Under the care of RIM - Haskovo are also two active house museums on the territory of the city of Haskovo:

The Pascal house - the house of Chorbadji Pascal in Haskovo was built in the middle of the 19th century - two-storey, asymmetrical, with a magnificent functional distribution. The exposition in the Pascal house is a collective collection of objects of Haskovo wealthy families, who lived immediately after the Liberation, until the end of the 19th century.
The Church School - the building known as the "Kirk School" in the center of Haskovo is part of the large donation made by the local banker and merchant Yani Khrostodorov for the benefit of the Municipality of Haskovo in 1926. On October 30, 2006, a permanent exhibition "The Wakers of Haskovo" was opened in it ". In the wonderful atmosphere of the restored old house, photos, documents and belongings of Haskovians, who contributed to the spiritual growth of the city, are displayed.
The region is extremely rich in cultural monuments from prehistory and especially from the early Thracian era (11th - 6th centuries BC). Many megaliths have been recorded in the Strandja-Sakar area and the Eastern Rhodopes, and many monumental stone Thracian tombs have been discovered in the area. The most famous among them is the Tomb of Alexander, decorated with wall paintings reflecting the system of royal ideology of the Thracians. With the help of the Japanese government, a museum was built in 2009, in which an exact copy of the tomb itself is exhibited.

Museum Center "Thracian Art in the Eastern Rhodopes"
It is located in close proximity to the mound with the original tomb. One part of the building is dedicated to a rich museum exhibit and a replica of the tomb, and the other part is a dedicated modern scientific research center with laboratories equipped with the latest restoration and conservation techniques. A perfect copy of the Alexander Tomb occupies a central place in the exhibition. The architectural elements and wall paintings in the tomb are recreated in 1:1 scale. They recreate battle and hunting scenes, as well as moments from the infamous feasts of the Thracian aristocracy.

Galleries
Atanas Sharenkov Art Gallery
The city art gallery in Haskovo was founded in 1962. It is located in two neighboring houses - Jewish and Armenian, declared cultural monuments and built at the beginning of the 20th century.

Initially, the gallery started with a few paintings, but in 1964 the fund was enriched with 500 works by local artists Dimitar Ivanov (Face) and Petar Tolchev. Nowadays, the collection of the gallery has 1668 works (paintings, sculptures, graphics and icons). The permanent exhibition includes works by iconic artists such as Stefan Ivanov, Nikola Marinov, Marko Markov, Ivan Lazarov, Alexander Mutafov, Zlatyu Boyadzhiev, Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Nenko Balkanski, Vasil Barakov, Boyan Petrov, Ivan Hristov, Tsenko Boyadzhiev, Alexander Poplilov, Petko Abadjiev and others. From the middle generation of artists who have shown their talent in many national and international exhibitions, the gallery is represented by authors such as Svetlin Rusev, Dimitar Kirov, Atanas Pacev, Teofan Sotirov, Todor Panayotov, Pencho Balkanski, Anastasia Panayotova, Galilei Simeonov and others. The look of the gallery is also determined by works of artists who lived and worked in the county. These are Alexander Stamenov, Petar Mihailov, Hristo Forev and others. Most of the works exhibited in the gallery are pictorial compositions, portraits and busts. They show the rich traditions of our national art and its national spirit, define its high achievements, reveal the talent of the Bulgarian people.

Since 2009, the gallery bears the name of "Atanas Sharenkov" - an outstanding technologist and artist, born in the city of Haskovo. Since 2011, the "Atanas Sharenkov" gallery has had a branch - the "FORUM" gallery.

Monuments
Monument to Captain Petko voivoda
Monument to the Unknown Warrior
Monument to the Haskovic Revivalists
Monument to the 10th Rhodope Infantry Regiment
Monument of Envy
Monument to the Haskovic Revivalists
Victory Monument
Monument to Dimitar Ivanov

 

Sacred architecture

The "Holy Virgin Mary" monument entered the Guinness World Records as the world's tallest statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child. The monument was erected with respect, love and appreciation for the Mother of God. It was opened in 2003 with a consecration by Metropolitan Arsenius. In 2005, it was entered in the Guinness Book of World Records, and since 2009 it has also been included in the list of the Hundred National Tourist Sites of Bulgaria.
The bell tower - with impressive dimensions and an unforgettable view rises above the town of Haskovo. The almost 29-meter high bell tower was erected in 2010 in the immediate vicinity of the "Holy Virgin" monument and quickly took its place in the architectural ensemble.
The Old Mosque (Eski Mosque) is the earliest mosque in Bulgarian lands. It was built immediately after the invasion of the Ottoman Turks in Bulgaria, in 797 AD (1394 - 1395). In 1968, the Eski Mosque was declared a cultural monument. Currently, the mosque is significantly dug into the ground (probably due to raising the level of the surrounding streets).
The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Uzundzhovo, near Haskovo, is unique not only with its architecture, but also with the story it tells. Established as a Christian temple, it was destroyed by the Ottoman Empire and a mosque was erected in its place. At the beginning of the 20th century, Turkey returned the property to Bulgaria and then the reconstruction of the mosque into a church began. In 2007, the temple was mainly restored by the Municipality of Haskovo. During the restoration, two medieval inscriptions in Arabic with a religious-philosophical theme were discovered, which have not yet been precisely dated. In the last century, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Uzundzhovo was declared a cultural monument.
Thracian megalithic monument Cromlech - hidden in the dense forests in the eastern part of the mountain, on the outskirts of Madjarovo, is the village of Dolni Glavanak, where in 1998 the only Cromlech in Bulgaria was discovered. It is a structure built of vertically hammered large stone blocks - known under the name megaliths.

The Alexander Tomb
On December 17, 2000, in the "Roshavata Chuka" mound near Alexandrovo, a team of archaeologists led by Dr. Georgi Kitov discovered a unique Thracian tomb from the 4th century BC. with exceptional high-art murals.

The building, which played the role of a temple and a mausoleum, is one of the most remarkable monuments of Thracian culture. Its purpose was to give a last refuge to one of the Thracian rulers, whose name is unknown. With its architecture and frescoes, it is one of the pearls of the Thracian cultural heritage in our lands and ranks among the largest structures of this type discovered up to that time. However, what makes it unique are its murals. Hunting, battle scenes, as well as scenes of a funeral feast alternate with monochrome belts and those with ornamental decoration.

Parks and zoos
The guests of Haskovo are mainly attracted by the healing mineral springs of Haskovo and the picturesque area "Kenana" - a magnificent oak forest with a large park, restaurants, tennis courts and areas for relaxation and treatment. The remains of ancient fortresses and mineral pools from Roman times in the municipality of Mineralni Bani are also particularly interesting for tourists.

Kenana Park
"Kenana" is the largest park on the territory of Haskovo municipality (236.6 ha). It is located northeast of the city. Its main part is forested. Many tree species are common here. Dendrologically interesting are the "small and large parterre", the rosary, the arboretum and the "dry river". A wide pedestrian walkway, 2.5 km long, runs through the park. It leads to the center of the park composition - an artificial lake and a restaurant.

The park has many restaurants, hotels, swimming pools, a summer cinema, a children's corner and sports facilities. There are tennis courts, whose base of 8 equipped courts and professional coaches is very good for tennis and squash. Here, Grigor Dimitrov began his career as a world champion at Wimbledon as a teenager. On "Kenana" is also the zoo of the city of Haskovo, with a terrain of 9 decares and a huge number of different animal species, as well as the "Sivata voda" dam.

Zoo - Haskovo
Kenana Zoo was founded in 1958 with bears, deer and roe deer enclosures within the forest park of the same name. Over the years, the zoo has grown and occupies an area of over 30 decares, in which there are many corners for over 26 animal species - lions, lynxes, baboons, roe deer, a pair of llamas, swans, peacocks, ostriches, ducks, birds of prey, pigeons, etc.

Yamacha Park
Park "Yamacha" was created in the period 1958 - 1970. The 500 decares designated for the park are located in the southern part of Haskovo, on one of the first heights of the Eastern Rhodopes. At the beginning of the park is the monument "Holy Virgin" and the chapel to it. Inside the park there is also a second chapel - "St. Ascension". Directly next to the monument stands the newly built bell tower, 29 m high. It has platforms on three consecutive levels for visits.

One of the historical monuments of the city is also located in the park. The Haskovo stadium was built here, and there is also a separate children's corner. From the central part of "Yamacha" there is a view of the entire city and its surroundings. The areas of the park are richly wooded.

Other green areas
The park next to the Language School was completed in 2002. It stretches for almost a kilometer from PGPCHE "Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov" next to Dunav Street. It has a children's corner, a pedestrian walkway, places to rest.

Sports
Cultural and sports complex "Spartak"
Spartak Cultural and Sports Complex is a facility with a capacity of 3,500 amphitheater seats and a covered stage space of over 300 m². It provides an opportunity to satisfy the audience's preferences for various cultural and sporting events. The complex has modern lighting, greenery, a spacious stage with a modern design, a new installation, dressing rooms and a hotel part.

Regular events
September 8 – City holiday;
"Kitna Trakia sings and dances" - a gathering for folk songs and dances;
Southern Spring Literary Days;
Music days "Nedyalka Simeonova";
Theater holidays (Haskovo);
Jazzfest "Haskovo".

 

 

Geography

Location

The municipality of Haskovo is located in the hilly plains of Southeastern Bulgaria and occupies the westernmost part of the Haskovo region. It is strategically located between the Rhodopes and Stara Planina. It is located not far from the borders with Turkey and Greece. The fastest and most direct road connecting Europe with Asia and the Middle East passes through the territory of Haskovo region.

A curious fact is that Haskovo is at almost the same latitude as the village of Haskovo (Tashkent region, Uzbekistan), Rome (Italy), Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain), Tbilisi (Georgia) and Chicago (USA).

Territory: 740.22 km².
Settlements: 36 settlements: 1 city and 35 villages.
administrative partition

 

Districts of the city:

g.k. "Orpheus"
"Macedonski" district
g.k. "Stone"
g.k. "Almond"
g.k. "Revival"
g.k. "Lyuben Karavelov"
"Poroyni" district
Cuba quarter
Trakiski district
"Hisarya" district
"Republika" quarter
Bolyarovo district
g.k. "Druzhba-1", g.k. "Friendship-2"
"Ruchoka" district
g.k. "school"
"Youth Hill" quarter
"Voevodski" district
g.k. "Red Wall"
g.k. "Shepherd"
"Izgrev" quarter

 

Climate

The southern geographical position of Haskovo and its proximity to the White Sea, from which it is separated by the relatively low slopes of the Eastern Rhodopes, as well as the easy penetration of warmer air along the Maritsa river valley, determine a transitional climate between the continental influence from the north and the Mediterranean from the south. The average annual temperature of the Eastern Rhodope foothills is 12.6 °C. Farmers do not like to blow dry in February, because the early warming tricks the early blooming almonds, apricots, cherries, etc.

Relief
The area around Haskovo has a typical hilly relief. As a northern continuation of the Eastern Rhodopes, geographers rightly call it the Eastern Rhodope foothills or the Haskovo hilly area. Its western border is the Mechkovets height (860 m above sea level). But the height is no less important for the inhabitants of Haskovo, because it is a source area.

Due to the active volcanic activity raging during the Tertiary period, there are deposits of lead-zinc and other non-ferrous metals in the area adjacent to Haskovo.

Waters
The Banska, Haskovska and Harmanliyska rivers start from here. Hot mineral springs gush out, the famous Haskovo mineral baths are located here.

 

History

Haskovo is a city with more than 1000 years of history. In the center of the city stands a monumental clock, built in 1985 on the occasion of the celebrations of about 1000 years since the founding of the city.

A center with a rich heritage, according to archaeologists, the first population on the site of today's city arose in the middle of the Neolithic age around 5000 years before Christ. Since then, numerous evidences of the city's long journey and history have been preserved in prehistoric, Thracian, Roman, late antique and medieval archaeological monuments, traces of which can be found in the city and throughout the region.

Towards the end of the 8th century, on the territory of today's "Hisarya" district, south of Haskovo, the Slavs built a new settlement surrounded by a thick fortress wall. As it grew, a second fortification wall was built at the beginning of the 10th century. Thus, 10 centuries ago, an early medieval city emerged with the typical crafts of that time, a military garrison and a significant population.

In the 11th century, the settlement was completely destroyed by the Byzantine invaders. However, the population remained there and settled on the other bank of the river and around today's "Mladezhki hilm" quarter. Haskovo was revived again during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom under the rule of Asenevtsi and Shishmanovtsi.

After the conquest of the lands, the Turks named the settlement Haskoy, in later times known as Haskoy near Uzundja, because of the fame of one of the largest commodity fairs, the Uzundja Fair, organized in the empire. In the middle of the 19th century, traditional crafts such as tannery and furrier flourished, and whole craft and trade streets with over 200 workshops and trade offices were formed in the city. New Bulgarian schools are emerging one after another in Haskovo.

In 1858, the "Zarya" community center, which still exists today, was established. Despite the appearance of the first industrial enterprises, until the wars, the main livelihood of the population remained agriculture. At the beginning of the 20th century, Haskovo established itself as the center of the tobacco industry.

Immediately after the September 9th coup of 1944, one of the worst incidents in the establishment of the new regime took place in Haskovo - during an attempt by partisans to enter a military unit, the commander of the Second Army Artillery Regiment, Veliko Marinov, three other officers and a communist were killed.

Passed through the era of the so-called "socialist construction" and the years of democratic transition, today Haskovo is a modern city with developed infrastructure and light industry.

 

Economy and infrastructure

Economic characteristic
The sectoral structure of the economy of Haskovo municipality is diverse and consists of Bulgarian and international companies of different sizes. These companies sell their products both on foreign and local markets.

The future development of the municipality is also related to the full use of the natural and climatic conditions in the field of agriculture - making efforts to develop promising market-oriented agricultural productions, creating consulting agricultural centers, etc. The historical facts and the rich culture of the region, combined with the well-developed transport and tourist infrastructure, are a favorable factor for the development of tourism. In this regard, the partnership relationships built by the municipality with cities from England, Austria, France, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the USA, Russia, Serbia, Belarus also make a valuable contribution.

 

Transportation

3 pan-European transport corridors pass through Haskovo - No. 4, No. 9 and No. 10. Corridor No. 4 connects Western and Central Europe with the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and its route in Bulgaria is Vidin - Sofia - Kulata/Sofia - Plovdiv - Haskovo - Svilengrad . Corridor No. 9 connects Northern Europe with the Mediterranean Sea, and in Bulgaria it follows the road Ruse - Veliko Tarnovo - Stara Zagora - Haskovo - Kardjali - Podkova. Corridor No. 10 connects Central Europe with the White and Adriatic seas, and passes through Bulgaria on the road Kalotina - Sofia - Plovdiv - Haskovo - Svilengrad. Part of the corridors No. 4 and No. 10 on Bulgarian territory are the "Trakia" and "Maritsa" highways, the latter passing through Haskovo. In addition to the "Maritsa" highway (Plovdiv - Svilengrad), the city is connected to other settlements in southern Bulgaria and via the Stara Zagora - Haskovo - Kardjali - Makaza road.

Bus and trolleybus transport
Trolleybus transport is provided by the company "Trolleybus Transport Haskovo" EOOD. The lines of trolleybus transport are 108, 308 and 408, with routes:

line 308 ZMM – Bus station – Orpheus – ZMM
line 108 Orpheus - Bus station - Orpheus
line 408 ZMM – Tsig. factory - Orpheus - Driving School - Rakovski-Danube intersection, Valentina - Zarya Community Center - PGMET - ZMM;
Bus transport is served by the company "Golden Fleece" with lines:

line 1 ZMM - Mladost Stadium - center - Lebeda Square - City Garden - Bolyarovo quarter
line 3 ZMM - Mladost stadium - center - Chervena Stena district - Haskovo stadium
Line 5 ZMM - Bus station - Stara Planina St. - SU Vasil Levski - railway station Cuba
line 9 Bus station – OU St. Ivan Rilski - g.k. Orpheus - Klokotnitsa
line 11 First polyclinic - OU Hristo Smirnenski - PGMET Kitsa and Stoycho Marchevi - Stamboliyski - ZMM
line 12 ZMM - Mladost stadium - Lebeda square - center - City garden - Bolyarovo district - Vglarovo
line 13 ZMM - Mladost Stadium - Lebeda Square - Center - City Garden - Bolyarovo District - Garvanovo
line 102 ZMM - Mladost Stadium - Lebeda Square - center - Stara Planina Street - railway station Love Karavelav - Kenana Zoo - Kenana Park
line 104 DAP - Osvobozhdenie Blvd. - center - OU St. Ivan Rilski - G. S. Rakovski Blvd. - g.k. Orpheus - PGDS Tsar Ivan Asen II - Quiet Labor

 

Media

TV channels
There is one local television station in the city - eTV.

Radio channels
"Darik Radio" broadcasts its own program, from which listeners are informed about the events of the city and the region in regular news broadcasts and information broadcasts.

In Haskovo, radio stations "Metronome", "Veselina", "N-Joy", "Bulgaria ON AIR", "Z-ROCK", Focus and Horizont also broadcast.

Healthcare
Regional Health Inspectorate - Haskovo is a second-level appropriator of budget credits to the Minister of Health, with headquarters and management address in the city of Haskovo, 2 "P.Evtimii" Street.

The inspection implements the state health policy on the territory of Haskovo region, which includes the following municipalities: Haskovo, Dimitrovgrad, Svilengrad, Topolovgrad, Ivaylovgrad, Harmanli, Lyubimets, Simeonovgrad, Madjarovo, Mineralni Bani and Stambolovo.

 

Education

Schools
NU "G. S. Rakovski"
Lyuben Karavelov Primary School
Elementary School "St. St. Cyril and Methodius"
Sandor Petofi Primary School
Elementary School "St. Kliment Ohridski"
OU "N. Y. Vaptsarov"
Elementary School "St. Ivan Rilski"
"Hristo Smirnenski" Primary School
SU "Vasil Levski"
SU "St. Paisius of Hilendar"
SU "Stefan Karadzha"
EG "Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov"
PMG "Acad. Boyan Petkanchin"
PGDS "Tsar Ivan Asen II"
PGSST "N. Y. Vaptsarov"
FSG "Atanas Burov"
PGT "Alexander Paskalev"
PGLP "Raina Knyaginya"
PGMET "St. and K. Marchevi"
PUI "Dr. Peter Beron"

Higher schools in Haskovo
UNSS - Regional Distance Learning Center - Haskovo
Thrace University - Medical College - Haskovo

Model People's Community Center "Zarya 1858"
The model folk community center "Zarya 1858" in Haskovo was established before the Liberation - in 1858 by Hristodul Valchev Shishmanov, Ivancho Minchev, Hristo Zlatarov (father of Asen Zlatarov) and other vigilant citizens.

Zarya 1858 Primary School is the first community center in Southern Bulgaria and the fourth in a row in our country. It started its cultural and educational activities only two years after the community centers in Svishtov, Lom and Shumen. Since 1870, a Sunday school has been operating there, fairy tales are told, parties are organized. In 1872, many community members joined the secret revolutionary committee founded in Haskovo by Vasil Levski.

After the Liberation, the first theater performances in Haskovo were played on the stage of the community center. Chitalishte radeteli today pay their gratitude to the first teachers, continuing their work as educators and supporters of Bulgarian education and culture.

Other community centers
On the territory of the city of Haskovo there are also 14 community centers that maintain the spirit and culture in the various neighborhoods.

People's Community Center "Ararat - 2001"
People's community center "Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov – 1961"
People's Community Center "Probuda - 1928"
People's Community Center "Peyo Yavorov - 1982"
People's Community Center "Ivan Vazov - 1978"
People's Community Center "Kadrie Lyatifova - 2000"
Trakia People's Community Center - 2008
People's Community Center "Republika - 1971"
People's Community Center "Petko Rachov Slaveikov - 1978"
People's Community Center "Nikola Yonkov Vaptsarov - 1964"
People's community center "St. Kliment Ohridski 1969"
People's Community Center "Dawn - 1982"
People's Community Center "Georgi Ivanov Topuzov - 1974"
People's Community Center "Asparukh Leshnikov - 2015"
People's community center "Kosta Markov"

"Hristo Smirnenski" Regional Library
The "Hristo Smirnenski" Regional Library - Haskovo was established on April 29, 1953 by decision of the Executive Committee of the District People's Council. The original collection of books numbered 9,617 volumes, mostly donated by private individuals. On the day of the opening of the library - July 15, 1954, the fund already numbered 18,600 volumes of literature.

The library is the main book depository of the district, an archive of local lore literature and the local press, a center for comprehensive library service to readers, for library-bibliographic information and bibliographies on local lore. At the beginning of 2004, the library fund numbered 387,496 library units, subscribed periodicals were 130 – a generous investment for future generations. In the last year, the library was visited by 71,958 readers from Haskovo and the region, and 177,086 books, periodicals, sheet music, etc. were borrowed.