Community cultural centres, known as chitalishta, represent one of the most enduring and distinctive elements of Bulgaria’s local cultural and social infrastructure. Today, their nationwide presence can also be explored through the interactive online map of Bulgarian chitalishta, available at: https://karta.narodnichitalishta.bg/
The platform provides a geographical visualisation of nearly 3,600 chitalishta across the country, allowing users to explore their locations and access information about their activities and organisational characteristics. The map enables filtering and searching by different criteria and serves as a valuable public resource for citizens, researchers, and institutions.
Digital tools such as this map help reveal the dense community-based cultural infrastructure that exists throughout Bulgaria. Traditionally, chitalishta function as local hubs for culture, education, and civic engagement, hosting libraries, cultural events, educational initiatives, and community activities.
Within the context of the SONYA Project, resources like this map can also help identify potential local partners and community infrastructures that support social initiatives, including activities aimed at social inclusion, community engagement, and support for older people.
The visualisation highlights the remarkable territorial coverage of chitalishta and their continuing relevance as community-based institutions capable of supporting social innovation and local development.
