site.btaLack of Young, Qualified Staff in Community Centres Could Lead to Personnel Crisis, Warns National Chitalishte Institute Director

The shortage of young and adequately prepared professionals in the working structures of Bulgaria’s community centres (chitalishte) could result in a personnel crisis, said Dr. Silvena Bayrakova, Director of the National Chitalishte Institute at the Union of Community Centres, during the presentation of an analysis of the results of a nationwide empirical study focused on the management and development of chitalishta community centres. The analysis was presented at the BTA National Press Club in Sofia on Tuesday.

Also present at the event was Prof. Nikolay Doynov, Chair of the Union of Community Centres. He explained that the reason for the discussion was an extensive study carried out by the institute on the governance and development of these institutions, which are preparing to celebrate their 170th anniversary. The year 1856 is considered the birth date of the chitalishte tradition in Bulgaria, and historiography recognizes the first three Bulgarian chitalishte community centres as those in Lom, Svishtov, and Shumen.

Prof. Doynov added that the Union has already begun forming a national committee composed of well-known public figures, including politicians, actors, musicians, professors, and lecturers. “So far, we have 30 confirmed participants – prominent personalities whose names we will announce on October 2 at the Sts. Cyril and Methodius National Library. The goal of the committee is to bring together as many authoritative individuals as possible to support the work of chitalishte community centres and their staff. The committee will serve as a representative body in the public sphere, with the idea of giving the chitalishte movement fresh momentum for development,” Doynov explained.

Dr. Bayrakova explained that the survey, conducted in March-April 2025, was addressed exclusively to leaders, secretaries, and chairpersons of chitalishte centres, and included 796 respondents from across the country. The questions covered a broad range of topics: the profile of the organizations (settlement type, number of subsidized positions, main activities, and target age groups), leadership structures (gender, age, education, competences, and motivation), as well as working conditions, remuneration, prestige, and public perception.

She noted that a significant share of chitalishte centres operate with three to ten subsidized staff positions, while only a small fraction, 1.8%, have more than 20. Larger organizations are therefore able to develop more complex structures, with opportunities for task delegation, specialization, and the application of elements of strategic management and project-based governance.

According to the survey, about 70% of managers hold a secondary education, while approximately one-third have higher education in the field of arts.

Dr. Bayrakova stressed the urgent need for systematic efforts to attract a new generation of leaders and to provide training programmes that complement the traditional cultural profile with modern managerial and communication skills.

In conclusion, she highlighted that “chitalishte cultural centres demonstrate a solid foundation of trust at the local level, which is their greatest capital and source of resilience”. At the same time, she called for better positioning and visibility of these institutions: “Chitalishte centres have the potential to be catalysts of local development, but in order to be recognized as strategic partners in national cultural policy, they need stronger visibility and recognition”.