14-07-2023 09:43
Today we will tell you a little about the town of Belitsa, and more specifically about the People’s Community Center “Georgi Todorov” – 1885. The beautiful and cozy mountain town of Belitsa is located among the dense forests of Rila National Park, and the incredible atmosphere defines Belitsa as one of the few completely preserved natural spots in Bulgaria. Walking through the well-arranged center of the town, we reach the People’s Community Center “Georgi Todorov”, which dates back to 1885. Since its founding, the Community Center has been working for and with the local community through its various forms of work: libraries for children and adults, schools and clubs, lectures, honoring local customs, singing and dancing folklore groups, celebrating holidays, etc. Over time, it has been built as a center that attracts people of all ages.
Today, in 2023, the Community Center continues to be an emblematic place that, in addition to its desire to develop and modernize itself, is also successful in preserving its history, culture, traditions and pass them on from generation to generation. We visited the Community Center in connection with the implementation of the project “Workshop for traditional crafts “Mountain signs” financed under the “Local development, poverty reduction and enhanced inclusion of vulnerable groups” Programme. And precisely through it, in addition to the creation of eight new jobs to be occupied by permanently unemployed people, the element of utilization of the natural, cultural and tourist potential on the territory of the Belitsa municipality is also covered.
Under the project, two more pavilions will be established, an exhibition hall in the tourist center will be equipped, and a mobile structure will be positioned near the Park for the re-adaptation of the dancing bears in Bulgaria. Through the implementation of the project, a reduction in the level of unemployment, encouraging long-term unemployed and inactive persons to return to the labor market, will be achieved through training and employment activities.
We met all eight new employees of the Community Center who make amazing things with their hands. During the time they have been working on the project, they have created various souvenirs for studios, which will be placed in the new exhibition hall. We had a chat with Vera Andreeva, who is one of the newly appointed employees on the project. Vera is an extremely inspiring lady who has a lot of experience in making all kinds of souvenirs using a variety of techniques. The words she used to describe her work on this project are nothing but inspiration, and more inspiration. She finds inspiration in the fact that something significant is being done for the town of Belitsa, which gives tourists the chance to take something with them to preserve their memories and experience of their contact with this part of Bulgaria. In the workshops, watches are made using the decoupage technique, souvenirs in the fields of needlework, carpentry, nature, etc. Vera told us that the ideas they have for the exhibition hall and the materials that are yet to be produced are many and very different, and very soon we will be able to see them exhibited in the fully equipped new hall of the tourist center in the town of Belitsa.
We look forward to visiting Belitsa again and seeing the new exhibition hall in all its glory!