Regional Library Petko R. Slaveykov

Veliko Tarnovo

Past Events

The library enables lecturers, authors, schools and other organizations active in the field of culture and education to use the reading rooms to give lectures, organize meetings, present new publications, etc. If you too are looking for a spacious, technologically equipped and comfortable venue for your event, you can contact us.

On March 28, on the eve of the International Day of Humour and Jokes at the National Museum of Education in Gabrovo, RL "P. R. Slaveykov" - V. Tarnovo opened the exhibition "90 years since the birth of Peter Borsukov - Bor" - journalist, artist, cartoonist, writer, satirist and public figure.

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Today, 20 March, we celebrate the International Day of Francophonie at the French Centre of the University of St. St. Cyril and Methodius", with the assistance of the Foreign Language Center "Eagle" at RL "P. R. Slaveykov", VTU "St. Sv. Cyril and Methodius" and Alliance Française.

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On March 20, 2025 at 13.00 in the foyer of the Regional Library were awarded the prizes in the annual competition "My hometown". For the twenty-fifth time the Regional Department of Education - Veliko Tarnovo and the Regional Library "Petko R. Slavejkov announced the competition for children's and youth creativity in the fields of Literature and Fine Arts on the theme "150 years since the death of Matej Preobrazhensky - an awakener, scribe, prominent worker of the Bulgarian national revival, comrade of the Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski".

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On March 10, the Central Building of the RL "P. R. Slaveykov" had the pleasure to host a meeting with Toma Bikov - political scientist, journalist in various print and electronic media, prominent social analyst, member of the 51st National Assembly from the parliamentary group of "GERB - SDS". Author of several books to date, a specific reason for his visit to V. Tarnovo was the presentation of his newest study "Bulgarian Counterrevolutions and the End of Ideologies".

A special guest of the event was Dimitar Nikolov - also MP from "GERB - SDS" in the current 51st National Assembly, who offered the audience a short biographical introduction about the personality of Toma Bikov. The author himself impressed the guests with his in-depth knowledge of individual topical issues, as well as with his analyses of individual episodes in the cultural, historical and spiritual development of Bulgaria.

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There is no translation available.

В изпълнение на задълженията си по Закона за обществените библиотеки за оказване на експертно-консултантска и квалификационна дейност в Регионална библиотека „Петко Р. Славейков” се проведе първия от поредицата семинари за повишаване на квалификацията на библиотекари и запознаване с нови добри практики.

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On February 12, the award ceremony for the distinguished participants in the fourth edition of the national crime story writing competition /"The Unsolved Case" was held in the reading room. The event was attended with great interest, as the competition itself between the various participants was definitely contested.

The big winner this year was Fanny Tsurakova, a popular writer and doctor of psychiatry, author of the short story "Igor". The second place went to Nikola Nikov from Sofia, who offered the jury his story titled "Friday Night at the Vanilla Cola". The third place was once again divided between two participants. The first of them - Marina Lazarova - turned out to be the big winner in the third edition of the contest. Now her plot was titled "Maya". The other participant, ranked third, was Velizara Yordanova with her story "Murder under the Jell".
In addition to the prizes, the jury awarded two special incentive prizes. Their worthy winners were Miroslav Zdravkov Georgiev from Gorna Oryahovitsa with the story "The Psychiatry" and Irena Stefanova Stoyanova, author of "The Sands of the Sahara".
Besides them, seven incentive prizes were awarded to some of the youngest participants in the contest - a group of children from Svishtov, a brother and sister from Varna, and a student from Montana.

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On 23.01.25. we had a visit of the young poet Galina Katsarova. She presented her second solo book of poems "After the anaesthesia of thought".

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On 9 December Victoria Beshliyska presented her latest novel "Nishka" at the Regional Library "Petko R. Slaveykov" in Veliko Tarnovo. The writer is in Veliko Tarnovo for the third time at the invitation of the library to meet her fans.

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On November 21, the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in the Bulgarian national calendar it is designated as the Day of the Christian Family.

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On November 14 and 15, 2024 Regional Library "P. R. Slaveykov" hosts for the twenty-third time in a row the National scientific conference with international participation "Libraries - reading - communications". This year RL "P. R. Slaveykov" also celebrates its 135th anniversary since its establishment.

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Recommended Books

On the tracks of history in Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Lovech and Pleven

  • Author: Съставители: РБ "П. Р. Славейков", РБ "Априлов-Палаузов", РБ "Проф. Беню Цонев", РБ "Христо Смирненски"
  • Language: български
  • Publisher: Народна библиотека "П. Р. Славейков"
  • ISBN: 9786197173598
  • Year of publication: 2025
  • Cover: мека
  • Pages: 328

Personalities, events, and interesting facts

The publication "On the Tracks of History from Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Lovech, and Pleven. Personalities, events, and interesting facts" is being released on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the "Mizia" local history association. The book is an attempt to bring together in one place what cannot be captured in dry dates and historical facts – the spirit of the place, the power of tradition, the memory of the people.

The Mizia Association includes the local history departments of the Petko R. Slaveykov Regional Library in Veliko Tarnovo, the Aprilov-Palauzov Regional Library in Gabrovo, the Prof. Benyu Tsonev Regional Library in Lovech, and the Hristo Smirnenski Regional Library in Pleven.

"On the Tracks of History from Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Lovech, and Pleven. Personalities, Events, and Interesting Facts" is the result of the joint work of librarians from the above-mentioned libraries.

The main idea of the proposed edition is to cover and present to the reader a wide range of personalities, events, and facts related to the past and history of the cities of Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Lovech, Pleven, and their regions. These settlements are not just streets, buildings, and events from the pages of printed works, but the living memory of people—their dreams, labor, suffering, celebrations, and heritage.

The book covers one hundred materials, twenty-five texts presented by each library. The individual publications do not claim to be scientific, but rather have a journalistic character. The published expositions confront the compilers with already completed research, highlighted events, and characterized personalities. However, such a local history publication, arranged in this way and bringing together the past of these settlements, has not been available on the book market until now. Its very printing and publication in this format and with this content reveals family ties, a rise in literacy, education, and social activity, as well as historical and cultural parallels between Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Lovech, and Pleven. The first lady of Bulgarian architecture, Veliko Tarnovo architect Victoria Angelova-Vinara, wins third prize in the competition for the Military Club building in Pleven; the madcap head of Bulgarian aviation Petko Popganchev becomes director of the State Aircraft Factory in Lovech; Gabrovo educator, mathematician, and physicist Acad. the Gabrovo educator, mathematician, and physicist Acad. Ivan Gyuzelev is the father of the talented Veliko Tarnovo composer Bogdana Gyuzeleva-Vulpe; The founder of modern Bulgarian linguistics, Prof. Benyu Tsonev, taught at the Petropavlovska Seminary near Lyaskovets, etc. The publication itself is evidence supporting the participation of these cities and their libraries in the only local history association in the country.

The texts present individual figures from the Bulgarian Renaissance who made a significant contribution to the economic, cultural, and social development of their native region. These were Bulgarians who kept local identities alive in the context of our national culture, historical events, and processes.

It is only natural that this type of literature should include illustrative material to enrich and illustrate the proposed text. The included photo collection is accompanied by annotations and the source from which the photos were selected is indicated.

The local history publication "On the Tracks of History from Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Lovech, and Pleven. Personalities, Events, and Interesting Facts" is aimed at young readers with the aim of encouraging their love for their homeland and native region. It is also useful for all those researchers and local historians who preserve local memories and traditions.

The history of a city is actually the individual stories of the people and families who lived there, the events that took place there, and the first discoveries and processes that have become part of its appearance and memory.

"The Maid"

  • Author: Freida McFadden
  • Language: bulgarian
  • Publisher: Bard
  • ISBN: 9786190302537
  • Year of publication: 2024
  • Cover: soft
  • Pages: 336

A young woman with a dark past...

Milly desperately needs a job. After a long search and numerous rejections, luck finally smiles on her. She is hired as a maid by the wealthy Nina Winchester, who lives in a luxurious house with her husband Andrew and their spoiled and capricious daughter Cecilia.

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"The Secret of Secrets" - Dan Brown

  • Author: Dan Brown
  • Language: bulgarian
  • Publisher: Bard
  • ISBN: 9786190303770
  • Year of publication: 2025
  • Cover: soft/hard
  • Pages: 608

Series: Robert Langdon

The author of the world's most famous thrillers returns with a stunning new novel—a stimulating, twist-filled, mind-bending masterpiece that will engage readers in a way only Dan Brown can.

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"Lehusa" - Vasil Popov

  • Author: Vasil Popov
  • Language: bulgarian
  • Publisher: Colibri
  • ISBN: 9786190217374
  • Year of publication: 2025
  • Cover: soft/hard
  • Pages: 516

The mysteries of Bulgarian folklore come to life in monstrous dimensions in the sequel to Mamnik - Lehus.

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The (Un)Solved Case

  • Author: Authors
  • Language: bulgarian
  • Publisher: Public library "P. R. Slaveykov"
  • ISBN: 0
  • Year of publication: 2025
  • Cover: soft

Ever since the Petko R. Slaveykov Regional Library launched a national competition for writing crime stories under the general title "The (Un)solved Case" in 2021, we have often been asked where, when, and how the submitted works could be read.

Fortunately, since mid-September 2025, we have been able to enjoy a printed book edition. This was made possible thanks to financial support from the Ministry of Culture under the program "Technological renewal, technological equipment, and promotion of reading, media, and information literacy in public libraries." The collection bears the same title, "The (Un)revealed Case," and contains all 23 stories by the participants who won prizes in the four editions of the competition held so far. Although some of the authors have had individual texts published previously, most of them are not professional writers in the true sense of the word. This undoubtedly adds even more significance to their intellectual efforts.

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Annual Competitions

Summer campaign "Come to the library"

The Summer Campaign "Come to the Library" is an initiative, conceptually designed to provoke the students from I to XII grade from Veliko Tarnovo, who are readers of RL "Petko R. Slaveykov" to read more and more books during the summer holidays.

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"My hometown"

With the longest and most successful implementation is the annual competition "My hometown". Its first edition was in 2000 and has since become a favorite and recognizable for the participants from the city and the region.

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Foyer of the book with an autograph

Regional Library "Petko R. Slaveykov" - Veliko Tarnovo over the last ten years has established an extremely prestigious cultural event, which is the "Foyer of the book with an autograph". The philosophy of this forum is related to the promotion of Bulgarian printed book production not only in the region, but also nationally.

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"/Un/solved case"

The National Crime Writing Contest, under the general title of "/The/ Unsolved Case," will launch in 2021. The contest is held over a one- or two-month period, traditionally during the fall season of a given calendar year.

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Latest News

Staff at the ‘P. R. Slaveykov’ Regional Library immersed themselves in the intricacies of the art of bookbinding

For two days in July, the ‘P. R. Slaveykov’ Regional Library in Veliko Tarnovo became a venue for an encounter with an ancient yet still highly valued craft – bookbinding and book restoration.

Library staff had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the intricacies of the art of bookbinding under the guidance of master craftsman Veselin Topalov – a long-standing practitioner with proven expertise in traditional bookbinding and the restoration of book collections.

During the training, participants were introduced to various stages and techniques of the bookbinding process – preparing the book block, sewing on a bookbinding loom, working with bookbinding materials, shaping and reinforcing the book block, crafting and restoring hardback bindings, as well as approaches to dealing with various types of damage.

Participants had the opportunity not only to watch demonstrations but also to put what they had learnt into practice by going through the individual stages of the restoration process.

We would like to thank master bookbinder Veselin Topalov for sharing his knowledge, skills and love of the art of bookbinding!

The P. R. Slaveykov Regional Library is exchanging experience and best practice with libraries and archives in the Netherlands

Between 4 and 8 August, library specialists Anastasia Radeva, Dilyana Georgieva, Simona Stoykova and Ivelina Miteva from the P. R. Slaveykov Regional Library visited the towns of Sittard-Gelen and Maastricht in the Netherlands as part of a mobility project under the Erasmus+ programme. The visit was hosted by Mr Peer Boselie, an archivist at the Regional Archives in Sittard-Gelen and a partner in previous projects undertaken by the library.

The meeting began with an introduction to the archive’s activities and the specialised area for the digitisation of archival materials, which the team refers to as the ‘scanning street’. A presentation on the history of the province of Limburg was shown. The AEZEL project was presented; this covers the Limburg region and involved 200 volunteers.

Currently, 70 volunteers are involved in the archive’s work, which helps the institution to function and represents a key driving force within it.
The first day continued with a visit to the Ligne Public and Academic Library in Sittard. Services are provided by a small number of staff, mainly at the ‘Information’ desk. Readers return and borrow books electronically (via self-service), whilst librarians sort them into the relevant sections. Here, too, they rely on the help of volunteers, mainly to assist students during the academic year. The building features a café, small study rooms and areas for relaxation and reading.

On the second day, a visit was made to the Tracé archive and its adjoining reading room in Maastricht (the administrative centre of the province of Limburg). A working meeting was also held on that day with the conservator

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Regional Public Library

Petko R. Slaveykov

5000 Veliko Tarnovo

2, Ivanka Boteva

prs@libraryvt.com

Marianka Byrova

Director

+359 62 620208

director@libraryvt.com

Dr. Ivan Aleksandrov

Deputy Director

+359 62 628098

+359 88 8 790 104

prs@libraryvt.com

Branch 'Buzludzha'

8, Denyo Chokanov st.

+359 62 648 803

buzl_dep@libraryvt.com

Main Building

2, Ivanka Boteva st.

+359 62 627 901

zaemna@libraryvt.com

Art Department

8, Krakov st.

+359 62 630 410

art_dep@libraryvt.com

Department for Senior Readers 'Snejana Yaneva'

7, Simeon Veliki st.

+359 62 641 856

slav_dep@libraryvt.com

Branch 'Slaveiche'

7, Simeon Veliki st.

Children's Department

+359 62 641 856

slav_do@libraryvt.com

Foreign Language Centre 'Eagle'

7, Simeon Veliki st.

+359 62 646 916

eagle_dep@libraryvt.com

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