{"id":1221,"date":"2024-10-23T22:52:45","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T19:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/?p=1221"},"modified":"2025-02-05T12:42:17","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T10:42:17","slug":"%d1%81%d1%82%d0%b0%d1%80%d0%be-%d1%81%d0%b5%d0%bb%d0%be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/1221","title":{"rendered":"Staro selo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Staro selo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Location \u2013<\/strong> near the dry bed of the Demir Baba River or Staroselska River. To the north, its land borders the Danube River, where the now-dried river used to flow. It is located 9 km south of Tutrakan on the road to the town of Kubrat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1959, the village of Angelovo (Siyahlyar), renamed in 1942 in memory of Colonel Angel Angelov – commander of the 2nd Shumen Heavy Artillery Regiment during the Tutrakan epic, was annexed to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old names<\/strong> – Smil and Gechedi, Satul Vechi, Old Smil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of assumptions and legends about the origin of its name. Stara Reka is known by its Turkish name “Eski Dere”. The name Staro Selo may also originate from Stara Reka. The Bulgarian name of the village is a translation of the Turkish name K\u00fchne Ismail = Star Smil – Old Village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Population according to censuses over the years:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Year Municipality Staro Selo Siyahlar Staroselo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1888 1974 229,970<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1893 2103 247 1019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1900 2460 245 1251<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1905 \u2013 1422<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1910 1977 316 1661<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1941 3665 102 1832<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1946 2202<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1956 2421<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1985 1782<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2011 885<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022 660<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1949, during excavation of the main irrigation canal of the Brashlyanska irrigation system, material from the Early Iron Age (12th-6th centuries BC) was found. The canal is located 4 km north of the village center and 8 km west of Tutrakan, to the right of the Tutrakan – Ruse road, on the northern outskirts of the Yurtata area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The remains of the settlement could be traced in the canal excavation, over a length of about 2 km. Due to the peculiarities of the terrain, it is assumed that the outskirts of a large settlement were discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During field research, a little further north, 4.2 km from the center of the village, on a flat place in the Chairite area, ceramic fragments from the Thracian pre-Roman era were found. The metal dates back to the New Iron Age, 7th century BC, and it is clearly the same settlement, which preserved its continuity and continued its life throughout the pre-Roman era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ancient historian Procopius mentions the construction of the fortress of Kinton in the immediate vicinity of Transmariska. It was the first ancient fortification west of the town of Tutrakan. According to the text:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He also built the Kinton castle… After it comes the Transmariska fortification”. An additional argument is the very name of the castle. Behind it stands the Latin numeral quantum, i.e. the castle was built at the fifth billionth column, but counted from Milan. And indeed, the distance between the Kale near the village of Nova Cherna and Mal Tepe near the village of Staro Selo, corresponds exactly to the indicated miles. There is some misunderstanding about the localization of this ancient site. Shkorpil notes the Mal Tepe area, where he locates the earthen fortification Kuchuk Kale. In fact, the area there is called Livadite (Chairite). Kinton, an unidentified ancient fortress, is identified with the fortresses near Nova Cherna or Staro Selo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               Most likely, the settlement arose as a guard post for the Tutrakan fortress and the earliest information about its existence dates back to 1526.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old village during the Renaissance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old village existed to the north of the current location. According to some traditions and legends, in those terrible years of Ottoman slavery, foreigners came to the village, chased by the Ottomans, and the old villagers sheltered them in their homes. But they brought with them the infection of the insidious disease plague. A terrible plague struck the people. The survivors decided to leave this place, which would always remind them of the death of their loved ones. They settled a kilometer or two south of their old land, on the right bank of the river, but already uphill, to the centuries-old forest, where the air is clean and cool and the disease would have a harder time spreading. The old villagers remain in this place to this day. They fenced off their yards in their old land and worked in Yurtluka for many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to other legends, it is not ruled out that due to the frequent floods from the Danube River, its inhabitants abandoned their original settlement in the Peeva Gradina area and settled to the south. They chose a higher place, with a southwesterly exposure, surrounded by hills and forests, in order to protect themselves from the winds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even before the relocation, the settlement bore the name Staro Selo, as it was older than the surrounding settlements. However, it is unknown when exactly it was settled in this place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his works, L. Miletich believes that the population of Staro Selo is Old Bulgarian, preserved from before the arrival of the \u201cOttomans\u201d under the name \u201cGrebentsi\u201d. A similar opinion is held by Academician St. Romanski, who also considers the population of Staro Selo to be a local, Old Bulgarian population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to local legends, there is another area in the forests of Staro Selo called ” Marazlak’a<\/em> “, which means “badness, illness”. The legend says that during the Ottoman rule, Mara was the most beautiful girl in the village. One day, when Mara was with her mother in a field, two Turks appeared from somewhere. They raped the girl in front of her mother. Then they cut off her head. The mother put her child in the cart and with great difficulty carried him to the village. From that day on, the area has been called “Marazlak’a”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the years after the Crimean War (1853 \u2013 1856), Balkan people from the Elena and Kotla regions settled in the northern part of the village, which is why this part of the village was called the Balkan People’s Neighborhood. The settlement of Balkan people in the village continued after the Liberation from Turkish slavery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the center of the village there is a mound, which according to the local population was filled by a giant. The original folklore of the village is preserved alive to this day. It was described by the ethnographer Dimitar Marinov in the 19th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an administrative unit,<\/strong> Staro Selo was present on the maps of the Turkish “kaaz” under the name Star Smil until 1918.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old village after the Liberation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rural municipal government \u2013 \u200b\u200bthe village of Staro Selo was established immediately after the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878 and was included in the Tutrakan district. It includes the villages of Angelovo and Staro Selo. The Municipal Council takes care of the administrative, financial and public welfare state of the municipality. It is an elected body, elected by the population for a certain period of time, it elects the mayor and assistant mayor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On February 27, 1900, the poor farmers of Staro Selo participated in a protest rally in the town of Tutrakan against taxes. After the rally, the participants from Staro Selo, about 40 people, armed with clubs, returned to the village, attacked the municipality and took it over. Before that, the nervous villagers caught the mayor on the street and beat him. In the municipality, shouting: “Down with the mayor”, they disarmed the guard and the forest guard, retaliating with clubs, during which the clerk in the municipality barely managed to escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On January 1, 1906, the savings and mutual aid society “Doverie” was founded in the village with Veliko P. Drumev as chairman. The aim of the society was to protect the interests of the villagers from swindlers, speculators and merchants. During the Romanian occupation in 1918, it was renamed the Popular Bank “Doverie” and existed under this name until 1940. Since 1940, it has become the Credit Cooperative “Doverie” and its main activity is to distribute loans to its members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the northern direction of the village, a tile factory for roofing tiles was created. Later, a lemonade workshop was created, and even later, a windmill was built by Todor Dermendzhiev for grinding wheat flour, but the capacity was small. In about 4 years, the mill was built in 1912. In the 1930s, Dimitar Marinov Dochev built a mill for grinding corn, rye, barley and other cereals, which were used mainly for animal feed. The mill was powered by charcoal of its own production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the Allied War of 1913, with the signing of the Bucharest Peace Treaty of July 28, 1913, Romania annexed all of Southern Dobrudja, including Staro Selo. The border between Bulgaria and Romania was moved behind the village of Nova Cherna, 15 kilometers west of Staro Selo. A stream of Bulgarians fled from Southern Dobrudja to Bulgaria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the arrival of the administration in 1913, the Romanian government began to settle colonists in Dobrudja, with the aim of strengthening Romanian assimilation. Colonists were settled in the northeastern part of Staro Selo, in the so-called Colonist Quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 17th Romanian Infantry Division was stationed in Tutrakan, which began construction of the Tutrakan fortified camp. Staroseltsi participated in the construction of military defense facilities in the Boblata forest, east of the village. The narrow-gauge railway Staro Selo (in Boblata) – Tutrakan – Pozharevo was built. Underground telephone cables were laid from Tutrakan to the border posts. Tutrakan was turned into a Romanian impregnable fortress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August 1916, several men from Staro Selo, including Todor Stefanov Dermendzhiev, Marin Penev Stefanov and others, were fishing in the \u201cBelosna\u201d swamp with baskets. They were captured by the Romanian marsh guards and taken to the police station in the town of Tutrakan, and from there to Moldova, to the famous \u201cSaveni\u201d labor camp. There they did hard, unbearable labor in stone quarries, amidst diseases, epidemics and beatings, undermined by hunger and despair. In addition to these fishermen, about 130 more men were kidnapped from Staro Selo and sent to camps in Moldova, as unreliable for the Romanian authorities, some of whom died there, and another part managed to return in 1918-1920.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The outbreak of World War I put Staro Selo to a military test. On September 1, 1916, Bulgaria declared war on Romania. During the night of September 1 to 2, the 3rd Bulgarian Army crossed the Dobrudja border. On September 5, at 6:30 a.m., the attack began with prolonged artillery preparation, and at 8:00 a.m., the regiments began their offensive. All three sectors of the fortress were attacked simultaneously. Lieutenant Colonel Hemerstein’s columns took up a position near Staro Selo in the direction of “Boblata” at ford No. 2 – west of Staro Selo. The troops advancing from the west fired on “Boblata” and back. Shells fell into the village and destroyed farm and residential buildings. 7 fighters died in these fighting in Staro Selo. By evening, the first defensive line fell, despite the numerous enclosures, wolf pits and difficult forest terrain. The Romanian garrison made desperate attempts to restore the situation. Despite receiving reinforcements, the Romanians were unable to regain their lost positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On September 6, at 6:00 in the morning, the attack on the second defensive line began, and by noon the combined forces of the Bulgarian army reached the outskirts of the city. At 11:30, the garrison commandant fled to Bucharest. Panic broke out in the city. The Romanians descended to the Danube in order to cross it, but unfortunately the pontoon bridge was not built – simply no one had assumed that the fortress, so well organized, would not withstand the Bulgarian attack. The vessels were not enough and thousands of Romanians drowned in the river. At 15:30, the garrison capitulated. At 18:00, General Kiselov entered the liberated Tutrakan. The modern fortress of Tutrakan, with a strong garrison, was captured by Bulgarian troops in two days, almost on the move, by the soldiers of the 4th Preslav Infantry Division, the 1st Brigade of the 1st Sofia Infantry Division and the Bulgarian-German Danube Detachment (under the command of Baron Hammerstein) and the units transferred to them under the overall command of Major General Pantelei Kiselov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bulgaria won the Battle of Tutrakan, but lost World War I. On September 29, 1918, the Armistice of Thessaloniki was signed and Bulgaria left the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On January 2, 1919, the population of Staro Selo and others from the surrounding villages of Shumentsi and Varnentsi gathered in Staro Selo and protested against the Romanian administration imposed on them by the English commandant in Tutrakan, since the population of these villages was purely Bulgarian. The local population did not accept the Romanian settlers and revolted en masse, as a result of which many Staro Selo residents suffered torture, severe beatings and arrests at the post for several days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On November 27, 1919, the Treaty of Neuilly was signed and Southern Dobrudja again became territorially and administratively part of the Kingdom of Romania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A curfew was introduced. Patrols were set up. Romanian was mandatory. In order to finally strengthen its dominance in Southern Dobrudja, the Chokoi authorities settled thousands of Romanians from the interior of the country and Aromanians from Macedonia, settling them in the plundered lands and vacated houses of Southern Dobrudja residents. The furnishing and supply of the colonists with equipment, livestock and free labor (hangar) was at the expense of the local population. In Staro Selo, they settled in its upper part (towards the “Bobla” forest) and the name “Vlach neighborhood” has been preserved to this day. The settled colonists – Vlachs, Greeks, Macedonians, Tsintsari, were each given 150 decares of land taken from the local population. The landless old villagers cultivated the land taken from them on a share basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Romanian rule and order were established. Romanians were intensively settled. Years of spiritual and moral decline began. Only Romanian was taught and spoken in school, with Romanian teachers. The entire administration was Romanian. Over the years, discontent grew. Local residents were not allowed to gather, especially at night. Traditional gatherings and other local traditions and customs were not held. Romanian rulers deprived local residents of their houses so that they could live in them. An unbearable tax burden and unpaid labor (harvest) were imposed. Romanians conquered the most fertile fields, expelling their owners. The municipality was housed in the building located in the schoolyard (now non-existent).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Old Village Tragedy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On July 3-4, 1926, a detachment of the Internal Dobrudzha Revolutionary Organization crossed from Bulgarian territory into Dobrudzha, carrying out an attack on the Romanian tax collector (tax officer) in the village of Staro Selo. This provided a new pretext for mass arrests, repressions and murders carried out by a Romanian gendarmerie unit under the command of Captain Popescu against Bulgarians from the village and surrounding villages. About 50 people were arrested and accused of “complicity”. On July 6, on the road to Silistra, 27 detained Bulgarian villagers were brutally murdered under the false pretext that the convoy had been attacked by a “committee of the commissars”. They were killed in the Kulvala area near the village. Later, the descendants erected a monument with the names of the victims. The tragedy in Staro Selo caused serious diplomatic complications, had important consequences for the development of the Dobrudzha movement and gave rise to new waves of refugees to Bulgaria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the ruthless and brutal massacre of 26 men in the Kulvala area on July 6, 1926, a mass exodus of old-timers across the border into Bulgaria began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the initiative of Dr. Petar Vichev from the town of Silistra, July 18, 1926 was declared a day of mourning for the entire region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The emigrating old villagers were not restricted by the Romanian authorities, as the liberated houses were occupied by Romanian colonists, who, after the announcement of the Craiova Agreement of 1940, returned to Romania within a few days, plundering the harvest of the local population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old village after the Craiova Agreement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On September 21, 1940, before noon, on horses, in carts and on foot, the villagers of Staro Selo set off north from Staro Selo to meet the Bulgarian army two kilometers from the village, in the fields. The people brought bread, cheese and other food products, and welcomed the Bulgarian army with Bulgarian flags flying. A folk dance was performed with the participation of the villagers \u2013 the greeters and the army, to the sounds of military music. Indescribable joy ensued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the return of Southern Dobrudja to Bulgaria in 1940, old villagers from Bulgaria returned and settled in their own houses, while others moved in with relatives and rebuilt homes or bought houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1940, the Romanian authorities, leaving the newly liberated lands, destroyed the available documentation. For this reason, there are no documents about the local administration until 1940.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last mass population displacement in Dobrudja occurred in 1940-1941, when the new change in the political border between Bulgaria and Romania, according to international agreements, the area from Silistra to the Black Sea returned to Bulgaria. The Craiova Agreement of September 7, 1940 also provided for a mandatory population exchange and according to the adopted plan, 1079 people were settled in Staro Selo, who were resettled in other villages in the following years, as they were temporarily accommodated in the vacated and empty houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New lists of the poor and the landless are immediately prepared and new land allocations for the returning old settlers begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Romanians left behind the school building and the building of the Romanian chokoika Paonica, which housed the municipal administration from 1941 to 1988, and today it has been demolished and a health service has been built in its place. And the building where the health service used to be is owned by the Macedonian Georgi Martov (not yet demolished) with a large yard. After 1941, this building housed the health service, the office of the TKZS, and a nursery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the return of Southern Dobrudja, Staro Selo was included in the Tutrakan district until 1940, Shumen region (1940-1942), Ruse region (until 1958), Silistra region (district) \u2013 from 1959. In the years 1940 \u2013 1942, the villages of Nova Cherna, Syanovo and Siyahlar (Angelovo) were added to it. Since 1942, the village of Syanovo has been added to the village of Nova Cherna, and the village of Siyahlar (Angelovo) has been added to the village of Staro Selo until its deletion in 1959.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with agriculture, animal husbandry is also developed in Staro Selo – sheep and cattle breeding, some primitive beekeeping, home tailoring, cooperage, weak carpentry, and construction by a few builders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The consumer cooperative “Doverie” – successor to the “Pisaro” Agricultural Society for the Assistance of the Poor, established on the initiative of Vasil Penev Boychev. During the wars, it froze its activities and was revived in 1920 as the “Doverie” bank and operated as such until April 7, 1942. After that year, the “Doverie” cooperative was registered with 160 members. Through them, it raises funds and grants loans to those in need at low interest rates. It buys agricultural goods – pulses, eggs, skins, milk, etc. It expands the store network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old village after September 9, 1944<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After September 1944, it was successively a municipal government and a council with the village of Angelovo as a constituent. Since 1979, it has become a mayoralty within the Settlement System and the Municipality of Tutrakan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A party organization was established on September 10, 1944, with party secretary Ivan Angelov Stanev. In 4 years, it grew from 22 to 60 party members, the majority of whom were front-line soldiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The OF organization was established on September 13, 1944, under the leadership of Petar Tomov from the city of Shumen, who had been a teacher in Staro Selo, and the mayor Ivan Stanev, a party organization. 21 party members were registered, and after their return from the front, five more – three from the neighboring village of Angelovo (Siakhlar). Since its establishment, it has taken a leading place in the establishment of the local OF government. It strengthens the district administration, and events are held to create an independent Staro Selo government. In this direction, the agricultural professional group with secretary Nedelcho Boychev Dragnev is also being built, which organization protects the interests of the farmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1952, a kindergarten was opened in Staro Selo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the establishment of a post office in 1950, conditions were created for postal services in Staro Selo. The post office was built in the home of Asen Rusanov Petrov, where the radio equipment with radio operator Nikolinka Ravalieva was housed since 1953. A telephone numbering system was built and several telephones were installed: in the municipal council, in the TKZS, in the consumer cooperative and in the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1963, the post office moved to the newly built extension in the Municipality. In 1969, the installation of home telephones began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1975, after moving to the already vacated building of the TKZS-Staro Selo, an ATC was built and over 400 home telephones were opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1994, the current post office building was built, and in 1996, a new ATC with more telephone booths was installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1962, the village was fully electrified, and the following year, the first over 2 km of streets were asphalted, including the main street and main road. In 1962-1964, the village was supplied with water, and the paving of all streets was completely completed in 1968. The mayor of Staro Selo during this period was Yordan Stoykov Atanasov, who had a remarkable share in the development of the village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the period 1952 \u2013 1954, irrigation canals from the \u201cBrashlenska irrigation system\u201d were dug in Staro Selo to irrigate agricultural crops. The pumping station for irrigation of the land in the YURTO area was built in 1964. Irrigation facilities, underground water pipes and above-ground canals and a pool for atmospheric heating of water, necessary for watering vegetable crops, were built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the state reforms of 1992, when the land division began, all these facilities were destroyed, as well as the irrigation systems in the land of Staro Selo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 1972, a workshop of the “Kamyshit” factory – town of Silistra – was opened in Staro Selo, where 70-75 people, mostly young women, work to make souvenir items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A workshop at the Industrial Plant – Tutrakan town for carpentry and metalworking services is opened with 22 men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1976, a workshop for the production of rubber products with 45 jobs was opened at the TKZS, and at the end of 1977, the entire production of rubber seals, oil seals and many other spare parts was transferred from the closed “BUSER” factory in Sofia to Staro Selo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Already in the beginning of 1980, a new workshop for the production of electrical installations for cars, trailers and tractors was opened at the PGI “Terma” – the town of Tutrakan with 40 new jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The buildings and farmyard are being intensively reconstructed for industrial purposes, and new buildings and facilities are being created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of 1981, a welding workshop was established. A production section was opened for the production of bucket elevators for the E-516 and SK-5 \u201cNiva\u201d grain combines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minister of Agriculture (then NAPS), Alexander Petkov Yordanov – a native of the village, provided enormous assistance in expanding the already established industrial activity at the TKZS, especially in the supply of new machinery and equipment to the plant, especially of a special and complex type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A motor vehicle company was created consisting of cars, trucks, two buses for transporting workers from the villages of Tsar Samuil, Nova Cherna and the town of Tutrakan, three tractors, and five forklifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the beginning of 1982, in this industrial activity at the Agricultural Industrial Complex, there were built and operating workshops: mechanical (lathe), press-cutting, assembly, tool, painting, rubber section “maintenance”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SPARE PARTS FACTORY \u2013 VILLAGE OF STARO SELO<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Established by Order No. I\u20131942 of July 27, 1982 of the Chairman of the National Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Association on the basis of the existing \u201cBase for the Development and Production of Spare Parts\u201d \u2013 village of Staro Selo. By a Decision of the Council of State of Bulgaria in 1991, the plant became the State Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Association \u201cAgromicron\u201d with the following activities: repair of tractors and agricultural machinery, production and trade in small-sized equipment, spare parts and agricultural equipment. Spare parts are exported to the USSR, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Germany, China and Japan \u2013 chip conveyors. Machine units are being prepared for the production of a device for harvesting sunflowers and through the \u201cMetal\u201d plant \u2013 town of Dobrich they are exported to the USSR for assembly of SK-5 Niva grain combines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Decision No. 398 of February 22, 1993 of the SOS DF was transformed into an EOOD, by Decision No. 963 of July 12, 1996 of the SOS \u2013 into an EAD, by Decision No. 1585 of December 4, 1997 of the SOS \u2013 into an AD. The scope of activity did not change. Since 1996, mass privatization of the Company began, which was liquidated in 2000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In November 2009, the last workers (guards) at the factory were laid off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Church<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1862, the construction of the current stone church began, with the special permission of Sultan Abdul Aziz, who signed the construction permit, the documents of which are preserved in the church archives. The main initiator for securing the construction of a new church (the current one) is considered to be Grandfather Dragoi, together with the priest serving in the first unsightly temple, plastered with mud. (Its presumed location is near the current one, but about a hundred meters to the west.) During church services and by visiting the houses, Grandfather Dragoi and the priest Hieromonk Makarij collected funds and ensured the extraction of building stone, by arranging for each house to extract, prepare and transport certain numbers of stones to the site, especially during the winter season, when farmers are freer. The church was built on land donated by grandfather Veliko Kotsev, who donated part of his yard with one condition: after his death, he would be buried in the churchyard. And so it was. The main construction was carried out by Samokov builders, and the frescoes were painted by Mityo Zograf from the Tryavna School of Arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its final form, the church was consecrated in 1866 with the name “Assumption of the Virgin Mary”. The church was built in its current form, except that it had a tall wooden bell tower with a bell and a clapper, which when struck could be heard throughout the entire territory of Staro Selo and beyond. The large, centuries-old trees rotted and a new bell tower was built, but with lower audibility. On the church’s temple holiday (15.VIII.2009), the new bell was hung in place of the old, cracked original bell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1979 it was declared a Monument of Spirituality and Bulgarian Culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

School<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A monastic school was also established in one of the large villages of Tutrakan \u2013 Staro Selo. According to the memories of old residents of the village, from time immemorial a small church was housed in the yard of Kotsolgar, next to which was another such room \u2013 a cell, in which a monastic school operated with a local teacher, an abbot, named Cholaka. It can be assumed that in parallel with the training he also introduced the students to his craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1862, plans were made to build a new stone church, with the monastery school next door. With the permission of Sultan Abdul Aziz, the stone church was built, and the first school building with two classrooms was opened near it in 1864. The teacher in the monastery school was the then priest, Hieromonk Makariy, who taught the children church rites and songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A secular school in Staro Selo has existed since 1873 with the first teacher being Daskal Danail. After him, from 1875 to 1877, Rachko Rusev taught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the period 1877 – 1913, the following people practiced teaching in Staro Selo: Stanka Koleva from Razgrad, Krum Guzurkov from Tutrakan, Todor Matev from Ruse, Stamenov, Spas Gerdabski, Maria Lyaskova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 1913 to 1940, when the village was under Romanian rule, the Romanian language was officially taught in the school with Romanian teachers, with funds allocated by the Romanian prefecture in Silistra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1925, at the initiative of the Romanian teacher Nitsata, a new school building was built, which still exists today as a kindergarten (but is no longer in use) with four classrooms, an office and a living room. The construction was carried out with funds collected from the population (taxes and free labor). The school has five grades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public Primary School “Exarch Antim I <\/strong>“<\/strong> – Staro Selo village is the successor to the school established in 1878, which was housed in a small building in the churchyard. During the occupation of Southern Dobrudzha in 1913, the school was Romanian. In 1926, a new school building was built with funds collected from the population. In 1940, after the signing of the Craiova Agreement, the Bulgarian school was reopened, and in the academic year 1964\/1965, the school moved into a newly built building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1940, when Dobrudja returned to Bulgaria according to the Craiova Agreement, a new page was opened for the educational work in Staro Selo. Most teachers were irregular, without pedagogical education and taught for one to two years. The classes were conducted much more difficultly, a legacy of Romanian education, there were not enough premises, there were no teaching aids, textbooks, notebooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the first decade, 1945-1955, teachers fully literate the old villagers, who until then knew how to read and write only in Romanian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the introduction of compulsory eighth-grade education, the construction of the new school building began (1961 to 1963). The school principal was Nedyalka Tsonkova. The school building was built in a relatively short period of time by local builders. With voluntary labor from the teaching staff, much finishing work was carried out. Work continued on furnishing the classrooms, the gymnasium and landscaping the school yard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Order No. 14-134 of June 12, 2007 of the Ministry of Education and Science, the school was closed due to a lack of enough children, and the students were redirected to a school in the town of Tutrakan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the same reason, in 2010 the kindergarten also closed its doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community center<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The “Vazrazhdane” community center in Staro Selo was founded in October 1940. Following the example of other villages, a group of teachers, vigilant old-timers, gathered in the school building and founded it. Together with it, a letter was sent to the Ruse Regional Community Center Union, requesting its registration and sending books for the library. In December of the same year, it was approved, and in May 1941, the Supreme Community Center Union approved a shipment of 50-60 books, mostly historical novels. A meeting was convened, at which a leadership was elected with the teacher Andrey Denchev as chairman. The cabinet was purchased from donations, which was placed in the school’s teachers’ office, from where books were distributed by the chairman of the community center. This cabinet stood in the school until 1950, when it was moved to Todor Stoyanov Koev’s cafe and he gave out books. Readers were recorded in a simple notebook. After the cafe closed, a pastry shop opened in the same premises, with a salesman, Stoyan Dimitrov Ravaliev, who continued to hand out books, all written in the same notebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the summer of 1954, Yordan Kirov, after completing librarian courses, was appointed as a full-time community center organizer by the Education Department of the District People’s Council. He was also the organizer of a region of five villages: Staro Selo, Angelovo, Dobrevo, Terter and Madrevo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the pastry shop, the cupboard was moved to the adjacent free room, which was smaller and narrower. The radio, purchased from donations back in 1942, two small tables and six chairs were also moved. Due to the limited capacity of the room, and the increasing number of readers and visitors, the community center inventory was moved to the house of Georgi Boychev for more convenience, where appropriate conditions were provided for processing the received literature, acquired by the community center organizer, from the District Library “Lyuben Karavelov” – the city of Ruse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a general meeting in January 1955, Stefan Markov Shterev was elected chairman of the community center. A prerequisite was created for organizing amateur artistic activities. In March, with the assistance of the chairman of the community center and the active help of the mayor of the village, the community center moved to the house of Georgi Danev, which room also had an external entrance, but was larger. At the end of 1955, the printed publications exceeded a thousand volumes. The books were processed according to the classification, a catalog was created. The foundation for library work was laid and with over 120 readers (children and adults), a card index of readers was created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the early spring of 1955, a community center choir was founded, led by Milko Kotlarov. In the same period, a dance group was created, led by Todor Atanasov Velikov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 1964, various forms of book work were held, such as discussions of a specific book, etc. An active community was created at the community center, mainly consisting of teachers, younger old-timers, and those already studying in the cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 1964, when, along with the already established dance troupe, under the leadership of Drumi Drumev, stage activities also became more active, theatrical performances were performed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The community center building was built by the TKZS as the “Cultural Center” of the TKZS. The first sod was laid at the end of October 1958. The cultural center was built with the voluntary labor of the villagers with three man-days per able-bodied resident and funds from the TKZS. It was built by local craftsmen: Enyo Petrov Stanev, Vasil Vassilev Tsvyatkov, Atanas Minchev Todorov, Ivan Petrov Voykov and others under the leadership of Bai Sava. The building was completed in 1960 and provided conditions for normal community center activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the period 1974 \u2013 1980, there was a choreographic, folklore and children’s dance group in Staro Selo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Computer rooms, meeting rooms, a library, a reading room, a rehearsal hall, and a museum collection are being created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2010, in accordance with the National Law, a new Statute was adopted and the community center was renamed the National Community Center \u201cVazrazhdane-1940\u201d \u2013 Staro Selo village. The community center\u2019s activities are rich and diverse, but its emblem is its folklore activity. In 2014, the community center participated in the project \u201cLazaruvane in the village of Staro Selo \u2013 from centuries to centuries\u201d under the National System \u201cLiving Human Treasures \u2013 Bulgaria 2014\u201d and the custom \u201cLazaruvane\u201d was included in the National Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Bulgaria. As of 2019, amateur art groups were formed: Srachkovtsi Applied Arts Circle\u201d, Local History Club, Theater Group, TF \u201cManisto\u201d, Ensemble \u201cStaroseltsi\u201d, Kukerska group, Lazarska group, Carol group, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TCZS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early December 1948, on the initiative of Ivan Dobrev Rakadjiev, Ivan Kinin Genchev, Ivan Angelov Stanev, Atanas Minchev Todorov, Yordan Kirov Yordanov and Nikola Petkov Angelov gathered in the pub of Atanas Marinov Dochev. The idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a cooperative farm, like in the neighboring village, was raised. Agitation began among the population. The richer ones did not want it, but the poor agreed. Thus, in early February 1949, a village-wide meeting was held in one of the classrooms of the school, attended by representatives of the District Administration in Tutrakan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two weeks after the registration of the first cooperators, an initiative asset convenes a general meeting of the already established cooperative farm. They elect Atanas Minchev Todorov as the first chairman, and Dimitar Vassilev Popov as the accountant. Thus, with an initial fund of arable land of 15,090 decares and 90 decares of an orchard brought by Ivan Rakadzhiev in the Chairite area, the TKZS begins its existence. There are no tools, seeds, fodder for livestock, etc. All that has already been registered and brought into the TKZS – animals, equipment, fodder, seeds, etc. are at the homes of the founders. Spring cultivation of the land begins. A vegetable garden is created. A truck is purchased in the name of Atanas Minchev Todorov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the following year, 1950-1951, Georgi Dragnev Enev was elected chairman. The fields were combined with private lands and agricultural blocks were formed. The most fertile fields were selected. The construction of stables began. A farm for sheep and cows was established, although in small numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the autumn of 1952, people en masse entered the TKZS, with the exception of 10-15 families. These families were settled on the weaker fields and far from the village. In 1954, the land was finally co-opted. The total agricultural fund was 26,000 decares of arable land. In 1959, due to its small population, the village of Angelovo with its arable land joined Staro Selo. The population was resettled to other villages, and in Staro Selo the least, since the compact population there was made up of settlers from Northern Dobrudja, who came to Bulgaria in 1940-1941 from Romania, who emigrated to their relatives in other villages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TKSZ bought the MTS machines and became their owner. Profitable industries were created, creating a vineyard of 2200 decares over 5 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1963, the TKZS – Staro Selo merged with the TKZS – village of Nova Cherna, establishing the United Labor Cooperative Agricultural Farm (UTKZS) “Lenin” – village of Staro Selo. It was created with the aim of more rational use of land, agricultural machinery and the labor of the cooperators. In 1966, the villages of the region were united in the TKZS – town of Tutrakan. In 1968, an inter-district Agrarian and Industrial Complex (AIC) – town of Silistra was created. Then Staro Selo returned to its original union with Nova Cherna, but the results were weaker and in 1975 Staro Selo was separated into an independent TKZS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1973 it became part of the newly established Agricultural Cooperative. In 1987, an Agricultural Brigade (ABC) was established – village of Staro Selo with the subject of activity – construction and transport activities, but in 1989 it was transformed into a Labor Cooperative Agricultural Farm (TCAF) “Zlatoklas” – village of Staro Selo. From 1992 to 1997 it was an Agricultural Cooperative (AC) “Zlatoklas” – village of Staro Selo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 1969 until the liquidation of the TKZS in 1992, the chairman of the cooperative was Ivan Petrov Ganev.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of 1989, TKZS \u2013 Staro Selo had a rich machine, warehouse, building and livestock base. It has 6 combines, 24 tractors, 200 dairy cows, heifers and calves for breeding, over 1000 sheep, over 1000 acres of orchard, 200 acres of vegetable garden, and there were periods when it was even larger. The orchard includes the cultivation of strawberries, apricots, peaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this period of time, socio-political reform was carried out in the country and in 1992, the Agricultural Council was disbanded. Fragmented agriculture was created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Staro Selo, the health care of the population was entrusted to a qualified medical officer under the name EUNY, who took care of the population until 1913, when Staro Selo remained under Romanian rule. With a two-year break from 1916 to 1918, during which time there were no Romanians in Staro Selo, the medical service was provided by Tutrakan, and after 1919 by a medical paramedic who came to Staro Selo from the town of Tutrakan every 2-3 days. The veterinary service was organized in the same way, also by a veterinary paramedic from Tutrakan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rural health department of the village of Staro Selo was opened in 1940 to provide rapid and specialized medical care to the population. After 1950, an obstetrics office was equipped with a midwife from the town of Ruse. In 1955, the health service moved to the house of the \u201cMacedonian\u201d Georgi Martov, also left by the Romanians. This created better working conditions for health workers \u2013 a doctor\u2019s office, a maternity ward with an office, and a dressing room. The first young doctor from Staro Selo, Dr. Petar Angelov Boychev, practiced in this health service until 1964, when he moved to the hospital in the town of Tutrakan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Starosel Health Service, for the longest time \u2013 over 12 years \u2013 medical paramedic Geno Genov practiced his medical profession. After his death, in most cases, medical care was taken over by the nurse, midwife, and ambulance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1994, a modern building for the Health Service was opened, with medical, dental and obstetric offices, a dressing center, a pharmacy and all other conditions for normal service to the population. But doctors did not stay, although the building also had two apartments for use by medical specialists. In recent years, there has been a permanent doctor – Dr. Makusi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agricultural company<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agricultural society collects income from its members through the sale of agricultural products, collected in the form of share capital. From the income received, the society grants low-interest loans to needy farmers with a longer repayment period. Loans are granted for agricultural equipment, working livestock, and sowing materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, the company grew stronger, but the wars from 1912 to 1918 forced the company to freeze its activities without liquidating, as field work was limited to a minimum. Few fields were worked, mainly by the women and children of the village, as the men were massively mobilized to the front. The women plowed, sowed, cultivated and harvested the minimally arable land, as much as they could cultivate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1920, when Staro Selo was under Romanian rule, the “Agricultural Society” revived its activities as the Popular Bank “Doverie”, which existed until April 7, 1942. After that date, it was re-registered as the “Doverie” Cooperative with 160 members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its activities, the consumer cooperative, through its members, raises capital, grants low-interest loans to needy cooperative members, and also raises funds from grocery, textile and hardware stores, thus satisfying the needs of the population with essential goods. It also opens stores in the newly established village of Angelovo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He began to buy agricultural goods, mainly pulses, eggs, hides, and later milk, for which purpose he later created a dairy. Due to the open market and the new system of the consumer cooperative. At the end of 1949, the tax collector in the municipality Todor Kedev left and went to work in the consumer cooperative as its manager and supplier of goods for the cooperative’s shops and restaurants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1961, he managed to build the bakery building. Private stores no longer exist, but the cooperative’s stores are housed in private buildings, but well-stocked with goods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1962, Georgi Enev was elected chairman of the cooperative, its own truck was purchased and a delivery driver was appointed, a position held by Veliko Dimitrov Stoyanov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1968, with funds from the cooperative and a lot of voluntary work by the cooperative’s sales workers, the “Alen Mak” site was opened, with a grocery store and a separate drinking establishment. In 1969, construction began on a building in the center of the village with a restaurant and stores for groceries, textiles, hardware, shoes and other consumer goods. In 1974-1975, the “Posleden Grosh” site was built in the southern part of the village, in the same way as the first sites, on land purchased from private property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1969, the trade network was consolidated and the consumer cooperatives of the villages of Staro Selo, Nova Cherna and Tsar Samuil were united. Since 1977, all consumer cooperatives from the Tutrakan region have been transferred to the RPK “Narkoop” – the town of Tutrakan, and with this the existence of the Consumer Cooperative “Doverie” – Staro Selo. In 1997, the shares of the member-cooperators were returned and the consumer cooperative with all its material resources remained with “Narkoop” – Tutrakan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, after 90 years of existence, the Consumer Cooperative “Doverie” in Staro Selo was liquidated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monuments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monument in Kulvala<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monument to the Grieving Mother<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monument to the kidnapped and repressed villagers during the Romanian occupation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In memory of the 27 innocent Bulgarian victims from the villages of Staro Selo, Shumentsi, Barnentsi and Tsyanovo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The monument was inaugurated on July 6, 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three steles bear the names of 133 residents of Staro Selo, who were deported to camps in Moldova between 1916 and 1918, during the Romanian occupation of Dobruja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.nsi.bg\/nrnm\/reports\/population\/list\/4533<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/libsilistra.bg\/index.php\/10-2017-02-08-13-49-00\/912-2020-11-27-12-56-49.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

YES \u2013 Silistra, f. 446; f. 904<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirov, Y. Old Village – Encyclopedia of Life. S. 2018; Mutafov, Vl. History of the Temples in the Ruse Diocese. Part Two. S. 2021.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Location – near the dry bed of the Demir Baba River or Staroselska River. To the north, its land borders the Danube River, where the now-dried river used to flow. It is located 9 km south of Tutrakan on the road to the town of Kubrat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1260,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,31],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1221"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1221"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2364,"href":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1221\/revisions\/2364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elia-centre.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}