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| The museum area at the Bulgarian Macedonian National Educational and Cultural Center showing the archival-quality cabinets, featuring Bulgarian-style embellishments, built by renowned Japanese woodworking artist Tadao Arimoto. Photo courtesy of the BMNECC. |
Bulgarian Macedonian
National Educational and Cultural Center
The Treasure: A
large collection of artifacts illuminates the fascinating culture that
Bulgarian and Macedonian immigrants brought with them as they settled into a new life in America
Accessibility: The
Bulgarian Macedonian National Educational and Cultural Center
Background: First,
some basic geography: Roughly the size of Virginia ,
Bulgaria is located is
southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea to the east, Romania to the north, Greece
and Turkey to the south, and
Serbia and Macedonia to
the west. Considerably smaller, Macedonia
is approximately the size of Vermont and is an
entirely landlocked country, surrounded by Kosovo ,
Serbia , Bulgaria , Greece ,
and Albania .
From 1944 until its independence in 1991, Macedonia
was the southernmost republic within Yugoslavia . Nestled on the Balkan
Peninsula, Bulgaria and Macedonia have
maintained a rich cultural heritage in the face of frequent foreign
occupations.
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| BMNECC Chairwoman Emerita Patricia Penka French standing in front of the 78-year-old Bulgarian Cultural Center. The building's facade was refurbished in 2005 thanks to a grant from the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Photo courtesy of the BMNECC. |
In the early years of the 20th century, many
Bulgarians and Macedonians left their homelands to find new opportunities in America . It was
a time of relative freedom in both countries—between the time of the Turkish
Ottoman rule that ended in 1878 and the rise of the Iron Curtain after World
War II, but economic conditions prompted many to try their luck abroad. They
came to the American heartland looking for steady work, responding to the
demand for labor in the factories and mines.
The thriving steel mills of Pittsburgh attracted many immigrants. The new
arrivals brought their culture and customs with them, adapting as best they
could to their new home. In 1930, a group of citizens founded the
Bulgaro-Macedonian Beneficial Association in West Homestead, located southeast
of Pittsburgh , across the Monongahela
River . Like many immigrant organizations, the Association was
formed to help immigrant families succeed in the new American environment.
Fifty years later, with the decline of the steel industry in
1980s, the Association began to look for a way to stay relevant. In 1995, they officially
dissolved the original organization and founded a new one—the Bulgarian
Macedonian National Educational and Cultural
Center
At the Bulgarian Macedonian National Educational and Cultural Center Cultural Center has recently led initiatives such as Opera from Bulgaria—an Audio Encyclopedia Project, providing access to a rich tradition of Bulgarian opera and opera
singers for the benefit of classical music fans and researchers.
Other Recommended
Sites: The main museum of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area is located in the neighboring borough of Homestead . Here you can learn about the steel
business that once supported so many of the immigrant families.
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| Thanks to the Save America's Treasures grant, the BMNECC was able to create a full-service technology center, as well as support for the cleaning, repairing, and rehousing over 200 historic films in their collection. Photo courtesy of the BMNECC. |
Tour America's History Itinerary
Tuesday: Civil War Muster Rolls at the Pennsylvania State Archives
© 2013 Lee Price
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