of an older edifice which was destroyed during a flooding in 1848. The new church was inaugurated on 25 August 1851. It was large enough to accommodate the whole population of the village in that time. The icons were created by the painter Dimitar Zograf and his son Nikola Zograf from the town of Samokov. Education The first school in the village was built for several months in 1835 although education had begun in 1800 in a small building with one room. The modern school named after the prominent Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev includes three buildings. The chitalishte Saznanie (Consciousness) was built in 1873 by Bulgarian patriots. During its existence it became the cultural center of the village preserving its authentic traditions. The folk formations have interests in all aspects of the Bulgarian folklore. They perform and study traditional songs and dances from all over the country especially from Thrace. There are currently four ensembles in the chitalishte. Sports The sports movement in Brestovitsa has its beginning in the 1920s when several gymnastics and football clubs were established. In 1982 a new sports hall with 250 seats was built and is used by the village school. Vanja Gesheva-Tsvetkova, the first Bulgarian with three medals in one Olympiad began her sports career in Brestovitsa. Gallery Notes External links Radio and television in Brestovitsa Villages in Plovdiv Province