About the association

The Cultural Association of Lechovo “THE PROPHET ILIAS”, was founded in 1921 and since then has been active in Lechovo, Florina. Its goal is the spiritual and moral development of the inhabitants of Lechovo, and the preservation and promotion of its traditions and culture.

History of our association

1931 The library of the Cultural Association of Lechovo was founded in 1931. It was an important and distinct intellectual center in the wider area, as it had collected a considerable number of books. 1943 The burning of Lechovo by the German and Bulgarian troops in the summer of 1943 resulted in the total destruction of the association building. Including the valuable library that was built with great effort. 1946 – 1953 In the autumn of 1946, the damaged building …

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Cultural activities

The Cultural Association of Lechovo “O Profitis Ilias” has a strong presence in the cultural events of the region and organizes cultural events throughout the year. These events include the New Year Carnival, the “Boubouna”, the Koulouma, the summer events in honour of the Prophet Elias, the celebration of the traditional pie, as well as multiple dance celebrations.

Traditional dance

The dance group, being one of the most active sections of our association, has participated in many cultural events and dance festivals nationwide. It has different age sections, providing the possibility of participation for children of all ages as well as for adults. The aim of the department is to preserve the cultural heritage of our community through the learning of traditional dances. These traditional dances are the Berati, Hasapia, Tsamiko, Kalamatiano, along with the Poustseno.

Museum

The Folklore and Ethnological Museum was founded in 1976, and since 1984 it is housed in the back part of the building of the Urban School. The exhibition includes multiple historical objects and documents, tools and stone objects, textiles, traditional costumes, household items and ecclesiastical material. The ecclesiastical material includes sacred books of the period from 1600 to 1850. The museum was renamed “Georgios Gorantis” in honour of its inspirer, for his long-term contribution to the museum.

Library

The Association of Lechovo undertook the reestablishment of the library which was completely burnt down by the Germans in 1943. The library contained rich and rare material considering the standards back then, forming a collection of 5,000 books. Today, 8,000 books have been collected with rare archival material on the history of the village and the wider region. Important books English library n 2022 Profitis Ilias received a huge donation of English books. These books had to be categorised and …

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Urban school

It is a traditional building from 1900, located in Lechovo square. It was originally used as a school from 1914 until 1958 and then as a community store. The Folklore and Ethnological Museum is located in one part of the building. The Cultural Association funded the partial restoration in the 1980s and the rest of the restoration in 2005. In the lower part of the building, inside the arches are the famous traditional fountain of Lechovo.