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The Palace Of Parliament

Bucharest, Romania

One of  Ceausescu`s masterpieces

Right in the historical and geographical centre of Bucharest stands an impressive building that strikes the eye by its particular style. It is the Palace of the Romanian Parliament, a "giant" built during the "golden age" of the dictatorial regime and born in the mind of a man for whom the notion of "reasonable size" did not exist.

Still, there is a "first place " no other building in the whole world could compete for, namely that of the most disputed one, as no other construction has, until nowadays, been the target of such a great number of epithets, varying from "genius" to "monstruos".

Built and rebuilt overnight, the haughty "Republic House" had swallowed tens of billions of lei and a huge volume of work before the Revolution.

The construction was started and raised while many Romanians experienced a period of privations. Probably that is the reason why, at the very beginning the building was the object of their hate.

After December 1989, the building which may easily be spotted wherever you are in Bucharest, was considered to be hideous and become subject to the most original ideas.

Some, out of the revolutionary excitement, agreed that it should be dynamited, as it stood for the symbol of communism. Others agreed that it could accomodate a museum of communism. There were also others, more extravagant, who talked about palms rustle, rolling dice on green tables, roulette... But the Palace was not to be a casino!

Realizing its enormous value, in fact a Romanian inheritance in danger of being destroyed and robbed, people began to view the building with less hostility and named it the "People's House".

As the people himself had experienced hunger and cold, it was now more than fair that he should act upon the destiny of the building.

Consequently, the builders resumed their work and, as the works were carried on, it was decided that the construction should be house the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of Romania, and that it should change its name to the "Palace of Parliament" - a symbol of democracy.

The construction, started in July 1984, has 6 registers and 21 bodies. The pompous halls and galleries are generously decorated with monumental sculptures, golden plaster, laced ceilings, brocharts, tapestries and heavy carpets, which harmoniously overwhelm the visitors.

The Marble from Ruschita sends its reflections from the floors and columns to the walls and ceilings. The oak, mahogony and beck wood welcome the visitors with the warmth of their refined sculptures that may be equaled only by the plaster work or the crystals and the bross of the chandeliers.

Anyone visiting the Palace of Parliament, designed and built at great cost, effort and sacrifice by Romanian specialists and the whole of Romanian industry, comes to realize that this is not o palace from Aladdin's stories, but a real one, displaying the true wealth of Romania: stone, marble and wood from the Romanian mountains and forests.

 

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