Revolution Square, Bucharest

Revolution Square (Romanian: Piața Revoluției) is a square in central Bucharest, on Calea Victoriei. Known as Piața Palatului (Palace Square) until 1989, it was later renamed after the 1989 Romanian Revolution.

The former Royal Palace (now the National Museum of Art of Romania), the Athenaeum, the Athénée Palace Hotel, the University of Bucharest Library and the Memorial of Rebirth are located here. The square also houses the building of the former Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party (from where Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife fled by helicopter on December 22, 1989). In 1990, the building became the seat of the Senate and since 2006 it houses the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform.^[1]

Prior to 1948, an equestrian statue of Carol I of Romania stood there. Created in 1930 by the Croatian and American sculptor Ivan Meštrović, the statue was destroyed in 1948 by the Communists, who never paid damages to the sculptor. In 2005, the Romanian Minister of Culture decided to recreate the destroyed statue from a model that was kept by Meštrović's family. In 2007, the Bucharest City Hall assigned the project to the sculptor Florin Codre, who is going to design an original statue of Carol inspired by Meštrović's model (most consider it a plagiarism).^[2]

In August 1968 and December 1989, the square was the site of a two mass meetings which represented the apogee and the nadir of Ceaușescu's regime.^[3] Ceaușescu's speech of 21 August 1968 marked the highest point in Ceaușescu's popularity, when he openly condemned the invasion of Czechoslovakia and started pursuing a policy of independence from Kremlin. Ceaușescu's final speech, 1989 was meant to emulate the 1968 assembly and presented by the official media as a "spontaneous movement of support for Ceaușescu", erupting in the popular revolt which led to the end of the regime.

Image gallery

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  Buildings on the northern edge of the square under repair from fire damage and bullet holes after the 1989 revolution, July 1990

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  The southern wing of the former Royal Palace under repair after the 1989 revolution, July 1990

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  Library of the University of Bucharest

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  National Museum of Art (the former Royal Palace)

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  Memorial of Rebirth

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  Statue of Corneliu Coposu

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  Statue of King Carol I

References

http://www.cotidianul.ro/nora_lui_mestrovici_statul_roman_n_a_negociat_cu_mostenitorii-45659.html http://www.flickr.com/photos/93051314@N00/sets/72157594148443846/

Geography of Bucharest, Romania Sectors of Bucharest Sector 1 Sector 2 Sector 3 Sector 4 Sector 5 Sector 6 Districts (quarters): 13 Septembrie Aviației Băneasa Berceni Bucureștii Noi Centrul Civic Colentina Cotroceni Crângași Dămăroaia Dealul Spirii Dorobanți Dristor Drumul Taberei Dudești Ferentari Floreasca Fundeni Ghencea Giulești Giurgiului Grivița Iancului Lipscani Militari Moșilor Obor Odăi Olteniței Pantelimon Pipera Primăverii Progresul Rahova Regie Tei Tineretului Titan Vitan Văcărești Squares: Charles de Gaulle Constituției Revoluției Romană Rosetti Unirii University Square Victory Square Quito Square Major streets: Șoseaua Kiseleff Lipscani Magheru Boulevard Calea Moșilor Bulevardul Unirii Calea Victoriei Hills: Cotroceni Dealul Mitropoliei Dealul Spirii Rivers: Colentina Dâmbovița Lakes: Lake Băneasa Lake Cișmigiu Lake Dâmbovița Lake Fundeni Lake Floreasca Lake Grivița Lake Herăstrău Lacul Morii Lake Pantelimon Lake Plumbuita Lake Străulești Lake Tei Lake Tineretului Lake Titan Lake Văcărești Parks and forests: Băneasa Forest (Codrii Vlăsiei) Bordei Park Botanical Garden Carol Park Cișmigiu Gardens Giulești Park Herăstrău Park Grădina Icoanei Tineretului Park Vitan Park See also: Kilometre Zero (Bucharest) Bucharest metropolitan area

Coordinates: 44°26′26″N 26°05′47″E / 44.44058°N 26.09646°E / 44.44058; 26.09646