Romanian People's Salvation Cathedral

Romanian People's Salvation Cathedral
Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului Românesc

13 September Street, 9 December 2015
Romanian People's Salvation Cathedral
44°25′33.26″N 26°4′56.37″E / 44.4259056°N 26.0823250°E / 44.4259056; 26.0823250Coordinates: 44°25′33.26″N 26°4′56.37″E / 44.4259056°N 26.0823250°E / 44.4259056; 26.0823250
Location 4-60 13 September Street, Sector 5, Bucharest
Country  Romania
Denomination Eastern Orthodox
History
Dedication Ascension of the Lord
Saint Andrew the Apostle
Relics held Saint John Chrysostom
Saint Nectarios of Aegina
Saint Andrew the Apostle
Architecture
Status Under construction
Architect(s) Vanel-Exim LL
Architectural type Cathedral
Style Neo-Byzantine
Groundbreaking 15 December 2010
Completed June 2017 (superstructure)
2020 (all ensemble)
Construction cost €200 million[1]
Specifications
Capacity 6,000 (nave-narthex)
125,000 (inner courtyard)[2]
Length 123.9 m (406 ft 6 in)[3]
Width 69.3 m (227 ft 4 in)[3]
Height 125 m (410 ft 1 in) (tip)[3]
120 m (393 ft 8 in) (roof)
Floor area 5,760 m2 (62,000 sq ft) (interior)
13,534 m2 (145,680 sq ft) (exterior, 5 meters above the ground)

The Cathedral for the Salvation of the Romanian People (Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului Românesc) is the common name used to refer to a future Romanian Orthodox cathedral currently under construction in Bucharest. It will be the patriarchal cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the world if completed. The new cathedral will be dedicated to the Ascension of Christ and to Saint Andrew.[4][5]

The plan of the cathedral complex includes a cathedral building; below the cathedral building, a soup kitchen with capacity for 1,000; two hotels; and parking for about 500 cars. The cathedral is designed with seating for approximately 6,000 worshipers, a greater than tenfold increase on the current patriarchal cathedral.[6]

To build the cathedral will be used 100,000 m³ of concrete, 45,000 tons of rigid armature and about 25,000 tons of flexible armature, ten times more than a ten-storey block.[7] Energy efficiency is assured by massive walls of resistance and brick used on the inside and outside of them. The cathedral is designed to withstand earthquakes of 8.5 on the Richter scale. As of June 2015, the cathedral is constructed in a proportion of 60%.[8]

History

The earliest idea of a national cathedral came about after the Romanian War of Independence (1877 - 1878). It would symbolise the victory of Orthodoxy against the Ottoman Muslims. The idea was shelved for lack of consensus on design, location and funding.[9](pp56–57)

In 1920, King Ferdinand sent a letter to the Metropolitan, Miron Cristea, supporting the project, but this had no effect. In 1925, after the Romanian Orthodox Church became an independent patriarchate, Cristea suggested Carol Park as a site but his idea was defeated in favour of Bibescu Vodă Square. There, in 1929, a troiţă was raised. Lack of funds meant the construction was postponed and later forgotten.[9](pp56–57)

In September 1995, as the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated its 70th anniversary of independence, Patriarch Teoctist proposed a new large cathedral on the scale of the newly rebuilt Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.[9](pp56–57) He envisioned a standing capacity of 10,000.

On 12 October 2004, the senate voted for the project, estimated to take 6 years.[10]

On 27 and 28 November 2004, officials, up to 1,000 priests and worshippers from Bucharest and other cities gathered in Bucharest.[11] The Holy Synod came into session. On 29 November 2007, Patriarch Daniel of Romania laid the foundation stone, gave his blessing and consecrated the site at Arsenal Hill.

Design

Final appearance of the cathedral on a stamp issued to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the recognition of the autocephaly of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

The location and design of the new cathedral was debated by parties including the Romanian Senate and the Mayor of Bucharest. The winning design featured elements of architectural details from all the Romanian provinces and territories in an area that would make the cathedral complex one of the largest religious sites in the world. It was envisaged that 10,000 worshipers could stand in the main cathedral building and the whole complex could accommodate 125,000 visitors over an area of 11 hectares.[12]

The cathedral would be is 124 metres (407 ft), width 70 metres (230 ft) and height 120 metres (390 ft) (125m from ground level).[13] The planned above ground section is 5,760 square meters. The main building would be elevated 5 metres (16 ft) with the basement area extending to 17 metres (56 ft) below the ground level. The main building has three floors with a height of 22.5 meters. The first two levels form a main hall with a height of 11 meters, where can participate 3,000 standing worshippers. The planned underground area is larger (152m by 93m, 13,534 square meters), divided into spaces including a main hall, other halls and rooms for events; an icon and religious clothing shop; a workshop (for carpentry, upholstery and metal work for example); a museum, gallery-exhibition, liturgical performance media shop; as well as storage rooms, a refectory, parking access, cultic objects and an employees rooms.[14][15][16]

Opposition

The sheer size of the building drew criticism from various sources, including the French newspaper Le Figaro, which named it "a pharaonic project" and "worthy of the megalomania of Nicolae Ceauşescu".[17] Alexandru Paleologu called for the cathedral project to be stopped. He compared it to the Soviet-inspired Casa Scânteii and the House of the People, and argued "The cathedral is a catastrophic, fatal kitsch (...) an ecclesiastical Ceauşescuism (...) and parasitical, immoral and impertinent".

Cristian Tudor Popescu, a journalist called the cathedral a "God mall". He said it was not churches, either big nor small, that Romania was lacking.[18]

The Romanian Orthodox Church's answer to such criticism was that the new cathedral would not imitate the gigantic buildings of the communist era, but would "correct them, through a decent and harmonious volumetry".[19]

Location

Three locations were proposed. In 2004, the historic area of Arsenal Hill on 13 September Avenue was selected. This area once contained two monasteries: the Mihai Vodă monastery and the Hermitage convent. There were also three parochial settlements: Albă Postăvari, Spirea Veche and Izvorul Tămăduirii which were destroyed or removed in the communist years.

The first proposed location was a park in Piaţa Unirii, where in 1998, without a proper authorization, Patriarch Teoctist laid the cornerstone of the Cathedral, in the presence of President Emil Constantinescu.[20]

During the discussions which followed, Orthodox theologians warned that, according to church's doctrine, people who want to change the purpose of a plot of land where a church is destined to be built will be anathemized. In the end, the site was not appropriate for a large building because it was the point where two metro lines crossed the Dâmboviţa River, where it was channeled underground.

The Orthodox Church next proposed Carol Park as a site, and in 2004, the Năstase government gave 5 hectares of the park to the Romanian Orthodox Church, so that the cathedral could be built in place of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Bucharest and the Mausoleum of Communist Heroes.[9](pp59)[20] The Architects' Union of Romania opposed the site, arguing that it went against certain national and international laws regarding environmental protection, architecture and the protection of monuments.[21]

Following protests by local Bucharesters and opposition in the press, as well as conflicts with Traian Băsescu, the Mayor of Bucharest, the proposed site was abandoned. A new site, Izvor Park, close to the Palace of the Parliament was suggested.[21] The government of Romania granted the Church 11 hectares (27 acres) of land at this site. The Church then planned to use 5 hectares (12 acres) of the land to construct the new cathedral.[22] On 29 November 2007, a new cornerstone was laid by Patriarch Daniel.[23]

A 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft) plot has since been claimed by former owners of the land. (The land had been confiscated from them during the communist era).[10]

Cost and financing

In 2006, Evenimentul Zilei estimated the cost of the new cathedral to be more than €500 million, including the price of the land.[22] In 2007, Patriarch Daniel estimated the cost of the building, excluding the land, to be approximately €400 million.[24] In 2008, Le Figaro estimated the cost to be €1 billion.[17]

In 2007, the government announced it would donate 30 million lei (€8 million) towards the construction of the new cathedral. The parliament legislated that a further half of the cost of the Cathedral would come from the state.[25]

This act was criticised. Daniel Dăianu, a Liberal European MP suggested it was populist spending and funds would come from other areas of spending.[25] Remus Cernea, head of the Solidaritatea pentru libertatea de conştiinţă Association complained that funding of the cathedral with public money discriminated against others.[26]

Construction

On 15 December 2010, construction of the cathedral began.[27] The superstructure is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gheorghiţă, Elvira (27 March 2014). "Patriarhie: Costul lucrărilor la Catedrala Mântuirii, aproape 80 milioane euro în stadiul roşu-gri". Mediafax.ro (in Romanian).
  2. ↑ "Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului: 110 metri înălţime, 12 lifturi, capacitate - 5.000 de pelerini, cost – 400 milioane de euro". gândul.info (in Romanian). 26 June 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 "Romanian People's Salvation Cathedral". Emporis.
  4. ↑ "Hramul Catedralei Mantuirii Neamului" Catedralaneamului.ro Accessed 29 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Catedrala Mantuirii Neamului va purta hramul sf. ap. Andrei si al Inaltarii Domnului" Agenția de Știri Basilica Accessed 29 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "Romania's costly passion for building churches." BBC News Accessed 7 August 2013.
  7. ↑ Gheorghiţă, Elvira (4 June 2015). "Catedrala Neamului, rezistentă la cutremure de 8,5 grade, pregătită de slujbe din 2017. Galerie FOTO de pe şantier". Gândul (in Romanian).
  8. ↑ Gheorghiţă, Elvira (31 July 2015). "Suma impresionantă pe care Guvernul o dă pentru continuarea lucrărilor la Catedrala Neamului". Gândul (in Romanian).
  9. 1 2 3 4 Stan L. and Turcescu L. Religion and Politics in Post-Communist Romania Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN 0-19-530853-0.
  10. 1 2 "Punerea pietrei de temelie a Catedralei Neamului", BBC, 28 November 2007
  11. ↑ "Romanian People's Salvation Cathedral", Catedralaneamului.ro.
  12. ↑ "Ansamblului Arhitectural Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului" Patriarhia.Ro
  13. ↑ "Catedrala Mantuirii Neamului" Basilica Byzantine blog
  14. ↑ "Săli polivalente în subsolul Catedralei Neamului, de aceeaşi mărime cu biserica de deasupra" Gândul.Info
  15. ↑ "Pe cine mântuieşte Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului?" Mugetul Carpatilor
  16. ↑ "România în top 10 al celor mai mari edificii de cult din lume" Adevarul.ro
  17. 1 2 "Les projets pharaoniques de l'Église orthodoxe à Bucarest." Le Figaro 1 February 2008.
  18. ↑ Cristian Tudor Popescu "Catedrala Mântuirii în Țara Mântuielii." Adevărul, 23 March 2004.
  19. ↑ "Fericiţi cei ce construiesc biserici, nu cei ce le demolează." Romanian Patriarchy press release.
  20. 1 2 "Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului ar putea fi inaugurată peste şase ani", Adevărul, 26 November 2007.
  21. 1 2 "Unde se va construi Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului?", BBC, 4 November 2004
  22. 1 2 "Catedrala Zgârie-nori", in Evenimentul Zilei, 23 February 2006
  23. ↑ "Catedrala Patriarhală rămâne un proiect controversat." BBC, 29 November 2007
  24. ↑ "PF Daniel: Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului costă mai puţin decât aeroportul din Iaşi", Gândul, 29 November 2007.
  25. 1 2 "Catedrala Bugetului Neamului" România Liberă, 13 December 2007.
  26. ↑ "A doua plângere prealabilă demersului în instanţă privind acordarea de fonduri publice pentru Catedrala Mântuirii Neamului", Humanism.ro
  27. ↑ "Bucharest's new cathedral to out-do." Romania News Watch website.

Sources

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