And yet, no matter how many wonderful places there are in Romania, all roads here lead to Bucharest. Everyone remembers the funny story when Michael Jackson greeted the Romanians with the exclamation “Hello, Budapest,” but many of us, following him, confuse the names of these cities, and do not really imagine what kind of city Bucharest is.
This wonderful city was not chosen by chance as the capital of Romania. Having studied the history of just one city, you can understand at least in general terms the history of the entire country, the entire people. To begin with, the city was chosen as the residence of the greatest of the Romanians - Vlad Basarab III (Dracula - Tepes), and served as one of the main strongholds of the defense of Wallachia from the Turks. According to legend, Bucharest was founded by a shepherd named Bucur. Another, more plausible version claims that the city was founded by Mircea the Old in the 14th century after the victory over the Turks. It was this city that was hated the most and one day it was burned to the ground by the soldiers of the Ottoman Empire. After restoration, the city quickly grew and developed, and in 1698, Prince Constantin Brancoveanu moved the capital here. In 1859, Bucharest became the capital of the united Romania.
This is one of the few amazing cities that was freed from fascist invaders thanks to an internal uprising - August 23, 1944. And this is the city whose inhabitants desperately resisted and eventually overthrew the regime of Nicholas Ceausescu. When the latter destroyed the historical part of the city in order to erect his projects imposed by gigantomania, the residents of Bucharest managed to save some of the historical masterpieces. So they moved one of the ancient churches several hundred meters from the path of the so-called Romanian Champs Elysees and, thus, saved for posterity.
Bucharest enchants with its old town and delights with the majestic architecture of palaces and churches. But still, the ugly monument to tyranny - the Palace of Parliament - attracts most of all. How many thoughts and feelings visit a traveler looking at this creation of the twentieth century, from contempt to admiration for the selfless work of ordinary people, from surprise to horror, from regret to hope that this will never happen again. Erected by the tyrant, the gigantic administrative complex was designed to show the greatness of Ceausescu, and is capable of withstanding even a direct hit from a nuclear bomb (at least his bunker). Even the steps on the stairs were adjusted to the step size of his wife, Elena Ceausescu, and redone several times. Around the “palace” are the Romanian Champs Elysees, like in Paris, only larger (the habits of a giant maniac), on which members of the government were supposed to live and walk to work (apparently, the tyrant did not like being late). However, those who set their sights on greatness and have forgotten the lessons of history will be painfully disappointed: buildings now designed to instill fear and suppress with greatness can only cause a smile and bewilderment. However, millions of people come here, to one of the most controversial buildings in history, to see the stronghold and hope of the former regime with their own eyes. Today, tourists can even spend the night in the Palace of Parliament, and the administration occupies no more than 5% of its area.
Overall, Bucharest evoked positive emotions and gave moments of joy. A metropolis with an ancient history, the newest shopping centers 100 meters from the excavations of Dracula’s fortress, squares and boulevards, an intricate network of streets of the old city... you can walk in this city endlessly, and it beckons you to come back here again. And even farewell to the city turned out to be unforgettable for us: we drove past the triumphal arch (almost Parisian), waved to the Ukrainian embassy and laughed a lot, looking at the extraordinary sculpture in the form of a bright red foot near the journalists’ house. Bucurie is translated from Romanian as “joy”, which is why Bucharest is often called the “City of Joy”. And indeed it is. After my acquaintance with Bucharest, I will never confuse the City of Joy with Budapest or with any other city in the world. Goodbye Bucharest, see you again!
Artenium building. From the name it is already clear that Romanian art is concentrated here.
In many countries, visiting the capital is by no means the most important thing. In general, I believe that the capital is an urbanized, and most importantly globalized place along with the rest of the world, where it will be difficult to find something authentic, specifically related to this country, and if it is found, it will not be real. Yes, the capital still deserves its own special attention. It is quite likely that it is most likely a great city in itself, separated from the rest of the country. Just remember our Moscow. I always wanted to quickly escape from the hustle and bustle of the airport and the car, deep into nature, into the provinces.
Guided by similar principles, I ignored Jordanian Amman and only glanced briefly at Iranian Tehran and Indonesian Jakarta. For the Romanian plans, of which there were, as usual, a huge number, no attention was paid to Bucharest at all. Of course, we had to examine all of the above in 11 days. (And we completed about 3/4 of what we planned). Bucharest did not fit here, especially since I constantly confused it with Budapest. Initially, generally speaking, I was going to spend the May holidays in Hungary, but when searching for air tickets, it turned out that Budapest somehow didn’t work out, but Bucharest really worked out. And at some point I either got confused or changed my mind. However, fellow travelers returning to Bucharest late in the evening before their morning flight home said: “Oh my, how can this be?! In Romania without Bucharest?” And we went for a walk the whole last night before departure. That's why the photo report is at night.
The main question asked by a foreigner walking along the streets of Bucharest and contemplating its architectural delights can be formulated something like this: “Is Bucharest eastern Paris or western Moscow?” It was from the collision of communist and graceful capitalist styles that most of the buildings of this distinctive city grew. I was impressed by the building of the Palace of Parliament. Illuminated by numerous lanterns above this building, a huge flock of crows hovered gloomily like a funnel. The Romanian Parliament is the second largest building in the world (after the Pentagon). Construction began in 1984 on the orders of Nicolae Ceausescu. The palace was built mainly from Romanian-made materials. During construction, there was such a demand for Romanian marble that even tombstones throughout the country were made from other materials. Construction was almost completed by the time of Ceausescu's execution in 1989. I'm not the only one who confuses Bucharest and Budapest. Ceausescu was never able to make a solemn speech from the balcony of the Palace of Parliament. But Michael Jackson soon did it instead. Michael greeted the huge crowd of people who had gathered to watch and listen to the pop idol with the words “Hello, Budapest!”, which plunged everyone into the deepest shock and confusion...
Palace of Parliament
Triumphal Arch of Bucharest
We were in Bucharest at night from 9 to 10. Being fully confident that Romania, as a country allied with Germany, did not celebrate Victory Day in the Second World War, we were pleasantly surprised by the “Victory Salute” that thundered over the Romanian capital. Apparently the communist years of rule somehow influenced self-awareness, and now this is also the day of the victory of the Romanian partisans and people’s militias over the official Romanian military policy of those years. It is even more strange that now in neighboring Moldova
We began our journey through the winter Balkans with a brief acquaintance with Bucharest - a city in which the Parisian Belle Epoque, Stalinist Moscow and the dashing 90s were mixed.
We were only in Bucharest for a day, and on that day we were very unlucky with the weather. The faded gray sky is a disgusting backdrop for city photography, so I even had to slightly edit the photo so that the sky did not seem so dull.
On the other hand, the weather perfectly matched the idea of Bucharest, in particular, and of Romania and Eastern Europe in general.
It has been 25 years since the fall of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe, but too many people still perceive the region through the prism of post-communism. That’s why stereotypes migrate from travelogue to travelogue, from photo report to photo report. Construction of gray shabby “khrushchev” buildings, poverty of the local population, “dead” urban infrastructure, terrible ecology. And so for a quarter of a century! It’s as if in 1970 someone tried to talk about the Federal Republic of Germany or the USSR with stereotypes from 1945.
It is difficult not only for tourists, but also for the residents of Romania themselves to get rid of the socialist past. The main symbol of Bucharest is the huge Ceausescu Palace, built (and never fully completed) in the last years of his reign. The first question that Transylvanians asked us when we mentioned our visit to Bucharest was: “Have you seen the Ceausescu Palace?”
(Photo from the Internet)
We saw it. And personally, I don’t understand what’s wrong with it. At least for a (post)Soviet person. A kind of huge non-hotel “Moscow” or the foundation for a Stalinist high-rise building that was never built. In this, Ceausescu overtook Stalin. The latter was only enough for a foundation pit for the Palace of the Soviets. And here at least a couple of basic floors were built.
When talking about the Ceausescu Palace, they like to emphasize that during its construction, half of the Old Town was demolished. At the same time, they usually forget to add that shortly before this there was a serious earthquake in Bucharest, and the Old Town was quite destroyed. The remaining half of the historical buildings have not yet been restored.
That’s why the Old Town of Bucharest in some places looks as if there was war and devastation here not so long ago.
On the central pedestrian streets, renovated buildings stand side by side with dilapidated facades.
And 16th-century churches are shaded by abandoned houses.
The church is part of the Curtea Veche complex, the princely court of Vlad the Impaler (15th century).
This is the same Vlad the Impaler, who was also called Dracula and to whom Bram Stoker latched on, creating the world-famous image of Count Dracula.
Thus, an Irish writer, who had never been to Romania, created the most vivid image of this country in the world, which she is now forced to replicate to please tourists thirsty for vampire aesthetics. About half of the assortment of souvenir shops in the capital is dedicated to Count Dracula. Putin is still far from such popularity.
Despite the slight decay, the streets of the Old Town have their own European charm and shabby charm.
It's just a pity that it's winter now. It is clear that Bucharest is a summer city. More precisely, even spring-autumn. At this time of year, the streets of the center are filled with cafe tables, summer orchestras and just crowds of strolling citizens and tourists. Today everything is deserted and a little sad.
Bucharest is generally poorly adapted to winter. The streets and especially the stairs of the Old Town are very poorly cleaned. You need to walk with caution.
You should also look at the surrounding roofs with caution. A canopy of snow tends to fall off them right onto the heads of passers-by. A couple of these mini-avalanches happened before our eyes. Fortunately, there were no consequences for pedestrians.
To summarize: if you are looking for confirmation of the stereotype “Bucharest is a city from the 90s”, the Old Town is the place for you.
But Bucharest is not only and not so much the life-worn center and the ceremonial socialist architecture of Ceausescu. It’s not for nothing that the city was called the “Paris of the East”.
Take a walk along the front door of Kalya Victoria (Victory Avenue), where one front building replaces another.
It’s even surprising that they managed to build all this. Not so long ago Bucharest was the capital of independent Romania.
And these are the real architectural symbols of the city: the Athenaeum concert hall
And the stunning Cantacuzene Palace, now the George Enescu Museum. By the way, the Cantacuzenes are not only a Romanian, but also a Russian noble family.
The porch is especially admirable.
Along Pobedy Avenue you go to Revolution Square.
Here the fall of the Ceausescu regime took place. The leader's speech from the balcony of the party's Central Committee building was interrupted by the dissatisfied murmur of the crowd. When open clashes with army units began in the square, Ceausescu chose to leave the building by helicopter. And in the square shots were already being fired and barricades were being erected.
In memory of these events, a very strange monument was erected on the square, reminiscent of an olive on a stick (however, the locals don’t even call it that).
These days, Romania celebrates the 25th anniversary of the revolution.
(Exhibition at the National Gallery)
Memorable places are scattered throughout the city - street battles took place everywhere.
A quarter of a century later, Romanians remember Ceausescu with mixed feelings. Of course, no one can forgive him for the failure of the late 1980s, but almost everyone admits that in the 1970s he coped well with the leadership of the country.
In general, it is interesting how Ceausescu was made (primarily by Western guidebooks and the media) into a typical Kremlin fosterling, a communist dictator tyrannizing the free peoples of Europe. Although in fact he behaved very arbitrarily in relations with the Kremlin and was only one step behind the “third-strong” Yugoslavia. Ceausescu condemned the defeat of the “Prague Spring” in 1968, did not support the boycott of the Los Angeles Olympics, and allowed the Hilton hotel to be built in the center of Bucharest. But in the end he turned from Tito’s path to Hoxha’s path - he became carried away by the experience of North Korea and China. This led the country to a bloody revolution, and he himself to execution.
The National Gallery is another pompous building on Pobeda Avenue.
In front of the building stands a strange monument, emphasizing the duality of the ethnogenesis of the Romanian nation.
Emperor Trajan holds in his arms a hybrid of the Capitoline wolf and the Thracian serpent.
The fact that this is a snake, and not a dog infected with a tapeworm, is visible only if you approach the monument from the side.
Just like that. Romanians are, it turns out, Thracians assimilated by the Romans. And no Slavs.
Like any decent capital, Bucharest has its own Passage.
It is also empty due to the holidays.
All the fun is now in front of the university building, where the Christmas market is noisy.
Local residents warm themselves with hot wine.
The surrounding streets of Bucharest are very similar to St. Petersburg.
But sometimes you can find inclusions of modern architecture.
However, it is much more interesting to consider the experiments of urban architects in the functionalist style.
Romanian architects, like Yugoslav ones, have always been distinguished by an interesting outlook and courage in working with forms.
So, not only historical buildings are interesting in Bucharest
But also socialist
“Soviet” avenues are wide and beautiful
Although it is immediately noticeable that times are no longer Soviet
But still international. We went for lunch to a restaurant serving Moldovan cuisine that was well known in Chisinau.
And we spent the night, after walking around the city, with the Turkish biker-anarchist Hussein - a big fan of everything Soviet and just a good person.
Alas, we spent very little time in Bucharest, and even in the off-season. I'll have to come back in the spring and enjoy the city in more detail.
Moreover, the city is terribly cheap, even with the current euro exchange rate, prices in an Irish pub cause cheerful bewilderment.
I was also struck by the level of culture on the streets (people cross the street only when the traffic light is green, and drivers let pedestrians pass on the roads) and the widespread knowledge of English. I wonder how much the latter can be associated with the general departure to work in Europe? (Although Romanians work mainly in Italy, and therefore absolutely everyone speaks Italian close to Romanian.)
And in general, to what extent does widespread migration to more socially and socially developed countries raise (albeit subconsciously) the level of society’s own culture?
We tend to see only mutual evil in this process (they say that in Moscow Tajiks learn to drink and cease to respect family values, in turn bringing only drugs and crime to the capital). But working abroad is also a kind of journey, from which you inevitably learn lessons on how to build your own country.
And our journey was just beginning.
In the southeastern part of Romania, where the Lower Danube Lowland lies, is the main city of the country - Bucharest.
A small river, Dǎmboviţa, flows through the city, on which you will not find ships, while the full-flowing and navigable Danube lies 60 km from the capital.
The main ski resorts of Romania, concentrated on the Budge Mountains, are located at a distance of 124 km. A 300-kilometer route separates Bucharest from the Black Sea coast.
The ethnic composition of Bucharest is homogeneous and is represented by Romanians. The remaining 3% comes from other nationalities, such as gypsies, who make up 1.4%, Hungarians, Jews and other nationalities. Almost the entire population of the capital is Orthodox, Roman Catholics account for 1.2%, and Muslims account for 0.5%.
In the south-eastern part of the city, not far from the Gara Nord train station, lies the neat city center. Lovers of antiquity will find the historical center near the Flower Market, on the left coast of Dymbovitsa.
It is better to start your tour of Bucharest from the train station or main metro stations. In the 19th-20th centuries, a new grandiose center appeared to the north of the ancient city streets, which became an example of the fusion of national romance, neoclassicism and functionalism. At the same time, the main highways of Bucharest appeared, connecting the northern and southern parts of the city. The street of greatest interest to tourists is Calea Victorei.
In the north of Bucharest, away from the historical center, lies Şos. Kiseleff, whose main attractions are the Arc de Triomphe and the Museum of Wooden Architecture. Signs are quite rare on the city streets, so it’s not difficult to get lost here.
In the 1950s, far from the city center, prefabricated and open-plan residential neighborhoods appeared: Floreaska, Titan (Balta Alba), Drumul-Taberei, Bucuresti-Noi (New Bucharest) and Ferentari. The city residents themselves highly celebrate the parks of Cismigiu, Freedom, August 23. In the north of the city, the most popular recreation areas are the areas located on the shores of lakes Tey, Floreaska and Herestrau.
City `s history
The first settlement on the site of modern Bucharest appeared during the Paleolithic period. However, at that time the main territory of Ilfov county was a wooded area, perhaps that is why the ancient cities looked more like small villages. Archaeologists have discovered small, scattered Dacian villages around modern Bucharest: Herastreu, Radu Vodă Damaroaia, Lacul Tei, Pantelemon and Popesti Leordeni. During excavations at Julestah and Lakul Tei, coins and jewelry from Ancient Rome were discovered, from which it can be judged that the Dacian tribes had established trade relations with the main civilization of that era.
Scientists believe that the founder of Bucharest, like most other Romanian cities, is the Vlach prince Radu Negru. Initially, this place housed ancient Daco-Roman villages, which were soon replaced by a fortress guarding the entrances to Targovishte, the former center of Wallachia.
Some of the villages around Bucharest, such as Snagov, Glina and Kazhna, were defeated by the Slavs. However, in the Middle Ages, the original founders mixed and dissolved among the Romanians.
Local residents love to tell a legend about how the shepherd Bucur once came down from the mountains with a flock of sheep and was so amazed by the splendor of the local lands that he settled here. On the banks of the Dymbovitsa River, he built a church, which became the heart of a small village. Centuries passed, and this small settlement turned into a huge city, which the locals called Bucuresti, from the Romanian word “bucuri” - “joy”.
The first written evidence about Bucharest dates back to 1459, when the representative office of the Vlach prince Vlad the Impaler was located here. After some time, the residence was replaced by the princely court. The Turks, who occupied the city in 1595, set it on fire. However, Bucharest soon rose from the ashes and began to develop at a rapid pace. In 1698, during the reign of Prince Constantin Brancoveanu, it became the capital of the country.
Throughout the 18th century, Turkish, Russian and Austrian soldiers replaced each other in Bucharest. In 1812, a peace treaty was concluded in this city, according to which Bessarabia and one third of Moldova went to other countries. In 1847, a fire broke out in the capital, depriving the city of 2,000 structures, which accounted for about 30% of all its buildings.
In 1848, the Romanian Revolution arose in the country, directed against Prince Bibescu. The result of this uprising was the occupation of the capital by the Russian army, which stood here until 1853-1854. However, Austrian troops continued to be in the city until the spring of 1857. In 1858, Bucharest became the venue for an international congress, which became fundamental in the formation of the Danube states. In 1861, the merger of Wallachia and Moldova was announced, with Bucharest becoming the administrative center.
The end of the 19th century was marked by a sharp increase in the capital's population. Europeans of that era called this city “Paris of the East,” which very accurately reflects the architecture and cultural life of this city.
The First World War did not bypass Bucharest: on December 6, 1916, it was captured by German soldiers, who left it only on November 17, 1918. At this time, the functions of the administrative center of the Romanian Kingdom were performed by the city of Iasi, but already in November 1918, Bucharest regained its title.
During World War II, the capital came under the rule of the Germans, who entered it in June 1941. Most of the city's buildings were destroyed during British and American air strikes. On August 23, 1944, a popular armed uprising managed to free itself from Hitler's rule in the country. Pro-monarchist protests throughout the country were suppressed by the Red Army on November 8, 1945, and on December 30, 1947, the country became known as the Romanian People's Republic.
Nicholas Ceausescu, who headed the country's Communist Party, ordered the destruction of the city's historical buildings, including ancient temples. Administrative buildings rose on this site, designed to make Bucharest a model of socialism.
Most of the surviving medieval buildings were destroyed in 1977 as a result of an earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale. Then the country lost 1,500 inhabitants.
In December 1989, the Romanian Revolution began in Timisoara, which soon captured Bucharest. These changes are commonly referred to as the “events of 1989.” As a result, the Ceausescu era was over. However, already in 1990, mass pickets began in the city, which were also supported by students. These protests were quickly suppressed with the help of the miners. However, following this, several more rallies took place across the country, as a result of which the Romanian government was dismissed.
Economic growth in 2000 led to Bucharest becoming a European city. Today, most of the historical areas have been restored.
Purchases
Classic Romanian souvenirs are considered to be: plum tincture tsuica, different types of wines (Murfatlar, Jidveu), bourdouf cheese and coreel cheese, various medicinal cosmetics, wooden objects and clay dishes, embroidery and knitted tablecloths, embroidered shirts.
The city's elite shops are located on Calea Victoriei street. However, Str. is of interest to tourists. Lipscani, which is located in the Old Town. It is full of small shops and gypsy street vendors. When making purchases, regardless of place, it is imperative to count the change and inspect the goods.
Almost all stores are open on weekdays from 9.00 am to 20.00 pm. On weekends they are open only in the first half and close at 13.00. Here you can find 24-hour shops that remain open on Saturday and Sunday.
Capital of Romania. Mentioned in 1459 as a village; the name Bucharest (Bucuresti) from the personal name Bucur with the suffix eshti, indicating the belonging of the village. Geographical names of the world: Toponymic dictionary. M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001... Geographical encyclopedia
Bucharest- Bucharest. House of Free Press. BUCHAREST, capital (since 1861) of Romania, on the Dambovita River, 45 km from the Danube. 2.0 million inhabitants. International Airport. Metropolitan. Mechanical engineering, chemical, light, perfumery, metallurgical, glass,... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Bucharest- Bucuresti, capital of Romania. Known since the 14th century. The old part of the city is located on the banks of the river. Dambovita, in the area of the large Flower Market (narrow crooked streets with two, three-story houses; Mihai Voda Church, 1589 91,... ... Art encyclopedia
BUCHAREST- BUCHAREST, capital (since 1861) of Romania, on the Dambovita River, 45 km from the Danube. 2.0 million inhabitants. International Airport. Metropolitan. Mechanical engineering, chemical, light, perfume, metallurgical, glass, porcelain, earthenware,... ... Modern encyclopedia
Bucharest- noun, number of synonyms: 3 party (42) city (2765) capital (274) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms ... Synonym dictionary
Bucharest- I Bucharest Bucuresti (Bucureşti), the capital of the Socialist Republic of Romania, the political-administrative, economic and scientific-cultural center of the country. Located in the central part of the Lower Danube Lowland on a non-navigable river... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
BUCHAREST- ROMANIA Bucharest, the capital of Romania (since 1861) and its main economic center, was built on the Dambovita River, 45 km from the Danube in the Lower Danube Lowland. The city's population is 2.1 million inhabitants. Bucharest is an independent administrative... ... Cities and countries
Bucharest- (Bucuresti) capital of the Socialist. Republic of Romania. 1488 thousand inhabitants (1972). The first information about music. B.'s lives date back to the 15th and 16th centuries, when the lawsuit against the prof. became widespread in the city. adv. lautar musicians who performed in... ... Music Encyclopedia
Bucharest- or Bucuresti (Bucuresti) since 1665, the main city of Wallachia, and since 1862 of the united principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, the present kingdom of Romania; junction point of the Romanian and Zhurzhevo Bucharest railways; located on a marshy plain along... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
Bucharest- (Bucureşti), the capital of Romania, on the Lower Danube Lowland, 45 km from the Danube. An independent administrative unit. 2.1 million inhabitants (1994). Transport node. International Airport. Large industrial center: mechanical engineering and... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Books
- Bucharest, . This richly illustrated album introduces the capital of Romania, the controversial but always elegant Bucharest, once called Paris in miniature. A city of contrasts and... Buy for 417 rubles
- Bucharest. Photo album, . Richly illustrated edition. Bucharest, 1957. State publishing house of literature and art. Original cover. The condition is good. A real richly illustrated album...
