Photo. The Palace of the Parliament - Romanian: Palatul Parlamentului, also known as the House of the Republic or People's House/People's Palace (Casa Poporului), is the seat of the Parliament of Romania, located atop Dealul Spirii in Bucharest. © Travel Explorations.
Standing in front of this enormous structure felt almost unreal. Its sheer size and powerful presence dominate the city, casting long shadows. It is more than just a building; it’s a reminder of a dark period in Romania’s history when the needs of the people were ignored for the vanity of a dictator. This palace was the vision of Nicolae Ceaușescu, Romania’s dictator, known for his obsession with grand projects. After visiting North Korea, Ceaușescu dreamed of making Romania a strong, self-sufficient nation under his strict control.
The Palace of Parliament, first called the House of the Republic, was meant to show his absolute power and authority. Measuring 270 meters long, standing 86 meters tall, and extending another 92 meters underground, the palace is a testament to Ceaușescu’s grand ambitions. With 20 floors - eight of them below ground - and over 3,000 rooms, many of them are still unused. The floor area covers 365,000 m2 (source: Wikipedia). The building was made using marble, steel, crystal, and glass. While the country was suffering from food and energy shortages, vast resources were allocated into constructing this massive building.
Construction began in 1984, requiring entire neighbourhoods to be destroyed to make space. Thousands of families were forced out of their homes, and many historic buildings were lost. Workers faced tough conditions, with some reportedly losing their lives during construction. Even as Romania’s people struggled, Ceaușescu continued to focus on his palace. But in the end, it was never fully finished. He was overthrown before his vision was completed.
For many Romanians, especially those who lived through Ceaușescu's harsh rule, the Palace of Parliament is a painful reminder of a time when a dictator’s pride was placed above the people's well-being. Today, it stands not just as an impressive building but also as a symbol of the country’s strength. This was a place where the dark past of oppression meets the hard-won triumph of freedom.
Stein Morten Lund, November 2024
Additional information
The Palace reaches a height of 84 m (276 ft), has a floor area of 365,000 m2 (3,930,000 sq ft) and a volume of 2,550,000 m3 (90,000,000 cu ft). The Palace of the Parliament is the heaviest building in the world, weighing about 4,098,500 tonnes (9.04 billion pounds), and is the third largest administrative building in the world (Guinness World Records). Read more on: Wikipedia facts about the Palace of the Parliament.
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