Bucharest Under Communism: Life, Terror & Hope

Located in the middle of the city, Unirii Square was designed during the last phase of Communism in Romania. Spectacular thanks to its splendid fountains, it also is crossed by the biggest avenue in Bucharest: the former Victory of Socialism Boulevard . Standing here and taking a stroll on the boulevard will reveal the megalomaniac vision that the Romanian dictator had in store for Bucharest.

The Palace of the Parliament is the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon and the most expensive administrative building. We will see this building from the outside and get a true sense of its gigantic size. For this, vast amounts of money, materials and work effort were needed. What is more, this structure was made by subjecting the Romanian people to shortages of all kinds during the 1980's. You will hear the whole story of how this enormous building was made, what the locals think about it while having viewing it from different angles. Standing across the palace is the Academia Romana building, a large scale construction in a similar style. It was intended for the use of the dictator’s wife, Elena Ceausescu. However, like several other buildings from the 1980s, it was only half finished. Nowadays, a large section of it is left in ruins as a sore reminder of the dictator’s megalomaniac vision of Bucharest

You find out how some churches were destroyed while others were saved in a shocking way during the Communist period. Churches hidden behind the utilitarian buildings are a curious sight that depict how the Communist Party dealt with religion. The Mihai Voda Churchh is a religious place from the Middle Ages which fortunately survived the demolition frenzy and is a testimony of how Bucharest looked before.

The Revolution Square is where the communist regime began and where it all ended with the people’s protests during the Revolution of 1989. You will see the building that housed Ceausescu's office, the balcony where the dictator had his last speech and the places that saw the first mass demonstration in Bucharest. Here you will understand what happened to those who demonstrated against totalitarianism, the story behind the monument dedicated to them and what happened in the aftermath of the Revolution.

The spot where the main protests against communism took place in 1989, with hundreds being massacred for their belief in a free society.