Three decades have passed since the demise of communism and of its most prolific symbol in Romania: Nicolae Ceausescu. In spite of the tremendous growth Romania has experienced ever since, the remnants of this regime are still noticeable.
That is why most aspects of everyday life were transformed by communism: from the political class to public health care to the urban architecture. Find out the many shocking tales of what life was like under communism. Furthermore learn about the brutality with which this system was enforced in Romania.
Get insight into the dictator Ceausescu’s fascinating life story, from his childhood to his execution. Lastly, understand the difficult transition from socialism to democracy that Romania experienced.
This is an immersive half-day tour around Bucharest that will take you to some of the main communist sights:
The Palace of the Parliament is the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon and the most expensive administrative building. 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 1980s.
The hidden churches from behind the utilitarian buildings such as the Mihai Voda and the Patriarchal Churches. These are two religious sights from the Middle Ages which fortunately survived the demolition frenzy and are a testimony of how Bucharest looked before. The Unirii Square with the splendid fountains designed during the Ceausescu regime and the biggest avenue in Bucharest: the former Victory of Socialism Boulevard.
Academia Romana building is a large scale construction in a similar style to the Parliament Palace. 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
The Revolution Square is where the communist regime began and where it all ended with the people’s protests during the Revolution of 1989.
