January 9, 2013

Crazy facts about Romania's People's Palace


One upon a time, there was an egotistical, bat-sh*t crazy dictator named Nicolae Ceausescu in the lovely country of Romania.  Ok, he was actually elected to the position of Secretary General in the communist-controlled country and later became head of state, but that’s beside the point.  

In the 1980s, Ceausescu decided to direct a big ol’ “nanny-nanny-boo-boo” at the rest of the world, and he started construction on the monstrous Palace of Parliament, also known as the People’s Palace, to basically house the Romanian government in the capital city of Bucharest.  He wasn’t one to go for an ordinary building.  Nope, he had to one-up pretty much every other country in the world, and it didn’t matter if he nearly bankrupted his country and starved his people in the process of showing off.


I had the chance to take a tour of the palace a few years back, and it is indeed mind-boggling.  Here are a few fun things to know about this mammoth of a structure:
  1. The palace is the second largest building in the world (the Pentagon is the largest).
  2. The entire building is naturally ventilated. Romania was green before green was cool.
  3. From 1983 to 1989, 40% of Romania’s GDP went to constructing this monstrosity.
  4. All the materials used to build it were obtained domestically - the wood, the crystal, the marble, you name it. There was no cheaping out on on inferior products like granite or glass.
  5. Speaking of crystal, there are 480 crystal chandeliers in the palace.  I have a small crystal bell that my grandmother gave me.  That’s the extent of my crystal collection. Romania = 1, Carla = 0.  Actually, that would be Romania = 480, Carla = 1.
  6. Ceausescu made sure that the street leading right up to the palace was constructed to be exactly 1 meter wider than the Champs Elysees in Paris. Up yours, France.
  7. The idea for the palace was inspired by my favorite tyrannical dictator of all time, North Korea’s Kim Jong Il. 
  8. In 1992, Michael Jackson stood on the large balcony overlooking the Romanian version of the Champs Elysees and addressed the large crowd outside by saying to them, “Hello Budapest!”  Way to be a cultural ambassador, Mikey.
Hello, Buda... er, Bucharest!

By the time the palace was nearing completion in 1989, the people decided they’d had just about enough of this crap, and they promptly overthrew Ceausescu.  They were forced to give up things like food, water, and heat in order to gain “their” palace.  And that’s a pretty bum deal.  

The building of the palace basically ran the entire country into the gutter, but there is no denying that the palace really is an amazing sight to behold.  This is totally the do-not-miss sight in Bucharest.  Of course, if you go, you’ll only get to wander around about 5% of the building, but given the size of it, you’ll be seeing plenty.  You’ll also get to stand on the same balcony that Michael Jackson did.  Just please remember to say hello to the correct city.

17 comments:

  1. Sounds like an impressive place, and that is hilarious about Michael Jackson saying the wrong name LOL

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  2. So what was the place where he gave his last speech? I wonder why he gave it there and no the palace

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    1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWIbCtz_Xwk - The balcony of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party, the only party during the communist regime.

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  3. So what was the place where he gave his last speech? I wonder why he gave it there and not at the palace?

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  4. The sad fact is that many civilians died building that

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    1. And more than 47,000 ppl lost their homes - demolished - to make place for this "monstre" !

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  5. The sad fact is that so many civilians had to die building that

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  6. Just to let you know the architects based the design on the Versailles & Buckingham palaces. They were sent to Pyong Yang to have a look at the architecture as Ceausescu liked North Korea so much.

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  7. Just to let you know the architects based the design on the Versailles & Buckingham palaces. They were sent to Pyong Yang to have a look at the architecture as Ceausescu liked North Korea so much.

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  8. I agree thatit was tragic that so many people Most likely died. ButI am st illwant ing tokn owwhat the bui lding was where ceausescu made his last speech at. I know it was not the palace.

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    1. The building of the last speech is located in what now is revolution square. The ministry of internal affairs

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  9. Ok so that isn't the palace /residential where he lived. I am going there and want to see both. How far apart are they? I am finding this whole romanian era fascinating

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    1. 30-40 minutes walking, depending on your speed

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  10. Ok so if I am looking at the committee building do I go right or left?? I leave in about two weeks

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  11. The palace is indeed very big,but the people who are in him are the country biggest thiefs.Ceausescu builded lots of stufs and made lots of work places for ppl,why today they don t know what to destroy first.The life in this country is less than decent with the poor salary we get payed,while the assholes that stay in out country palace have done nothing for the past 26year but ruin and destroy everything ceausescu worked all his life to build.He was sentenced and killed for nothing,they blamed him of stealing 10mil $ ,while in reality not even till this day they haven t proven that.Instead we get bucharest mayor of one of the sectors who steals 100mil $ and get no jail,Basescu the president stole lots of milions too and sold a lot of land for cheap prices to foreign people without the proper rights also in a country that law stats you;re not allowed to sell any land to foreirgn people and only borrow them for 10-50years and still got no jail.Ceausescu was indeed crazy because he starved people in order to do that,even tho you had money you couldn't buy much,but now ,you have lots of things to buy but no money to do so.
    Now you guys tell me who was better ceausescu who wanted to build a country to be independent or the actual so called "democracy" my ass,only steal and get away with it,you think is better?

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  12. Wow. That is one of the most well thought out insider responses i have read in a long time. Kudos. While i might not agree with everything you wrote i respect the hell out of it . I. Have another question. Why did the military change on him so quickly?

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