Churches, Bucharest

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The Annunciation or St Anthony church stays in the middle of the works now in Bucharest, (main picture of the previous tip), but itself has been already renovated.
This church, built in the 16th century had been destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in neo gothic style, but wise architects rebuilt it in its original (guessed) shape and style in the beginning 20th century, as the tower and the windows tend to show it (picture 2). The apparent brick rows alternating with plaster are of the 16th century Wallachian style. . . . .
There were works (again!) inside, and the iconostase (icons wall) was not visible, and only the paints (recent) could be seen; the atmosphere of this small church (despite the scaffolding) is really “religious” and you can feel some peace looking at the colourful paints.
The carved stone portal (picture 5) looks a bit “out of place” in front of the modest bricks, but is really a piece of art in itself; on top are Cyrillic inscriptions, denoting it is an orthodox church, but I found strange that in a “Roman” (Latin) country Cyrillic was in use, and a local colleague explained me that the Latin alphabet had been imposed only recently (1866) by a decree from the Romanian Academy, as everyday alphabet. Above the portal is a representation of the annunciation(picture 1), which gave its name to the church.

Even if my title didn’t spell it out, I don’t think it would have taken you more than a few seconds to identify this building. The campanile and the Lombard Romanesque style speak for themselves. The Italian Church of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic Church built in 1915-1916 using funds donated by the Vittorio Emanuele III, the Holy See, the Italian Embassy in Bucharest and the Italian community in Romania which in 1915 counted about 7000 people. It is the property of the Italian government and is located on the busiest boulevard in Bucharest, Nicolae Bălcescu/Magheru. The architects were Mario Stoppa and Giuseppe Furaboschi. Like many churches in Bucharest, the Italian church has a history full of drama. The first appointed priest, Antonio Mantica, served here until December 1949 when he was arrested by the communists and forced to live Romania. The newly appointed priest, Clemente Gatti, served until March 1951 when he also was arrested, sentenced to 15 years in prison and later deported. The church was closed until 1968 when it was opened with the occasion of a state visit by the Italian Prime Minister Amintore Fanfani. Following the visit, the church remained open, but only a few services a year were performed, on special occasions like Easter, Christmas, the Assumption of Mary etc. Finally, the Italian Church was reopened in 1989 after the Romanian Revolution. Services are held daily in Romanian, and on Sundays in Romanian, Italian and Polish. The parish house was added in 1924 and for a while served as the Italian school. The campanile is 27.75 meters tall and carries 4 large bells. The surrounding tall buildings were raised in the 1930’s altering the space around the church.

The Patriarchal Cathedral is the center of the Romanian Orthodox Church, sitting atop the Mitropoliei Hill. Bucharest has a string of small hills and in the past monasteries were built on top of these hills so they can be seen from afar. In the past the Patriarchal Cathedral was visible from most parts of the city but that has been rectified by the communists which fenced it with tall buildings. It’s a miracle that the building has not been demolished or moved somewhere else during the communist regime, as it happened with many other churches, but that may be due to the fact that the leaders of the Romanian Orthodox Church collaborated with the Communist Party in order to maintain what was left of their power. During the 15th century the Mitropoliei Hill was covered by vineyards and a small wooden church stood on top of it. Construction of the new church was started by Prince of Wallachia Constantin Serban Basarab in 1656 and finished by Radu Leon in 1668 when it was named the official Metropolitan seat. None of the original interior paintings remain except for a single icon depicting the Saint Emperors Constantine and Helen which are the cathedral’s patron saints. The church was restored several times. The present day frescoes were painted by Dimitrie Belisarie in 1933. This is a place of gathering, and thousands of people take to the hill with the occasion of major religious holidays.

If the onion dome architecture of the church in the photo makes you think of Russian Orthodox churches than you are on the right path. This is Bucharest’s Russian Church, or St. Nicholas Church after Emperor Nicholas II of Russia whose court provided the 600.000 gold rubles which were used for the construction of the building. The church was destined to be used by the employees of the Russian Embassy and by Russians living in Bucharest and service was initially held in Russian. The onion domes, which are not usual in Romania, were initially covered in gold. Construction lasted from the 1905 – 1909 under the guiding of the Russian architect V. A. Prevbrajenski. During WWI the church was closed and all valuables and the archive were transported to St. Petersburg where they were lost during the Russian Revolution. The church was transferred a couple of times from the authority of the Patriarchate of Moscow to the Romanian government and the Romanian Orthodox Church. The church is located downtown, close to the University of Bucharest and twice in its history it came under the patronage of the university (from 1934 to 1947 and again from 1992 to present time) for the use of the students and professors at the university. This is the reason the church is also known by a third name, “The Students’ Church”.

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Alongside the Stavropoleos church there is a small beautiful yard surrounded by a porticoes on three sides. This building has been added during the restoration done in 1899-1901 by architect Ion Mincu and if you look closely you’ll notice that the porticoes are inspired by the architecture of the church. This building shelters a library with a collection of old manuscripts, a refectory where conferences are held, and a collection of 18th century religious objects, some of them brought here from other churches and monasteries that were demolished in the communist years. The convent’s caretakers also work to restore old books, icons, other liturgical objects and clothes, to translate old books and to transcribe old musical scores digitally. The church is also famous for its choir which sings Byzantine music. I really like the courtyard with its old tombstones and fragments of old sculptures. I’ve seen it in many types of weather, on a sunny morning or under grey skies, when it was snowing or when it was raining and it always looks beautiful and has a peaceful and quiet feel.

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This charming small church is one of the oldest and most beautiful in Bucharest. It was built between the years 1724 to 1730 during the ruling of Nicolae Mavrocordat (Prince of Wallachia 1719-1730) by the Greek monk Ioanichie Stratonikeas. Although tiny, every little detail is worth looking at: the richly adorned columns of the porch, the exterior paintings and carvings, the wooden door. I think it’s impossible to visit churches like Stavropoleos and not be moved in some way – I’m actually not sure that my photos do it justice, because it truly is one of a kind. In the past, the church was the centerpiece of a complex which included an inn and a monastery which was sustained from the incomes of the inn. They were demolished at the end of 19th century after being severely damaged during a fire, the church being the only part that remains from the original complex. Today the church is part of the Stavropoleos Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox convent. Stavropoleos is representative for the Brâncovenesc style which blends Ottoman and Western elements together with traditional Romanian architectural forms.

Inside you’ll find the same fresco-covered walls and golden iconostasis found in most Eastern Orthodox churches but somehow they look more exceptional here. If you are Christian you’ll feel like the church interior encourages prayer and meditation. Even the tourists leave their cameras aside and sit quiet on the little benches. The black silhouette that you see in my photo of the interior is of one of the nun caretakers who was tending the candles.

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The beautiful red brick Creţulescu Church is one of the oldest in Bucharest still surviving in its original form. It was commissioned in 1722 by Iordache Creţulescu and his wife Safta, a daughter of Prince Constantin Brancoveanu.

Its design, with its twin towers, is a blend of Byzantine and Western architecture. Fragments of 19th century frescoes by Romanian painter Gheorghe Tattarescu can be seen inside. The neo-Byzantine frescoes in the porch represent scenes from the Apocalypse.

Memorials to Corneliu Coposu and to Victims of the 1989 Revulution stand in the grounds of the church which, like many of Bucharest's churches, is overshadowed by blocks of flats.

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Built in 1909 by the Russian Tsar Nicholas II for 600,000 gold rubles, this Orthodox Church has a wooden, gold-gilded iconostasis allegedly modeled after the altar in the Archangelskiy Cathedral in Moscow.