Inspired by the dictator in North Korea, Nicolae Ceaușescu was a terrible leader.
While subjecting his people to extreme austerity, he built the Palace of the Parliament … the second-largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon.
His thirst for power led to his regime bulldozing historical parts of Bucharest in the early eighties and forcing workers to build, through day and night, the enormous political and administrative complex known as the House of the People.
The grandiose palace, which was not completed in the Ceausescus’ lifetime despite the huge human and financial cost, has been called the world’s second biggest building after the Pentagon and boasts luxurious fittings. It is now Romania’s parliament building. (30% occupied) …
Under his regime, eating a banana was a rare luxury while all staple products such as milk, sugar, eggs and butter were rationed. …
It’s difficult to put this monstrosity into scale.
Check the size of the people on the balcony.
Here’s the last known photo of the dictator on that balcony.
It was from that balcony in 1992 that Michael Jackson shouted: “Hello Budapest“.
I took the tour seeing 4% of the space.
The exterior is classic former Soviet rectal-linear architecture. UG. LY.
The interior is better. Especially the halls they show to tourists.
Ceaușescu was shot before construction finished. There’s no mention of him in the building today.
This huge space was intended for a gigantic portrait. It was never painted.
I walked the perimeter surprised to see they are still building. This will be the future National Cathedral.
The waste of money and resources will always remind me of egomaniac dictators. And dictator wannabes like Trump.
Considered by the BBC a kangaroo court or a show trial, the main charge was genocide—namely, murdering “over 60,000 people” during the revolution in Timișoara. …
Rick McCharles 