Not unlike so many before him and even some since. After all, who needs history when you have a glorious leader to look to? I will say however, that Ceausecu was among the most truly despicable about doing it.
I remember watching his demise on the News. I was 8 years old. I can still clearly remember my father saying "f**king good!" when I mentioned that he had been executed.
He wasn't at that time. It was just a flashbang thrown at some protesters in university square that just scared the women and they started to scream, filling the tension. Things went wrong after the people saw that he shat himself and he started making offers such as increasing the wage n shit
Suppose the army/security forces succeeded in defeating the people. Did Ceausescu expect that next year, for his birthday, the defeated people, would come to his palace, waving their little flags and chanting "Happy birthday, sweet Nicolai! We love you! Many happy returns!"...?
I've read that one of Ceaucescu's biggest mistakes was allowing an episode of the TV show "Dallas" to be aired in Romania as evidence of the "decadence of capitalism." It did not have the desired effect. Larry Hagman, whom played J.R. Ewing in the show, would later visit Romania, and Romanians were said to have told him that he saved their nation.
It wasn't just one episode. It was multiple seasons. My parents told me how they used to watch Dallas. And if you where nifty enough you could also catch channels from other countries like from Germany.
Thank you for making this video! My grandfather on my mother's side was forced to work here as an architect and he told us that not only a bunker was built underneath but also a network of tunnels spanning the entirety of Bucharest at that time - he later died of cancer caught from materials he was forced to work with everyday with no protection (like azbestos) and I still remember him on his illness bed, incapacitated and giving my brothers and I chocolate coins covered in gold foil.
I know the history makes it ominous, but that building is gorgeous. At least it is not as ugly and bare as most soviet buildings are. The bulding of the great wall of china resulted in unimaginable suffering and death for thousands of people, but it is undeniably beautiful.
um, its not. overwhelmingly decorated ,yes. intimidating, yes. but beautiful, no way in hell. i see it very often since i live in bucharest and what i like to call it is architectural gibberish.
@@bogdangrigore89 Seeing those poor children in those orphanages rocking back and forth without any love or attention, may he and his wife rot in eternal hell!
@@mysticpizza02 Sad, but when I think of Romania (which isn't often) I think of pictures from those orphanages long before I think of this monstrosity of a building.
@@bogdangrigore89 Mostly really old people, and not even those. Maybe the ones from the countryside, but I have yet to meet someone in real life who misses Ceausescu and was actually around back then
My mother rarely speaks about what it was like during communism. My dad says he suffered through two years of paranoia due to the Securitate. He also wanted to join the Revolution in 1989, take to the streets, but said that he was convinced out of it, because people were getting shot and my mom was pregnant with me and my twin sister back then and my older sis was only 10 years old. :( I can't imagine my mom crying in despair for my dad to stay with her. :(
I have to say... your reaserch is spot on. And the way you tell the whole story is great. Thanks for an awesome video about this slice of my homeland's history. Keep up the great work!
2:00 - Chapter 1 - From the ashes... 5:30 - Chapter 2 - Beauty & the beast 9:15 - Chapter 3 - The new pyramids 12:25 - Mid roll ads 13:30 - Chapter 4 - A nightmare in stone 17:00 - Chapter 5 - Revolution ! 20:35 - Chapter 6 - A reminder of the past
Between 19:14 and 20:00, everything is wrong. You got it all wrong. Not Ceaușescu ordered the Security to create imaginary enemies such as ”the terrorists”. That was Iliescu's doing who was not able to re-legitimize himself when he came onto the balcony on the 22nd of December, one day after Ceausescu fled. The crowd below recognized him as one of the former communist elites and shouted "no more communists". He went inside. Shortly after, at 18:00 o'clock, the army gets orders through radio stations to disperse the "dangerous elements" in the streets. Iliescu started his counter-revolution against those in the streets. When the Revolution Dossier was famously reopened in 2016, the Public Ministry came out a while later with a statement saying, among other things, that in December, 1989, "there was no void of power". Meaning nobody left, nobody came. After all, in 22nd December, Iliescu already had the generals and the army by his side. One of the generals appears in one video (the meeting between the generals and him was filmed and is on youtube and was all over TV) and replies angrily, at some point, in response to a general who proposed the changing of their name (The National Front Salvation): "we've been through this, we won't change it again, we already changed it six months ago". Which means these commies were organized at least months before the Revolution started. In a BBC interview, in 1994, with John Simpleton, Gen. Militaru says that they first organized themselves way back in 1984, when they started out with the name The National Salvation Committee. Iliescu staged more imaginary enemies, in order to redirect the crowd's anger and more easily install himself in power. In 1990 The Mineriads followed, when Iliescu called the Miners to beat the students in Bucharest and wreck the opposing parties' headquarterss For my fellow countrymen, you should read Marian Voicu: Matrioska mincinosilor. Fake news, manipulare, populism. A very good book that shows how Iliescu divided the population through fake news circulating on the National Television controlled by him and his political group. One should also check the last findings in the Revolution Dossier (2016-2017).
Awesome dude. A quick google can validate most of this :) thank you for painting a more vivid image of the political situation. Helps to give perspective. Hope more people read this comment :) thanks again.
You're very much wrong - there was a standing order on how to proceed if unrest started, and it involved a few Securitate units causing chaos (which would have happened even without them). It's a researched thing, and a totally different subject. But you're wrong on the army front too. The army started shooting at the masses that stayed in the square late evening on the 21st, with sporadic fighting until the next day, which is when they switched sides. The army then turned on the ones randomly shooting (even though nobody knew who it was specifically). The were army units that fought against in the confusion, either because of loyalist officers, or because of simple confusion and rumors. Only the execution quieted those things. The were plenty of confusing rumors, some spread intentionally. I know many people have a hateboner on Iliescu, but not only is this a retroactive attribution, but it's straight up untrue and a distortion of facts. If you want to check some of the ones responsible for a lot of the really weird stuff in '89-'91 look at the pro-Muscovite elements in the second echelon of the party, some of which became the first heads of the new intelligence services.
@@ballpython1001 I voted for Obama both times because I think he is the greatest President in my lifetime. Why did you think otherwise? If you knew me, you would know I am the opposite of racist. I have many black friends whom I respect.
@@CB0408 - Why do you think Neuschwanstein is monstruous? I mean yes it bankrupted Bavaria but thank god it did. This allowed Bismarck to get it to join Germany.
@@K_1_T_S_U_N_E it's a fine example of bourgeois-romantic aesthetics. I concede it is not as out of place as, say, those monstruous Italian villas by the sea in California or Florida, but it's rivaled by no other (except maybe by Dysneyworld) in size.
@@CB0408 I wouldn't go so far as to call them "monstrous". They're not THAT large in size, and they're actually quite beautiful (at least the Vizcaya one in FL). Out of place? maybe, but I bet people are glad they're there and it attracts a large number of tourists (and revenue) each year.
Just been inside the place on google maps, and it's absolutely breathtaking - but you can't forget the blood, sweat, terror and lies that went into it.
@@asphalatos1 we could finally gather enough wheat and honey to make coliva, our favourite dessert, only served at funerals. It had to be special. Not to mention all that pent up anger and contempt :D
That live TV broadcast of the crowd turning on Ceuasecu is such a good watch, the look of absolute bewilderment on his face as his power slipped away in minutes is priceless
Turning lemons into lemonade, This would make a great space for the Emperor's court in the new Dune remake part two. It's similar despotism but in sci fi.
@@DanielLopez-sh2pp Im not sure, but i have a guess: The Danube goes into the Black Sea to begin with - so building a canal to connect the Danube and the Black Sea like building the longest (and highest) bridge in a big flat terrain with no obstacle at all - pointless. And i have one more guess: this pointless project is almost surely relied on slave workers (oh, sorry, their are wrong thinkers in reeducation, not slaves) - in usual communist fashion.
@@DanielLopez-sh2pp The Danube flows into the sea but takes a twist along a small mountain range in Dobrogea and forms a delta. Not as easy to navigate. So to cut the trip they dug a canal through the mountains directly into the sea. They dug it mostly with political prisoners and forced labor.
@@DanielLopez-sh2pp One of the Ceausescu plans was to build a canal from Bucharest to Black sea linking Dambovita river with the sea, he already build one shorter(Danube Black Sea channel) who goes throug my city,my grandparents were evicted in order to build him
My fiancee was born and raised in Romania and ive been there twice myself. I fact checked a few things with her and you are spot on! Thank you for doing this video! You should totally do one on the Transfaragasan(known as "Ceacescu's folly") or Bran Castle (Draculas castle) as i think your research team and excellent delivery on this channel in particular would do it justice.
Thank you for making it😁 I would dare to also recommend the Danube Delta for Geographics, as well as the Transfagarasan highway for Megaprojects. Great show!
Additionally: 1. This building is the 2nd heaviest building in the world, only superseded by the pentagon. 2. In fact, it's so heavy it's LITERALLY sinking, given the regions propensity to earthquakes it could end pretty badly in the future. 3. It has A LOT of underground levels (12 I believe), a normal tour of the building doesn't even start to show the monstrous scale of it. 4. Some rugs and other textiles had to be mad on-site because of how huge they were. 5. It has an opera hall inside of it. 6. In the night, the lighting of the building makes it literally shine like gold, probably my favorite thing about it.
Dear Mr Whistler, I follow you through your different channel and subjects you treat with balance and wisdom, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you. Let’s be honest, I consider this is one of your best videos I’ve ever scene from you, my sincere congratulations. Straight on!
Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond went there and drove in the tunnels underneath. It's an interesting episode, as they were looking for the best road in the world. Thanks.
I'm a romanian born but living in Germany since I was a toddler. I visited the Palace of Parliament (and Bucharest for that matter) 10 years ago for the first time. It was breathtaking. I only knew it from stories from my grandmother and parents. Seeing this mammoth of a building is something else. When I took the tour, the guide told us that literllay everything in the palace is made in Romania. Nothing came from other countries or continents. Also: there is the rumor that in the great hall with the glass roof Ceauşescu let them build in a mechanism that would allow to open the roof for a helicopter to land in case of an emergency, so that he and Elena could flee. I can only reccomend everyone to visit Bucharest and Romania. It is one of the most versatile countries there are.
@Gipsy Danger I've been twice and greatly recommend it. If you enjoy beautiful scenery, medieval towns and good basic food it is incredible. I'd go again. Bucharest has great museums and arts but to me central Romania from East to West is full of medieval towns, mountains and forests and small villages where people still dress and live in their local culture. The north is very remote and rural. Whatever area you go to you just have to be flexible as their infrastructure is weak. Don't drive, hire a driver/guide. Their roads are deadly. Makes me want to visit again!
@Gipsy Danger Bran is a beautiful town and the castle is very interesting. It is also near the Siniai region in the mountains which provides a lot of places like Brasov to visit too. Probably my favorite trip ever (which we went to Istanbul too). A great combination considering the Ottoman Empire rules most of southern Romania for a long time. My gf is a big Dracula fan which is one reason I returned. I brought her to visit. She loved it as much as I did. It is rather inexpensive to visit even though most charge in Euros instead of their ROM currency.
Great work Simon to you and your teem. The history of the revolution in Romania it's more nuanced with some reporetes of secrect soviet forces envolved. Great subject and great presentation
Comparing the "Parliament of the People" to the Pyramids, the Versailles Palace, or even the Taj Mahal is quite appropriate, all were projects of vanity. The difference being that the Romanian people overthrew the tyrant behind it (although the French did overthrow the descendant of the tyrant). Creative use of the building will give the Romanian people the last laugh over Ceausescu.
It is used to house a government that is to this day mostly made up of either former communist party members or their offspring and friends. That systematically defund the state in order to accrue wealth. While 40% of the country is at the poverty line or under it. And the country itself having it's economy slowly slip into irrelevance on the European and international stage.
dont worry mate , its still the same shit with a different smell , minimum wage is barely 300 euros / month , and most workers* are minimum wage earners ... so yea , "democracy" won
The Pyramids were a project of vanity? With all of their mathematical and astronomical precision and references? How did you ever reach such a remarkable conclusion?
I represented communist Romania in a historical communist committee in Model UN over a year ago and as I was doing research for the topics, I came across that palace. It was very interesting learning the history about it
I have been to this place. It is a stunning building, and almost awe inspiring! A feat of engineering that it is hard to not apprectiate how beautiful this building is. Then we learn of the history of the building, and it gives us a sort of dire warning - don't spend lavishly while your fellow country men are in squaller. However, despite this warning, their is a spark of hope. The Romanian people were able to turn this deslote building into a marvel that the whole world should appreciate; or, even terrible actions can be turned into something postive.
I seen the building about 10 years ago, it somehow stands isolated and strange in a huge area. Bucharest has so many beautiful spots, that building stands like a literal white elephant
I visited the county for 2 weeks in '09. When I saw the building it was big. Not tall like in NYC but just bigger than anything else I've seen. I can't call it cold because there were so many Romania people that were so nice! Can't wait to go back one day.
Simon, that was a fantastic presentation. It is so important for the younger generations to know this historical event. To understand the W 5 of this enormous building, and the eventual outcome that had spawned from those events. Again great video, it grabs you and holds or better yet demands your attention and respect. :-)
Lol what is normal, especially these days, Romania is rich in history and certainly unique, one day I'll visit there, I can't judge entire people for the acts of individuals. Besides we all have weird moments, it just means your country is old enough to have lots of fascinating stories :P
@@lordjask1226 Sure... we have wonderful nature, castles, caves, waterfalls and so on. History is plenty, you would need weeks to absorb just a portion of it. What I meant, Romania is not a normal country for people living there. As a tourist, it can be an amazing destionation. Not so amazing when you live there and have to deal with the politics, low-income, religion (like mentioned in the video, that Cathedral) and so on. It's not NORMAL to build a massive Cathedral when people are literally starving, left uneducated and so on. Anyway...
@@RandomGameplayVideos Sure like any country it has its problems but your countries beautiful. Went in 2018, seen some of the Danube delta and of course up to Brasov. Will definitely go back.
Romanian here. There is no description of what is normal. Every country has people who need to deal with the same problems "we" have, just in different portions all over the globe. This is an attitude problem. Instead of complaining what others do and don't, even if righteous, how about thinking about what can you do in your life the very next moment to make it worth it?
Even by the standards of typical totalitarian communist regimes at the time, Ceacescu was one of the most frightening. I think socialism is just another ideology and take on how to organize a society, but these regimes tried to warp it to take advantage of their citizens and seize autocratic power. I can understand some of the nostalgia for these regimes-- for example, when I went to former Yugoslavia countries, people were nostalgic for Tito because it preceded a really horrible, violent time for the region and people felt that back in the time of Tito they were taken care of at least.
The impressive part is showing we can still build grand buildings like this if we desire to, it’s not some lost art like many lovers of brutalist architecture want you to think
Just cam across Geographics today, and subbed. Been binge watching for five straight hours. I came here for the "geographic" anecdotes and stories, and interesting information and perspectives. I got even more for my money when the inevitable misery machine that is socialism and communism is exposed with scholarly details to back it up. I pray that many in the millennial generation that seem so infatuated with socialism get their eyes opened here.
This video has my creative juices flowing. I can see a whole novel being set in a similar building. Thanks, Geographics! Also, would you consider doing a video about the Cu Chi tunnels in Vietnam? I think that would be interesting. Thanks!
About the church that's being built next to the Palace of Parliament: Most of us hate it too but what can you do when the majority of people are pensioners and devowed christians and the Romanian Orthodox Church has officials on payroll who'd also do anything to please the old people into giving them another vote at the next elections.
The Ceasescus' were so insecure about themselves. Elena had tried to get a degree in chemistry, but she was too dumb, so she was awarded a phony PhD in chemistry but all the work was written by actual scientists and then her name was just put on them lol.
He compared her to Speer, and she lost. So, as above, "Is it just me or is it not that big?" is riotously hilarious. So, I am not sure how to value your comment, but I am interested in what you have to say, because when it comes to the "people's" building business, morality must weigh in along with ethics and reason and rationality. >>As only a wannabe layman architect, "Big Bertha?" is surely one for the books. Sincerely...
Many people fled Romania in the early and mid 80ies due to lots of obvious reasons. I knew some families that fled from western Romania. Securitate, slave work for that project, removing needed workers and farmers to run the basic economy of the country just to build that monster palace. One can compare the palace to the infamous hotel tower in Pyongyang. Such a project can eat up the whole economy of a country which simply can't afford it. Even more than 30 years later Romania is still suffering from the aftermath of this project.
"Megalomaniacal dream" sounds like a massive understatement. This thing sounds like it would have put the building of almost any other palace to shame.
Great Video Simon! Just one thing - please make a video about Bulgaria :D keep on asking you across your channels and you keep on talking to every country around, just not us.
They may want to allow Foreign governments to set up Embassies in the unused spaces of the building, for the price of finishing the space that they would occupy. Or maybe host the Olympics in the rest of the building.
It's a kind thought, but not a practical one. Where would someone go if they needed asylum in a hostile country-inside that country's central government building?
What surprises me the most is that It was made during the very last days of the Comunist block. It would have make "more sense" for this kind of construction to take place early in the Cold War
Did you ever see Chuck Norris vs Communism? Its a documentary about how bootleg movies from America helped to to drive out Communism from here during this time. Great show!
Honestly, as a Romanian, it is hard to quantify the sentiment about these two buildings. The palace of the parliament seems to be regarded as a matter of pride in Romania because is the largest building in the world besides the Pentagon, maybe third in a few years when the Octogon will be finished in New Cairo. This is not to say that Romanians are nostalgic about Ceausescu, they seem to be proud that we can make something noticeable on the world stage. When it comes to the cathedral, virtually every educated Romanian considers that the state is a bellend because they sponsor this construction. In the mean time, most Romanians are very religious so it's hard to fight that. Most people think this is a good idea, so even if objectively it's stupid, how can we convince our representatives to go against that when they might be voted out of office. I'm not being pedantic, or try to justify anything, I'm j just searching for some possible solutions
I don’t know if it rates a Geographics video, but the Transfăgărășan highway is another Ceaușescu project with a significant death toll. Might be worth a look.
Vimy Ridge would be a good option with new tactics used on the day it was finally captured and the two previous armies who failed to capture it. And it would probably enhance the number of Canadian viewers on this channel.
Definitely worth visiting... book your tour ahead of time and bring your passport, but if you show up and say you are flying out the next day they might be nice and squeeze you in for a tour.
i was small in 89 but i saw the charnage.I live in Timisoara. On the stairs of Timisoara's Cathedral the doors where shut and people trying to get in where shot on the Chatedral's stairs.People ran over by tanks (children in hand).Cars covered with sheets (the ones that had goverment plates) becouse the gunners got in to the apartments and shot them dead in there homes.Even now if you take a walk in Timisoara's streets youl come by crosses here and there laid for the some that fought for our freedom.That house is as much as a curse as it is a marvel of the world.
I guess Romania did the best thing they could do. Own it. Tearing it down would have made all the suffering meaningless. But they made that monstrosity their parliament and seat of government. I'm just curious if they finished all the rooms or just finish them as they need them.
Not surprised VSauce Man be here doing a report on the heaviest buildlng in the world. Was checking Grand Wilshire in LA and how much stress it could take. Brought me here.
my family and i went to bucarest 3 years ago,we didnt know it could be toured.its built on madness.i asked our driver "what was Ceausescu" he sain in the beginning he was a patriot.
The greater tragedy is that Ceuasecu demolished many historical buildings in Bucharest for projects like these.
A prize bastard he was.
@@Delicious_J Indeed. Even if he had a fair trial he wouldn't have gotten anything better than a life sentence.
Honestly we should probably destroy historical buildings anyway.
@@flatplant yeah just flatten everything nice and build boxes, how else can we create a dystopian shithole world
Not unlike so many before him and even some since. After all, who needs history when you have a glorious leader to look to? I will say however, that Ceausecu was among the most truly despicable about doing it.
I remember watching his demise on the News. I was 8 years old. I can still clearly remember my father saying "f**king good!" when I mentioned that he had been executed.
I was six when I heard. My dad was patrolling his place of employment and he rushed home.
I was 9. Forever ingrained in my mind.
Just waiting for some Chinese Communist Leaders to die now.
I wasn't born for another six days.
@@JunLiSF JAcinda Ardern comes to mind for me. Pure evil.
The moment in his speech where you can see Ceausescu realize that he was screwed is a beautiful thing.
"It was at yhis moment he knew.... he fucked up"
He wasn't at that time. It was just a flashbang thrown at some protesters in university square that just scared the women and they started to scream, filling the tension. Things went wrong after the people saw that he shat himself and he started making offers such as increasing the wage n shit
In deed!
Hope to see a bit more of that look...
Suppose the army/security forces succeeded in defeating the people. Did Ceausescu expect that next year, for his birthday, the defeated people, would come to his palace, waving their little flags and chanting "Happy birthday, sweet Nicolai! We love you! Many happy returns!"...?
I've read that one of Ceaucescu's biggest mistakes was allowing an episode of the TV show "Dallas" to be aired in Romania as evidence of the "decadence of capitalism." It did not have the desired effect. Larry Hagman, whom played J.R. Ewing in the show, would later visit Romania, and Romanians were said to have told him that he saved their nation.
It wasn't just one episode. It was multiple seasons. My parents told me how they used to watch Dallas. And if you where nifty enough you could also catch channels from other countries like from Germany.
As was in other countries behind the curtain. Dallas showed people how bad their lives were.
Funny, nobody is as decadent as the Communist.
I'm from Romania and I didn't realise until now why I wasn't that impressed with the Palace of Versailles :)
I'm Romanian and I feel validated, seen and finally famous because we're on your channel. Yesssss.
You FEEL validated
That's the important part
Yeah, normally when I think Romania, I think of Vlad the Impaler. After this, I now think of massively corrupt communist governments too. Progress.
Your country and your people are beautiful and kind
When I think of Romania, I think of the Romanian deadlift. Such an amazing movement
I lived in Romania when i was a kid, being able to see inside the palace in person is wild!
Thank you for making this video! My grandfather on my mother's side was forced to work here as an architect and he told us that not only a bunker was built underneath but also a network of tunnels spanning the entirety of Bucharest at that time - he later died of cancer caught from materials he was forced to work with everyday with no protection (like azbestos) and I still remember him on his illness bed, incapacitated and giving my brothers and I chocolate coins covered in gold foil.
I know the history makes it ominous, but that building is gorgeous. At least it is not as ugly and bare as most soviet buildings are. The bulding of the great wall of china resulted in unimaginable suffering and death for thousands of people, but it is undeniably beautiful.
You blind?
um, its not. overwhelmingly decorated ,yes. intimidating, yes. but beautiful, no way in hell. i see it very often since i live in bucharest and what i like to call it is architectural gibberish.
It’s hideous
To be honest, if it had a roof, then yeah, great palace
it is gaudy
'Decided to build a European North Korea' well we know this isn't going to end well
Sounds like the BLM movement
William Magee oh no are you going to riot and burn the channel down?
@William Magee Looks like we have someone who doesn't know shit about BLM or their demands., or can't actually argue the point.
Romania is the only country in the world witch trialed, sentence and executed their president in the same day...the Christmas day.
You know the diference, europeans dont stand for that shit
You should do a biographics on Ceausescu too! An illiterate president that thought his people loved him, and that's what eventually got him killed
Thank you for reminding me of another "illiterate president". Now I have someone I can compare him to more accurately.
Unfortunately a lot of our fellow Romanians are nostalgic for Ceausecu even today. And claim that "back then it was better"
@@bogdangrigore89 Seeing those poor children in those orphanages rocking back and forth without any love or attention, may he and his wife rot in eternal hell!
@@mysticpizza02 Sad, but when I think of Romania (which isn't often) I think of pictures from those orphanages long before I think of this monstrosity of a building.
@@bogdangrigore89 Mostly really old people, and not even those. Maybe the ones from the countryside, but I have yet to meet someone in real life who misses Ceausescu and was actually around back then
My mother rarely speaks about what it was like during communism. My dad says he suffered through two years of paranoia due to the Securitate. He also wanted to join the Revolution in 1989, take to the streets, but said that he was convinced out of it, because people were getting shot and my mom was pregnant with me and my twin sister back then and my older sis was only 10 years old. :( I can't imagine my mom crying in despair for my dad to stay with her. :(
strange parallels to you, my mother was also pregnant with me at the time but my father did go out there and he died...
@@fall190 thank you for your father being strong enough to fight the horrors that the political left puts into this world!
Thank God she did. Thanks for sharing. We must fight the commies in America.
@@fall190 😆
I have to say... your reaserch is spot on. And the way you tell the whole story is great. Thanks for an awesome video about this slice of my homeland's history. Keep up the great work!
2:00 - Chapter 1 - From the ashes...
5:30 - Chapter 2 - Beauty & the beast
9:15 - Chapter 3 - The new pyramids
12:25 - Mid roll ads
13:30 - Chapter 4 - A nightmare in stone
17:00 - Chapter 5 - Revolution !
20:35 - Chapter 6 - A reminder of the past
Between 19:14 and 20:00, everything is wrong. You got it all wrong. Not Ceaușescu ordered the Security to create imaginary enemies such as ”the terrorists”. That was Iliescu's doing who was not able to re-legitimize himself when he came onto the balcony on the 22nd of December, one day after Ceausescu fled. The crowd below recognized him as one of the former communist elites and shouted "no more communists". He went inside. Shortly after, at 18:00 o'clock, the army gets orders through radio stations to disperse the "dangerous elements" in the streets. Iliescu started his counter-revolution against those in the streets.
When the Revolution Dossier was famously reopened in 2016, the Public Ministry came out a while later with a statement saying, among other things, that in December, 1989, "there was no void of power". Meaning nobody left, nobody came. After all, in 22nd December, Iliescu already had the generals and the army by his side. One of the generals appears in one video (the meeting between the generals and him was filmed and is on youtube and was all over TV) and replies angrily, at some point, in response to a general who proposed the changing of their name (The National Front Salvation): "we've been through this, we won't change it again, we already changed it six months ago". Which means these commies were organized at least months before the Revolution started.
In a BBC interview, in 1994, with John Simpleton, Gen. Militaru says that they first organized themselves way back in 1984, when they started out with the name The National Salvation Committee.
Iliescu staged more imaginary enemies, in order to redirect the crowd's anger and more easily install himself in power. In 1990 The Mineriads followed, when Iliescu called the Miners to beat the students in Bucharest and wreck the opposing parties' headquarterss
For my fellow countrymen, you should read Marian Voicu: Matrioska mincinosilor. Fake news, manipulare, populism. A very good book that shows how Iliescu divided the population through fake news circulating on the National Television controlled by him and his political group. One should also check the last findings in the Revolution Dossier (2016-2017).
Thanks for the history lesson! Reminding me even more of a different president.
Awesome dude. A quick google can validate most of this :) thank you for painting a more vivid image of the political situation. Helps to give perspective. Hope more people read this comment :) thanks again.
You're very much wrong - there was a standing order on how to proceed if unrest started, and it involved a few Securitate units causing chaos (which would have happened even without them). It's a researched thing, and a totally different subject. But you're wrong on the army front too. The army started shooting at the masses that stayed in the square late evening on the 21st, with sporadic fighting until the next day, which is when they switched sides. The army then turned on the ones randomly shooting (even though nobody knew who it was specifically). The were army units that fought against in the confusion, either because of loyalist officers, or because of simple confusion and rumors. Only the execution quieted those things. The were plenty of confusing rumors, some spread intentionally. I know many people have a hateboner on Iliescu, but not only is this a retroactive attribution, but it's straight up untrue and a distortion of facts. If you want to check some of the ones responsible for a lot of the really weird stuff in '89-'91 look at the pro-Muscovite elements in the second echelon of the party, some of which became the first heads of the new intelligence services.
@@vernicethompson4825 what do you have against Obama? Racist.
@@ballpython1001 I voted for Obama both times because I think he is the greatest President in my lifetime. Why did you think otherwise? If you knew me, you would know I am the opposite of racist. I have many black friends whom I respect.
If it and humans are somehow still there in 500 years people will say its beautiful historical architecture.
Much less than that. The monstruous Neuschwanstein is from the 19th century and people today think it's beautiful.
@@CB0408 - Why do you think Neuschwanstein is monstruous?
I mean yes it bankrupted Bavaria but thank god it did.
This allowed Bismarck to get it to join Germany.
@@K_1_T_S_U_N_E it's a fine example of bourgeois-romantic aesthetics. I concede it is not as out of place as, say, those monstruous Italian villas by the sea in California or Florida, but it's rivaled by no other (except maybe by Dysneyworld) in size.
@@CB0408 I wouldn't go so far as to call them "monstrous". They're not THAT large in size, and they're actually quite beautiful (at least the Vizcaya one in FL). Out of place? maybe, but I bet people are glad they're there and it attracts a large number of tourists (and revenue) each year.
@@CB0408 Just curious, since I live there -- what would be correct architecture by the sea in California?
Just been inside the place on google maps, and it's absolutely breathtaking - but you can't forget the blood, sweat, terror and lies that went into it.
the bottom line is that if you mess with a romanian, keep in mind that our favorite sport for christmas is toppling dictators
It took you almost 30 Christmases to get rid of this idiot
@@asphalatos1 we could finally gather enough wheat and honey to make coliva, our favourite dessert, only served at funerals. It had to be special. Not to mention all that pent up anger and contempt :D
@@asphalatos1 nice :)
@@liqqit And the best part is: S A R M A L E
I visited Bucharest a few years ago and toured the building, it is incredibly huge. Good job on this review.
That live TV broadcast of the crowd turning on Ceuasecu is such a good watch, the look of absolute bewilderment on his face as his power slipped away in minutes is priceless
Turning lemons into lemonade, This would make a great space for the Emperor's court in the new Dune remake part two. It's similar despotism but in sci fi.
Movie sets!!! The could use some of that space for filming!!!
19:25 it is actually a photo taken on the main square of Cluj-Napoca, the second largest city in the country
Yes I remember the 1989 Romanian Christmas Special. I was 11 that year. Ceausescu got lead poisoning and I got a Walkman. 👍
What happened to was just as much Ceaușescu "lead poisoning" as the Hiroshima bomb was an "incendiary device".
We want one on the Danube - Black Sea Canal. Even a darker story.
Explain.
@@DanielLopez-sh2pp Im not sure, but i have a guess: The Danube goes into the Black Sea to begin with - so building a canal to connect the Danube and the Black Sea like building the longest (and highest) bridge in a big flat terrain with no obstacle at all - pointless.
And i have one more guess: this pointless project is almost surely relied on slave workers (oh, sorry, their are wrong thinkers in reeducation, not slaves) - in usual communist fashion.
@@DanielLopez-sh2pp The Danube flows into the sea but takes a twist along a small mountain range in Dobrogea and forms a delta. Not as easy to navigate. So to cut the trip they dug a canal through the mountains directly into the sea. They dug it mostly with political prisoners and forced labor.
@@DanielLopez-sh2pp One of the Ceausescu plans was to build a canal from Bucharest to Black sea linking Dambovita river with the sea, he already build one shorter(Danube Black Sea channel) who goes throug my city,my grandparents were evicted in order to build him
Daniel Lopez are you incapable of finding this stuff out for yourself?
Please do a Biographics episode on Ceausescu ! Would love to watch that !
My fiancee was born and raised in Romania and ive been there twice myself. I fact checked a few things with her and you are spot on! Thank you for doing this video! You should totally do one on the Transfaragasan(known as "Ceacescu's folly") or Bran Castle (Draculas castle) as i think your research team and excellent delivery on this channel in particular would do it justice.
Thank you for making it😁
I would dare to also recommend the Danube Delta for Geographics, as well as the Transfagarasan highway for Megaprojects. Great show!
The look on his face when he couldn't pacify the crowd is just solid gold.
I was there in 2004 and toured this monstrosity. I think you can rent the large rooms for parties and such.
Best geographicas I’ve seen so far. Well done.
Additionally:
1. This building is the 2nd heaviest building in the world, only superseded by the pentagon.
2. In fact, it's so heavy it's LITERALLY sinking, given the regions propensity to earthquakes it could end pretty badly in the future.
3. It has A LOT of underground levels (12 I believe), a normal tour of the building doesn't even start to show the monstrous scale of it.
4. Some rugs and other textiles had to be mad on-site because of how huge they were.
5. It has an opera hall inside of it.
6. In the night, the lighting of the building makes it literally shine like gold, probably my favorite thing about it.
Dear Mr Whistler, I follow you through your different channel and subjects you treat with balance and wisdom, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you. Let’s be honest, I consider this is one of your best videos I’ve ever scene from you, my sincere congratulations. Straight on!
Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond went there and drove in the tunnels underneath. It's an interesting episode, as they were looking for the best road in the world. Thanks.
They should do an episode on that road on the megaprojects channel
yes, I remember they drove down the Transfagarasan road, which I've been on myself, and is so fun to drive on!
Most of the world's stunning architectural buildings & sites in general were created from tragedies. If those walls could talk.
can we say 'pyramids'? I think we can!
Great Wall of China is an example. Chinese themself understand their wall is built from Chinese blood.
@@pingukutepro yes it was
what's even more sad is knowing that innocent people were buried alive within those walls, during its construction :(
I'm a romanian born but living in Germany since I was a toddler. I visited the Palace of Parliament (and Bucharest for that matter) 10 years ago for the first time. It was breathtaking. I only knew it from stories from my grandmother and parents. Seeing this mammoth of a building is something else. When I took the tour, the guide told us that literllay everything in the palace is made in Romania. Nothing came from other countries or continents. Also: there is the rumor that in the great hall with the glass roof Ceauşescu let them build in a mechanism that would allow to open the roof for a helicopter to land in case of an emergency, so that he and Elena could flee.
I can only reccomend everyone to visit Bucharest and Romania. It is one of the most versatile countries there are.
My hotel was right across the street from that thing. I never did visit. Too many museums and other things to see.
@Gipsy Danger I've been twice and greatly recommend it. If you enjoy beautiful scenery, medieval towns and good basic food it is incredible. I'd go again.
Bucharest has great museums and arts but to me central Romania from East to West is full of medieval towns, mountains and forests and small villages where people still dress and live in their local culture. The north is very remote and rural.
Whatever area you go to you just have to be flexible as their infrastructure is weak. Don't drive, hire a driver/guide. Their roads are deadly.
Makes me want to visit again!
@Gipsy Danger We do have places and regions that are worth visiting but I do wonder how much will those still be around.
@Gipsy Danger Bran is a beautiful town and the castle is very interesting. It is also near the Siniai region in the mountains which provides a lot of places like Brasov to visit too. Probably my favorite trip ever (which we went to Istanbul too). A great combination considering the Ottoman Empire rules most of southern Romania for a long time.
My gf is a big Dracula fan which is one reason I returned. I brought her to visit. She loved it as much as I did.
It is rather inexpensive to visit even though most charge in Euros instead of their ROM currency.
_ANOTHER_ Romanian. I like how you all refer to it as, "that thing." You guys like your government about as much as Texans like vegan burgers.
Magister R'yleth Not from Texas but I agree
Great work Simon to you and your teem. The history of the revolution in Romania it's more nuanced with some reporetes of secrect soviet forces envolved.
Great subject and great presentation
It is, in fact, the second biggest administrative building that is still in use, only overtaken by the Pentagon
And the heaviest
@@cgt3704 So heavy it's actually sinking.
@@pyromania1018
That's the Taj Mahal you're talking about,not the Palace of the Parliament.
@@terminallove3531 Never knew Taj Mahal was an Administrative building...
@@v.emiltheii-nd.8094
The Taj Mahal is sinking, not the Palace of Parliament.
See this building on regular basis, even wondered last week when I saw it if Simon would cover it on one of his channels, today I got a nice surprise.
Comparing the "Parliament of the People" to the Pyramids, the Versailles Palace, or even the Taj Mahal is quite appropriate, all were projects of vanity. The difference being that the Romanian people overthrew the tyrant behind it (although the French did overthrow the descendant of the tyrant).
Creative use of the building will give the Romanian people the last laugh over Ceausescu.
It is used to house a government that is to this day mostly made up of either former communist party members or their offspring and friends. That systematically defund the state in order to accrue wealth. While 40% of the country is at the poverty line or under it. And the country itself having it's economy slowly slip into irrelevance on the European and international stage.
Bogdan has it right. Its still the old guard, unfortunately for them.
dont worry mate , its still the same shit with a different smell , minimum wage is barely 300 euros / month , and most workers* are minimum wage earners ... so yea , "democracy" won
The Pyramids were a project of vanity? With all of their mathematical and astronomical precision and references? How did you ever reach such a remarkable conclusion?
@@nomdaploom The pyramids were burial tombs. Huge structures devouring precious resources just to hold one dead guy. Vanity at its apogee.
I went on the tour here a few years ago, it is without a doubt one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been to
Simon’s beard is on that quarantine glow up, best beard on UA-cam hands down
I remember this from the topgear Romania episode
I represented communist Romania in a historical communist committee in Model UN over a year ago and as I was doing research for the topics, I came across that palace. It was very interesting learning the history about it
@TheRenaissanceman65 great comment!
I have been to this place. It is a stunning building, and almost awe inspiring! A feat of engineering that it is hard to not apprectiate how beautiful this building is. Then we learn of the history of the building, and it gives us a sort of dire warning - don't spend lavishly while your fellow country men are in squaller. However, despite this warning, their is a spark of hope. The Romanian people were able to turn this deslote building into a marvel that the whole world should appreciate; or, even terrible actions can be turned into something postive.
21:40 dracula theme park!?!?
that might be my favorite sequence of words I ever heard!
I seen the building about 10 years ago, it somehow stands isolated and strange in a huge area. Bucharest has so many beautiful spots, that building stands like a literal white elephant
I visited the county for 2 weeks in '09. When I saw the building it was big. Not tall like in NYC but just bigger than anything else I've seen. I can't call it cold because there were so many Romania people that were so nice! Can't wait to go back one day.
Simon, that was a fantastic presentation. It is so important for the younger generations to know this historical event. To understand the W 5 of this enormous building, and the eventual outcome that had spawned from those events. Again great video, it grabs you and holds or better yet demands your attention and respect. :-)
Oh man... as a romanian, I don't know what to expect. My country isn't exactly... you know, "normal".
Guess let's hit Play and watch.
Lol what is normal, especially these days, Romania is rich in history and certainly unique, one day I'll visit there, I can't judge entire people for the acts of individuals. Besides we all have weird moments, it just means your country is old enough to have lots of fascinating stories :P
@@lordjask1226 Sure... we have wonderful nature, castles, caves, waterfalls and so on. History is plenty, you would need weeks to absorb just a portion of it. What I meant, Romania is not a normal country for people living there. As a tourist, it can be an amazing destionation. Not so amazing when you live there and have to deal with the politics, low-income, religion (like mentioned in the video, that Cathedral) and so on. It's not NORMAL to build a massive Cathedral when people are literally starving, left uneducated and so on. Anyway...
@@RandomGameplayVideos Sure like any country it has its problems but your countries beautiful. Went in 2018, seen some of the Danube delta and of course up to Brasov. Will definitely go back.
Romanian here. There is no description of what is normal. Every country has people who need to deal with the same problems "we" have, just in different portions all over the globe. This is an attitude problem.
Instead of complaining what others do and don't, even if righteous, how about thinking about what can you do in your life the very next moment to make it worth it?
How did you find it?
I can't really be mad at the architect. I mean she just wanted to design buildings lol
thank you for covering this topic! greetings from romania!
Im from România, some People especialy the old still thing he did great things, despite the censorship, labor camps, and hunger...
Even by the standards of typical totalitarian communist regimes at the time, Ceacescu was one of the most frightening. I think socialism is just another ideology and take on how to organize a society, but these regimes tried to warp it to take advantage of their citizens and seize autocratic power. I can understand some of the nostalgia for these regimes-- for example, when I went to former Yugoslavia countries, people were nostalgic for Tito because it preceded a really horrible, violent time for the region and people felt that back in the time of Tito they were taken care of at least.
The impressive part is showing we can still build grand buildings like this if we desire to, it’s not some lost art like many lovers of brutalist architecture want you to think
we can still build like we did in the 19th-20th century, "architects" dont want this to happen
Having been to see it the building is unique and beautiful however the histiry behind it is far from beautiful
Makes me want to tour the building.
Hey simon. Will you make a video about King Ferdinand and Queen Marie of Romania in the Biographics channel. I really want the video to be a reality
Just cam across Geographics today, and subbed. Been binge watching for five straight hours. I came here for the "geographic" anecdotes and stories, and interesting information and perspectives. I got even more for my money when the inevitable misery machine that is socialism and communism is exposed with scholarly details to back it up. I pray that many in the millennial generation that seem so infatuated with socialism get their eyes opened here.
Building of this palace is basically how I play minecraft. Need stone? Goodbye mountain. Need wood? Goodbye forest.
This video has my creative juices flowing. I can see a whole novel being set in a similar building. Thanks, Geographics!
Also, would you consider doing a video about the Cu Chi tunnels in Vietnam? I think that would be interesting. Thanks!
Damn your getting to god level with those advert transitions!
Fun Fact: that building has the 2nd largest square footage in the world after the Pentagon.
I thought the Pentagon was probably still bigger. On a related note, do followers of the metric system say"square meterage?"
James Clendon yes
Another "fun" fact: it's slowly sinking (VERY slowly).
Jackson Rushing that is because it’s the worlds Heaviest building! 👍🏻
History aside, it's a freaking cool building.
Nice to see a video about my own country. Cheers, Simon!
I'm sorry but you are wrong on the appearance, the building is magnificent.
as a romanian, it's fcvking ugly. it's a dump of all architecture styles making a piss mess of a building.
Amazing video as always! You rock! 💜💜💜
09:04.. I was so expecting that music to turn out to be the background music from the movie Pentagon Wars from where the Bradley gets designed.
Very accurate description, I might say! Well done!
About the church that's being built next to the Palace of Parliament: Most of us hate it too but what can you do when the majority of people are pensioners and devowed christians and the Romanian Orthodox Church has officials on payroll who'd also do anything to please the old people into giving them another vote at the next elections.
The Ceasescus' were so insecure about themselves. Elena had tried to get a degree in chemistry, but she was too dumb, so she was awarded a phony PhD in chemistry but all the work was written by actual scientists and then her name was just put on them lol.
You cant lie that building is the best building you've ever seen
He compared her to Speer, and she lost. So, as above, "Is it just me or is it not that big?" is riotously hilarious. So, I am not sure how to value your comment, but I am interested in what you have to say, because when it comes to the "people's" building business, morality must weigh in along with ethics and reason and rationality.
>>As only a wannabe layman architect, "Big Bertha?" is surely one for the books.
Sincerely...
4:02 what did he say about bears?
Many people fled Romania in the early and mid 80ies due to lots of obvious reasons. I knew some families that fled from western Romania. Securitate, slave work for that project, removing needed workers and farmers to run the basic economy of the country just to build that monster palace. One can compare the palace to the infamous hotel tower in Pyongyang. Such a project can eat up the whole economy of a country which simply can't afford it. Even more than 30 years later Romania is still suffering from the aftermath of this project.
"Megalomaniacal dream" sounds like a massive understatement. This thing sounds like it would have put the building of almost any other palace to shame.
Great Video Simon! Just one thing - please make a video about Bulgaria :D keep on asking you across your channels and you keep on talking to every country around, just not us.
You could say that in the revolution, the Romanian people had nothing to lose but their chains...
23:00 A monument of pure stupidity.
They may want to allow Foreign governments to set up Embassies in the unused spaces of the building, for the price of finishing the space that they would occupy. Or maybe host the Olympics in the rest of the building.
It's a kind thought, but not a practical one. Where would someone go if they needed asylum in a hostile country-inside that country's central government building?
What surprises me the most is that It was made during the very last days of the Comunist block. It would have make "more sense" for this kind of construction to take place early in the Cold War
I live next to it. You get used to it. We're acually building another monstrosity next to it :(
Good content 👏🏽 Respect From Ro
Did you ever see Chuck Norris vs Communism? Its a documentary about how bootleg movies from America helped to to drive out Communism from here during this time. Great show!
He had carpets made out of gold while my family starved
same here :(
Honestly, as a Romanian, it is hard to quantify the sentiment about these two buildings. The palace of the parliament seems to be regarded as a matter of pride in Romania because is the largest building in the world besides the Pentagon, maybe third in a few years when the Octogon will be finished in New Cairo. This is not to say that Romanians are nostalgic about Ceausescu, they seem to be proud that we can make something noticeable on the world stage.
When it comes to the cathedral, virtually every educated Romanian considers that the state is a bellend because they sponsor this construction. In the mean time, most Romanians are very religious so it's hard to fight that. Most people think this is a good idea, so even if objectively it's stupid, how can we convince our representatives to go against that when they might be voted out of office. I'm not being pedantic, or try to justify anything, I'm j just searching for some possible solutions
At 19:13, the pic of those two getting out the plane. Is that a man in drag wearing that Polka dot number??? LMFAO!!
Morris M. did a wonderful job authoring this ep. Great job!
I don’t know if it rates a Geographics video, but the Transfăgărășan highway is another Ceaușescu project with a significant death toll. Might be worth a look.
Vimy Ridge would be a good option with new tactics used on the day it was finally captured and the two previous armies who failed to capture it. And it would probably enhance the number of Canadian viewers on this channel.
Thank you for mentioning about the palace of Daniel
did anyone notice that spec of dirt on the bottom rim of his glasses, left eye. once I spotted it, I couldn't unsee it.
Definitely worth visiting... book your tour ahead of time and bring your passport, but if you show up and say you are flying out the next day they might be nice and squeeze you in for a tour.
i was small in 89 but i saw the charnage.I live in Timisoara. On the stairs of Timisoara's Cathedral the doors where shut and people trying to get in where shot on the Chatedral's stairs.People ran over by tanks (children in hand).Cars covered with sheets (the ones that had goverment plates) becouse the gunners got in to the apartments and shot them dead in there homes.Even now if you take a walk in Timisoara's streets youl come by crosses here and there laid for the some that fought for our freedom.That house is as much as a curse as it is a marvel of the world.
Spot on editing, whom ever did this ....maybe Sam. Deserves credit.
I guess Romania did the best thing they could do. Own it. Tearing it down would have made all the suffering meaningless. But they made that monstrosity their parliament and seat of government. I'm just curious if they finished all the rooms or just finish them as they need them.
the man got overthrown and killed all because he failed a speech check
was not sure if you were going to show the building, good thing I visited it in 2019
YOUR ANALOGIES ARE PURE GOLD...THANK YOU
Not surprised VSauce Man be here doing a report on the heaviest buildlng in the world. Was checking Grand Wilshire in LA and how much stress it could take. Brought me here.
I didn't know this place even existed. Really cool video on a place I'm going to now add to my bucket list
my family and i went to bucarest 3 years ago,we didnt know it could be toured.its built on madness.i asked our driver "what was Ceausescu" he sain in the beginning he was a patriot.