The Most Evil Building in Europe

Credit to Google Earth for providing me the map and satellite data required for the models.

This is a video about Nikolai Ceaucescu's Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania.

Images via Getty
Map source by MapTiler / OpenStreetMap Contributors via Geolayers 3

Urban planning, architecture, masterplans.

Sources:

3: Edward Behr (Ceausescu)
7: Ceaușescu, Power and Architecture (Moghioros)
10: Urban reconstruction and autocratic regimes: Ceausescu's Bucharest in its historic context Maria De Betania Uchoa Cavalcanti
21: Edward Behr (Ceausescu)
23: Urban Reconstruction and Autorcratic Regimes (Calvalcanti) ;

[theblacklaky]

I'm seeing nobody mention this, so I will. Like the video says, a massive amount of silk carpets have been made to adorn the palace. But, as is also mentioned, Ceaușescu specifically wanted Romanian-sourced materials to be used in the building. The problem is that silkworms are not native to Romania. So what they did was import loads of silkworms from Asia and then use school kids as free labor to produce silk. In schools, they would give kids silkworms and have them raise the worms to produce silk as part of a "school project". The silk and the worms would, of course, simply be taken away after the kids finished their "project" to be used in making the carpets that you see in the palace nowadays.

[typicallatenightgamer]

My grandfather was "called" away 300km to Bucharest to "work" at building this monstrosity, the conditions were deadly, pay was nonexistent, he escaped eartly after breaking his leg, but his leg never recoverd, he went the rest of his life without ever getting compensated, with a limping leg, and unable to work, my grandmother also quit her job due to the harassment she recieved without the protection of her husband, this caused my mother, aunt and uncle to have to stop their education to sustain the family, but my father didn't allow my mother to stop, instead he quit school, worked so hard to pay for her university expenses, he crossed the border illegally in 1995 to go work in Greece, only came back when I was born, only to leave country again, I have never had much of a father becouse of this, yet I still respect him. My mother finished medical school thanks to him, but my grantparents barely had enough money to help all 3 of their kids start families, so my aunt moved out to her husbands's parents house, my uncle never moved out, and my family moved out in one of the worst neighborhoods of Bucharest (Ferentari). Crazy how one building job can fuck over an entire family.

[Mogswamp]

Couldn't even remember what happened in the video because the graphic of all the weeks in your life filled me with such existential dread

[roalex]

As a Romanian I can say that. This building is the perfect symbol of the human ego. The neighborhood that stood once there, was full of valuable architecture buildings. Almost all the “Uranus” neighborhood was destroyed. A big part of the history of the city, was completely destroyed because of a stupid idea.

[e]

fun fact: the building has so many lightbulbs that it's modern-day administrators can't afford to turn all of the on at once.
Besides the parliament, it also houses a museum to its own construction. Worth visiting if you ever find yourself in Bucharest.
Parts of it can also be rented for events; they do this to help with the upkeep of the building.

[thebalauru]

Romanian here, and boy, have I got a story to tell you:

I lived in Bucharest between 2018-2019, I am in my late 20s now, and older work mates in their late 40's at the time told us, youngsters, stories about each of the places we drove past, he told me stories about the "workers" that built this place; they were mainly soldiers from the army and political convicts as this was free labor for the communists and there was plenty of it (that's how the Transfăgărășan, in the proximity of which I live now was also built). Our older colleague went on to tell us in detail how there were about 3 to 8 fatalities on the building site PER DAY (Obviously hidden or censored by the communist media) as work regulations during the communist period here were basically non-existant. He also went on to detail a story on how while the foundation was poured a worker fell off a scafffolding from about 8 stores into the wet cement and (presumably) died on the spot, the other workers didnt even bother to stop, or they were just ordered to keep on pouring concrete over his dead body. He said there are countless persons simply burried within the walls because of these kinds of accidents, he personally saw at least 6 happening with his own eyes during the construction timelapse. There are also myths about the place being haunted by those who died on the site and never got the honor of having a proper burrial, and their bodies are still burried within the concrete, strange sightings and sounds at night etc. He told us about the Marriott hotel from Bucharest as well, which is not too far and how it was basically the communists brothel back in the day, mafia type gangster assasinations and drug usage going on inside, etc., basically all the sins in the world going on there, also during the '89 revolution my father was in the mandatory army and he told me a story about how they were urgently sent to Bucharest as the revolution sparked up, and at some point, there, his squad recieved orders to climb up on the Marriott hotel and shoot on sight everyone on the ground that was carrying a gun, luckily they never got to execute the order as by the time they got up there and were waiting for the green light to shoot, the order was called off in the last moment. Instead, (funny story incoming) for some reason they were given a huge 1 ton crate of bananas. Yes, you read it right, they lifted a 1 ton crate of bananas on the roof of the Marriott hotel using a crane, in the middle of a political revolution; he ate so many bananas that day, that even today he feels sick when he sees me or anyone else eating bananas lol 🍌. Wild times.

[fabian]

I am romanian. The video, information and the graphics are excellent. But how you pronounce the name of the building and other names was funny for me.

[andreispurim]

The animation is getting more amazing by the day. Congrats

[TeamSkeptic]

I've been to this place. It is so much larger than you can imagine. I was walking thru this park off to the right side(if you are looking at the front) and I saw the Palace about 1.5 km away. It was massive. On another note, Romania, especially Bucharest, is beautiful and so are the people!

[GojiMet]

Ceaușescu: "Let's densify all the little villages and make them little cities!"
Also Ceaușescu: Tears down half of Bucharest for inefficient, empty, and non-livable Government buildings.

[Milestonemonger]

Been there. You have to book ahead to enter, and have to leave your passport at the security checkpoint. The tour guide showed us around the "People's Palace". It was ridiculously HUGE. Several empty, carpeted ballrooms with huge chrystal chandeliers that were half lit. We stood on the balcony and took some great photos. It was eerie to be there because the palace was built and paid for by the people who suffered under the worst communist regime.

[heavywater]

Goddamn. The production quality, music choice, simplicity, even the sponsors you get and how you present them. Also how you cover things I've never even heard of. I love this channel.

[nanorider]

I toured Romania over 20 years ago. When I came to Bucharest I stood before the building and looked upon it in awe. It's massive!

[bztube]

"Sentence to death in a brief military show trial" - It was not brief compared to other trials, it was literally brief - something. Basically, they shot him like a dog but nobody blamed them. Demolishing that neighbourhood was probably the least evil thing he did, he really was a piece of work, his family too.

[alberttrita]

I occasionally end up in the Press' Palace, it's surprising how eerie and empty it is. Several decrepit rooms filled with birdshit, dust and miscellaneous junk, then you have a photo studio or something, and more empty space right after... The lights aren't always on, the building is cold, and it echoes like hell.
It's strange to see such a big building become so empty.

[alexernst]

Churches on rails. It always amazes me the kinds of engineering solutions people can come up with to save historical sites, even if the solution usually comes down to, "Why don't we take just Bikini Bottom, and push it somewhere else?", with extra steps.

[cgivelechian]

This is insane timing, I am visiting my family in Romania right now and they live close to the Parliament House. My cousin is an architect student who gave me the rundown of how the lead architect never had formal training. We walked all around the house and Boulevard and she showed me a few churches that were moved on rails. Really cool seeing this in person.

[nwsa.opixzv]

My father makes furniture and i know when i went to visit the Palace with him, he showed me some large doors of several meters made by him with his own hands, i am proud of my father <3

[cgt]

I visited this palace multiple times as part of a college activity. I met with a female deputee whose uncle was a builder of the palace and she even gave us a tour. Every room we visited it had an atmosphere of extravagence that would make Bezos shed a tear upon entering (and also it was easy for you to get lost in the maze of rooms and staircases)

But a thing to note is that as of now, it is estimated only 30% of the building is in use. The rest are empty and unlikely to be used anytime soon.

Edit: Guys chill out i was just trying to say an interesting historical fact not get into political stuff.

[bbcversus]

As a Romanian, thank you for this, a really well done and informative video! Love it!