“Wings” anti-communist monument in Bucharest ready to be unveiled
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The “Wings” monument raised in the memory of the anti-communism fighters is unveiled today in Bucharest. Made by sculptor Mihai Buculei, whose father was a political prisoner in Aiud penitentiary, the monuments is located in The Free Press Square on the right spot where Lenin Statue used to be during Ceausescu’s communist regime.
The statue was demolished in 1990 amid strong symbolic feelings, as it meant Romania’s breaking up with its communist past and with ex-Soviet Union influence.
The monument, worth EUR 3.5 M, represents three wings made of stainless steel and is weighing over 100 tons and measures over 2 metres.
The inauguration is to be attended by former political prisoners deported in work camps in Romania and other countries.
The project was initiated in 1997 by the Association of the Former Political Prisoners in Romania and was supported by former president Emil Constatinescu. Financially supported by the Culture Ministry until 2007, the project has been taken over by the Bucharest City Hall and has been concluded early this year.
The monument has a total height of 30 metres, with the stainless steel wings measuring 23.4 metres, 20.63 metres and 20.28 metres. The wings’ width range from 9.88m, 9.39m to 7.9 m. The wings weigh 102.6 tons and each wing is made of 9 feathers linked by horizontal bars.
The inclined front section is made of red granite and has an area of 140 square metres. The tumulus is made of ballast and clay covered with grass and has a total area of 600 sqm.
During 1945-1989, hundreds of thousand of Romanian citizens have been imprisoned for political grounds, deported or persecuted.
Over 100,000 political prisoners had survived the communist atrocities in early 1990, with only 41,000 being still alive today: 2,500 political prisoners, 21,500 deported and 17,000 wives of late political prisoners or deported people.
Ex-president Emil Constatinescu told Digi 24 that the three steel wings imagining the souls of the communist repression’s victims are shooting out to the faith’s sky out of a tumulus covered with grass: a symbolic tomb that their bodies couldn’t enjoy. The red front section reminds of their blood.
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