Bucharest’s Communist Landmark on the 30 year anniversary of the revolution

30 years have passed since the revolution and 35 years since the foundation stone for the Palace of the Parliament (formerly known as the “People’s House”) was laid officially by dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife.

This sparked some debates about how much the palace is worth today (although, realistically, nobody is interested in selling it or buying it). Initial estimates from 1989 put the price tag of $1.89 billion on it, which increased to $3 billion in 2006. Although its real market value cannot be determined, two things are sure:

• Romanians would not be able (nor willing) to build anything similar today.

• The palace is definitely underused and in bad need of renovation, which means more expenses before the initial “investment” is amortized.

Whether you like it or hate it, let’s all wish it “Happy birthday!”.