Bucharest builds giant lighted cross to condemn communism

The Romanian Senate adopted earlier this week a new legislative proposal on condemning communist totalitarianism. The bill includes the drafting of a report for condemning communist totalitarianism and for the national antitotalitarian memory, which is to be translated in Hungarian, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese, reports local Mediafax. It also provides the establishment of the National Museum of Communist Totalitarianism in Bucharest, in the first quarter of 2016. The legislative proposal also includes the construction of a monument dedicated to the victims of communist totalitarianism. A steel cross with a height of 20-25 meters is to be installed in the center of Bucharest, in Universitatii Square. The cross will have a lightning system that will operate continuously and will be flanked by national flags. The monument should be inaugurated next year. The report and the monument will be financed with money from the Government reserve fund and funds from the Ministry of Culture. However, the legislative proposal will also be examined by the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision-maker body. Romania already has a giant cross that commemorates the Romanian heroes who died in the First World War. Located at an altitude of 2,291 meters in the Bucegi mountains, the Caraiman Cross has a height of 40 meters. Caraiman cross in Romania lands world record for tallest summit cross. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com