Downtown Bucharest square and park could have their names changed

The Universitatii Square and Unirii Park in downtown Bucharest could have their names changed if two projects to be discussed by the capital’s general councilors during Wednesday’s meeting get the necessary votes.

According to one of the projects, which was initiated by the ALDE members of the Bucharest General Council, Universitatii Square would be renamed I.C. Bratianu Square, according to local Digi24. I.C. Bratianu was a Romanian politician and prime minister of the country, and the initiators say that this renaming is “a debt of honor” of the Bucharest municipality.

Meanwhile, another project initiated by general mayor Gabriela Firea targets the Unirii Park in downtown Bucharest. The initiative proposes the park’s name to be changed into Teoctist Patriarhul (Theoctist the Patriarch). USR general councilor Octavian Berceanu criticized this project and accused Gabriela Firea of changing the park’s name arbitrarily.

Teoctist was Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church between 1986-2007. He was criticized for the lack of public reaction to the demolition of many places of worship by the communist authorities, according to G4media.ro. He was also the one who invited Pope John Paul II to visit Romania in 1999, and this is one of the reasons listed in the approval report for changing the name of Unirii Park.

Another reason is “the over-attribution of the ‘Unirii’ name both to the park located in the square of the same name, to the singing fountain that has become a tourist attraction, then to the store that dominates the perspective to the East, as well as to the two subway stations and the neighboring boulevard, which is likely to induce some confusion among tourists and those looking for an address in this vast perimeter,” according to the project’s explanatory memorandum, quoted by USR general councilor Octavian Berceanu in a Facebook post.

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