Romania - Eastern Europe - page 541

1730s. While you'll have your work cut out for you choosing which cafe or lounge-
style terrace bar to arrange yourself at, its worth first taking in some of the more note-
worthy monuments, particularly the pale yellow Serbian Orthodox Church across
the road from the Sinatra Club (a popular place for a midday drink), and—on the
other side of the square—the Roman Catholic Cathedral, both built in the mid-
1700s. At the southern edge of Pia $ a Unirii, Strada Palanca leads east past the Art
Museum, the Dicasterial Palace, and then finally to the Banat Ethnographic Museum.
Metropolitan Orthodox Cathedral One of Romania's loveliest cathedrals,
the 83m (272-ft.) towering Catedrala Mitropolitana Ortodoxa adds color to the sky-
line at the southern end of Pia $ a Victoriei; combining neo-Byzantine and Moldavian
architectural elements, it's brick walls are an ornate patchwork of ocher and yellow
Touring the Revolution
In December 1989, after 45 years of Communism, ordinary Romanians had
tired of the oppression, poverty, and enforced slavery to a system that con-
trolled all facets of life. Ceau@escu had effectively cut his country off from
the outside world, supplying citizens with only what little propaganda he
deemed appropriate. While official reports spoke of industrial might and
technological progress, in reality ordinary people were starving and those
who spoke out were quickly silenced. In western frontier cities like
Timi@oara, however, media reports seeping in from nearby Hungary prob-
ably contributed to a more cantankerous social atmosphere. As the country
prepared to celebrate another morbid Christmas, the long-awaited cries for
change suddenly became roaring protests. Over a period of 10 days, begin-
ning with urgent gatherings in Timi@oara, protestors demonstrated their
opposition to the regime, destroying its symbols and burning effigies of
Ceau@escu, and chanting “Down with Ceau@escu! Down with Communism!
We want liberty!” The revolution is believed to have been sparked by a
gathering at the Tökes Reform Church ( Biserica Reformatâ Tökés; Str. Tim-
otei Cipariu 1; & 0256/49-2992 ), south of the Bega Canal; here, on Decem-
ber 15, thousands of protestors rallied together to oppose the Securitate's
planned eviction of Pastor Lászlo Tökes, a known opponent of the
Ceau@escu regime. In what many believe was a calculated opportunity, the
small uprising quickly escalated, gaining momentum as it heaved toward
Pia$a Victoriei (Victory Square). For 3 days, the rally continued, culminating
in Ceau@escu's order to open fire. Look carefully for evidence of the event;
you'll find bullet holes and plaques around the long, broad square now sur-
rounded by relaxed cafes and boutiques. At one end of the square, across a
busy road, the Orthodox Cathedral is where many young protestors lost
their lives. Near Pia$a Unirii is the Museum of the December 1989 Uprising
(Str. Emanuil Ungureanu 8; daily 9am-5pm; donations expected) which
charts the events of the Revolution through detailed exhibits, including
photographs, paintings, and a video, and dutifully looked after by Dr.
Traian Orban, himself a survivor who was shot during the uprising.