HEADQUARTERS OF THE ROMANIA NATIONAL THEATER IN BUCHAREST

National Theater in Bucharest is one of the main cultural buildings right in the heart of the Romanian Capital. Near the UNIVERSITY, INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL and Bucharest Museum, Romania National Theater in Bucharest might surprise the visitor. It does not look like an old building, but it is a modern construction and it houses a pub on the roof. In front there are acting scenes and characters of the great Romanian playwright Ion Luca Caragiale. Few people know that the old headquarters of the theater almost vanished in World War Two. Its entrance is still visible on Victoria Avenue, at Novotel Hotel.

 

NATIONAL THEATER HISTORY

The first theater in Bucharest appeared before 1817 and they called it the Red Will. Austrian actors used to play even in Greek since many of the boyars who ruled the country came from Greece. They built also the first headquarters of the National Theater in 1846. It was Lord Gheorghe Bibescu’s will and the first performance was for people with low income. The building on Victoria Avenue got the name The Great Theater and, since 1877, The National Theater.  It was an architecture masterpiece and many considered it as beautiful as any theater in Vienna.

THE NATIONAL THEATER DESTROYED

The National Theater suffered massive distructions during the bombardments in World War II. Only the entrance stood still in 1944 and you can see it at Novotel Hotel on Victoria Avenue. After the war everything the actors society owned and used for performances was taken and sent to the Soviet Union as war compensations. More, the new soviet authorities demolished the rest of the building. And, between 1952 and 1973, great Romanian actors had to perform on different stages that did not belong to the National Theater.

 

Works for the new building to house the National Theater started in 1967 and they opened it in 1973. The National Theater in Bucharest that we see today is not the same building because a fire destroyed part of it in 1978. Authorities had to rebuilt it more than 7 years later and also changed its design according to Nicolae Ceausescu’s plans. It looked like a building in North Korea and communist Russia. Only after the Romanian Revolution, The National Theater got the new, modern face you can see today and has 4 halls for performances: The Great Hall, Lecture Theater Hall, Studio Hall and Hall 99.
There are 187 chandeliers. Two of them are 2 tons each, 11 meters high and 2 meters diameter.

In 2010 in front of the National Theater of Bucharest you can see now a new monument. It is an ensemble showing parts of I.L. Caragiale masterpieces and his characters. The old building of the theater has now a new look, modern. You can also visit in the area and see the ARMENIAN CHURCH.
SEE MAP…