A foreign tourist cannot miss the Bucharest Heroes of the Air Monument. It is on Aviators’ Boulevard and you can see it even from Victoria Square. Since we have been living in Bucharest for more than 20 years, we see it almost daily. Thus, we gathered together the information you need when you come to Bucharest about this travel attraction. 

Bucharest Heroes of the air monument represents the flying man, the mythological Icarus. It is a symbol of humans who defeat gravity and dare to fly. People in Bucharest name it the Aviators Statue. It is a meeting point for many inhabitants. 

AVIATORS STATUE IN BUCHAREST

By: BUCHAREST-TRAVEL.COM
Photographed In: Bucharest, Romania
Date Uploaded:2016-03-26
Description: A monument dedicated to air heroes

WHO BUILT AVIATORS MONUMENT

Bucharest Heroes of the Air Monument has an interesting story. Remember that authorities built it in the memory of Romanian pilots who died in battles from 1912 to 1934. So, in 1927 a Russian artist, called Lydia Kotzebue was a division commander on the Eastern front during World War I. Together with another artist Iosif Feket, she won a contest for this monument. There were 20 ideas exposed at the Romanian Athenaeum and the public decided. Thus, the monument of the air heroes as it is also called, is 20 m high. Another such statue dedicated to war heroes can be seen in front of the MILITARY ACADEMY in Cotroceni Area. Did you know the the main statue was made of materials from Arges River? These materials took the nowadays form in the famous Malaxa factories in 1930. 

WHO WAS LYDIA KOTZEBUE THE ARCHITECT OF THE AIR HEROES MONUMENT?

Lydia Kotzebue first name was Lydia Suhanov and she was from Russia. Her husband died and she went as nurse in the Russia – Japan war in 1904. There she took care of a man called Pavel Kotzebue. The interesting story is about to begin. This man was the son of a Romanian woman and a Greek general, Nicolae Mavros who left Romania for Russia and joined the army. After the Japanese war, Pavel Kotzebue came to Romania whith general Pavel Kiseleff who changed the history of this country. He met again Lydia, they got married and settled near Bucharest where Lydia also died in 1944. She was an architect and due to her husband’s friends and so on and also due to her talent, was employed in all kind of projects. 

MEMORIAL FOR AVIATORS

By: BUCHAREST-TRAVEL.COM
Photographed In: Bucharest, Romania
Date Uploaded:2016-03-26
Description: Near Victory Square tourists can see a spectacular monument in the memory of the heroes who died in air battles

BUCHAREST AIR HEROES MONUMENT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

On the stone basis is Icarus, the mythological hero, with his wings wide opened. The young Lydia took as a source of inspiration for the statue the body of the boxer Joe Louis. He who was in Bucharest in that moment. The face belongs to a well-known aviator found in an album of the Minister of Air of the time. There are also other figures on the monument, in a spiral. Thus, they represent heroes of the air trying to get out of the ground. They carved all statues in bronze. The most important one is 5 m high and 5 tons weight. On the back of the monument you can see seals, decorations and helmets or devices Romanian aviators used. Their names are on the other sides on 13 bronze boards.

ICARUS AND HIS FLIGHT IN BUCHAREST

By: BUCHAREST-TRAVEL.COM
Photographed In: Bucharest, Romania
Date Uploaded:2016-03-26
Description: The aviators statue is near Village Museum

AROUND BUCHAREST HEROES OF THE AIR MONUMENT 

There are 179 heroes names of the air battles between 1912 and 1934 carved on the Bucharest Heroes of the Air Monument. They started the construction in 1930 and finished it in 1935. King Charles II of Romania inaugurated it during a military event. Did you know that not all the heroes of the air whose names are on the monument died in real battles? They are heroes anyway, yet few of them died learning other pilots to fly and fight. Others died in tragical accidents while flying. Since you want to learn more before you travel in Bucharest, the monument will show you the way to THE ARCH OF TRIUMPH the HOUSE OF FREE PRESS.

AVIATORS MEMORIAL IN BUCHAREST

By: BUCHAREST-TRAVEL.COM
Photographed In: Bucharest, Romania
Date Uploaded:2016-03-26
Description: The STATUE OF AIR HEROES IN BUCHAREST monument is between Victory Square and House of Free Press

SEE MAP…