Questions about Bucharest

[The Lawspeaker]

During the Interbellum the city was known as Micul Paris or Little Paris because of it's sophisticated elite and it's splendid architecture. The war and the insanity of communism (or the 1977 Vrancea earthquake for that matter) destroyed much of that.

What remains of it to this day ?

Are there any restauration programs that are currently on-going or any plans that would seek to restore Bucharest to much of it's old splendour ?

And how accurate was the nickname in the first place ?

Some pictures that I have included for the other non-Romanians as to show what I am on about:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Bratianu_si_Magheru2.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Bukarest_Triumpf.jpg

http://museum.ici.ro/mbucur/images/palatposte.jpg

http://museum.ici.ro/mbucur/images/bancanationala.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Cismigiu-Garden-Bucharest-9.jpg

[Andr]

[FONT="Georgia"]During the Interbellum the city was known as Micul Paris or Little Paris because of it's sophisticated elite and it's splendid architecture. The war and the insanity of communism (or the 1977 Vrancea earthquake for that matter) destroyed much of that.

What remains of it to this day ?

Are there any restauration programs that are currently on-going or any plans that would seek to restore Bucharest to much of it's old splendour ?

And how accurate was the nickname in the first place ?

Some pictures that I have included for the other non-Romanians as to show what I am on about:




I think it was called like that rather because of its Francophile inhabitants. There were and are some buildings resembling Parisian architecture, but even back then it was a total chaos in city's architecture, I mean there was not a concern for the general aspect of the streets, each builder was making its own way, ignoring the style of the other buildings around.

Ceausescu didn't destroyed important buildings, except a beautiful monastery (the finest complex in the so-called Brancovenesc style). He razed some neghborhoods of villas from an area close to the city's center, where now stands the Parliament. Also almost all of the neighborhoods in the outskirts (which were of a semi-rural look) were razed and replaced with ugly apartment blocks (which make now more than half of city's built area). Ceasescu destroyed ~one fifth of these villa neighbourhoods.

The old urban area is mostly preserved, with some ugly Communist insertions. Unfortunately, most of these buildings are in a bad state of conservation, in the historical district (the oldest part of the city) many collapsed. The big, important buildings owned by State are restored and look pretty nice, like those in the Revolution Square with its former Royal Palace, Universitary Library and Athenaeum:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6192/6044570141_1e11f28870_o.jpg

Or some parts of the Lipscani area:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1232/4723487677_8e9b04c046_b.jpg


The Magheru Boulevard preserved most of its Modernist blocks, but they are not restored and will not be for long time, like most of the private properties, because people living there are too poor:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3424/5710966339_76c648ca90_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1274/797799864_a3d76f218e_b.jpg

The University Square, which is considered city's center (also the most popular place) has some lare Neoclassical buildings, including the Universisty:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6015/5990694117_51dacf525d_b.jpg