The world's largest mosaic was created. We will find it in the Orthodox cathedral… Bucharest

Thousands of Romanians took part in the ceremonial consecration of mosaics inside the Cathedral of the Salvation of the Nation in Bucharest. This is the next stage in the construction of the temple, which has been ongoing for 15 years, and is now the tallest and largest Orthodox church in the world.

The newly consecrated mosaics are also the largest in the world – they currently have an area of ​​17.8 thousand square meters. square meters, and ultimately it will be 25 thousand. square meters

The consecration ceremony was concelebrated by the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I and the Patriarch of Romania Daniel, and among the approximately 3,000 people who were inside the temple were, among others: President Nicusor Dan, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, former presidents Emil Constantinescu and Traian Basescu, Małgorzata, the Guardian of the Romanian Crown, President of Moldova Maia Sandu, members of the government, MPs, diplomats. Several thousand believers gathered in the courtyard in front of the cathedral.

The Cathedral of the Salvation of the Nation itself, also called the National Cathedral, was consecrated in 2018, eight years after construction began, but finishing works are still in progress. The idea of ​​​​constructing it arose at the end of the 19th century as a thank you for the liberation of the country from Ottoman rule, but at that time it was not possible to reach a consensus on the design, location and method of financing. Later, two world wars and more than four decades of communist rule that suppressed religion stood in the way. Construction finally started in December 2010.

The cathedral is located near the Palace of Parliament, formerly called the People's House – a monumental building that was a symbol of the megalomania of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and dominated the skyline of Bucharest for years. This location was not accidental – the new cathedral is to physically outshine the building that is a symbol of old times.

Not only did it overshadow the Palace of Parliament, but it also broke a number of records in the process. It is the tallest and largest Orthodox church in the world – its height measured from the floor to the cross on the highest dome is 127 meters, and measured from the ground surface to the cross – 134 meters, the area inside is over 6,000 square meters, the volume – 323,000. m six. It can accommodate approximately 7,000 people and another dozen or so thousand in the courtyard in front of it. It also has the tallest dome in the world, the largest iconostasis and the tallest, longest and widest nave of all Orthodox churches.

The costs are also consistent with these records. So far, EUR 270 million has been spent on the construction of the cathedral, of which approximately 80 percent it came from the public purse. Giving a lot of money to a cathedral and not, for example, education or health care, raises some controversy in this country, especially since Romania is still well below the EU average when it comes to the standard of living. On the other hand, Romanians are also one of the most religious societies in Europe – in the 2021 census, 85 percent declared that they practiced some religion. people, and membership in the Romanian Orthodox Church – over 73%.

The Romanian Orthodox Church argues that the cathedral will be a “symbol of national identity.” But in Bucharest, attention is also drawn to the fact that the cathedral will become a tourist attraction, which will translate into income for the city. (PAP)

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