King Carol I equestrian statue

The equestrian statue of Carol I is a monument in Romania, situated in the central zone of Bucharest, on Calea Victoriei.

The massive statue, cast in bronze, represents Carol I of Romania, the first King of Romania, mounted on his horse. It is a highly representative national monument, since Carol I conquered Romania's independence from the Ottoman Empire for the first time, in 1877 (during the Russo-Turkish War, that is known in Romania as "The Independence War"). He was also the founder of both the Romanian Dynasty and the modern Romanian state.

The statue is located on Calea Victoriei, the oldest and most representative historical boulevard in Bucharest. It stands in Piața Palatului (a square that was renamed "The Revolution Square" after the bloody events of 1989, opposite the Royal Palace of Bucharest and in front of the monumental building of the Library of "Carol I University Foundation".

The first equestrian statue of King Carol I in Bucharest was created in 1939 by the Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović. The inauguration was held on Romania's National Day of May 10, 1939. Because the monument stood in a large square opposite the Royal Palace, it witnessed many significant events of the inter-war era and during the Second World War, becoming one of the well-known visual symbols of Bucharest, present on numerous photos, postcards, etc.

After the war, until 1947, Meštrović's statue also witnessed the events during the highly unstable political times of Soviet military occupation, such as the massive anti-communist and pro-monarchist demonstration of November 8th, 1945.

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Wikipedia