For Rumiana Mestrovic

Dear Prof. Mestrovic,

Thank you so much for posting your comment on my blog re: the new statue of Carol I at Pta Revolutiei. I'm very flattered that you took the time to do so and would like to know if you would mind my putting it where my readers can also profit. (Dear all: you can click on the second entry of 'derniers commentaires' on the right to see what this is all about)

I realised of course, that it had caused a scandal, but not for the reasons you so clearly outlined in your mail. Of course, looking at the two statues - that sculpted by your father-in-law and that of Codre - the likeness is striking. With, as you say, a certain weirdness.

Wikipedia said the following: 'Prior to 1948, an equestrian statue of Carol I of Romania stood there. Created in 1930 by the Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović, the statue was destroyed in 1948 by the Communists, who later had to pay damages to the sculptor. In 2005, the Romanian Minister of Culture decided to recreate the destroyed statue from a model that was kept by Meštrović's family. In 2007, the Bucharest City Hall assigned the project to the sculptor Florin Codre, who is going to design an original statue of Carol inspired by Meštrović's model.^'

Hence, I was of the impression that Codre had been commissioned to create the statue based on the original and therefore that similarity would have been quite normal. But 'original' means 'different'. Not copied. I stand corrected. It certainly isn't 'inspired'.

Roumania is a democratic country, full of (on the whole) intelligent and law abiding citizens, though I can't speak for the people at the top who run the show. In them I have little confidence and I'm not the least bit surprised that the Mayor didn't have the decency to contact you. Democracy takes time. First it must be understood and then it must be applied. Starting at the top of the pile, not from the bottom.

I apologise for replying to you via the blog, but there was no address left for contacting you.

Thank you once again for taking the time to read my blog and then to write to me. I would be very grateful if you could keep me up to date with the proceedings. I'm very interested to know what happens next. The people of Roumania have been squashed and flattened far too often and for far too long by those 'up there' and I'd be delighted to see someone say 'no!' for once. Laws are laws and must be adhered to if Roumania is ever going to be truely European, earning the respect that its people so richly deserve. I couldn't agree with you more.

I wish you every success in your battle and eventual peace of mind.

Very best wishes, Sarah

For other articles on afore-mentioned statue (in Roumanian), see: http://www.evz.ro/articole/detalii-articol/801483/Statuia-lui-Carol-I-din-Piata-Revolutiei-umbreste-Teapa-lui-Ghildus/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/romania-heritage_destruction/discuss/72157604812739332/

Comments

[Madalin]

thanks for posting on my blog.
Of course I wand the guide to be very interesting , culturally speaking. We will see this summer what will come out of it. I'm working hard. I see you are fond of seeing old houses of Bucharest, that is what I find interesting. I'll keep an eye on your blog :)

[Culturalheritage]

Dear Sarah, I forgot to leave you my email address : rumi@net.hr

Sincerely,
R.Mestrovic