555 Years of Bucharest.... and Why I Think My City Has a Complex Identity

 

   A celebration lasting all year culminated last week-end. On the 20th of September, Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, as well as my hometown, celebrated 555 years since it was first attested in an official document. This year was full of cultural events of all types in our city, all matching, from one point of view or another, with the cultural identity of Bucharest and its inhabitants throughout the years.
  

  Apart from becoming overly sentimental, like many of my fellow citizens of Bucharest, I started to think about what makes my city special. And there are so many contrasting features! Being multi-faceted is surely a characteristic of all capital cities, but the features in themselves, and the combination of them, are unique for each city.

    

    When visiting Bucharest, most foreigners tell me that it is full of contrasts, and some of them rather painful. Our population typologies range from the hot-shot rich guy with a BMW and a luxury villa in one of the selected neighbourhoods, to the homeless beggar. Unfortunately, social equality is a distant dream for us. Our architectural landscape varies from the elegance of the interbellic era, which earned Bucharest the name of Little Paris, and whose atmosphere we always like to re-create and re-experience, to the massive and somewhat imposing reminiscence of communism, from the big appartment blocks to the worldwide famous Palace of Parliament. Parks, flowers and lakes meet circluated roads and glass office buildings. And last but not least, the cultural side of Bucharest is flourishing every year: music, theatre, exhibitions, festivals of all sorts are happening throughout the year, at prices that are accessible to most people. Bucharest is not just about an unique image.In theory, everyone could fit in and everyone can find something to suit them. 
   

   What do I wish for my city and for its people? More friendliness, more civilization and more respect towards the other, both between ourselves or towards visitiors from outside. More care towards the needy. Less negligence towards our city, and more willingness to keep it clean and to restructure places that need it. Less chaos in traffic, and a better infrastructure. And of course, to flourish every day with joy of life, even in spite of the nerve-consuming political life. 
    Happy birthday, my beautiful city!