Romania’s Culture minister Ionut Vulpescu signed the approval for the refurbishment and conservation in an exhibition space of the Caraiman peak cross, one of the country’s landmark mountain monuments, the ministry announced. The decision is to be followed by similar ones, in preparation of the 100-year anniversary of the 1918 union, the minister said.

The almost 40-meter tall cross was erected between 1926 and 1928 in the memory of the heroes who died in World War I. It was an initiative of Queen Marie and of King Ferdinand of Romania.

The monument's lighting system will be replaced, the finishes will be remade, and the metallic structure will be refurbished. The base of the cross will be used for setting up an exhibition space and the monument will also get a new system to protect it from lighting.

“This year, in summer, we celebrate the centennial of the battles of Marasesti, Marasti, Oituz, which were a turning point for the Romanian army, an encouragement during the World War I. We are not doing enough to keep alive the memory of the heroes who fought in this war to make the Great Union possible,” minister Vulpescu said.

The cross is made of steel, placed on an 8-meter tall cement base, and is unique in Europe, not just because of its dimensions, but also for the altitude where it is located. The cross can be seen at night, as it is lit by 120 light bulbs, powered by an energy generator located within the cement base.

There are larger crosses in the world, and summit crosses at higher altitudes, but the Caraiman Cross is the largest such cross at high altitude, according to Guiness World Records.

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editor@romania-insider.com