Ștefan's the Great Tower

On Tuesday, January 14, 2014, on the eve of the National Day of Culture, the bust of Mihai Eminescu was inaugurated in front of the County Library "G.T. Kirileanu" from Piatra Neamț. Author: Lucian Tudorache Year: 2014 Material: bronze Location: Library "G.T. Kirileanu" Photo & text source: www.ziarpiatraneamt.ro

The little mermaid from Piatra-Neamţ is a copy of the famous statue in Copenhagen, made by the sculptor Silviu Bejan, who immigrated to Canada in the meantime. The statue was specially prepared for the visit to Romania of Queen Margareta II of Denmark, who arrived in the municipality of Piatra-Neamț on May 18, 2000. It was initially placed at the Elena Doamna Placement Center, a place that her highness visited together with Prince Consort Henrik. The statue remained at the Placement Center until after May 25, then was moved to the downtown park.   Author: Silviu Bejan Year: 2000 Material: bronze Location: str. 22 Decembrie, no. 1, Piatra Neamţ, on the green space in front of School no. 3

The artistic heritage of the municipality of Piatra-Neamţ was enriched in 1924 with a tribute monument dedicated to the founders of the "Petru Rareş" High School: Ion Negre, Calistrat Hogaş and Mihai Stamatin. Their faces were fixed in bronze by the sculptor Mihai Onofrei. The Italians Carol Zani, construction contractor, and Vincenzo Puschiasis, stone sculptor, also participated in the creation of the stone sculptures that decorate the memorial monument at the "Petru Rareş" National College. He carved the background stone, carved the rectangular border decorated with two laurel wreaths and the relief profile of the goddess Athena, placed at the base of the work. The three bronze medallions, sculpted by Onofrei occupy the upper area of the composition: in the middle, viewed from the front, there is the bas-relief bust of Calistrat Hogaş, on the left, the bas-relief profile of Ion Negre and on the right the one of Mihai Stamatin. The portraits are realistic, they have expressive features, the focused looks capture the interest of the viewers. Their position and the decorative elements give rhythm and symmetry to the unitary and balanced ensemble.   The monument was inaugurated on July 26, 1926, the event being attended by numerous residents, members of the "Popular Athenaeum" association, the initiators of the project, high school students and the sculptor Onofrei. In the tribute speech, the then director of the high school, V.A. Trifu, spoke the following words: "You, the young generation, who tomorrow will support on your shoulders the heavy but expensive burden of our nation,... take an example from our ancestors...".

Did you know that in Piatra Neamț there is a beautiful lipovan church? Its spires are so similar to those of Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. The church was built in 1818, right in the central area of today's city. Once upon a time, an important community of Lipovan Russianslived here, being among the most numerous in the area of Moldova. Close to the banks of the Bistrita river, the locals called this area the slum of lipovans. The original church was built of wood and burned down completely in 1918. Unfortunately, a second fire destroyed it in 2008. However, the community found the strength and resources to rebuild it again, and it was completed and consecrated in 2012. Currently, the community of Lipovan Russiansin Piatra Neamț is considerably smaller, counting only 150 members.

The "Lascăr Vorel" Art Gallery is a small county museum located in the city center, near the Ceahlău Hotel. It was organized in 1993 and hosts exhibitions of contemporary artists. ACCESS IS FREE TIME SCHEDULE: Monday - Saturday 10:00-18:00 It is closed on Sunday.

The cable car is without a doubt one of the most important investments and attractions of the city of Piatra-Neamț. Inaugurated in February 2008, the modern cable installation has so far transported more than 1 million tourists to the top of Mount Cozla. In the 22 gondolas, tourists can see a beautiful panorama of the city, including the surroundings: the Bâtca Doamnei reservoir, the Pietricica Mountain, but also the Ceahlău Massif, which can be seen in all its splendor on fine days. We therefore invite you to visit this remarkable tourist attraction of the city of Piatra Neamț!   A FEW MORE DETAILS: The manufacturer of the installation is the Austrian company Doppelmayr. The entire installation stretches over a length of 1915 m with no less than 10 poles. The tallest pillar of the investment is 64 meters high, being placed on Decebal Boulevard. Regarding the travel conditions, we inform you that the transport speed is 6 m/s. The cable car in Piatra-Neamț has 22 gondolas in total, each gondola having 8 seats, being able to transport no less than 640 kg/gondola. At such a speed, your journey will be at least 8 minutes, between the two points, namely: the station located at an altitude of 323m and the arrival point Dealul Cozla located at an altitude of 632m. RATES: Adults - 35 lei up and down Adults - 20 lei going up or down Children between 5 and 14 years 20 lei - going up and down Children between 5 and 14 years 15 lei - going up or down Children under 5 benefit of free journeys Discounts apply for groups larger than 20 people

Vasile Negru is from Răcăciuni, Bacău county, he worked in construction in his youth, but he took advantage of a sudden chance and joined the ranks of the Ministry of the Interior, as a policeman. He lives with his wife in Piatra-Neamț for about 30 years. He had his first attempt at sculpture in the army when, in a soap mold, he sculpted a woman's face, which was taken from him by a superior upon his release, as a souvenir. Over the years he graduated from a popular art school, where he learned some of the techniques of painting and sculpture. Author: Vasile Negru Year: 1983 Material: cement Location: in front of the headquarters of the National Archives in Piatra Neamț Photo & text source: www.ziarpiatraneamt.ro

The bust of Elena Cuza was made of bronze by the sculptor Silviu Bejan, who studied drawing and sculpture for 10 years at the Victor Brauner Art High School in Piatra-Neamț and portrait modeling at the Vancouver Art Academy, graduate of the Institute of Art "G. Enescu" from Iasi. Elena Cuza (b. June 17, 1825, Iasi – d. April 2, 1909, Piatra-Neamț), also known as Elena Doamna, was the wife of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza. She was born in Iasi, in the Rosetti family and died in Piatra-Neamț, being buried in Solești, Vaslui.

The bust of Nicu Albu was unveiled on September 30, 1923 in the presence of national personalities. The liberal leader Ionel I. C. Brătianu himself gave an emotional speech here. At that time, the work was integrated into the statuary heritage of the city. Author: Oscar Spathe Year: 1923 Material: bronze Location: Former Zoo, future "Nicu Albu" Public Garden Text & photo source: www.ziarpiatraneamt.ro