The Mausoleum of the Heroes of Mârâşeşti was one of the early stops in our month-long tour of Romania. Although billed as an ‘it’s on the way’ stop, it turned out to be a memorable one for several reasons.
Built between 1923 and 1938, it commemorated those who died in the battles which took place in the surrounding area in 1917.
It was located on the side of a busy dual carriageway with traffic thundering past. We paid 10 Lei each (£1.60) and then found the mausoleum at the end of a long path, with landscaped grounds flanked by busts of important military figures.
It was an impressive circular structure, which became more interesting as we got closer to the bas reliefs of battle scenes arounds the exterior. Between the two pillars were placed 15 marble slabs, inscribed with the names of 900 heroes and their regiments.
A flight of steps, lined with empty shells and canons, led into the mausoleum. Small rooms off a central walkway housed 154 individual crypts and nine common crypts where the identity was unknown. In total it commemorated 5,073 soldiers and officers. In the centre of what is known as the Dome of Glory, was the sarcophagus of General Eremia Grigorescu, commander of the First Romanian Army during the Battle of Mârâşeşti. A circular staircase took us onto a second level with murals around it. From here it was possible to go outside for a close-up view of the bas reliefs.
On arrival, we had not seen any other visitors, which bearing in mind its unfavourable location and the fact it’s not referred to in either the Rough Guide or Lonely Planet, was not surprising. However, as we made our way around, we were aware of a hushed voice, which gradually got louder. Just before the exit, we established the source: a hologram of a young barefooted girl dressed in a simple white nightdress. She told the story of Măriuca Zaharia, who despite her youth, acted as an impromptu artillery observer for the army and was killed aged 14.
A nearby semi-circular shaped museum had murals and cases which displayed military uniforms, battlefield sketches, weapons, photographs, maps and various other memorabilia. All the labels were in Romanian, so our guide explained the more important ones.
Unfortunately, the on-site toilets were closed due to a lack of water, so we opted for what looked like a motorway cafe, called Berthelot, which was virtually next door. At the rear, we were delighted to find a quiet, pleasant garden terrace. We ordered coffee and our guide suggested trying an authentic Romanian dessert called papanaşi. This turned out to be two doughnuts, with the doughnut hole on top, sat on a yoghurt and blackcurrant compote. They were delicious, and we were pleased the toilets had been closed.
