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The Man Who Saved Romanian Churches From Destruction

He was called "the engineer of heaven" for saving a dozen churches from destruction during communist rule in Romania. Civil engineer Eugeniu Iordachescu died on January 4, but he left a lasting legacy on the Bucharest skyline. During the rule of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in the 1980s, thousands of structures were demolished in the Romanian capital. But Iordachescu developed a system to move entire structures that saved many churches and other buildings from destruction.
Eugeniu Iordachescu developed a unique system to place entire buildings on a structure similar to railroad tracks in order to move them away from areas slated for reconstruction. In 1985, the 16th-century Mihai Voda Orthodox Church was moved in tandem with its stand-alone tower.
1 Eugeniu Iordachescu developed a unique system to place entire buildings on a structure similar to railroad tracks in order to move them away from areas slated for reconstruction. In 1985, the 16th-century Mihai Voda Orthodox Church was moved in tandem with its stand-alone tower.
Weighing 9,000 tons, the Mihai Voda Orthodox Church was the biggest building that Eugeniu Iordachescu moved. The rail system he developed in Bucharest was similar to one used by Czechoslovak engineers to move the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the city Most in 1975. 
2 Weighing 9,000 tons, the Mihai Voda Orthodox Church was the biggest building that Eugeniu Iordachescu moved. The rail system he developed in Bucharest was similar to one used by Czechoslovak engineers to move the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the city Most in 1975. 
Mihai Voda Orthodox Church in its new location in Bucharest. Romanians paid homage to Iordachescu at the church on January 6, two days after he died from a heart attack.
3 Mihai Voda Orthodox Church in its new location in Bucharest. Romanians paid homage to Iordachescu at the church on January 6, two days after he died from a heart attack.
The Mihai Voda Orthodox Church was built in 1594 by Prince Michael the Brave and also served as a monastery.  It was moved 289 meters from its original location.
4 The Mihai Voda Orthodox Church was built in 1594 by Prince Michael the Brave and also served as a monastery.  It was moved 289 meters from its original location.
The 18th-century Schitul Maicilor was the first church to be moved by Iordachescu in Bucharest in 1982. Weighing 745 tons, its name means Nuns’ Convent, and it was relocated 245 meters away from its original site.
5 The 18th-century Schitul Maicilor was the first church to be moved by Iordachescu in Bucharest in 1982. Weighing 745 tons, its name means Nuns’ Convent, and it was relocated 245 meters away from its original site.
Schitul Maicilor Church in Bucharest on October 30, 2017.
6 Schitul Maicilor Church in Bucharest on October 30, 2017.
Eugeniu Iordachescu and religious leaders supervising the relocation of Olari Orthodox Church in 1982.
7 Eugeniu Iordachescu and religious leaders supervising the relocation of Olari Orthodox Church in 1982.
Olari Orthodox Church was saved in Bucharest, but 24 other churches were bulldozed by communist authorities in the Romanian capital.
8 Olari Orthodox Church was saved in Bucharest, but 24 other churches were bulldozed by communist authorities in the Romanian capital.
A man walks past Olari Orthodox Church on January 6, 2019.
9 A man walks past Olari Orthodox Church on January 6, 2019.
Eugeniu Iordachescu (right) looks over plans to move St. Stefan's Church in 1988.
10 Eugeniu Iordachescu (right) looks over plans to move St. Stefan's Church in 1988.
Also known at the Stork's Nest, St. Stephen's Church on its tracks.
11 Also known at the Stork's Nest, St. Stephen's Church on its tracks.
St. Stefan Church being moved in 1988.
12 St. Stefan Church being moved in 1988.
St. Stephen's Church was saved from communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu's urban redesign known as "systemization." The church was moved to make way for Soviet-style apartment buildings and the sprawling House of the People, which today serves as Romania's parliament.
13 St. Stephen's Church was saved from communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu's urban redesign known as "systemization." The church was moved to make way for Soviet-style apartment buildings and the sprawling House of the People, which today serves as Romania's parliament.
St. John the New Orthodox Church in Bucharest on the move in 1986.
14 St. John the New Orthodox Church in Bucharest on the move in 1986.
St. John the New Orthodox Church in Bucharest on October 30, 2017, nestled between modern buildings.
15 St. John the New Orthodox Church in Bucharest on October 30, 2017, nestled between modern buildings.
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Lucie Steinzova

Lucie Steinzova is the photo editor for RFE/RL.

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Stuart Greer

Stuart Greer is a multimedia editor for RFE/RL. With 25 years of experience as a broadcast journalist, he has reported from more than 30 countries covering a wide range of topics, including the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Georgia, disasters in the Philippines and Hungary, international summits, and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Before joining RFE/RL in 2015, he was European bureau chief and foreign correspondent for Canada's Global News in London.

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