Equestrian Statue of Stephen the Great, Suceava

The equestrian statue of Stephen the Great stands in Șipote-Cetate Park, in the south-east of Suceava, near the Princely Fortress. The monument, dedicated to the prince who ruled Moldavia from 1457 to 1504, was made by the sculptor Iftimie Bârleanu and unveiled on 16 September 1977 in the presence of Nicolae Ceaușescu. The cast bronze statue shows the prince on horseback and is 8 m high, 8 m long and 2 m wide. The travertine-clad plinth, by the sculptor Vladimir Florea, is 15 m high, bringing the total to 23 m. Two large bronze high reliefs decorate the sides of the plinth, one with a battle scene and the other with a scene at the princely court, and the front carries the coat of arms of Moldavia, also in bronze. The inscriptions with Ceaușescu's words and the unveiling plaque were removed after 1989. After 2000 the monument deteriorated, and in August 2008 one of the reliefs fell from the plinth. Rehabilitation work begun in 2018 restored and refitted the bronze elements, renewed the travertine cladding, extended the platforms with granite paving and added architectural lighting; the statue was reinaugurated on 28 November 2018, for the centenary of Bukovina's union with Romania. The monument is on the List of Historic Monuments (LMI code SV-IV-m-B-05689).