The obelisk with Lions

 

 

The Russo-Turkish war of 1828–1829 had a special importance on the Romanian Lands.
Following its victory by Russia, the influence of the Ottomans in Moldova and the country
Romanian was diminishing considerably and the first steps were being taken towards modernization and
independence.

A number of provisions of the Treaty of Adrianople concerned us directly. Such as,
The Romanian principalities were to have administrative autonomy, the lords to be earthly and
appointed for life by the Public Assemblies, trade was liberalized (until then being possible
exchanges only with Turkey), and it became possible to set up militias to guard the order
internal.

In order to legislate the modernization, Count Pavel Kisseleff, administrator of the Romanian Lands a
formed a committee to prepare an Organic Regulation. These were to be
the first constitutional laws in Moldova and Wallachia and were to
state their development according to modern principles.

It is said that in the year of Mihail Sturza's coming to power in Moldova, the boyars and the Metropolitan
Veniamin Costache wanted to thank Russia and Turkey, the two
powers that contributed to the elaboration of the Organic Regulation. They advanced to the new ruler
a petition and obtained his approval that on November 8, 1834, in the garden of Copou,
the construction of a memorial begins.

The construction of the monument was started by the Russian engineer Mikhail Singurov and completed by
Gheorghe Asachi. The monument has the shape of a stone obelisk, 6-7 meters high and heavy
of 10 tons supported by four lions sculpted by Johann Semser. They symbolized the four
European powers that had recognized the independence of the Romanian Lands. On two sides
on the sides are the coats of arms of Moldova, respectively of the Sturza family, and on the other two sides
there are two inscriptions that remember the date of the inauguration and the ruler of that time.
The obelisk with Lions from Copou Park is the first Romanian historical monument, and in
in its vicinity is the famous Linen Tree of Mihai Eminescu.

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