The earthquake of 1977 shocked Bucharest ; many buildings collapsed , and many others were weakened . This was the backdrop that led to a policy of large-scale demolition which affected monuments of historical significance or architectural masterpieces such as the monumental Vǎcǎrești Monastery ( 1722 ) , the " Sfânta Vineri " ( 1645 ) and " Enei " ( 1611 ) Churches , the Cotroceni ( 1679 ) and Pantelimon ( 1750 ) Monasteries , and the art deco " Republic 's Stadium " ( ANEF Stadium , 1926 ) . Even the Palace of Justice – built by Romania 's foremost architect , Ion Mincu – was scheduled for demolition in early 1990 , according to the systematisation papers . Yet another tactic was abandoning and neglecting buildings and bringing them into such a state that they would require being torn down
earthquake of 1977
1977 Vrancea earthquake
Socialist Republic of Romania