Few streets in Bucharest bear the memory, in their very name, of a military event that radically changed Romania’s history. Calea Plevnei is one of them. Today, the name of the street is associated with hospitals, historic buildings, neighborhoods, institutions, and the daily traffic of the capital, but behind these two words lies one of the most important battles of the War of Independence of 1877–1878. The name of the thoroughfare refers to Plevna, a city in northern Bulgaria around which Ottoman troops had built a powerful defensive system. Here, Romanian and Russian forces fought a months-long campaign against the troops commanded by Osman Pasha, and the surrender of the Ottoman garrison on November 28/December 10, 1877, became one of the major moments of the war. In Bucharest, the old Podul de Pământ was given the name Calea Plevnei after the War of Independence, as part of a wave of renamings through which the city preserved the memory of military victories in its public space. Toponymic research shows that the name Calea Plevnei is documented from the late 19th century, while the old thoroughfare had previously been known as Podul de Pământ or Ulița de Pământ.

From Podul de Pământ to Calea Plevnei

Before the name Plevna entered Bucharest’s street nomenclature, the thoroughfare was known by other names. Historical documents indicate that in the 19th century it was called Podul de Pământ, while an even earlier name was Ulița Belvedere. It was not a “bridge” in the sense of a structure built over a waterway, but rather one of the city’s major routes, largely surfaced with earth and gravel.

The change of name was part of a broader process of modernization in Bucharest. During the final decades of the 19th century, old names such as “pod” and “uliță” began to be replaced or accompanied by terms such as “cale” and “șosea.” After the War of Independence, several important thoroughfares were given names commemorating the campaigns and victories of 1877–1878. Podul Mogoșoaiei became Calea Victoriei, Podul Caliței became Calea Rahovei, while the old Podul de Pământ entered the history of the city under the name Calea Plevnei.

The name was therefore not accidental. It was part of a genuine commemorative geography of Bucharest after the war. The city was turning its streets into landmarks of national memory, while the name Plevna recalled one of the most difficult and costly battles fought by the Romanian army on its road toward the consolidation of independence.

Calea Plevnei has retained this name ever since, although its historic route and the surrounding area have undergone considerable changes. The regulation of the Dâmbovița River in 1880–1883 also influenced the configuration of the thoroughfare, whose historic route was connected to the river.

How the Romanian army came to fight at Plevna

The Russo-Romanian-Turkish War of 1877–1878 had a special significance for Romania. On May 9, 1877, the Chamber of Deputies proclaimed the country’s state independence, and on May 10 Prince Carol promulgated the act. Therefore, independence was not legally “won” only after Plevna: Romania had already proclaimed it. The essential issue was securing independence on the battlefield and, subsequently, obtaining its international recognition.

At the beginning of the Balkan campaign, Russia did not consider Romania’s military participation south of the Danube indispensable. The situation changed after Russian troops encountered much stronger resistance than expected. The first two attacks on Plevna, in July 1877, failed, and the Russian forces suffered significant losses.

In this context, Grand Duke Nicholas, commander of the Russian forces in the Danube region, requested Carol I’s intervention with the Romanian army. Romania agreed to take an active part in the military operations, and at the meeting in Gorni-Studen in August 1877, it was decided that the Romanian and Russian troops operating around Plevna would form the Western Army, under the command of Prince Carol I. Russian General Pavel D. Zotov became chief of staff, while General Alexandru Cernat played an important role in commanding the Romanian army.

This decision was to radically change the balance of forces. The Romanian army crossed the Danube and entered a difficult war in which it had to attack fortified positions defended by experienced Ottoman troops and a defensive system made up of redoubts, trenches, and other field fortifications.

Grivița, the baptism of fire for the Romanian soldiers

One of the best-known episodes of the campaign was the battle for the Grivița redoubts. Plevna was protected by a complex system of fortifications, and the redoubts in the Grivița area played an important role in the defense of the city. Romanian troops were ordered to participate in the assault on these positions, in an operation that would become one of the bloodiest confrontations of the war.

On August 30/September 11, 1877, what is known as the Third Battle of Plevna began. The artillery bombardment by the Romanian and Russian forces had been prepared several days earlier, and the general assault was launched after a period of intense fire against the Ottoman positions. The problem was that the defensive layout had not been sufficiently reconnoitered. Allied commanders did not know the exact configuration of the terrain and had failed to correctly identify the existence of the two Grivița redoubts.

This error had serious consequences. The Romanian forces were divided between the two objectives, while the attackers faced extremely heavy fire. Nevertheless, after fierce fighting, Romanian troops succeeded in capturing Grivița 1. The victory had an important psychological effect, demonstrating that the Romanian army, reorganized and modernized during the preceding decades, could withstand a major confrontation against a well-fortified Ottoman army.

The fighting did not end there. Grivița 2 remained in Ottoman hands, and subsequent attempts to capture it met with strong resistance. Around Plevna, a war of positions therefore developed, in which every trench, redoubt, and hill could become the scene of extremely bloody fighting.

The siege of Plevna and the surrender of Osman Pasha

Plevna was not captured through a single spectacular assault. After the failure of the direct attacks, the Romanian-Russian strategy increasingly focused on isolating and surrounding the Ottoman garrison. Plevna was defended by a complex system of fortifications positioned on the hills surrounding the city, while Ottoman commander Osman Pasha managed to maintain his position for several months.

By the end of November 1877, however, the situation of the garrison had become critical. The Ottoman lines were surrounded, while the resources needed to continue the resistance were increasingly limited. On November 28/December 10, Osman Pasha attempted to break through the encirclement. The attempt failed, and the wounded Ottoman commander surrendered.

An important element of the capitulation was the fact that Osman Pasha surrendered to Romanian troops. The National History Museum of Romania records that, following the surrender, the Romanian-Russian forces took more than 45,000 Ottoman prisoners, including 2,138 officers, and captured 77 artillery pieces.

The fall of Plevna radically changed the strategic situation in the Balkans. Russian forces were able to continue their advance southward, while Ottoman resistance entered a critical stage. In January 1878, a Russo-Ottoman armistice was concluded, and the war moved toward negotiations that would determine the new political configuration of the region.

Why Plevna became a symbol of Independence

The victory at Plevna should not be viewed separately from the other operations of the War of Independence. The Romanian army also fought in other areas, while the battles of Rahova, Smârdan, and Vidin contributed to the Romanian military effort. Nevertheless, Plevna remained one of the defining images of the war because the Romanian army played a direct role in a large-scale operation and suffered considerable losses.

The importance of Plevna was also recognized by the Russian side. Historical documents preserved by Romanian military institutions show that the intervention of the Romanian army became essential after the Russian failures before the city. Moreover, placing the Western Army under Carol I’s command represented recognition of the military role Romania had assumed during the campaign.

Romania’s independence was internationally recognized through the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. In the same diplomatic context, Romania received Dobruja, while it lost southern Bessarabia to Russia. Therefore, the road toward internationally recognized independence was the result of a combination of the political decision taken in Bucharest, the army’s sacrifices on the battlefield, and the diplomatic negotiations that followed the war.

Calea Plevnei, a street that preserves the memory of the war

Today, Calea Plevnei is an urban thoroughfare integrated into the modern fabric of the capital, very different from the old dirt road that existed before 1877. Along its route and in the surrounding area, especially from the late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, important buildings, medical institutions, and structures of architectural value were erected.

Its name, however, remains closely linked to the battlefields of Bulgaria. Like Calea Victoriei, Calea Rahovei, and other Bucharest thoroughfares that evoke the War of Independence, Calea Plevnei transforms military memory into a landmark of everyday urban life.

Every time the name of this thoroughfare is spoken, it indirectly brings back the story of an army that was only beginning to establish itself as a modern military force, of soldiers who fought against extremely powerful fortifications, and of a campaign that changed the political balance in southeastern Europe. For this reason, Calea Plevnei is not merely the name of a Bucharest street, but also one of the visible traces left by the War of Independence in the city’s collective memory.

From the old Podul de Pământ to today’s Calea Plevnei, the transformation of the name tells, in essence, the story of Romania’s own transformation. Before 1877, it was a peripheral thoroughfare in a Bucharest still undergoing modernization. After the war, the name Plevna became a symbol of military sacrifice and the affirmation of the independent Romanian state. Nearly a century and a half later, it continues to be present in the city, as a discreet reminder of one of the most important military victories in Romania’s history.

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