The Sărindar Church, also known by Bucharesters as the “Church of the Young Gentlemen,” was for a long time a landmark of the capital. From its founding in 1652, it stood out not only as a place of worship but also as a space around which an entire social, religious, and cultural history was woven.

The beginnings of a legendary church

The first construction was made of wood by the noble Cocorăști family, on a marshy piece of land near what would later become Cișmigiu Gardens. This choice of site posed serious challenges to the building’s stability but did not prevent the emergence of a nucleus of religious life around it.

Only a few years later, in the second half of the 17th century, Prince Matei Basarab decided to raise on the same site a stone church, far sturdier than the first. From that moment, Sărindar entered permanently into the history of Bucharest.

For centuries, the church was more than a place of worship. It attracted not only ordinary parishioners but also noble families eager to be seen and acknowledged in the public space. Moreover, Sărindar housed one of the most venerated relics of the capital: an icon of the Virgin Mary, adorned with diamonds, believed to possess miraculous powers.

Thousands of believers from all over the country came, over time, to pray before this icon. Many of the pilgrims were sick or in emotional distress, hoping to find relief through faith. Thus, Sărindar became a center of pilgrimage, and its fame extended far beyond the borders of the city.

A connection with suffering and marginalization

At the beginning of the 19th century, the church and the nearby monastery underwent a radical transformation. Prince Alexandru Ipsilanti decided to dedicate part of the monks’ cells to the care of people suffering from mental illnesses. This decision changed the image of the place: from a space of prayer, Sărindar also became a refuge for the marginalized.

The mentally ill often lived in poor conditions, but the gesture also reflected an early attempt to organize a rudimentary form of medical care. Nevertheless, the association between the church and human suffering remained long embedded in the memory of this site.

The place where former Prime Minister Mihail Kogălniceanu was married

Sărindar Church is remembered not only for its icons or social functions. It also hosted defining moments for Romanian society. One of the most important was the wedding of Mihail Kogălniceanu, one of the leading politicians and intellectuals of the 19th century. His presence at the altar of Sărindar transformed the church into a symbolic site for the destiny of modern Romania.

Other grand ceremonies also took place here, some of them of national or even royal significance. For Bucharest, Sărindar represented a point of intersection between religion, politics, and everyday life.

Religious innovations and the liturgical language

Another defining feature of Sărindar Church was its courage in introducing services in the Romanian language, at a time when most liturgies were still conducted in Greek. The turning point came on Easter night in 1837, when, for the first time, the liturgy was held in Romanian.

This change had a powerful impact on the community, making the religious message more accessible to the faithful. At the same time, it was regarded as an important step in the process of cultural and spiritual modernization of the country.

The trials of time and the building’s degradation

Although it withstood several invasions, earthquakes, and wars, the church gradually entered a process of decay. Restoration works carried out in the second half of the 19th century, though well-intentioned, seriously damaged the structure of the building.

Architect Gaetan A. Burelly altered the walls and added two massive towers on an unstable foundation, which led to their tilting.

By the 1880s, the church’s condition had become alarming. In 1881, the authorities were already discussing the need for its demolition, and two years later, architects Alexandru Orăscu and Carol Enderle officially confirmed the impossibility of saving the building. In 1884, the decision to demolish it was approved by both the Metropolitan Church and the City Hall.

The demolition of Sărindar saddened the people

At the end of 1893, Sărindar Church was demolished, to the sorrow of the city’s residents. Many Bucharesters took a brick from its walls, which they kept as a talisman, believing it would bring them luck and protection.

The disappearance of the church left a huge void in the spiritual life of the capital. For the generations that followed, the memory of Sărindar remained alive, passed down through legends and stories.

The National Military Circle now stands on the site of the former church

After the church’s demolition, in 1896 a monumental fountain was erected, dedicated to the visit of Emperor Franz Josef, but it lasted only a few months. Later, the land was given to the Ministry of War, which built the National Military Circle.

Thus, the once sacred site became a symbol of military power. The National Military Circle remains to this day one of Bucharest’s representative buildings, a space of national memory and military prestige.

Sărindar Street and interwar memory: “Adevărul” and “Universul”

The area continued to play a central role in the interwar period, when Sărindar Street, known today as Constantin Mille Street, became a hub of the Romanian press. Here were the editorial offices of prestigious newspapers such as Universul and Adevărul.

The fact that the street still bore the name of the demolished church shows the symbolic force of the place. Even without the house of worship, the spirit of Sărindar continued to pulse through other forms of urban life.

Today, the church no longer exists physically, but its memory endures. The stories about the miracle-working icon, the sick who found comfort here, or the wedding of Mihail Kogălniceanu are part of the emotional history of the capital.

For Bucharesters, Sărindar was not just a religious building but a symbol of the transformations the city underwent: from the voivodal era, through the modernization of the 19th century, to interwar Bucharest.

The spiritual legacy of Sărindar

Sărindar Church had a unique destiny: built on marshy land, it resisted for two and a half centuries, housed miraculous relics, became a refuge for the sick, and a space of celebration for Romania’s political and cultural elites.

The marriage of Mihail Kogălniceanu there sealed not only a personal event but also the indestructible link between this place of worship and the modern history of the country. Even though the church was demolished, its memory did not vanish. Through stories, traditions, and the symbols of the city, Sărindar remains alive in the collective consciousness.

Thus, the history of this church is not merely the story of a lost building, but also that of a spirit that accompanied Bucharest on its road to modernity.