He was called "the engineer of heaven" for saving a dozen churches from destruction during communist rule in Romania. Civil engineer Eugeniu Iordachescu died on January 4, but he left a lasting legacy on the Bucharest skyline. During the rule of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in the 1980s, thousands of structures were demolished in the Romanian capital. But Iordachescu developed a system to move entire structures that saved many churches and other buildings from destruction.
The Man Who Saved Romanian Churches From Destruction
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A man walks past Olari Orthodox Church on January 6, 2019.
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Eugeniu Iordachescu (right) looks over plans to move St. Stefan's Church in 1988.
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Also known at the Stork's Nest, St. Stephen's Church on its tracks.
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St. Stefan Church being moved in 1988.