The Nuns’ Skete (Schitul Maicilor) is a Romanian Orthodox church in Bucharest, located close to Antim Monastery. The former skete is now dedicated to the Feast of the Annunciation.
The church was built in 1726 on land that was donated by Lady Smaranda, the wife of Prince Nicholas Mavrocordatos. In 1896 the church underwent a major restoration. It was damaged heavily by an earthquake in 1940 and restored again between 1955 and 1958.
The most remarkable events took place in the 1980s when the church and its accompanying buildings were ordered to be demolished as part of Nicolae Ceaușescu‘s systemization plan for the redevelopment of the city. The church was to make way for the construction of the Republic’s House, now the Palace of the Parliament. Unlike the surrounding buildings, the Nuns’ Skete Church itself was actually saved by moving it 245 meters to the east. The operation involved creating rails, and it took 3 days to move the 745-ton structure.
The church is now hidden away behind the tall building blocks that were constructed as part of Ceaușescu’s plans. The Mihai Vodă Monastery underwent a similar faith as it was also moved and now stands in the shadows of large concrete flats.
