The Vasile Alecsandri Monument (Monumentul lui Vasile Alecsandri) is a bronze monument in front of the Vasile Alecsandri National Theater in central Iași. Created by sculptor Wladimir C. Hegel and inaugurated in 1906, it commemorates the poet, playwright, politician, and one of the founders of the National Theater institution.
Plans for a public monument followed Alecsandri’s death in 1890, with Iași mayor Vasile Pogor proposing the project and funds raised through public subscription. Hegel was commissioned to create the sculpture, while the space in front of the National Theater was chosen for its direct connection with Alecsandri’s role in establishing the institution in 1840. The site had previously been occupied by the Statue of Gheorghe Asachi, which was moved elsewhere in Iași before the new statue was installed. Hegel completed the work in 1905, and it was formally unveiled on October 15, 1906. Half a century later, in 1956, the National Theater itself received Alecsandri’s name.
The bronze figure shows Alecsandri standing in a long coat, holding a book in his right hand while resting his chin on his left in a reflective pose. A cloak falls from his shoulder and down his back, adding weight to the silhouette above the tall stone pedestal.
Reliefs on the pedestal depict figures from Alecsandri’s work, including Peneș Curcanul and Rodica, while an inscription dedicates the monument from the Romanian people to their poet.
