List of honorary citizens of Bucharest

The title of Honorary Citizen of Bucharest is the highest civic distinction, which rewards the talent and the special contributions of a person, Romanian or foreign, granted by the General Council of Bucharest.[1] The title is granted, as the case may be, at the initiative of the Mayor General or the members of the General Council of Bucharest. The first person rewarded with this distinction was soprano Mariana Nicolesco in 1991.

YearNamePortraitCommentsCountryRef.
1991Mariana Nicolesco
(born 1948)
Soprano and honorary member of the Romanian Academy, named UNESCO Artist for Peace and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Romania[2]
1992George Emil Palade
(1912–2008)
Physician and scientist, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1974 Romania/ United States
Viorica Cortez
(born 1935)
Mezzo-soprano Romania/ France
Ileana Cotrubaș
(born 1939)
Soprano Romania
Marina Krilovici
(born 1942)
Soprano Romania
Ionel PanteaOpera singer and stage director, distinguished with the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Romania
1994National football team, coaches, doctor and president of the Romanian Football FederationQuarterfinalist in the 1994 FIFA World Cup Romania
Nadia Comăneci
(born 1961)
Gymnast, first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic event and first Romanian sportswoman included in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame Romania/ United States
1995Ion Irimescu
(1903–2005)
Sculptor, professor and honorary member of the Romanian Academy Romania
Knights of the Order of Michael the Brave Romania
1996Paul Călinescu
(1902–2000)
Director and screenwriter Romania
Marin Sorescu
(1936–1996)
Writer and Minister of Culture (1993–1995), member of the Romanian Academy and laureate of the Herder Prize Romania
1997Pierre Mauroy
(1928–2013)
Mayor of Lille (1973–2001) and Prime Minister of France (1981–1984) France
Ion Voicu
(1923–1997)
Violinist and director of George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra Romania
Dumitrașcu Lăcătușu
(1891–1999)
Last Romanian veteran of the First World War Romania
Livia S. SylvaHolocaust survivor, cosmetic designer and commissioner of New York City Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps and Protocol Romania/ United States
Bill Clinton
(born 1946)
President of the United States (1993–2001) United States
Jacques Chirac
(1932 - 2019)
President of France (1995–2007) France
Gabriela Szabo
(born 1975)
Olympic athlete and Minister of Youth and Sports (2014–2015), named in 1999 the world's best athlete Romania
Nicolae Herlea
(1927–2014)
Baritone Romania
1998Liviu Ciulei
(1923–2011)
Director, actor, scenographer, architect, professor and corresponding member of the Romanian Academy Romania
Nursultan Nazarbayev
(born 1940)
President of Kazakhstan (1991–present) Kazakhstan
2000Gold, silver and bronze medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Romania
2001Migry Avram NicolauStage director Romania
Tiberiu SimionescuFounding member of the Ion Dacian National Theater of Operetta and Musical Romania
Nicolae Ionescu-DodoFounding member of the Ion Dacian National Theater of Operetta and Musical Romania
George Zaharescu
(1927–2007)
Opera director, director of the Ion Dacian National Theater of Operetta and Musical Romania
Iolanda Balaș
(1936–2016)
Olympic athlete, president of the Romanian Athletics Federation (1988–2005) Romania
Radu Beligan
(1918–2016)
Actor and honorary member of the Romanian Academy Romania
Gheorghe Dinică
(1934–2009)
Actor Romania
Marin Moraru
(1937–2016)
Actor Romania
Tamara Buciuceanu
(1929–2019)
Actress Moldova/ Romania
Carmen Stănescu
(1925–2018)
Actress Romania
Damian Crâșmaru
(1931–2019)
Actor Romania
Mircea Albulescu
(1934–2016)
Actor, professor, publicist, poet and writer Romania
Olga Tudorache
(1929–2017)
Actress and professor Romania
Marcela Rusu
(1926–2002)
Actress Romania
Ion Zamfirescu
(1907–2001)
Theater historian and professor Romania
Ileana Berlogea
(1931–2002)
Theater historian, professor and critic Romania
Ion Toboșaru
(1930–2016)
Film critic, esthetician and theatrologist Romania
Horea Popescu
(1925–2010)
Director Romania
Margareta Niculescu
(1926–2018)
Puppetteer, professor, director and theater director Romania
Dinu Săraru
(born 1932)
Theater director, playwright, essayist, publicist, novelist and writer Romania
Ștefan Iordache
(1941–2008)
Actor Romania
Dan Iordăchescu
(1930–2015)
Baritone Romania
Adela Mărculescu
(born 1938)
Actress Romania
Draga Olteanu Matei
(1933–2020)
Actress Romania
Ludovic Spiess
(1938–2006)
Tenor, Minister of Culture (1991–1992) and director of the Romanian National Opera (2001–2005) Romania
Florin Piersic
(born 1936)
Actor Romania
Gheorghe Zamfir
(born 1941)
Musician and composer, self-described "master of the pan flute" Romania
Veta Biriș
(born 1949)
Folk music singer Romania
Achim Nica
(1930–2012)
Folk music singer Romania
Maria Butaciu
(1940–2018)
Folk music singer Romania
Sava Negrean Brudașcu
(born 1947)
Folk music singer Romania
Floarea Calotă
(born 1956)
Folk music singer Romania
Matilda Pascal Cojocărița
(born 1958)
Folk music singer Romania
Liviu Dafinescu
(1954–2004)
Director of Doina Gorjului Folklore Ensemble (1994–2004) Romania
Valeria Peter Predescu
(1947–2009)
Folk music singer Romania
Dumitru Fărcaș
(1938–2018)
Tárogató player Romania
Benone Sinulescu
(1937–2021)
Folk music singer Romania
Viorica Flintașu
(born 1939)
Folk music singer Romania
Elise StanTV producer Romania
Nicolae Furdui Iancu
(born 1955)
Folk music singer Romania
Floarea TănăsescuFolk music singer Romania
Laura Lavric
(born 1946)
Folk music singer Romania
Gheorghe Turda
(born 1948)
Folk music singer Romania
Grigore Leșe
(born 1954)
Folk music singer and bassoon player Romania
Liviu Vasilică
(1950–2004)
Folk music singer and pediatrician Romania
Ion Luican
(1907–1992)
Folk music singer Romania
Sofia Vicoveanca
(born 1941)
Folk music singer, poet and actress Ukraine/ Romania
2005Stela Popescu
(1935–2017)
Actress Moldova/ Romania
2006Cristian Gațu
(born 1945)
Olympic handball player and president of the Romanian Handball Federation (1996–2014) Romania
Marcel Guguianu
(1922–2012)
Sculptor Romania
David Esrig
(born 1935)
Professor and theater director Israel/ Romania
2007Lucian Giurchescu
(born 1930)
Director Romania
Tudor Petrov-Popa
(born 1963)
Politician, fighter for the territorial integrity of Moldova during the Transnistria War Moldova
Andrei Ivanțoc
(born 1961)
Politician, fighter for the territorial integrity of Moldova during the Transnistria War and political prisoner of the separatist regime in Tiraspol Moldova
Alexandru Leșco
(born 1955)
Politician, fighter for the territorial integrity of Moldova during the Transnistria War Moldova
2008Rică Răducanu
(born 1946)
Footballer, played in Romania national football team at the 1970 FIFA World Cup Romania
2009Horia Damian
(1922–2012)
Painter and honorary member of the Romanian Academy Romania/ France
2014Larisa Iordache
(born 1996)
Olympic gymnast Romania
2016Maria PopaProfessor Romania
Neagu Djuvara
(1916–2018)
Historian, diplomat, philosopher, journalist and novelist Romania
Members of the women's handball team – CSM BucureștiWinner of the 2015–16 Women's EHF Champions League Romania
Members of the women's volleyball team – CSM BucureștiWinner of the 2015–16 CEV Women's Challenge Cup Romania
Members of Romania's sword teamGold medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympics Romania
2017Cristian Țopescu
(1937–2018)
Sports commentator, journalist and politician Romania
Dinu C. Giurescu
(1927–2018)
Historian, politician and member of the Romanian Academy Romania
Herman Berkovits
(born 1947)
Benjamin Netanyahu's personal physician and Viorica Dăncilă's honorary counselor Romania/ Israel
Cătălin BadiuCardiovascular surgeon Romania
Cătălina Ponor
(born 1987)
Olympic gymnast Romania
Marian Drăgulescu
(born 1980)
Olympic gymnast Romania
Ileana Vulpescu
(1932–2021)
Philologist, lexicographer, writer, novelist and translator Romania
Alexandru Arșinel
(born 1939)
Actor and director of Constantin Tănase Revue Theater Romania
Ilie Ilașcu
(born 1952)
Politician and political prisoner of the separatist regime in Tiraspol Moldova/ Romania
Mircea Lucescu
(born 1945)
Footballer and selector of Romania and Turkey national football teams Romania
Cristina Neagu
(born 1988)
Professional handball player, the only handball player in history to win three IHF World Player of the Year awards Romania
Angela Gheorghiu
(born 1965)
Soprano, one of the most famous opera singers in the world Romania
Alexandra Nechita
(born 1985)
Painter and muralist, dubbed "little Picasso" Romania/ United States
Simona Halep
(born 1991)
Professional tennis player, first Romanian tenniswoman to become world No. 1 on the WTA Tour Romania
Ion Caramitru
(born 1942)
Actor, Minister of Culture (1996–2000), president of UNITER (1990–present) and director of Ion Luca Caragiale National Theater (2005–present) Romania
Helmuth Duckadam
(born 1959)
Footballer and president of FC Steaua București Romania
Dorin PetruțLieutenant colonel injured in Camp Victory in 2007 and professional archer Romania
Daniel Porumb
(born 1980)
Sergeant injured in Iraq in April 2007 Romania
Eugen Valentin PătruCorporal injured in Afghanistan in March 2014 Romania

References