In 2011, the tallest full-length statue of Christ in Eastern Europe was built on the Gordon roof, located between Székelyudvarhely and Parajd, in Hargita County. Named after the Heart of Jesus, the approximately 22-meter tall statue is made of iron and stainless steel; the 200,000 euro cost of its construction was covered by donations collected by the Farkaslaka municipality. Inside the statue, a spiral staircase made of metal leads up to the statue's head, from which a breathtaking view rewards the enterprising, reports pontmaros.ro .

Pléh-Christ or a real religious experience?

The statue is located in Hargita County, between the settlements of Farkaslaka and Székelyszentlélek. It was erected on the Gordon roof at an altitude of 953 meters above sea level. The work of art can be approached from the main road DN 13A connecting Parajto with Székelyudvarhell, from the direction of Székelyszentlélek, on a gravel road. At Farkaslaka, you have to turn right, and then at the different one at Bogárfalva, you have to turn right in order to reach the several kilometers long dirt road that leads to the statue of Christ.

According to its purpose, it is a lookout point, and in a spiritual sense, a place where, if the visitor looks up, he can say a Jesus greeting. The viewing platform stands on a 1.2-meter-high pyramid-shaped pedestal with a base of 121 square meters and a height of 22.5 meters. The material of the frame is anchored steel, the material of the mantle, head and hands is stainless steel.

Date of ordination: August 17, 2013.

Near the Fehér Nyiko crossing the Ancient Székely Land, on the Gordon Peak rising to the height of the Kingdom of God, those who often pray to the provident Lord God with the chant of our Ancient Székely hymn: "Jesus bless the land of Transylvania" dreamed of a statue of the Heart of Jesus.

The dreamers of the Jesus Heart Lookout: Árpád Magyari and János Péter, main sponsor: Gordon Prod KFT.

The work received many criticisms, primarily due to its enormous size and appearance. Already after the plans were completed, the statue divided public opinion, stirring up a lot of dust among the locals and the press. Some of the opponents of the construction of the depiction of Jesus consider the building unacceptable and ostentatious from an aesthetic point of view, or simply kitsch. According to others, the material and purpose of the statue are no longer acceptable; in their opinion, the statue made of metal is completely foreign to the traditions of Székely and the overall picture of the landscape, they believe that stone or wood would have been more appropriate materials. At the same time, they find it disrespectful that the head of the religious-themed statue also acts as a lookout point. Opponents of the construction usually refer to the statue with the derisive name "Pléh Christ".

Many people's opinions partially or completely differ from the negative evaluation, for many people the work is a real religious experience. Most of the supporters argue with the tourist attraction of the lookout, some also see it as a religious symbol of Catholic Szeklerland. According to many, the observation deck will become a symbol of the neighborhood after a while. According to the mayor of Farkaslaki, Albert Mátyás, about 80 percent of the locals think that the creation and construction of the work was the right decision. The mayor responded to the critics' arguments as follows: "The landscape will not be ugly because of the statue. In his opinion, those professionals who opposed the plan did so only out of envy. During the construction of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it had countless opponents, while today it has become a symbol of the city," said the mayor.

Visit the Heart of Jesus lookout!

Source: Facebook / Ancient Hungary

Photo: Visitharghita.ro