Republic Socialista Romania; Communism, Ceausescu and the 1989 Revolution

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THE LEGACY

TIMISOARA
"Birthplace of the Revolution"
- Piata Victoriei
- Reformed Church
- Stay in Ceausescu's Villa
- 1989 Revolution Museum
- Memorials to the Martyrs

BUCHAREST
- Palace of Parliament
- Piata Revolutiei
- National Library
- former Central Committee building
- Ghencea Cemetery

DANUBE-BLACK SEA CANAL

SIGHETU MARMATIEI
Memorial Sighet
(former Prison of the Ministers)

LITERATURE

Red Horizons (Ion Pacepa)
The Lost Footsteps (Silviu Craciunas)
Looking for George (Helena Drysdale)
Land of Green Plums (Herta Muller)
The Passport (Herta Muller)
Kiss the Hand you cannot Bite
(John Sweeney)
The Life & Evil Times of
Nicolae Ceausescu (Edward Behr)
Once upon Another Time
(Jessica Douglas-Home)
Stealing from a Deep Place (Brian Hall)
In Another Europe (Georgina Harding)
The Long Shadows (Alan Brownjohn)

NEW Theft of a Nation (Tom Gallagher)

Several titles are also available in
the Romanian Language

ROMANIA LIBERA
- FREE ROMANIA

22 December 1989

Anniversary of a Revolution

Romania before the 1989 "Revolution"
Republica Socialista Romania

...

1989 REVOLUTION

ERA OF LIGHT

TOTUL

SIGHET MEMORIAL

MUSEUM 1989

FLIGHTS

TRAVEL SOLUTIONS

It is 15 years since the so-called Revolution which saw
the overthrow of Nicolae Ceausescu,
the end of his "Golden Epoch"
the fall of Communism and
the birth of a free Romania.

For those with an interest in contemporary history
look no further than Romania for an insight into
what was one of the most repressive regimes
of the twentieth century.

To understand modern-day Romania it is necessary to look
back to the long years of Communism, in particular to the
rule of Ceausescu which began in 1966 and finished with the
bloodiest of the Revolutions or uprisings which saw the fall of
the Eastern Bloc during 1989.

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By the mid '80s economy measures such as food and fuel
rationing lead to a life of endless queuing and empty shelves
- an indication of serious mismanagement in a country which is
not only extremely fertile but possesses enormous reserves of
oil and minerals! Buses, trucks and even taxis with
methane gas tanks were a common sight.

Of course the legacy of the recent past can still be seen today
in the remains of crumbling heavy industry, for example, the
notorious carbon black plant at Copsa Mica, closed in 1993,
or the derelict oil refineries at Ploiesti. Indeed, although Romania
still has some of the best unspoilt natural habitats in Europe,
there are areas blighted by serious industrial pollution -
notably the lead smelters at Copsa Mica, the Aluminium plant at
Zlatna near Alba Iulia, and the Gold mining and other heavy
metal mining at Baia Mare, Baia Borsa and Rodna.

Copsa Mica today - colour has returned amidst
the derelict factory buildings

Suburbs of crumbling apartment blocks ring large cities, or blight
smaller towns in places once pinpointed for "systematisation",
sometimes coupled with the widespread destruction of
historic architecture to create a so-calle 'Centru Civica"
in cities such as Piatra Neamt, Iasi, or Craiova.

There are also the monoliths of Communist central planning
such as the Stalinist Free Press building, and Ceausescu's
infamous "Palace of Parliament" and Piata Unirii in Bucharest,
the construction of which saw the senseless bulldozing of the
entire historic Uranus district. Just a glimpse at the
extravagant but entirely kitsch decoration of any of the Dictator's residences emphasises the lack of any culture!

The personality cult of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu
- a communist dynasty!

"Vice president, Comrade, Academician, Doctor, Engineer Elena Ceausescu"
- heiress to the dictatorial throne!

Petrol was strictly rationed as fuel,
like food was exported, to pay off
foreign debt and fund grandiose
projects. Petrol queues were
common in town and countryside
with drivers often waiting well over
a day and night.

Every half kilometre or so there were
roadside signs extolling the virtues of leader,
party or country - not to mention the
slogans emblazoned across factories
and public buildings and the smil
reception, museum or gallery.
Here was the real "Big Brother"
- in Romania it was always "1984"

You couldn't escape this modern day
"Dracula" anywhere
- here rather appropriately on the "Borgo" Pass

Transylvania uncovered
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