Romanian Revolution of 1989
In December 1989, after a week of riots and fights, the communist regime lead by Nicolae Ceausescu was over-thrown. On Christmas Day in 1989 both Nicolae and his wife Elena faced a trial and were executed.
18 years later, Romania is a free country, a democracy, member of the European Union and a place where you can state your opinion, opt to work abroad and use English! yes, you heard it right. during Communism English was considered the language of the “west” and only Russian was supposed to be learned at school.
Thankfully, i was 9 in 1989 and I started learning English few months after the Revolution. I’ve been speaking it ever since. During communist era, my dad has always been a “true hippie” listening to Radio Free Europe (FYI: if you were caught by “Securitate”-secret police that you listed to Free Europe you ended up i jail).
But what had happened in 1989? To be honest, we all know just the “big picture”. The revolution started in Timisoara, then spread to Arad and other cities, finally reaching Bucharest on Dec 21.On that day, after the assembly went “wrong”, Ceausescu was forced to hide in the Central Committee. By 10 AM on Dec 22, martial law was introduced in the entire country. After the Minister of Defense -Vasile Milea -was found dead, Ceausescu appointed Stanculescu in his place. But the presidential couple and some of the “friends” fled Bucharest with a helicopter during Dec 22 heading to the Snagov residence. And from there to Tirgoviste. Something happened and the pilot ditched them near Tirgoviste but the couple sized a car and arrived in Tirgoviste. They entered a building near a local steel plant but an engineer saw them, phoned the police and the couple got arrested.
After a short trial they were sentenced to death - carried out on Dec 25th. There has been a lot of debate whether it was “humane” or “Christian” of the new authorities to kill them on a holy day -although Christianity was sort of “banned” during communism.
Comments aside, we are glad to be able to enjoy our freedom and the possibility to travel and think!
