Spiritual children and parishioners testify about Elder Nikolai In 2001, the Izvestia newspaper published a story about Father Nikolai Guryanov: The reputation of a miracle worker came to him when Igor Stolyarov, who escaped from the Komsomolets nuclear submarine, found the elder. Later

CHAPTER 19 ABOUT EMPEROR NICHOLAS ALEKSANDROVICH AND HIS AUGUST FAMILY ON THE OCCASION OF THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR DEATH EXTRACTS FROM THE REPORT More and more often we hear from emigrants that Russia is now completely different and that even after the coup and the expulsion of the Bolsheviks

Ceausescu was a cunning intriguer - the Politburo, the Kremlin, as you know, ruled not only the Soviet Union, but also considered themselves semi-masters in the countries of socialism. Which country was assigned to you personally? - I was responsible for contacts with Ceausescu, met him, saw him off,

Valentin Kataev About Nikolai Nosov I got acquainted with Nosov's work before I read his books. Reflector heaters lay in the closet with the ceramic

Exactly twenty-five years ago, on December 25, 1989, the President of the Socialist Republic of Romania (SRR) Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena Ceausescu were shot. The man, twenty-four years old, from 1965 to 1989, who ruled one of the largest countries in Eastern Europe, fell victim, as they would now say, to the classic “orange revolution”. Two decades later, the practice of such "democratic revolutions" will become typical for all countries whose policies the US wants to change. At the same time, military coups and rebellions masquerading as “popular uprisings” were only gaining momentum. In the countries of the "third world" it was more convenient to act through classic military conspiracies, however, in such large states as Romania, which were also located in Europe and were in the public eye, a simple military coup might not make the proper impression. Therefore, the tactics of “velvet revolutions” were used here, which subsequently proved their effectiveness in the post-Soviet space. Before proceeding directly to the story of the events of December 25, 1989, it should be briefly recalled what socialist Romania was like.

From kingdom to people's republic

For most of its new and recent Romania remained a distant periphery of Europe. After liberation from vassalage in relation to the Ottoman Empire, independent Romania turned into a country with colossal social polarization, high corruption of power, and arbitrariness of officials. The Hohenzollern dynasty that ruled Romania and the Romanian aristocracy and oligarchy surrounding it took openly anti-national positions and cared exclusively about their own selfish interests, while not forgetting to throw nationalist slogans into the masses and cultivate the myth of “Great Romania”, “glorious Dacians”, simultaneously accusing hostility to all surrounding countries.

After the end of World War I, right-wing ideas began to gain popularity in Romania, which resulted in the formation of a number of nationalist revolutionary organizations. The most famous among them was the Iron Guard. The political situation in Romania in the late 1930s led to the fact that General Ion Antonescu seized the actual power in the country as a result of a military coup. This right-wing Romanian commander proclaimed himself a "conductor", that is, a "leader", "Fuhrer". During the Second World War, Romania took the side of Nazi Germany, which was not surprising, given the ideological kinship of the ruling regimes and the long-standing political and economic ties between the two countries.

However, as Hitler's plans for a quick victory over the Soviet Union collapsed and, moreover, the Wehrmacht began to retreat on the eastern front, dissatisfaction with Antonescu's military-political course grew in the Romanian ruling circles. Moreover, the Romanian armies that fought against the USSR suffered colossal casualties and gradually left the positions they had occupied. On August 23, 1944, King Mihai I, relying on the support of the Romanian Communist Party, carried out a military coup. Marshal Antonescu was arrested. Romania announced its withdrawal from the war, after which the Romanian troops, with the help of the Soviet troops that entered the territory of Romania, were partly defeated and destroyed, and partly captured by the Wehrmacht forces stationed on the territory of the country. Thus began the history of post-war Romania.

Coming out of the war, King Mihai was obviously guided by considerations of maintaining his own power. However, the fall of Romania, after the end of World War II, into the orbit of Soviet influence violated all his plans. After a short reign of two cabinets under the leadership of General Constantin Senatescu (reigned from August 23, 1944 to October 16, 1944) and General Nicolae Rădescu (reigned from December 6, 1944 to March 6, 1945), the pro-Soviet politician Petru Groza headed the government of Romania. Although officially he was not a member of the Communist Party, he sympathized with the Communists and actually brought them to power in the country.

In November 1946, the Communists won the parliamentary elections. Ultimately, the king was forced to abdicate, and on December 30, 1947, the Romanian People's Republic was proclaimed. Its actual leader was the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party, Gheorghe Georgiou-Dej (1901-1965), a veteran of the Romanian communist movement. In 1947, the Romanian Communist Party merged with the Social Democratic Party, resulting in the creation of the Romanian Workers' Party. The communist reorganization of the Romanian state began, which included the establishment of one-party rule, collectivization and industrialization. Since Georgiou-Dej was a staunch Stalinist, he sought to learn from the experience of collectivization and industrialization in the Stalinist USSR, including using rather harsh methods in relation to the opposition.

However, in 1948-1965, when Georgiou-Dej was actually in charge of the country, Romania made a colossal economic leap. The main part of the investments was directed to the development of the Romanian industry, including the chemical and metallurgical industries. At the same time, Georgiou-Dej, after the death of I.V. Stalin and the policy of de-Stalinization that began in the Soviet Union managed to ensure a relatively independent domestic and foreign policy of Romania. So, unlike most other socialist countries of Eastern Europe, Soviet troops were not based on the territory of Romania. Romania freely traded with Western countries, while ideologically adhering to more radical communist (Stalinist) positions than the Soviet Union. Nicolae Ceausescu, who replaced Gheorghiu-Deja as head of the Romanian state and the Communist Party in 1965, also pursued an independent domestic and foreign policy.

Nicolae Ceausescu

Nicolae Ceausescu was born on January 26, 1918 in the village of Scornicesti into a large peasant family. In addition to Nicolae, his father Andruta, a local peasant who worked as a tailor, had nine more children. The family lived in poverty, but she managed to give her son an elementary school education. Then, at the age of 11, Nicolae was sent to Bucharest to live with his older sister. There he began to master shoemaking in the workshop of Alexander Sandulescu. The master was a member of the underground Romanian Communist Party and attracted a young student to political activities. Since 1933, Ceausescu began to participate in the activities of the communist movement - initially as a member of the Communist Youth League. In 1936 he joined the Romanian Communist Party. By this time, the young Ceausescu had several prison terms behind him, during which he met influential figures like the same Gheorghe Georgiou-Deja, who became the patron of the staunch young communist. In 1936-1939. and 1940-1944 Nicolae Ceausescu was imprisoned in the prisons of royal Romania. In the interval between the terms, he met Elena Petrescu (1919-1989) - also a young Communist Party activist, who later became his wife and faithful companion.

After Romania left the war against the USSR, Nicolae Ceausescu escaped from prison, and since the political situation in the country was changing rapidly, he soon became legal and quickly made a career in the leadership of the Communist Party. He headed the Union of Communist Youth, and in 1945, at the age of 27, he was appointed head of the Supreme Political Directorate of the Romanian Armed Forces with the military rank of "brigadier general" (although he had never served in the army before and did not have a higher or even completed secondary education). In 1947-1948. he headed the party regional committees in Dobruja and Oltenia, then, from 1948 to 1950. was Minister of Agriculture of the RNR. It was Ceausescu who stood at the origins of the policy of collectivization of the Romanian village pursued by the government of Georgiou-Deja. Later, in 1950-1954. Ceausescu served as Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces of the RNR, having received the rank of major general. Since 1954, Nicolae became secretary of the Central Committee of the RRP, and since 1955 - a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the RRP, joining the top political elite of post-war Romania. The competence of Ceausescu included, among other things, the leadership at the party level of the activities of the Romanian special services.

On March 19, 1965, Gheorghe Georgiou-Dej died, and on March 22, Nicolae Ceausescu, who was 47 years old at that time, was elected First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Romanian Workers' Party. In July 1965, on his initiative, the party was returned to its former name - the Romanian Communist Party. A month later, in August 1965, the Romanian People's Republic was renamed the Socialist Republic of Romania (SRR). In addition to the party leadership, Ceausescu became the chairman of the State Council - in 1967, and the supreme commander - chairman of the Defense Council in 1969. Thus, all the real power in Romania was concentrated in the hands of Ceausescu. This subsequently gave reason to his critics to accuse Ceausescu of establishing a dictatorial regime and creating a "cult of personality." Of course, both took place, but opponents of the Ceausescu regime constantly forget about the other side of the rule of the Romanian leader - the unprecedented development of the economy, culture, science in a country that has always been on the periphery of the European world. It was precisely the years of Ceausescu's rule that were perhaps the only period in the history of the country when it could be considered a truly developed and independent country.

"Golden Age" of Romania

Romanian independence in foreign policy was a huge achievement for Ceausescu as a politician. Although its foundation began to be laid under his predecessor as head of the party, Gheorghiu-Deja, during the years of Ceausescu's rule, the autonomous foreign policy line of the Romanian leadership reached its apogee. Romania was friends and traded with whomever it wanted, which was due to the adoption back in 1964 of a special document confirming the autonomy of each communist party in choosing the optimal path of political development for their country. Thus, the Romanian leadership avoided the need to make a choice in favor of the Soviet or Chinese course in the world communist movement, maintaining good relations with both the USSR and the PRC.

However, Romania's relations with the Soviet Union were not so cloudless. Although the SRR never openly clashed with the USSR, hidden contradictions existed and were connected, first of all, with the expansionist aspirations of the Romanian leadership. The fact is that nationalism has always been a "sore spot" of the Romanian authorities. Like many other Eastern European countries that have long been under foreign rule, for Romania, issues of national identity and national revival have always been a sore spot. This was emphasized by the royal authorities, and the "Iron Guards", and numerous nationalist parties and groups. Socialist Romania did not escape this problem either. Although no claims were made openly against the Soviet Union (and they could not be made - Ceausescu adequately perceived his place in world and European politics), but, of course, many Romanian politicians looked towards Moldova and Bessarabia with poorly concealed irritation, considering them to be the historical territories of the Romanian states.

On the other hand, the mythology of "Great Romania", combined with the Leninist-Stalinist vision of communist construction, gave impetus to the development of national statehood and the economy - the strengthening of the political system, industrialization, and the "cultivation" of the broad masses of the proletarian and peasant population. The reason for the cool relations with the Soviet Union was Ceausescu's Stalinism. The Romanian Communist Party, although condemning the excesses of Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej's policy after his death and Ceausescu's coming to power, generally followed the Stalinist concept of industrialization.

Realizing the complexity of his position between the capitalist West and the Soviet Union, which insisted on accepting its ideological line, Ceausescu sought to make Romania a self-sufficient state capable of relying on its own forces. To a large extent, he succeeded. And - practically without the use of Soviet assistance. Ceausescu had to apply for loans to Western states, which, although they were on the absolutely opposite "barricade line" ideologically, did not refuse Romania for reasons of opposing it to the Soviet Union. Thanks to the use of Western loans, Ceausescu managed to modernize the Romanian economy, creating his own and highly developed heavy and light industry. During his reign, Romania produced its own cars, tanks, aircraft, and this is not to mention the large volumes of furniture, food, textile, and shoe production. The Romanian army was significantly strengthened, turning into one of the most powerful and well-armed in the region (not counting the Soviet one, of course).

Among the obvious achievements, one can name not only the creation of industrial enterprises of the machine-building, chemical, metallurgical profile, but also the development of the textile and food industries. Finished products prevailed in Romanian exports, which confirmed not the raw materials, but the industrial status of the country. Leisure infrastructure has also developed. So, a network of resorts was built in the Carpathian Mountains, where foreign tourists came - not only from socialist, but also from capitalist countries. As for the indicators of the country's industrial development, in 1974 the volume of industrial production in the country was a hundred times higher than in 1944. The national income increased 15 times.

Thus, the money borrowed from Western countries was spent by Ceausescu for the future - on the development of the national economy, which was guided by socialist principles. At the same time, in the 1980s. The Ceausescu government managed to pay off its debt to Western countries. Meanwhile, in 1985, Gorbachev's "new turn" began in the political and economic life of the Soviet Union, which ideally matched the US plans to weaken and subsequently disorganize and destroy the USSR and the Soviet bloc. In the Soviet Union and other socialist countries of Eastern Europe, the "fifth column" of the West strongly promoted ideas about the unviability of the socialist model in economic terms, about the extraordinary cruelty of the socialist "totalitarian regimes" that suppressed any dissent.

The collapse of the Soviet bloc was being prepared, and in this context, Romania under the leadership of Ceausescu turned out to be a very uncomfortable country. After all, Ceausescu was not going to abandon the socialist course of development - he was, unlike Mikhail Gorbachev, a communist of the "classical formation" - an old revolutionary, for whom the "school of life" was not a career as a Komsomol and party worker, but underground and long years of imprisonment.

The existence of a state similar to Romania, that is, not controlled by either the West or the Soviet Union “rebuilding” in a Western way and in Western interests, and even in the center of Europe, was a serious problem. In fact, it violated the plans of the United States and its allies for the rapid destruction of the socialist ideology in Eastern Europe. Therefore, specialists from Western intelligence agencies began to actively develop a project to overthrow the objectionable Ceausescu and establish control over Romania. Moreover, located near the borders of Russia / the Soviet Union, Romania has always been of strategic interest to the West - first for England and France, then for Nazi Germany, and then for the United States of America.

I must say that even before the start of perestroika in the USSR, Ceausescu was well aware that the Romanian state, having chosen a truly independent path both politically and economically, should be able to stand up for itself both militarily, and in intelligence, and in counterintelligence. Therefore, the Socialist Republic of Romania spent significant forces and resources on strengthening its military potential, as well as on the maintenance and development of state security forces.

Back in August 1948, almost simultaneously with the establishment of the new communist government, the Department of State Security (Departamentul Securităţii Statului) was created in Romania - a special service that became widely known for part of its name - "Securitate". The Securitate included the General Directorate of Technical Operations (radio interception and decryption), the Directorate of Counterintelligence (fighting foreign spies), the Directorate of Prisoners Affairs (management of penitentiary institutions), the Directorate of Internal Security (supervised the Securitate itself), the National Commission for visas and passports (analogous to the Soviet OVIR), the Directorate of State Security Troops (led the 20,000-strong military units that guarded important state facilities), the Directorate of Militia (controlled the police) and the Directorate "V" (responsible for organizing the personal protection of the leadership of Romania) .

Ceausescu had high hopes for the Securitate, trusting the secret service much more than the politically less reliable army. Moreover, in the 1980s, pro-Western sentiments gradually began to penetrate into both the political and military leadership of Romania. Since Romania, seeking to quickly get rid of debt dependence and pay off the loans provided to it by Western countries, existed for some time in a mode of financial savings, many high-ranking functionaries began to show dissatisfaction with the deterioration of their financial situation. There is no doubt that a certain part of the Romanian elite eventually ended up "on the payroll" of the American intelligence services. The latter hatched plans to carry out a “popular uprising” in Romania, which was supposed to overthrow the Ceausescu government. At the same time, in its decision to destroy the socialist regime in Romania, the United States enlisted the tacit support of the Soviet Union, in the late 1980s. already fully following in the wake of American interests. American leaders set the Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev against Ceausescu, at the same time pushing him to "solve the Romanian problem on his own." The Soviet leadership, which had just finished a ten-year war in Afghanistan, did not want to get involved in another armed conflict, therefore, the United States, with the actual support of the USSR, decided to “bring down” Ceausescu by inciting the so-called. "people's revolution" - supposedly the Romanian people themselves, dissatisfied with the dictatorial regime, will stand on the barricades and overthrow the Ceausescu government. This required intensifying the information war against the internal political course of Ceausescu and the Romanian Communist Party.

"Orange Revolution" sample 1989

Critical materials began to appear in the Soviet press regarding Ceausescu, who was called nothing more than a Stalinist and a violator of Leninist principles in the construction of communism. Ceausescu, who in November 1989 was re-elected General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party, sharply criticized the policy of "Perestroika" pursued by the Soviet leadership and prophetically asserted that it would lead socialism to collapse. The West, through the mouths of the Romanian oppositionists who fled to the United States, in turn, wound up the Romanian society with massive propaganda. Ceausescu was declared the main culprit of the deteriorating economic situation in the country. The West put pressure on Ceausescu and through Mikhail Gorbachev. The last meeting of the Romanian leader with the Soviet General Secretary took place on December 6, 1989. At it, Mikhail Gorbachev once again began to convince Nicolae Ceausescu of the need for political and economic reforms in Romania. To which the President of the SRR gave his famous answer: “It is more likely that the Danube will flow back than there will be a restructuring in Romania.” Mikhail Sergeevich, seriously offended, threatened with consequences. Less than three weeks had passed since his words proved to be fatally correct.

The "Orange Revolution" in Romania was carried out according to the classical scenario, which we can observe today in the Arab countries, Georgia, and recently in Ukraine. First, an “opposition” was created, headed by officials recruited by the West and party functionaries of the same Ceausescu regime. This is the first refutation of the supposedly "popular" nature of the Romanian revolution. There were no revolutionary movements created by the "people", there were no "people's leaders" - saving time and money, Western agents simply recruited a number of former and current politicians of the SRR, including party functionaries and representatives of the army command.

Ion Iliescu (b. 1930), as it turned out later, played the primary role in the "opposition". At that time, the fifty-nine-year-old Iliescu had been a Komsomol and party functionary all his adult life. He joined the Union of Communist Youth in 1944, the party - in 1953, and in 1968 became a member of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party. Back in the mid 1970s. Ceausescu, apparently having some information, pushed Iliescu out of significant posts in the party hierarchy and transferred him to the post of chairman of the National Water Council. In 1984, Iliescu was also removed from this post and expelled from the Central Committee of the RCP. At the same time, the "terrible dictator" Ceausescu did not deal with him and did not even put him in jail. As it turned out - in vain: Ion Iliescu was not so supportive of Ceausescu himself.

To provoke a "people's revolution" throughout the country, Western agents used the national minority as a skirmisher. On December 16, 1989, in Timisoara, a key city in the region dominated by ethnic Hungarians, a rally was held in support of the Hungarian opposition leader Laszlo Tekes, who was being evicted by order of the authorities. The rally turned into riots, and economic and social slogans were deliberately raised. Soon the unrest spread throughout the country and in Bucharest, on the Opera Square, a "maidan" appeared. On December 17, 1989, military units and employees of the "Securitate" opened fire on the protesters. The world's leading TV channels showed footage from Romania, trying to show the world community the "bloodthirstiness of the dictator Ceausescu."

On December 18, Ceausescu went on a visit to Iran, but on December 20 he was forced to interrupt the visit and return to Romania. Here he held an urgent meeting on issues of state security and the state of emergency in the country. On December 21, a state of emergency was declared in the Hungarian-populated Timis County. Ceausescu himself came out with a speech to the people - about a hundred thousand people gathered in his support for a rally. However, all of a sudden the provocateurs in the crowd started shouting “Down” and blew up the firecracker. As a result, the rally was disorganized, and Ceausescu left the podium. Mass riots began on the streets of Bucharest, army units were introduced. Skirmishes began between the rebels, military units, employees of the Securitate, and criminal groups. On December 22, the country's defense minister, General Vasile Milya, was found murdered - allegedly he shot himself, not wanting to give the troops an order to suppress popular uprisings. On the same day, at 12.06, Ceausescu, along with his wife Elena and several guards and associates, fled in a helicopter that rose from the roof of the residence of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party, which by this time was besieged by crowds of demonstrators. The opposition seized the Bucharest television center and announced the overthrow of the Secretary General.

Pseudo-trial and murder

The Ceausescus went first to their dacha, from where they expected to leave for the reserve command post, which General Stanculescu was supposed to provide. However, the latter, as it turned out, was also among the rebels (that is, the "oppositionists"). Then Ceausescu tried to break through to Pitesti, who remained faithful to the Secretary General, but in the process of moving he was captured by the rebels. For two days, the Ceausescu spouses were in Targovishte on the territory of a military unit, and for some time the elderly (and they were 71 and 70 years old) were kept inside an armored personnel carrier.

On December 25, what the opposition and their American patrons called a trial took place - of course, without any preliminary investigation. Major General Djiku Popa, Deputy Chairman of the Military Tribunal for Bucharest, was appointed public prosecutor. The Ceausescus were accused under the following articles of the Romanian Criminal Code: the destruction of the national economy, armed uprising against the people and the state, the destruction of state institutions, genocide. The Ceausescus refused to admit they were mentally ill, were found guilty on all counts and sentenced to capital punishment - the death penalty by firing squad. According to the decision of the tribunal, ten days were to be allocated to appeal the death sentence. But the oppositionists were so afraid of Ceausescu that they decided to kill him and his wife immediately, fearing that they could be repulsed by armed supporters or members of the Securitate.

- General Victor Stanculescu

To kill the Ceausescus, General Stanculescu, the former Minister of Defense of the rebels, provided an officer and three soldiers. At 16.00, Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu were taken to the courtyard of the barracks of the military unit and shot. Their bodies lay for a day at the football stadium, and then were buried at the Gencha cemetery in Bucharest - under false names (the executioners hoped that by doing so they would prevent the "worship" of the graves by supporters of the communist ideology and the Ceausescu regime). Only later were the bodies exhumed, reburied, and a modest monument was erected on the grave.

In fact, the execution of the Ceausescus was an ordinary political assassination, disguised as a court verdict. The politician, who turned out to be objectionable to both the United States and Gorbachev's USSR, was accused of human rights violations and political repression, but he, in fact, became the victim of a political assassination. The world community of the "liberal" orientation rather approved the murder of Ceausescu. The shooting was filmed and shown on Romanian television. Pro-American Soviet leaders were among the first to respond positively to the murder of the Ceausescus. The then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, Eduard Shevardnadze, soon arrived in Romania to congratulate the new leadership of the country. By the way, it consisted of former party functionaries who were removed from power during the years of Ceausescu's rule and reoriented towards cooperation with the West.

Already in the second half of the 2000s, many sinister details about the events of December 20-25, 1989 came to light. In particular, it was established that the order to shoot at the crowd was given not to Nicolae Ceausescu (as the world media stated), but to General Victor Stanculescu (by the way, this person, who was directly responsible for the murder of Ceausescu, did not stay as Minister of Defense for long and received shoulder straps of the army general, was dismissed, and in 2008 he was arrested and convicted on charges of leading the massacre of people in Timisoara). And as a result of shootings on the streets of Bucharest and other Romanian cities, not 64 thousand people died (as the world media also stated), but less than a thousand. There is information about participation in provocations during rallies in the Romanian capital of employees of the Soviet special services. This is not surprising, since Mikhail Gorbachev himself supported the overthrow of Ceausescu and received carte blanche from the American leadership in this regard: Washington even allowed the Soviet Union to remove the Ceausescu regime by force of arms if desired. True, it didn't come to that.

Years later, hysteria about the attitude towards the personality of Ceausescu subsided in Romanian society. The materials of sociological surveys of Romanian citizens show that modern Romanians, for the most part, have a positive attitude towards the figure of Nicolae Ceausescu and, at least, claim that he should not have been executed. Thus, 49% of respondents believe that Nicolae Ceausescu was a positive leader of the state, more than 50% express regret about his death, 84% believe that without investigation and trial, the execution of the Ceausescu couple was illegal.

“Romania today is a sales market for foreign goods, in fact, an economic colony of international capital. In the past twenty years, national industry has been liquidated, and strategic industries have been sold to foreigners. Wages have been cut, unemployment is rising, drugs and prostitution have appeared. Although every year in December the incantations of politicians about “freedom” and “democracy” are heard, people understand that this is a shameless lie of the most corrupt, incompetent and arrogant political class in the history of Romanians. Therefore, today Romanians believe that December 1989 turned out to be a misfire, an unsuccessful start, ”says historian Florin Constantinio (quoted from: Morozov N. The December events of 1989 in Romania: revolution or putsch? // Emergency reserve. 2009, No. 6 ( 68)). Today, flowers are being brought to the grave where Nicolae Ceausescu and Elena Ceausescu (Petrescu) were reburied after exhumation in 2010. Realizing what the pro-American "people's revolution" brought them, many Romanians regret the assassination of Ceausescu and, in general, the collapse of socialism.

By right, one of the most controversial political figures of the 20th century was Nicolae Ceausescu. It is undeniable that he truly led his country, Romania, to a "golden age", as well as the fact that he ruled under the yoke of tyranny for twenty-four years. A huge number of oppressed people built a road to the scaffold for Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena. It would seem that the people should have rejoiced, and they did, but only for a short time. After the death of the dictator who ruled the country with an iron fist, anarchy set in. The new authorities were completely indifferent to the common people, corruption and theft began to flourish even in the highest positions. But the ruler was already dead and buried long ago. This article will briefly describe the biography of Nicolae Ceausescu and his gradual road to execution.

Childhood of a tyrant

Since he was a rather odious person, when asking a question on the street about which country Nicolae Ceausescu was the president of, it is easy enough to hear the answer - Romania. However, in order to understand exactly how he gained power and the reasons for many of his decisions, it is necessary to find out where he started. Ceausescu spent his childhood in a small village called Scornicesti, where he was born on January 26, 1918 in the family of a poor peasant who, in addition to Nicolau, had ten more children. Although they lived incredibly poorly, the father still managed to give his children a primary education, but it was not enough for more. The biography of Nicholas Ceausescu begins here, where during his childhood he was subjected to the oppression of the landowners, and at the age of 15 he became an apprentice in Bucharest, that is, he began to lead an adult life by all standards. Now this seems somewhat unrealistic, since he was barely a teenager, but, as we know from official sources, it was at this age that he became a communist and a member of the Komsomol, and also began to actively campaign for workers' rights.

Political situation in the country

In the early years of Nicolae Ceausescu's life, Romania was on the brink of disaster. The country's small size and weak economy stood out against the backdrop of the three powerful empires that surrounded it - the Russian (which at that time was gradually becoming the Soviet Union), the Austro-Hungarian and the Ottoman. However, at that time they were already losing their influence and gradually disintegrating, but all the same, Romania from the very beginning of its formation had to pursue a very cautious policy so as not to be crushed.

All this led to the fact that almost 80% of the country's inhabitants lived in small villages and were completely illiterate. They adhered mainly to the traditions and dogmas of religion, which over time were not even modernized, as in other countries. In the 30s, when Nicolai Ceausescu began to act, there were only about a dozen parties in the country, almost all of which adhered to nationalism, and some even fascism. It was then that the phrase "make Romania clean of all other nationalities" appeared - it was this pro-fascist propaganda that led to the execution of Nicolae Ceausescu, because throughout his career, though not so clearly, he still defended this dogma.

Ascension to the throne

Perhaps the tyrannical tendencies of Nicolae Ceausescu were influenced by the fact that his youth was spent in Romania, which was under the command of royalty. Let the dynasty be short-lived - it lasted less than a hundred years, but still it existed. The last ruler of the dynasty, Mihai, first came to the throne at the age of 6, although soon his father returned from his next escapade and again took the throne, supported by Marshal Ion Antonescu. However, gradually his popularity among the people fell, and after a series of defeats in the war, the end of his dictatorship came. Soon the monarchy itself was overthrown.

It was against the background of the unrest that took place at that time that Ceausescu's political career began. At first he was an ardent rebel, a revolutionary, and several times he was even arrested and imprisoned in the country's darkest prison - Doftan. However, it was here that he had a fateful meeting with veterans of Romanian communism and with the country's first communist. Becoming his close, practically confidant, he gradually made his way to power. The photo of Nicolae Ceausescu does not convey what he had to endure later in order to become president.

Vivat, communism!

In the Russian film "Soldiers of Liberty" Nicolae Ceausescu was portrayed as the leader of the Communist Party of Romania, but in reality this is not true. He really held responsible posts and belonged to the top of the party, but he achieved this with hard work. In addition, after Stalin's death, relations between the Soviet Union and Romania became more strained. Khrushchev, trying to reject the cult of the former leader, also tried to remove the leaders of other socialist countries, which did not suit Romania sharply, and therefore they began to move away from Moscow. In the 50s, a new doctrine began to gradually form - the Romanian path to socialism, which the party members were going to adhere to - a new course of the party movement began.

When in 1965 the ruler of the country, Georgiou-Dej, gradually began to lose ground due to his state of health, his successor was chosen. And it was Nicolas Ceausescu who was already 47 years old. He was a kind of compromise figure, since he was responsible for the army and state security, and in addition, he enjoyed the support of Prime Minister Maurer.

Great Conductor

Nicolai Ceausescu became almost simultaneously with Leonid Brezhnev, who was in some way considered his colleague in socialism. The first years of his policy were incredibly cautious, because he understood that he was a kind of "interim leader", a compromise between groups. But the fact that he fully realized his opportunity and ruled for 24 years speaks in his favor. Although the reign led to the execution of Nicholas and Elena Ceausescu, but before that he was able to fully change the existing situation in the country.

Politics of Ceausescu

The decision to pursue a fairly liberal policy in the first years of power was the main advantage of the future dictator. It was because of this that he was able to gain a large number of supporters among the country's intelligentsia, since the policy pursued was markedly different from the brutal regime of his predecessor. Books, newspapers, and magazines began to be actively published in the country. Radio programs could be transmitted more freely, and creative thoughts were also expressed. However, this does not mean at all that he decided to fight illiteracy - he completely left this issue to nationalism and the independence of the country.

As Ceausescu himself said in political speeches, he sought to create an independent and great state that would be completely independent of other socialist countries. Of course, Moscow did not like this at all, and therefore the crack between the Soviet Union and Romania grew larger. However, this helped them to stabilize friendly relations with China, which was guided by the ideas of Maoism.

Gradually strengthening his power, Ceausescu put his supporters in active roles. They took the positions of secretaries of the Central Committee - including at first Ion Iliescu, who at first was an ardent supporter of Ceausescu himself, joined them. So by the next meeting of the congress in 1969, almost the entire Politburo consisted precisely of people loyal to the conductor.

However, Nikolai Ceausescu understood that even the most loyal people could betray over time, and therefore he carefully monitored the mood within the party and, if necessary, changed people in posts.

But the last step towards gaining power was the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the troops of the socialist countries. Ceausescu sharply condemned them, which attracted the attention of the famous American journalist Edward Baer, ​​who was in the country at that time. It is no secret that relations between the USSR and the USA after the Second World War were not just tense, but went down in history under the name of the Cold War, therefore the moods that prevailed at that time, which had a negative attitude towards the USSR, were only welcomed by the Americans. In his article, Baer bluntly wrote that a very popular leader had appeared among the people of Romania.

Formation of a cult of personality

As the power of Ceausescu strengthened, his character began to change. In the photo, Nicolai Ceausescu looks like a true ruler, a kind of "father" of the people. Gradually, he began to add more and more new titles to his title of General Secretary, and the indifference of the people of the country further aggravated the "cult of the leader" that had begun to manifest itself. "People like me appear once every 500 years" - this is exactly what the dictator said to the whole country in his interview. Propaganda was gaining momentum.

When in 1978 Ceausescu had an anniversary - 60 years, the whole country was preparing for this "glorious" event. It seemed that according to the then officially existing literature, the leader of the country simply did not make any mistakes, and his policy was the most ideal option. At this time, the book "Omajiu" (or "Dedication", in translation) appeared, which was intended to slavishly glorify the actions of the leader. Television and journalism were entirely aimed precisely at improving his image in the eyes of the public.

The reality of the situation

The absence of unrest among the people of Romania by this time of Ceausescu's reign can be explained by a number of factors - at that time the people were already quite submissive, because in some way they were used to being under the centuries-old yoke of the Turks. In addition, the personality of an ordinary person had practically no meaning either in a legal or in an economic sense. Romania demanded a Strong Father at the head of power, and Ceausescu met this requirement. In addition, nationalist propaganda was constantly carried out throughout the country.

However, the situation in the country for ordinary people was getting worse. Baer, ​​who previously wrote positively about the leader, simply did not understand why Ceausescu takes seriously everything that is written about him, since he was surrounded only by a crowd of flatterers. Indeed, the behavior of Nicholas and Elena Ceausescu, especially in the last years of their power, was rather strange. They seemed to be rushing about in some way, trying to show people that they were worthy of worship.

Now there is an opinion that in reality the leader performed his actions, sometimes even suicidal, only because his inner circle weighed heavily the information that came to him. Ceausescu himself, who was preoccupied with other things, simply could not keep track of everything alone. In addition, such a disastrous financial situation of the country, which led to the austerity regime, can be explained by the fact that he tried to pay all the country's external debts as soon as possible, which he nevertheless succeeded.

Another interesting fact is that the number of victims of the regime, indicated at the trial, which sentenced Nicolae Ceausescu to death, was noticeably exaggerated. In fact, it is not even exaggerated, but simply false - the figure of 60 thousand people was indicated in the case, although in reality, this truth surfaced only after the death of the leader, only 1300 people died. This difference is simply enormous.

Becoming President

The most significant year for the conductor was 1974. It was then that all the power was concentrated in his hands, and therefore it was decided to elect Nicolae Ceausescu. After that, at the next congress, it was decided to build developed socialism, and then a direct transition to communism. The party itself gradually became an important link in the most totalitarian system of government, so it is often associated with the Ceausescu regime. Opponents of his regime at that time simply did not exist. Despite the fact that he had many trusted people, he fully trusted only his relatives and family, through whom he controlled the main state bodies: the army, the State Planning Committee, trade unions and much more. In fact, a whole clan ruled the country, so nepotism dominated.

Family life

At the beginning of his career, Nicolae Ceausescu met his future wife, Elena. It was she who later became his chief adviser, and it is often believed that he was completely influenced by her strong personality. He called her respectfully - "the mother of the nation", and the cult of personality surrounding her was almost stronger than that of her husband. Baer in his notes said that she was quite similar in character to Jing Qing, the wife of Mao Zedong.

Both women really knew each other since 1971 and they were distinguished by similar features: lack of education, denial of the intelligentsia, cruelty, straightforwardness, primitivism of ideas. But the most important thing was that they really were irreplaceable companions of their spouses. Ascended to the heights of power, they wanted even more. only in 1972 did she begin to become a major politician. Of course, her rapid rise was primarily due to her husband.

In addition, the official literature exalted the cult of some ideal leader's family. This was indeed not true, as the problems in the family were numerous. The eldest son, Valentin, completely cut off ties with the family, daughter Zoe generally led a dissolute life, and only son Niku had excellent relations with both parents. It was he who was considered the heir to the family, although he was more inclined not to public service, but to entertainment. All this led to the fact that the people did not like the Ceausescu clan, which contrasted sharply with the opinion of the media. All this weighed heavily on the reputation of the leader.

But perhaps the biggest blow to his international reputation was received by Nicolae Ceausescu in London in 1978. During his visit to the UK, he inflicted a grave insult on the royal family during an important reception. In front of everyone, he demanded from his servant to taste the cooked food, expressing this distrust. In addition, there is an opinion that he came to the palace with his own sheets. It was a complete fiasco in the international arena.

Golden Age of Romania

The very idea of ​​Romanian socialism was built solely on the personality of Ceausescu. He did not rework the idea of ​​Marxism-Leninism, but simply adjusted it to suit himself and the country. He was distinguished by a clear scientific approach, which can be seen in speeches at meetings, but which, unfortunately, was quite far removed from the people. Strict control over the people, dictate in domestic politics and the dominance of the Securitate, the control body - all this is associated with the rule of Ceausescu in the 80s. Although it should really be recognized that, despite the 25-year rule, the regime of this dictator was never bloody, like that of Hitler or Stalin. Ceausescu preferred a kind of psychological terror, which was often much more effective. It is also impossible to deny the fact that he considered himself the true and sole ruler of his country, and also had the opportunity to subsequently build a certain dynasty. The palace of Nicolae Ceausescu, which was built in 1985, spoke about such encroachments. Now it is the building of the Parliament and is considered the largest administrative building in Europe. Let it not have a long history, but it has greatness and size.

Apogee of reign

Like any tyrannical regime, Ceausescu's dictatorship also had to fall sooner or later. It began in 1989 at the next meeting of the Communist Party - it was this 14th congress that became the last one. In many ways, the situation was influenced by the international picture. Only recently the Berlin Wall was torn down, and the Soviet Union was flowing towards its own destruction. Ceausescu did not react to the reforms that appeared in the world, but, on the contrary, said that the socialist countries were returning back to capitalism, and therefore more emphasis should be placed on building communism.

The people closest to power - the chief of the Securitate Julian Vlad, the ministers of defense and internal affairs, in whose hands most of the power was concentrated, also chose to do nothing, which was rather strange and it was subsequently assumed that they also made plans to overthrow the government Ceausescu.

However, what led to the great discontent of the people was precisely the economic lie. Trying to quickly update the economy, Ceausescu took Western loans on a large scale, although he later repaid them, but because of this there was no money in the country, and therefore the situation practically threatened with famine. Store shelves were simply empty. It is not known for certain whether the dictator was really aware of the situation in the country, but, according to Western politicians and people who met him in the last years of his reign, he was already a broken man and lived in a kind of dream world. There are rumors that he, during his flight during the revolution, was in shock from the situation and constantly muttered: "I gave them everything, I gave them everything."

Execution of a tyrant

There is a photo from the execution of Nicolae Ceausescu. There he, along with his wife, ducked at the moment when they began to be shot. So what led to the execution of the leader? In many ways, it must be admitted, he himself provoked the people. Gathering a rally on Palace Square, he did not expect that he would have to run away from the bloodthirsty people. However, for the court itself, which passed the verdict, the events in the small town of Timisoara were a weighty reason. It was the unrest that took place in it that led to the fact that the ruling elite began to divide. And after Timisoara, the leader immediately went to Iran. He returned back to a country that did not support him. Forced to flee, he was detained on 22 December.

A few days later, a trial was held that in modern times would have been a complete farce. The Ceausescu couple were accused even of such unrealistic things that there was no evidence of them and could not be. In fact, it was just speculation. Ceausescu denied all accusations against him. However, this simulated court pronounced a sentence of execution, which was immediately carried out. The video of the execution itself was subsequently shown on television.

Conclusion

The grave of Nicolae Ceausescu, like that of his wife, is located on the outskirts of Bucharest. No mausoleum or other structure was erected here - it is very modest. Ordinary villagers often leave small bouquets of flowers or candles to honor the leader. The revolution in Romania was a real disaster, and even now many people remember that although Ceausescu was a dictator, it was much easier to live under him than in subsequent years.

Also interesting is the question of whether the murderers of Nicolae Ceausescu were brought to justice. The answer to this is rather ambiguous, since there was no trial. However, the people did not leave this. The participants in the dictator's trial itself are constantly receiving threatening letters, and the people who directly detained him are called murderers. According to the words of Colonel Ion Mares, who was directly involved in the events, they even refuse to serve him in stores. In general, this court is seen by the people only as shameful.

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December 1989 was remembered by Soviet television viewers for the fact that the main topic of the news releases was the events in Romania. Like Ukraine today, Romania has become incredibly close to the citizens of the USSR. Everyone watched the process of overthrowing the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Today, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the execution of the Ceausescu couple, we decided to remember how it was

Nicolae Ceausescu was quite a typical dictator. At 47, he was elected first secretary of the Central Committee. Having come to power, as expected, he quickly dealt with his political competitors. Like any self-respecting dictator, he established a cult of personality. In the press he was called "The Genius of the Carpathians" and "The Source of Our Light". And also: "Full-flowing Danube of Reason", "Creator of the Age of Unseen Renewal", "Heavenly Body", "Demiurge", "Genius", "Secular God", "Miracle", "Morning Star", "Navigator", "Beautiful Prince ”, “Saint”, “Savior”, “Sun”, “Titan” and “Seer”. His wife Elena was declared "a luminary of science" and "Mother of the nation".

Ceausescu was short. When meeting with foreign statesmen, TV operators had to film in such a way that the difference in their height was not visible. The program could go on the air only after the editors removed all the involuntary pauses, hitches and stutters of Nicolae Ceausescu. They never showed his wife in profile - she had a large nose.

Our hero attached great importance to scientific research designed to show the greatness of his people. A theory was actively developed that proved that the Romanians were the direct heirs of the ancient Romans. Like all dictators, he sought to instill "morality". Prohibited abortion. Banned the sale of contraceptives to women who had less than 5 children. Virtually banned divorce.

Ceausescu did not deny himself anything - he had 21 palaces. He had about 3,600 hunting trophies and 100 cars in his personal collection. There was also a favorite dog - the Labrador breed. On trips, the dog was always accompanied by a dedicated limousine with an escort. The dog was even promoted to colonel.

The economy in oil-producing Romania has faced serious problems after the fall in oil prices. To pay off debts, Ceausescu introduced the sale of products on cards. He limited the consumption of electricity throughout the country (in the homes of Romanian citizens, no more than one 15-watt lamp per room was supposed to be). There was a sharp depreciation of the national currency.

As is usually the case, mass protests and strikes began in the country. The turning point was the events in the third largest city in Romania - Timisoara. The cause for unrest in Timisoara was the dismissal and eviction of pastor Laszlo Tekes, who opposed the arbitrariness of the communists. Ceausescu said on television that the unrest in Timisoara was organized by the spy services of foreign states.

Of course, the Minister of Defense was instructed to suppress the speech. But he replied: "I looked in all the military regulations and nowhere did I find a paragraph that said that the people's army should shoot at the people." After that, according to the official version, the Minister of Defense committed suicide. A new minister of defense was appointed, and troops were brought into the cities engulfed in unrest, first using water cannons, and then starting to shoot to kill.

To bring the situation under control, at the suggestion of the mayor of Bucharest, a large-scale rally was organized near the building of the Central Committee, designed to demonstrate popular support for the regime and publicly condemn the events in Timisoara. According to the testimonies of the participants, most of the people in the square stood silently.

Ceausescu began his speech, but managed to utter only a few phrases before his voice was drowned in the hum and screams coming from the crowd. There were cries of "Down with!" and "Rat!". The assembled people began to chant in unison: "Ti-mi-sho-a-ra!" Explosions of firecrackers were heard, people began to hastily leave the square, throwing flags, banners and portraits of the Secretary General. Ceausescu promised those who remained to increase pensions and salaries by 100 lei, after which he returned to the building of the Central Committee.

Clashes with the police began. The soldiers brought into the city began to defect to the protesters. To distinguish themselves from the government troops, they tore the cockades from their hats. The symbol of the revolution was the Romanian banner without the communist coat of arms.

The dissident Dumitru Mazilu, who was under house arrest, put forward 10 programmatic theses for the Romanian revolution. In the first place was the overthrow of the party dictatorship. Fights began with government units.

More than a thousand people died in the clashes. The next day, Ceausescu, along with his wife and several associates, fled from Bucharest in a helicopter that landed on the roof of the Central Committee building. But they failed to escape from the country, because fighter interceptors were raised into the air. Ceausescu was arrested.

And the state security officers continued to fight for another two days.

There are many versions of who pushed this revolution. They also call Gorbachev. During the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the liberation of Romania from fascism, Ceausescu said: "Rather the Danube will flow back than there will be a restructuring in Romania." In response, Gorbachev threatened "consequences." Not without the "Western" version.

Nicolae Ceausescu (1918-1989) - a prominent state and political figure in Romania. General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party since 1965, President of the Socialist Republic of Romania since 1974, Chairman of the State Council of the Socialist Republic of Romania since 1967. But such high posts did not save the leader of the Romanian people. On December 25, 1989, Nicolae Ceausescu was executed. Together with him, his wife Elena Ceausescu (1919-1989) was also shot. But why did the couple suffer such a severe punishment? To answer this question, you must first familiarize yourself with the biography of the Romanian leader and follow his fateful path to a fatal end.

Brief biography of Nicolae Ceausescu

The future outstanding personality was born on January 26, 1918 in the south of Romania in the village of Scornicesti in a peasant family. Nicolae was the third of ten children. He received his primary education, having completed 5 classes in a rural school. As a teenager, he left for Budapest, where he got a job as an apprentice to the shoemaker Alexander Sandulescu. He was a member of the Romanian Communist Party, which was in an illegal position. And it so happened that Ceausescu at a very young age fell into the thick of the revolutionary struggle.

The young man began to actively engage in communist propaganda and in 1933 was first arrested by the police. Then he was arrested many times and even put in prison for 2 years. But the arbitrariness of the authorities did not break Nicolae. He continued his propaganda activities, and in places of detention he met authoritative Romanian communists. It was thanks to these connections that he subsequently took the highest government posts.

In 1936, a young man who had reached the age of 18 became a member of the Communist Party. At this time, he was already well known to both the Romanian communists and the secret police. In the same year, Nicolae was imprisoned for 3.5 years for communist and anti-fascist agitation. The young communist was released from prison in 1939 and soon met an equally young communist, Elena Petrescu. Their love affair began from this meeting, and they formalized their marriage in 1946.

In 1940, Ceausescu was arrested again. He spent almost the entire war in various camps and prisons, which further strengthened his authority among party members. At the end of August 1944, the dictatorial regime of Ion Antonescu fell. People who were oriented towards an alliance with the USSR came to power. The Communist Party of Romania emerged from the underground, and from that moment began the rapid career of the young communist Nicolae Ceausescu.

The most authoritative Romanian communist Georgiou-Dej took custody of him. From 1948 to 1965, he led the state and needed young, energetic people devoted to the communist idea. In 1948, Nicolae took the post of Minister of Agriculture, then the post of Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces. In 1955, Ceausescu was introduced to the Politburo, where he began to oversee party cadres and the work of special services. He received the rank of lieutenant general, although he did not serve in the army for a single day.

Georgiou-Dej died on March 19, 1965 from cancer. Immediately after the death of the leader, a struggle for power began between the closest associates. They were serious and authoritative people, and the rise to power of one of them meant the fall of others. Therefore, they decided to elect a compromise figure as the General Secretary of the party. She turned out to be 47-year-old Nicolae Ceausescu. He was unanimously elected to the highest party post.

But as often happens, the figure that suits everyone quickly took all the real power into their hands. In 1967, the party leader took the post of Chairman of the State Council of the Socialist Republic of Romania and concentrated party and state power in his hands.

The last step towards dictatorship was the constitutional changes made on March 28, 1974. According to them, all executive power from the State Council, which was a collegial body, passed to the president. The State Council was assigned only subordinate functions under the head of state. The President was to be elected by the Grand National Assembly (Parliament) for a term of 5 years. Nicolae Ceausescu was first elected president on March 29, 1974 and subsequently re-elected as the only candidate, that is, in fact, he became the head of Romania for life.

Nicolae Ceausescu - President of Romania

This is how a person with a 5th grade education turned out to be the sole ruler of an entire state. He began to lead in accordance with his education and worldview. He placed his closest relatives in key positions, and his wife became her husband's chief adviser in all internal and external political issues. A kind of family contract was formed, concentrating in their hands all the power in the country.

It must be said that Nicolae Ceausescu had several fateful political decisions. In 1968, he spoke out as a supporter of the Prague Spring and condemned the entry of Soviet troops into Czechoslovakia. In 1973, he established diplomatic relations with Augusto Pinochet, under whose leadership a military coup was carried out in Chile. In 1979, he condemned the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan. In addition, he forbade the stationing of Soviet troops on Romanian territory.

The Romanian dictator also repeatedly declared the historical rights of his country to Moldova, the Odessa and Chernivtsi regions of the Ukrainian SSR, which were part of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. These lands were occupied by Soviet troops in 1940. Ceausescu actively developed relations with Western Europe, trying to present himself as a communist reformer. In 1984, Romania refused to boycott the Los Angeles Summer Olympics. And when Gorbachev came to power in the USSR, Ceausescu sharply criticized his perestroika.

In domestic politics, the 1970s were marked by economic growth. This was largely facilitated by loans taken from Western countries. The public debt has reached 22 billion dollars. Romania had to pay it off by the mid-90s. But Ceausescu decided to start paying it in 1980. After that, the most severe measures were taken across the country. Products began to be issued on cards, the consumption of email was sharply limited. energy, banned the use of vacuum cleaners, and in winter refrigerators. The economy was switched to export to the detriment of domestic consumption.

The country has fallen into a austerity regime. This gave a result. In April 1989, Romania paid off its foreign debt by completely impoverishing the people. But the economy could not withstand such a load and was on the verge of collapse. Nicolae said that he would no longer take any loans, which disappointed Western partners, and relations with them cooled.

The Romanian leader was no longer invited to the EEC countries, and at the same time there was a final break with the USSR. Romania has lost its favorable external markets. The only allies left were Albania, North Korea, Cuba, China, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Libya, and Iraq. But these were not the countries with which friendship would ensure the prosperity of the Romanian people. In the impoverished country, the peak of tension has reached its limit.

Execution of Nicolae Ceausescu

Quite often, the tremendous state foundations of a revolution begin with insignificant events, to which no one attaches serious significance at first. Romania is no exception in this regard. In it, on the western tip of the country, there is the city of Timisoara with a population of more than 300 thousand people. Pastor Laszlo Tekesha, a Hungarian by nationality, lived in it.

And this pastor was accused of anti-state activities and evicted from his own house. Such arbitrariness outraged the Hungarian parishioners, and on December 16, 1989, protests began in the city. They turned into rallies with anti-government slogans. Local law enforcement agencies tried to counteract the protesters, but this resulted in nationwide indignation with pogroms and robberies. Thus, everything began trivially, and the culmination was the execution of Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife.

In the early morning of December 17, troops under the command of General Victor Stanculescu entered the city. But this did not stop the rebels, and then fire was opened on them. As a result, according to unverified data, about 40 people died. Their corpses were allegedly sent to Bucharest and cremated there. There was a rumor among the people that Nicolae Ceausescu personally ordered to shoot at people. The Romanian leader himself flew to Iran on December 18 for talks on economic cooperation. But already on December 20, he returned back, as unrest began in other Romanian cities.

At noon on December 21, a mass rally was organized near the building of the Central Committee of the party in power, which was supposed to demonstrate support for the existing regime and condemn the unrest in Timisoara. But as soon as Ceausescu went out onto the balcony and began to speak, there were shouts and insults against the dictator. Someone threw firecrackers and they exploded. The President had no choice but to leave the balcony. After that, unrest broke out in Bucharest.

The next day, the corpse of Minister of War Vasile Mil was discovered. A rumor immediately spread that he was killed on the orders of Nicolae Ceausescu, as the minister refused to give the order to shoot at the protesters. After that, the army went over to the side of the rebels. The television center in Bucharest was occupied and the fall of the dictatorial regime was announced.

Nicolae Ceausescu with his wife Elena

On the same day, December 22, at noon, the dictator, along with his wife, two party comrades and two guards, boarded a helicopter that was on the roof of the Central Committee building. The car took off, but no one knew where to run from Bucharest. We flew to the presidential residence in Snagov, but it was not safe there. Companions remained, and the dictator with his wife and guards again took to the air. The pilot disembarked the passengers in a field near the town of Targovishte and hastily took off.

Having stopped a passing car, the dictatorial couple with the guards reached the city. But the inhabitants were extremely hostile and, recognizing Ceausescu, began to throw stones at him. The guards fled, leaving Nicolae and Elena alone. Soon the couple was arrested by the military. They took the detainees to the military police station and placed them in a cell. There, the debunked President of Romania and his wife spent 2 days.

On the morning of December 25, Nicolae and Elena were put into an armored personnel carrier and taken to the headquarters of the military district in Targovishte. There they were taken to a classroom and announced that a military tribunal would now take place in this room. It was created by order of the new Minister of War, Victor Stanculescu. By the way, he was considered a friend of the president, but, as they say, today's friends are tomorrow's enemies.

The tribunal consisted of 7 people: the chairman - Colonel of Justice Dzhiku Popa, member of the tribunal Ioan Nistor, 3 people's assessors, secretary and public prosecutor - military prosecutor Dan Voina. The defendants were provided with 2 defenders. The entire trial took less than an hour and a half. The presidential couple was accused of destroying the national economy, destroying state structures, genocide and armed rebellion against the people. The verdict was unequivocal - the execution of Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena.

The unfortunate and confused 70-year-olds at first did not even understand where they were and what was happening. But when it dawned on them that this was a trial, they declared it illegal and categorically refused to answer any questions. But the members of the tribunal were not embarrassed. The verdict was read out and the defendants were given 10 days to appeal. However, out of fear that Ceausescu's supporters would be able to release the condemned, they decided to shoot them immediately.

At about 4 p.m., the Romanian dictator and his wife were taken out into the courtyard. They behaved with dignity and calmness. Elena even asked one of the soldiers: “Son, why are you shooting us, because I was your mother?” To which the soldier replied: “What kind of mother are you, since you killed our mothers.” The dictator himself did not communicate with anyone. He sang the "Internationale" as he walked to the place of execution.

The wall near which Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena were shot

In total, 1 officer and 3 soldiers took part in the execution of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu. They were personally chosen by General Stanculescu. The condemned were placed against the wall, behind which was the soldiers' restroom, and they opened fire. A tarpaulin was thrown over the corpses while they were waiting for the car. The bodies were taken to the Steaua stadium. There they lay for a day, and then were secretly buried in a military cemetery in Bucharest. At the same time, the husband and wife were buried not in the same grave, but at a distance of 50 meters from each other. In 2010, the ashes of the spouses were placed in one grave and a monument was erected from red granite.

Today, 50% of Romanians believe that the Romanian dictator was a worthy president of his country. And 82% are of the opinion that the execution of Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife had nothing to do with justice. It was a political assassination organized by Victor Stanculescu and a group of generals.

It is now reliably known that the leader of the Romanian people did not give the order to shoot people. In Timisoara and other cities in Romania, Stanculescu ruled everything, and it was he who gave orders for the use of weapons. In total, about a thousand people died in 2 days of the Romanian Revolution, and she herself became a catalyst, provoking revolutions in other countries of Eastern Europe.